Syringe plunger and syringe incorporating the plunger

• US 8,172,814 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cane' S.p.A., Universitã¤Tsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
• Original Assignee: Cane' S.p.A.
• Inventors: Cane′, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Jackie
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARPENTER, WILLIAM R
• Application Number:
  US12/514,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 604/187, 604/218, 604/228
• US Class Current: 604/228
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31506 formed as a single piece, e.g. moulded
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14546 Front-loading type injectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1456 with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31515 Connection of piston with piston rod

Abstract

A plunger (13) for a syringe (11), comprising a cylindrical hollow body having a closed base and an opening located at the opposite base of said hollow body, wherein a seat accessible through said opening is provided to receive the head of a rod or a pusher (15), said seat being equipped with engagement means for retaining said head inside the seat at the end of an axial translational or an axial translational and rotary coupling movement. The application further concerns the rod intended to be associated with said plunger and a syringe or a phial using the plunger.

Claims

1. A combination of a syringe plunger and a syringe rod configured to cooperate with said plunger, wherein said plunger comprises an engagement mechanism that retains a head of the rod at an end of an axial translational and rotary coupling of said plunger and said rod relative to each other;

wherein said plunger comprises;

a corresponding hollow cylindrical body with opposite cylindrical bases, and in which a dome closing one of the cylinder bases and an opening in the opposite base are defined;

a circumferential groove provided around the cylindrical body of the plunger configured to accommodate a ring-shaped gasket,

a seat provided inside the plunger and having defined therein a joint for the head of said rod;

wherein said joint defined inside the seat of the plunger is formed by four longitudinal extensions, arranged along a circumference, mutually spaced apart by 90° and

resiliently flexible in a radial direction towards an outside of seat; and

wherein said rod comprises at a forward end configured to engage the plunger;

a disc-shaped base from which a central cylindrical projection and a pair of arc-shaped projections, diametrically opposed and arranged externally of said central projection, extend axially upwards;

a first pair of radial stops, radially extending from a forward base of said cylindrical projection;

a second pair of axial stops extending from a wall of the cylindrical projection and joined to said disc-shaped base.

2. The rod as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radial stops are arranged along a diameter passing through the central axis of the cylindrical projection.

3. The rod as claimed in claim 1, wherein said axial stops are mutually offset so as to be arranged along two respective chords of the cylindrical projection.

4. The rod as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axial stops allow for a limited amount of rotation of the plunger and rod by preventing further rotation of the plunger and rod beyond a limit.

5. A syringe comprising a cylindrical hollow barrel and a plunger which is slidable within the syringe barrel in a first direction in order to draw liquid through a first opening provided at one end of the syringe barrel, and in a second direction in order to inject through the same opening the liquid previously drawn, wherein said plunger comprises an engagement mechanism for retaining the head of a rod at the end of an axial translational and rotary coupling movement of said plunger and said rod relative to each other;

and

wherein said plunger comprises;

a corresponding hollow cylindrical body with opposite cylindrical bases, and in which a dome closing one of the cylinder bases and an opening in the opposite base are defined;

a circumferential groove provided around the cylindrical body of the plunger configured to accommodate a ring-shaped gasket,

a seat provided inside the plunger and having defined therein a joint for the head of said rod;

wherein said joint defined inside the seat of the plunger is formed by four longitudinal extensions, arranged along a circumference, mutually spaced apart by 90° and

resiliently flexible in a radial direction towards an outside of seat; and

wherein said rod comprises at a forward end configured to engage the plunger;

a disc-shaped base from which a central cylindrical projection and a pair of arc-shaped projections, diametrically opposed and arranged externally of said central projection, extend axially upwards;

a first pair of radial stops, radially extending from a forward base of said cylindrical projection;

a second pair of axial stops extending from a wall of the cylindrical projection and joined to said disc-shaped base.

6. The syringe as claimed in claim 5, said rod being removably connected to the plunger and projecting from the syringe barrel through a second opening formed at the end of the syringe barrel opposite to the first opening.

7. A phial pre-filled with a liquid, comprising a cylindrical hollow body and a plunger which is slidable within the phial body in order to inject the liquid through an opening provided at one end of the phial body, wherein said phial comprises a rod configured to cooperate with said plunger, wherein the plunger comprises an engagement mechanism that retains a head of the rod at an end of an axial translational and rotary coupling of said plunger and said rod relative to each other;

wherein said plunger comprises;

a corresponding hollow cylindrical body with opposite cylindrical bases, and in which a dome closing one of the cylinder bases and an opening in the opposite base are defined;

a circumferential groove provided around the cylindrical body of the plunger configured to accommodate a ring-shaped gasket,

a seat provided inside the plunger and having defined therein a joint for the head of said rod;

wherein said joint defined inside the seat of the plunger is formed by four longitudinal extensions, arranged along a circumference, mutually spaced apart by 90° and

resiliently flexible in a radial direction towards an outside of seat; and

wherein said rod comprises at a forward end configured to engage the plunger;

a disc-shaped base from which a central cylindrical projection and a pair of arc-shaped projections, diametrically opposed and arranged externally of said central projection, extend axially upwards;

a first pair of radial stops, radially extending from a forward base of said cylindrical projection;

a second pair of axial stops extending from a wall of the cylindrical projection and joined to said disc-shaped base.