QUICK RELEASE PLUNGER

• US 20160051761A1
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Medical Care Inc. (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: COWAN, KEVIN P., RHINEHART, EDWARD J., TROCKI, MARK
• Granted Patent: US 9,744,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31521 Pistons with a forward extending skirt at their front end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/315 Pistons; Piston-rods; Guiding, blocking or restricting the movement of the rod or piston; Appliances on the rod for facilitating dosing ; Dosing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31511 Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod A61M5/5066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31513 Piston constructions to improve sealing or sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31515 Connection of piston with piston rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5066 Means for preventing re-use by disconnection of piston and piston-rod

Abstract

A syringe system and components thereof are disclosed. The system may include a syringe body having a hollow lumen, a proximal open end, and a distal end. The syringe body may be configured to house a fluid therein. The syringe system may further include a plunger positioned in the hollow lumen of the syringe body, forming a seal with an inner wall of the syringe body. The plunger may include a removable piston having a shaft extending from the distal end towards the proximal open end, a stopper removably connected to a distal portion of the shaft, and at least one coupler attached to the distal portion of the shaft. The stopper may be configured to slidably move within the hollow lumen to facilitate movement of the fluid within the syringe body. The coupler may be configured to facilitate removal and attachment of the stopper from the piston.

Claims

1. A stopper configured to slidably move within a hollow lumen of a syringe to facilitate movement of fluid within the syringe, the stopper comprising:

a base; and

one or more capture members extending rearwardly from the base, the one or more capture members each comprising a beveled edge,

wherein the beveled edge is configured to interact with a piston of a fluid injection apparatus to radially deflect the one or more capture members upon rotation of the stopper relative to the piston to facilitate removal of the stopper from the piston, and

wherein the stopper is configured for slidable movement within a body of a syringe and to form a fluid tight seal with an inner wall of the body of the syringe.

2. The stopper according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more capture members comprise an inwardly facing shoulder.

3. The stopper according to claim 2, wherein the one or more capture members extend rearwardly from the base by an amount sufficient to releasably capture and retain a tapered flange on a coupler attached to a piston.

4. The stopper according to claim 3, wherein the inwardly facing shoulder of each of the one or more capture members are configured to engage a circumferential groove proximal to the tapered flange on the piston.

5. The stopper according to claim 4, wherein the one or more capture members may further comprise one or more extensions extending proximally from the inwardly facing shoulder.

6. The stopper according to claim 4, wherein the one or more capture members are formed from a flexible material such that the capture members flex radially outward when contacted by a taper of the tapered flange and subsequently snap back to an original position after passing the tapered flange to engage the circumferential groove.

7. The stopper according to claim 4, wherein the stopper is configured to resist disconnection from the piston upon rearward movement of the piston.

8. The stopper according to claim 4, wherein the one or more capture members are designed such that forces exerted on the one or more capture members upon rearward movement of the piston substantially prevents radially outward movement of the one or more capture members.

9. The stopper according to claim 8, wherein a bending movement created by a rearward movement of the piston causes the one or more capture members to deflect radially inward.

10. The stopper according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises one or more helical threads configured to screw into the stopper.

11. The stopper according to claim 1, wherein upon rotation of the piston, the beveled edge is configured to be pushed radially outward such that the inwardly facing shoulders of the at one or more capture members are disengaged from the tapered flange.

12. The stopper according to claim 1, wherein the stopper comprises a cylindrical body and is configured to substantially fill at least a portion of a conical shaped distal end of the syringe.

16. The plunger apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of extensions includes one or more notches on one or more sides of each extension on an outermost portion of each extension, wherein each of the one or more notches has a cross-sectional shape that is square, rectangular, triangular, circular, or elliptical.

17. The plunger apparatus of claim 11, wherein the coupler comprises a tapered flange extending distally from the circumferential groove, wherein the tapered flange is configured to removably secure the coupler to the stopper by locking with one or more capture members located on the stopper.

13. A plunger apparatus comprising:

a stopper removably configured to slidably move within a hollow lumen of a syringe to facilitate movement of fluid within the syringe, the stopper comprising;

a base; and

one or more capture members extending rearwardly from the base, the one or more capture members each comprising a beveled edge and an inwardly facing shoulder,

wherein the beveled edge is configured to interact with a piston of a fluid injection apparatus to radially deflect the one or more capture members upon rotation of the stopper relative to the piston to facilitate removal of the stopper from the piston.

14. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a coupler for connection to a distal portion of the piston, wherein the coupler comprises a substantially circumferential groove having a plurality of extensions extending radially from the circumferential groove, wherein the extensions are configured to facilitate removable attachment of the stopper to the piston and wherein the inwardly facing should of the one or more capture members are configured for engaging the circumferential groove.

15. The plunger apparatus of claim 14, wherein the coupler is fixedly attached to the distal portion of the piston.

18. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more capture members is constructed of a flexible material such that the one or more capture members flex outwardly when contacted by the tapered flange and subsequently snap back to an original position after passing the tapered flange to engage the circumferential groove.

19. The plunger apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more capture members protrude rearwardly beyond a rear surface of the base by an amount sufficient to capture and retain the tapered flange to effectively resist disconnection of the stopper from the piston.

20. The plunger apparatus of claim 19, wherein the one or more capture members may be configured to move radially outward from the base as a radial distance of the circumferential groove increases when the piston is rotated about an axis, allowing the piston to be detached from the stopper.