Self-orienting syringe and syringe interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11419977-B2
Application number	US-201916369267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A medical injector including at least one syringe port for engaging at least one syringe and having a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism enables the syringe to self-align with the syringe port for locking engagement upon insertion of the syringe into the syringe port and to axially eject the syringe from the port upon rotational disengagement of the syringe from the port.

First claim

We claim:

1. A medical injector comprising at least one syringe port for engaging at least one syringe, the syringe port comprising a locking mechanism comprising:
a housing; and
a first retaining ring at a distal end of the housing, the first retaining ring having a central opening and a sidewall, wherein the sidewall has one or more first recesses extending radially outward into the sidewall and lateral surfaces of each first recess defining a travel path for guiding movement of one or more retaining lugs of the at least one syringe,
wherein each first recess comprises at least one first guiding surface and a second guiding surface to guide each of the one or more retaining lugs into self-oriented alignment with the first recess, and
wherein the at least one first guiding surface comprises an axial point which separates a first portion of the first guiding surface and a second portion of the first guiding surface, wherein the first portion of the first guiding surface is inclined towards a first of the first recesses and the second portion of the first guiding surface is inclined towards a second of the first recesses adjacent to the first of the first recesses.

2. The medical injector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first guiding surface and the second guiding surface are inclined radially and axially toward the central opening of the first retaining ring.

3. The medical injector of claim 1 , wherein the second guiding surface is radially inclined towards the central opening from a distal end of the second guiding surface to a proximal end of the second guiding surface.

4. The medical injector of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first guiding surface and the second guiding surface guide the syringe into rotational alignment with the one or more first recesses and into axial alignment with the syringe port.

5. The medical injector of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first recesses are evenly spaced about an inner circumference of the sidewall.

6. The medical injector of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more first recesses and the sidewall of the first retaining ring on one radially adjacent side of the first recess define a clearance space for receiving a syringe retaining member on the syringe, wherein the syringe retaining member comprises a lug and an outer surface of a barrel of the syringe on one radially adjacent side of the lug.

7. A medical injector comprising at least one syringe port for engaging at least one syringe, the syringe port comprising a locking mechanism comprising:
a housing;
a first retaining ring at a distal end of the housing, the first retaining ring having a central opening and a sidewall, wherein the sidewall has one or more first recesses extending radially outward into the sidewall and lateral surfaces of each first recess defining a travel path for guiding movement of one or more retaining lugs of the at least one syringe; and
a second retaining ring that is rotatable relative to the first retaining ring and the housing,
wherein each first recess comprises at least one first guiding surface and a second guiding surface to guide each of the one or more retaining lugs into self-oriented alignment with the first recess, and
wherein the second retaining ring comprising one or more locking elements extending radially from an inner sidewall of the second retaining ring and are separated by one or more second recesses for receiving the one or more retaining lugs when an insertion section of the syringe is inserted through the central opening of the first retaining ring, wherein the one or more locking elements comprise a first inclined surface for engaging a corresponding inclined surface of the one or more retaining lugs for axially ejecting the syringe upon disengagement of the syringe from the syringe port.

8. The medical injector of claim 7 , wherein the at least one first guiding surface comprises an axial point which separates a first portion of the first guiding surface and a second portion of the first guiding surface, wherein the first portion of the first guiding surface is inclined towards a first of the first recesses and the second portion of the first guiding surface is inclined towards a second of the first recesses adjacent to the first of the first recesses.

9. The medical injector of claim 8 , wherein the second guiding surface is radially inclined towards the central opening from a distal end of the second guiding surface to a proximal end of the second guiding surface.

10. The medical injector of claim 9 , wherein the at least one first guiding surface and the second guiding surface guide the syringe into rotational alignment with the one or more first recesses and into axial alignment with the syringe port.

11. The medical injector of claim 7 , wherein the second retaining ring further comprises at least one elastically resilient member to bias the second retaining ring to a first locked position.

12. The medical injector of claim 11 , wherein when the syringe is inserted into the syringe port, the inclined surface of the one or more retaining lugs engage the first inclined surface of the one or more locking elements to rotate the second retaining ring from the first locked position to a second insertion or release position to allow the one or more second recesses to receive the one or more retaining lugs and wherein the at least one elastically resilient member returns the second retaining ring to the first locked position after the one or more retaining lugs is received by the one or more second recesses.

13. The medical injector of claim 12 , wherein rotation of the syringe against a biasing force of the at least one elastically resilient member rotates the second retaining ring from the first locked position to the second insertion or release position to disengage the one or more lugs from the one or more locking elements, and
wherein the inclined surface of the one or more retaining lugs rides up the first inclined surface of the one or more locking elements to axially eject the syringe from the syringe port.

14. A method for reversibly locking a syringe to a locking mechanism of a fluid injector, the method comprising:
engaging a first tapered surface of at least one lug protruding radially outward relative to an outer surface of a sidewall of the syringe with a first guiding surface or a second guiding surface of a first recess of a first retaining ring of the locking mechanism to rotationally guide the syringe into self-orienting alignment with the locking mechanism;
engaging the first tapered surface of the at least one lug with a first inclined surface of a second retaining ring of the locking mechanism;
rotating the second retaining ring of the locking mechanism from a first locked position to a second insertion position by an axial interaction between the first tapered surface and the first inclined surface, wherein rotation is against a biasing force from an elastically resilient member;
receiving the at least one lug into a second recess of the second retaining ring while the second retaining ring is in the second insertion position; and
rotating the second retaining ring from the second insertion position to the first locked position by action of the elastically resilient member.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising abutting a base surface of the at least one lug with a locking surface of the second retaining ring to lock the syringe into the locking mechanism of the fluid injector.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising unlocking the syringe from the locking mechanism of the fluid injector.

Assignees

• Bayer Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• Cowan Kevin
• Uber Iii Arthur
• Spohn Michael
• Tucker Barry
• Rhinehart Edward

Classifications

• A61M5/00 Primary

  Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests ({vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025} ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; {combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16}) · CPC title

• A61M5/145 Primary

  using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons · CPC title

• A61M5/1408

  in parallel, e.g. manifolds, sequencing valves (access sites A61M39/02; tube connectors A61M39/10) · CPC title

• A61M5/14566

  with a replaceable reservoir for receiving a piston rod of the pump · CPC title

• A61M2005/14573

  with a replaceable reservoir for quick connection/disconnection with a driving system · CPC title