Automatic locking and unlocking vacuum syringes, and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12558486-B2
Application number	US-202418949343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2024
Priority date	Nov 16, 2023
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

Disclosed herein are automatic-locking and automatic-unlocking syringes, and associated systems and methods. In some embodiments, a syringe can include a barrel, a plunger assembly slidably positioned within the barrel, and a locking assembly coupled to the barrel. The syringe is configured to (i) automatically lock the plunger assembly to the locking assembly when the plunger assembly is withdrawn through the barrel with a vacuum in the barrel, (ii) automatically unlock the plunger assembly from the locking assembly when the barrel no longer experiences vacuum and/or experiences negligible vacuum, and/or (iii) inhibit or even prevent automatic locking of the plunger assembly to the locking assembly when the plunger assembly is withdrawn through the barrel with no and/or negligible vacuum within the barrel.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An automatic-locking and automatic-unlocking syringe, comprising:
a barrel; a plunger assembly slidably positioned within the barrel, wherein the plunger assembly is movable between a first position and a second position; and a locking assembly coupled to the barrel, wherein—
the plunger assembly is configured to be withdrawn through the barrel to generate vacuum pressure in the barrel;
the plunger assembly is configured to move from the first position to the second position in response to the vacuum pressure;
the plunger assembly is configured to move from the second position to the first position in response to the vacuum pressure being released;
the plunger assembly is configured to lock to the locking assembly in the second position such that the locking assembly inhibits movement of the plunger assembly through the barrel; and
the plunger assembly is configured to unlock from the locking assembly in the first position such that the locking assembly permits movement of the plunger assembly through the barrel.

2 . The syringe of claim 1 wherein the plunger assembly includes a sealing head, a shaft, and a biasing member operably coupling the sealing head to the shaft.

3 . The syringe of claim 2 wherein in the first position the biasing member biases the sealing head into engagement within the shaft.

4 . The syringe of claim 3 wherein in the second position the vacuum pressure moves the sealing head from the shaft, against a biasing force of the biasing member, to define a locking recess therebetween.

5 . The syringe of claim 4 wherein the locking assembly includes a lock plate configured to be positioned in the locking recess when the plunger assembly is in the second position such that the lock plate inhibits movement of the plunger assembly through the barrel.

6 . The syringe of claim 5 wherein movement of the plunger assembly from the second position to the first position is configured to drive the lock plate from the locking recess to permit movement of the plunger assembly through the barrel.

7 . The syringe of claim 5 wherein the lock plate includes a button portion configured to be actuated by a user to drive the lock plate out of the locking recess when the plunger assembly is in the second position to permit movement of the plunger assembly through the barrel.

8 . The syringe of claim 1 wherein the locking assembly includes a housing, a lock plate positioned at least partially within the housing, and a biasing member operably coupling the lock plate to the housing.

9 . The syringe of claim 8 wherein the biasing member is configured to drive the lock plate into locking engagement with the plunger assembly when the plunger assembly is in the second position, and wherein the plunger assembly is configured to drive the lock plate against a biasing force of the biasing member when the plunger assembly is in the first position.

10 . The syringe of claim 1 , wherein the plunger assembly comprises—
a handle assembly including a first shaft having a distal portion;
a seal assembly including a second shaft and a seal head coupled to the second shaft, wherein the seal head includes a sealing member positioned to sealingly engage the barrel; and
a biasing member operably coupling the first shaft to the second shaft, wherein the biasing member has a biasing force, and wherein—
the handle assembly is configured to be withdrawn relative to the barrel to withdraw the seal assembly and the sealing member through the barrel to generate the vacuum pressure in the barrel; and
in, the second position, the vacuum pressure is configured to generate a vacuum force on the seal assembly greater than the biasing force of the biasing member such that the biasing member compresses and the seal head moves away from the distal portion of the first shaft.

11 . The syringe of claim 10 wherein the biasing member is a compression spring.

12 . The syringe of claim 10 wherein, in the first position when the vacuum pressure is released, the biasing force is configured to drive the seal head to engage the distal portion of the first shaft.

13 . The syringe of claim 10 , wherein the locking assembly includes a lock plate, wherein the vacuum pressure is configured to generate the vacuum force on the seal assembly greater than the biasing force of the biasing member such that the seal head moves away from the distal portion of the first shaft to define a locking recess therebetween in the second position, and wherein the lock plate is configured to be positioned in the locking recess to lock the locking assembly to the plunger assembly to inhibit movement of the plunger assembly through the barrel.

14 . The syringe of claim 13 wherein, in the first position when the vacuum pressure is released, the biasing force is configured to drive the seal head to engage the distal portion of the first shaft to drive the lock plate from the locking recess to unlock the locking assembly from the plunger assembly.

15 . The syringe of claim 10 wherein the second shaft comprises a visual indicator, wherein the first shaft includes an aperture, and wherein the visual indicator is at least partially visible through the aperture when the vacuum force on the seal assembly is greater than the biasing force of the biasing member such that the seal head moves away from the distal portion of the first shaft.

Assignees

• Inari Medical Inc

Inventors

• Zikry Christopher Andrew
• Merritt Benjamin Edward
• Ozenne Parker
• Mcconnell Steven
• Barkley Mikayla Ann

Classifications

• A61M5/2033

  Spring-loaded one-shot injectors with or without automatic needle insertion (multishot dosing syringes A61M5/31525, needle insertion only A61M5/3287) · CPC title

• A61M5/3148

  Means for causing or aiding aspiration or plunger retraction · CPC title

• A61M5/31505

  Integral with the syringe barrel, i.e. connected to the barrel so as to make up a single complete piece or unit · CPC title

• A61M2005/31508

  provided on the piston-rod · CPC title

• A61M5/31501 Primary

  Means for blocking or restricting the movement of the rod or piston (A61M5/5013 takes precedence) · CPC title