Disposable self-shielding aspirating syringe

• US RE37,439 E1
• Filed: 07/15/1998
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Safety Syringes Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Safety Syringes Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Perez, Anthony R., Firth, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDEZ, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/116,064
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 604/110, 604/192, 604/263, 604/232, 604/198, 604/187, 604/207, 604/218, 604/230
• US Class Current: 604/110
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150244 Rods for actuating or driving the piston, i.e. the cylindrical body that sits inside the syringe barrel, typically with an air tight seal, and slides in the barrel to create a vacuum or to expel blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150389 Hollow piercing elements, e.g. canulas, needles, for piercing the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150473 Double-ended needles, e.g. used with pre-evacuated sampling tubes hollow piercing element tip design A61B5/150396; needle sets for catheters A61M25/06; needles for bringing media into the body A61M5/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150641 comprising means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from covering to uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/153 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of venous or arterial blood, e.g. with syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3139 Finger grips not integrally formed with the syringe barrel, e.g. using adapter with finger grips
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3223 Means impeding or disabling repositioning of used needles at the syringe nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3247 Means to impede repositioning of protection sleeve from needle covering to needle uncovering position
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/59 Aesthetic features, e.g. distraction means to prevent fears of child patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0631 having means for fully covering the needle after its withdrawal, e.g. needle being withdrawn inside the handle or a cover being advanced over the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3243 being axially-extensible, e.g. protective sleeves coaxially slidable on the syringe barrel devices for protecting guide needles in combination with catheters A61M25/0612
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3271 with guiding tracks for controlled sliding of needle protective sleeve from needle exposing to needle covering position

Abstract

There is disclosed herein a syringe with a protector case which holds a carpule and permits the injection of fluid contained in the carpule into the patient. The syringe is molded of plastic or other suitable material which is sterilizable. The device comprises several parts including a body, protector case, needle, needle cap, plug, plunger and harpoon. The harpoon can be integrally molded on the plunger. The major components of the device preferably are molded from a suitable plastic and may be clear or of a color like or similar to a surgical glove.

Claims

1. A medical syringe for injecting medication into a human, comprising a syringe body, and a protector case movable with respect to the body to expose a needle connected to the body for injection and to cover the needle for disposal, the body having a cavity for receiving a medicine cartridge, the body having a first forward end to which the needle is attached and which needle also is capable of penetrating a cartridge for injecting medicine through the needle into a human, and the body having a second end into which a cartridge can be inserted,

a protector case adapted to slidably fit on the body, and having a first open end through which a needle may extend and a second end, the case and the body have cooperating detents for facilitating placement of the case with respect to the body for uncovering and covering, respectively, an exposed end of the needle, and wherein the first open end of the case is substantially cylindrical with a plurality of radially disposed slots and wherein an outer area of the first open end thereof is in the shape of a solid annular ring, and

a plunger assembly for cooperatively mating with the second end of the body and comprising a movable plunger which is movable with respect to the body for causing medicine from a cartridge to be administered through the needle, the plunger comprising a first end adapted to be manipulated by the user of the syringe and a second end adapted to be inserted into the body for engaging a stopper of a cartridge therein, the plunger being molded of plastic and the second end thereof having an integrally molded harpoon thereon which is adapted to engage and connect with a stopper of a cartridge disposed in the body.

2. A syringe as in claim 1 wherein the first end of the body for receiving a needle is tapered and includes a plurality of radially disposed fins adapted, when assembled with the case, to engage and extend through the slots in the first open end of the case.

3. A syringe as in claim 2 wherein the fins terminate in projections which are adapted to cooperatively mate with an open end of a needle cap.

4. A medical syringe for injecting medication into a human, comprising a syringe body, and a protector case movable with respect to the body to expose a needle connected to the body for injection and to cover the needle for disposal, the body having a cavity for receiving a medicine cartridge, the body having a first forward end to which the needle is attached and which needle also is capable of penetrating a cartridge for injecting medicine through the needle into a human, and the body having a second end into which a cartridge can be inserted,

a protector case adapted to slidably fit on the body, and having a first open end through which a needle may extend and a second end, the case and the body have cooperating detents for facilitating placement of the case with respect to the body for uncovering and covering, respectively, an exposed end of the needle, and

a plunger assembly for cooperatively mating with the second end of the body and comprising a movable plunger which is movable with respect to the body for causing medicine from a cartridge to be administered through the needle, the plunger comprising a first end adapted to be manipulated by the user of the syringe and a second end adapted to be inserted into the body, for engaging a stopper of a cartridge therein, the plunger being molded of plastic and the second end thereof having an integrally molded harpoon thereon which is adapted to engage and connect with a stopper of a cartridge disposed in the body, and wherein the plunger assembly further includes a plug through which the plunger extends and wherein the plug is adapted to couple with the second end of the body, the plunger including a plurality of radially disposed vanes having protrusions thereon for engaging undercut sections in a bore of the plug for facilitating positioning the plunger relative to the plug of the plunger assembly.

5. A medical syringe for injecting medication into a human, comprising

a syringe body and a protector case movable with respect to the body to expose a needle for injection of medicine into a human and to cover the needle for disposal, and a plunger and plug assembly movable for causing medication to be injected into a human, the plunger and plug assembly comprising an elongated plunger and a plug which are adapted to be cooperatively reciprocally coupled together and the plug being adapted to couple and become affixed to an open end of the body which open end is adapted to receive a cartridge containing medicine, and the plunger having a first end adapted to be manipulated by the user and a second end having an integrally molded harpoon thereon adapted to be coupled with and become affixed to a movable stopper of the cartridge, and wherein the plunger has a pair of protrusions thereon and the plug has a bore with a pair of indentations wherein the protrusions interact with the indentations during handling, packaging and shipping of the plunger and plug, and the plug having a face which interacts with the protrusions of the plunger to limit the retraction of the plunger once the harpoon thereof becomes affixed to the stopper of the cartridge.

6. A medical syringe for injecting medication into a human, comprising:

7. A medical syringe as in claim 6 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a plug having the finger grip thereon, and a locking finger having the at least one locking detent thereon.

8. A medical syringe as in claim 6, further comprising a finger grip on the second end of the syringe body.

9. A medical syringe as in claim 8, wherein the finger grip and syringe body include cooperating detents and notches for attaching the finger grip to the syringe body.

10. A medical syringe as in claim 9, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking finger extending axially forward from the finger grip.

11. A medical syringe as in claim 6, wherein the body and protector case comprise plastic.

12. A disposable self-shielding syringe, comprising:

13. A disposable self-shielding syringe as in claim 12, wherein the body and protector case comprise plastic.

14. A disposable self-shielding syringe as in claim 12, wherein the finger grip and the locking mechanism are molded directly to one another.

15. A disposable self-shielding syringe as in claim 12, wherein the finger grip collar is molded to the proximal end of the body.

16. A single use, disposable syringe, comprising

17. A single use, disposable syringe according to claim 16, wherein the elongate body and the protector case both comprise substantially clear plastic.

18. A single use, disposable syringe according to claim 16, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking finger extending from a plug attachable to the proximal end of the elongate body.

19. A single use, disposable syringe according to claim 16, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a plurality of locking members extending into the cavity.