Combination plunger device for a dual chamber mixing syringe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10130768-B2
Application number	US-201314648376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2013
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

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, 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, the mixing plunger comprises one or more connection members at a proximal end thereof, and the delivery plunger comprises one or more connection recesses which releasably engage, or are releasably engaged by, the connection members of the mixing plunger.

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 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.

4. The combination plunger of claim 1 , wherein disengagement of the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger permits separate or independent axial movement of the delivery plunger.

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

6. The combination plunger of claim 5 , 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.

7. The combination plunger of claim 6 , wherein the one or more locking systems locks the mixing plunger to the mixing device.

8. 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.

9. The combination plunger of claim 8 , wherein the delivery plunger is capable of engaging a needle or needle assembly to facilitate retraction of the needle or needle assembly.

10. The combination plunger of claim 9 , 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.

11. The combination plunger of claim 8 , wherein the biasing member is a compression spring that is initially compressed in the pill housing prior to retraction of the needle.

12. The combination plunger of claim 11 , wherein decompression or expansion of the spring facilitates retraction of the needle or needle assembly when engaged with the delivery plunger.

13. 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.

14. The combination plunger of claim 1 , further comprising a flange connector for connecting the combination plunger device to a barrel extension, wherein the flange connector is engageable with the barrel extension of the mixing device.

15. 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, wherein the mixing plunger is disenagageable from the delivery plunger after mixing is complete, and the mixing plunger is disenagageable from the delivery plunger by rotation of the delivery plunger relative to the mixing plunger.

16. The mixing device of claim 15 , which further comprises an inner chamber in said inner barrel.

17. The mixing device of claim 16 , wherein the delivery plunger is axially moveable in said inner chamber.

18. The mixing device of claim 15 , comprising one or more fluid paths in a wall of said inner barrel.

19. The mixing device of claim 15 , which comprises one or more vents in the outer barrel.

20. The mixing device of claim 19 , wherein the one or more vents are operable to facilitate exit of air from the outer chamber to the atmosphere when the mixing plunger is slidably moved in the outer chamber.

21. The mixing device of claim 15 , which further comprises a plurality of seals in the outer chamber.

22. The mixing device of claim 21 , wherein one of said plurality of seals is a distal seal initially in sealing engagement with one or more fluid paths in the inner barrel.

23. The mixing device of claim 22 , 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 one or more vents.

24. The mixing device of claim 21 , 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.

25. The mixing device of claim 15 , 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.

26. The mixing device of claim 25 , wherein axial movement of the mixing plunger facilitates entry of the at least first mixing substance into the inner chamber in the inner barrel.

27. A mixing syringe comprising the mixing device of claim 15 and a needle assembly.

28. The mixing syringe of claim 27 , 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.

29. 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, wherein disengagement of the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger permits separate or independent axial movement of the delivery plunger, and disengagement of the mixing plunger and the delivery plunger includes rotational disengagement of the delivery plunger from the mixing plunger.

Assignees

• Unl Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Dungar Peter J
• Weaver Molly M
• Weaver Philip A
• Lumme Katlin M
• Johannesson Robert E

Classifications

• B01F11/0054

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• A61M2207/00

  Methods of manufacture, assembly or production · CPC title

• A61M5/3221

  Constructional features thereof, e.g. to improve manipulation or functioning · CPC title

• A61M2005/3238

  Trigger provided at the proximal end, i.e. syringe end opposite to needle mounting end · CPC title

• A61M2005/3117

  Means preventing contamination of the medicament compartment of a syringe · CPC title