COMBINATION PLUNGER DEVICE FOR A DUAL CHAMBER MIXING SYRINGE

• US 20150320935A1
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UNL Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Unitract Syringe Pty Limited (Unilife Corp.)
• Inventors: Dungar, Peter J., Weaver, Philip A., Lumme, Katlin M., Miller, Molly M., Johannesson, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,130,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2093 Containers having several compartments for products to be mixed
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3117 Means preventing contamination of the medicament compartment of a syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31598 having multiple telescopically sliding coaxial pistons encompassing volumes for components to be mixed
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3231 Proximal end of needle captured or embedded inside piston head, e.g. by friction or hooks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3238 Trigger provided at the proximal end, i.e. syringe end opposite to needle mounting end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0007 introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/19 having more than one chamber , e.g. including a manifold coupling two parallelly aligned syringes through separate channels to a common discharge assembly surgical glue applicators A61B17/00491
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/284 comprising means for injection of two or more media, e.g. by mixing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3148 Means for causing or aiding aspiration or plunger retraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3221 Constructional features thereof, e.g. to improve manipulation or functioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3234 Fully automatic needle retraction, i.e. in which triggering of the needle does not require a deliberate action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/40 with an axially oscillating rotary stirrer
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/441 performing a rectilinear reciprocating movement
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/50112 of the syringe or cartridge type
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/22 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7162 A container being placed inside the other before contacting the contents

Abstract

A combination plunger, a mixing device and a mixing syringe including the same are provided. The mixing syringe includes concentric outer and inner barrels that form an outer chamber, the inner barrel having an inner chamber. The combination plunger includes a mixing plunger and a delivery plunger and a biasing means. The mixing plunger is slidably located in the outer chamber and translated by coordinated depression of the delivery plunger to transfer a first substance from the outer chamber to mix with a second substance in the inner chamber. After the mixing stage is complete, the delivery plunger is disengaged from the mixing plunger and permitted, such as by rotation, to be further depressed in the axial direction to deliver fluid contents of the mixing syringe to a recipient. The mixing syringe needle is then retracted as result of engagement by the delivery plunger and activation of the biasing means.

Claims

1. A combination plunger for a syringe mixing device, said combination plunger comprising:

a mixing plunger and a delivery plunger are releasably engaged to facilitate coordinated or synchronous axial movement of the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger for at least a portion of operation of the combination plunger; and

a pill housing having a biasing member.

2. The combination plunger of claim 1, wherein axial travel of the delivery plunger causes axial travel of the mixing plunger.

3. The combination plunger of claim 1, wherein the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger are releasably engaged to facilitate coordinated or synchronous axial travel of the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger until disengagement of the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger.

4. The combination plunger of claim 3, wherein the mixing plunger comprises one or more connection members at a proximal end thereof.

5. The combination plunger of claim 4, wherein the delivery plunger comprises one or more connection recesses which releasably engage, or are releasably engaged by, the connection members of the mixing plunger.

6. The combination plunger of claim 5, wherein the releasable engagement between the connection members and the connection recesses of the delivery plunger permit the coordinated axial travel of the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger for at least a portion of operation of the combination plunger.

7. The combination plunger of claim 1, wherein disengagement of the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger can permit separate or independent axial movement of the delivery plunger.

8. The combination plunger of claim 7, wherein disengagement of the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger includes rotational disengagement of the delivery plunger from the mixing plunger.

9. The combination plunger of claim 1, which comprises one or more locks or locking systems.

10. The combination plunger of claim 9, wherein the one or more locks or locking systems prevent axial travel of the mixing plunger while permitting axial travel of the delivery plunger after mixing is complete.

11. The combination plunger of claim 10, wherein the one or more locking systems locks the mixing plunger to the mixing device.

12. The combination plunger of claim 1 which comprises one or more members that initially engage the pill housing to maintain the biasing member in an initially energized state, so that upon disengagement of the member from the housing, the biasing member is permitted to expand in a proximal direction.

13. The combination plunger of claim 12, wherein the delivery plunger is capable of engaging a needle or needle assembly to facilitate retraction of the needle or needle assembly.

14. The combination plunger of claim 13, wherein release of energy by the biasing member enables retraction of the needle or needle assembly, when engaged by the delivery plunger, into a syringe barrel.

15. The combination plunger of claim 12, wherein the biasing member is a compression spring that is initially compressed in the pill housing prior to retraction of the needle.

16. The combination plunger of claim 15, wherein decompression or expansion of the spring facilitates retraction of the needle or needle assembly when engaged with the delivery plunger.

17. The combination plunger of claim 1, further comprising a flange connector for connecting the combination plunger device to one or more barrels, or a barrel extension, of the mixing device.

18. The combination plunger of claim 17, wherein the flange connector is engageable with the barrel extension of the mixing device.

19. A mixing device for a syringe, wherein the mixing device comprises:

an outer barrel and an inner barrel in a substantially coaxial relationship that form an outer chamber; and

a combination plunger comprising a pill housing having a biasing member, a mixing plunger and a delivery plunger, wherein the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger are releasably engaged to each other to facilitate coordinated or synchronous axial movement for at least a portion of operation of the combination plunger.

20. The mixing device of claim 19, which further comprises an inner chamber in said inner barrel.

21. The mixing device of claim 20, wherein the delivery plunger is axially moveable in said inner chamber.

22. The mixing device of claim 19, comprising one or more fluid paths in a wall of said inner barrel.

23. The mixing device of claim 19, which comprises one or more vents in the outer barrel.

24. The mixing device of claim 23, wherein the one or more vents are operable to facilitate exit of air from the outer chamber to atmosphere when the mixing plunger is slidably moved in the outer chamber.

25. The mixing device of claim 19, which further comprises a plurality of seals in the outer chamber.

26. The mixing device of claim 25, wherein one of said plurality of seals is a distal seal initially in sealing engagement with said one or more fluid paths in the inner barrel.

27. The mixing device of claim 26, wherein axial movement of the mixing plunger indirectly facilitates axial movement of the distal seal to a position intermediate or at least partly between said one or more fluid paths and said one or more vents.

28. The mixing device of claim 25, wherein one of said plurality of seals is a proximal seal engaged, coupled, connected or affixed to the mixing plunger and slidably moveable in the outer chamber.

29. The mixing device of claim 19, wherein at least a first mixing substance is locatable in the outer chamber and at least a second mixing substance is locatable in said inner chamber.

30. The mixing device of claim 29, wherein axial movement of the mixing plunger facilitates entry of the at least first mixing substance into the inner chamber in the inner barrel

31. The mixing device of claim 19, wherein the mixing plunger is disenagageable from the delivery plunger after mixing is complete.

32. The mixing device of claim 31, wherein the mixing plunger is disenagageable from the delivery plunger by rotation of the delivery plunger relative to the mixing plunger.

33. A mixing syringe comprising the mixing device of claim 19 and a needle assembly.

34. The mixing syringe of claim 33, wherein the needle assembly comprises a retractable needle that can be engaged by the delivery plunger to thereby facilitate retraction of the needle upon release of stored energy from the biasing means.

35. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

37. (canceled)

38. (canceled)