Syringe fill system and method

• US 9,387,151 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anutra Medical Inc.
• Original Assignee: Anutra Medical Inc.
• Inventors: Davidian, Daniel K., Newnam, Scott G., Nichols, Eli B., Mosler, Theodore J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laurenz, III, Mark A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHMID, ANDREW C
• Application Number:
  US14/298,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20150053305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 141/2, 141/18, 141/25, 141/27, 141/100, 141/104, 141/105, 141/107, 141/234, 141/235, 141/236, 141/238, 141/290, 141/301, 141/302
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2055 having gripping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2075 for external venting
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/22 with means for metering the amount of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/048 Anaesthetics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/75 with filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/001 Apparatus specially adapted for cleaning or sterilising syringes or needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1782 Devices aiding filling of syringes in situ combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents A61J1/2096, filling of medical containers in general B65B3/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2425 by compression of deformable ampoule or carpule wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2448 comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3137 Specially designed finger grip means, e.g. for easy manipulation of the syringe rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31586 performed by rotationally moving or pivoted actuator, e.g. an injection lever or handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31591 Single dose, i.e. individually set dose administered only once from the same medicament reservoir, e.g. including single stroke limiting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31593 Multi-dose, i.e. individually set dose repeatedly administered from the same medicament reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/502 for blocking the piston

Abstract

A syringe fill system is described, which is useful for filling syringes for dental anesthetic applications. The system incorporates capability for “push-pull”, “pull-push”, “push-push”, and “pull-pull” modes of operation, for loading syringes with compositions comprising multiple fluid components. A syringe fillable by such syringe fill systems is described, providing haptic and audible feedback to a user, to aid in administering precise amounts of therapeutic compositions. Also disclosed are cassette assemblies for use in such syringe fill systems. Such cassette assemblies may be formed of plastic and elastomeric materials of construction, as disposable or single-use components of the syringe fill system.

Claims

1. A syringe fill system, comprising:

a syringe fill manifold including a manifold fill passage, an inlet for connection to a fluid supply assembly, and an outlet arranged to deliver fluid for syringe filling;

a fluid supply assembly adapted to receive a fluid container so that the fluid container is positioned above the syringe fill manifold and is coupled to the inlet of the syringe fill manifold, with a valve at the inlet to control flow of fluid from the fluid container to the manifold fill passage; and

a dispensing assembly including a dispensing selector member operatively linked to a driver member arranged to control dispensing of fluid from the fluid container in an amount selectable by the dispensing selector member, wherein the driver member is arranged for travel to exert pressure on the fluid container to dispense fluid therefrom to the syringe fill manifold in the amount selectable by the dispensing selector member, with the travel of the driver member limited by the operatively linked dispensing selector member to an extent corresponding to the amount selectable by the dispensing selector member, and with the dispensing selector member operatively resetting to a starting position after initiation of fluid dispensing,

wherein the fluid supply assembly and the dispensing assembly are arranged in side-by-side relationship with one another.

2. The syringe fill system of claim 1, wherein:

the driver member is arranged for downward travel on a lead screw to an extent determined by selected rotational movement of the dispensing selector member, and downward travel of the driver member on the lead screw causing fluid to flow from the fluid container to the manifold fill passage of the syringe fill manifold.

3. The syringe fill system of claim 2, wherein the dispensing selector member comprises a pawl member arranged to cause an arm to engage a cogwheel at a position limiting the downward travel of the driver member on the lead screw, and preventing reverse motion of the driver member.

4. The syringe fill system of claim 1, wherein the fluid supply assembly is adapted to receive at least one additional fluid container so that each said additional fluid container is positioned above the syringe fill manifold and is coupled to a corresponding additional inlet of the syringe fill manifold, with a valve at each said additional inlet to control flow of fluid from the corresponding additional fluid container to the manifold fill passage.

5. The syringe fill system of claim 4, wherein the fluid container is a first fluid container, and fluid supply assembly is adapted to receive a second fluid container so that the second fluid container is positioned above the syringe fill manifold.

6. The syringe fill system of claim 5, as adapted for push-pull dispensing, comprising push dispensing of a first fluid from the first fluid container and pull dispensing of a second fluid from the second fluid container, wherein the first fluid is first pushed from the first fluid container into the syringe fill manifold, and then the second fluid is pulled from the second fluid container into the syringe fill manifold so that the second fluid intermixes with the first fluid in the manifold fill passage and purges the first fluid from the manifold fill passage during syringe filling.

7. The syringe fill system of claim 6, wherein the valves at the inlets of the syringe fill manifold comprise check valves of different crack pressure character.

8. The syringe fill system of claim 7, wherein the check valve for push dispensing of fluid from the first fluid container has a crack pressure that is in a range of from 6 to 20 psi, and the check valve for pull dispensing of fluid from the second fluid container has a crack pressure that is in a range of from 0.5 to 10 psi, with the proviso that the crack pressure of the check valve for push dispensing is greater than the crack pressure of the check valve for pull dispensing.

9. The syringe fill system of claim 8, further comprising a first fluid container of buffering medium and a second fluid container of anesthetic composition in the fluid supply assembly.

10. The syringe fill system of claim 1, further comprising a housing in which the syringe fill manifold, the fluid supply assembly, and the dispensing assembly are mounted, wherein the dispensing selector member further comprises a manually actuatable selector knob having a surface with a series of numbers corresponding to a specific volume for the amount selectable.

11. The syringe fill system of claim 10, wherein the housing includes a syringe coupling port in which is disposed a syringe coupling that is connected in fluid flow communication with the outlet of the syringe fill manifold.

12. The syringe fill system of claim 10, wherein the manually actuatable selector knob is located outside the housing and is rotatable to dial a selected dose.

13. The syringe fill system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing assembly and the fluid supply assembly are each generally vertically extending.

14. The syringe fill system of claim 1, wherein the fluid supply assembly comprises a fluid supply container adaptor configured to receive a fluid supply container including a pierceable cap or cover, and comprising a piercing member for piercing the pierceable cap or cover, and an air inletting vent enabling air to enter the container to facilitate dispensing of fluid from the fluid supply container, wherein the air inletting vent comprises a hydrophobic filter effective to remove airborne contaminants that may adversely affect fluid supplied by the fluid supply container.

15. A method of filling a syringe with fluid at a point of use, said method comprising use of a syringe fill system according to claim 1.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the syringe fill manifold has a longitudinal axis and an anesthetic and a buffering medium are supplied to the syringe fill manifold from an anesthetic supply container and a buffer medium supply container mounted in said fluid supply assembly, to form a buffered anesthetic composition for filling of said syringe wherein the buffer supply container is located between the anesthetic supply container and the outlet along the longitudinal axis.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the buffering medium is supplied to the syringe fill manifold in a push mode of dispensing from the buffering medium supply container, and the anesthetic is supplied to the syringe fill manifold in a pull mode of dispensing from the anesthetic supply container.

18. A syringe fill system, comprising:

a housing in which is mounted a pusher arranged to exert downward pressure on a fluid supply package that is pressure-responsive to dispense fluid, the pusher being coupled with a track in the housing for bidirectional linear movement;

a selector and driver assembly operatively coupled with the pusher, arranged for user selection of an amount of a fluid to be dispensed and responsive to the user to selection to translate the pusher against the fluid supply package for dispensing of the user-selected amount of the fluid, the selector and driver assembly including a pawl mechanism for limiting translation distance of the pusher to limit dispensing to the user-selected amount,

the selector and driver assembly comprising a selector member that is rotatable for user selection of the amount of the fluid to be dispensed, and after dispensing is initiated, is automatically reversely rotated to a starting position for user selection.

19. A syringe fill system, comprising:

a syringe fill manifold including a manifold fill passage, an inlet for connection to a fluid supply assembly, and an outlet arranged to deliver fluid for syringe filling;

a fluid supply assembly adapted to receive a first fluid container and a second fluid container so that each of the first fluid container and the second fluid container is positioned above the syringe fill manifold and is coupled to a separate inlet of the syringe fill manifold, with a valve at each of the inlets to control flow of fluid from the fluid containers to the manifold fill passage; and

a dispensing assembly including a dispensing selector member operatively linked to an actuator member arranged to control dispensing of fluid from the it fluid container in an amount selectable by the dispensing selector member,

wherein the fluid supply assembly and the dispensing assembly are arranged in side-by-side relationship with one another, with the valves at the respective inlets arranged for push dispensing of fluid from the first fluid container, followed by pull dispensing of fluid from the second fluid container during syringe filling.

20. The syringe fill system of claim 19, wherein:

the dispensing selector member in the dispensing assembly is operatively linked via compression and torsional springs with the actuator member, and the actuator member is arranged for downward travel on a lead screw in response to rotational movement of the dispensing selector member followed by downward translation of the dispensing selector member, with the actuator member during downward translation on the lead screw causing fluid to flow from the it fluid container to the manifold fill passage of the syringe fill manifold, and with the compression spring acting to return the dispensing selector member to a starting position after the amount of fluid selected by the dispensing selector member has been flowed from the fluid container to the manifold fill passage of the syringe fill manifold.