Dispensing assembly having mixing and plunging assembly, and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9456861-B2
Application number	US-201414311945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2014
Priority date	Jun 24, 2013
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A dispensing assembly includes a syringe body having a barrel and a dispensing tip. The dispensing assembly further includes a mixing and plunging assembly configured for coupling with the syringe body and comprising a mixer and a plunger. The mixer is configured for mixing material in the barrel and has a rod and a mixing element removably connected with the rod. The plunger is configured to dispense material from the barrel through the dispensing tip. Also, the rod is configured to be detached from the mixing element and used to push material out of the dispensing tip.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing assembly, comprising:
a syringe body comprising a barrel and a dispensing tip; and
a mixing and plunging assembly configured to be removably coupled to the syringe body, the mixing and plunging assembly comprising a mixer and a plunger,
the mixer being configured to mix material in the barrel, the mixer comprising a rod and a mixing element, the rod comprising a protrusion and the mixing element defining a groove configured to receive the protrusion of the rod, the mixing element being removably attached to the rod via a snap-fit attachment,
at least one of the mixing element and the rod defining a groove to prevent the material from the barrel from being trapped between the mixing element and the rod,
the plunger being configured to be depressed relative to the barrel to dispense material from the barrel through the dispensing tip, and
the rod being configured to be detached from the mixing element and be used to push remaining material from the barrel through the dispensing tip.

2. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rod includes a distal end, and the mixing element is removably attached to the distal end of the rod.

3. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rod and plunger are configured to selectively limit slidable movement of the rod with respect to the plunger.

4. The dispensing assembly of claim 3 , wherein the rod includes a first connecting portion and the plunger includes a second connecting portion and the first and second connecting portions are engageable and disengageable to allow the rod and the plunger to be connected and disconnected.

5. The dispensing assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first connecting portion includes a protrusion and the second connecting portion includes a groove configured to receive the protrusion to form a snap-fit attachment between the rod and the plunger.

6. The dispensing assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first connecting portion includes a first threaded portion and the second connecting portion includes a second threaded portion.

7. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rod further includes a protrusion and the mixing element includes a groove configured to receive the protrusion to create a snap-fit attachment between the rod and the mixing element.

8. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rod includes an auger tip configured to engage material in the syringe body.

9. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mixing element includes a cutting surface configured to engage material in the syringe body.

10. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mixing element has a shape that is generally complimentary with the shape of an interior of the syringe body near the dispensing tip.

11. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the rod includes a portion located outside of the syringe body when the mixer is coupled to the syringe body with the mixing element positioned within the syringe barrel, and
the dispensing assembly further comprises a connector assembly located outside of the syringe body and configured to be selectively actuated to attach and detach the rod and the mixing element.

12. The dispensing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the mixer further comprises a hollow shaft receiving the rod, the hollow shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the mixing element is rigidly coupled to the distal end of the hollow shaft and a portion of the connector assembly is coupled to the proximal end of the hollow shaft.

13. The dispensing assembly of claim 12 , wherein the connector assembly comprises a first connecting element and a second connecting element, wherein the first and second connecting elements are movable relative to each other between first and second positions, wherein the rod is configured to rotate and translate the mixing element when the first and second connecting elements are in the first position, and the rod is configured to translate relative to the mixing element to thereby push the remaining material through the dispensing tip when the first and second connecting elements are in the second position.

14. A method of dispensing material using a dispensing assembly having a syringe body and a mixing and plunging assembly, the method comprising:
moving a plunger of the mixing and plunging assembly relative to the syringe body to advance material from a barrel of the syringe body through a dispensing tip of the syringe body;
detaching a mixing element from a rod of the mixing and plunging assembly attached via a snap-fit attachment by pulling a protrusion of the rod out of a groove defined by the mixing element, wherein at least one of the mixing element and the rod defines a groove to prevent the material from the barrel from being trapped between the mixing element and the rod;
detaching the rod from the plunger of the mixing and plunging assembly; and
moving the rod into the dispensing tip to advance remaining material in the dispensing tip through the dispensing tip.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein detaching the mixing element includes actuating a connecting element located outside of the barrel.

16. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plunger defines a passageway and the rod is received in the passageway.

17. The dispensing assembly of claim 16 , wherein the plunger and the rod are configured to selectively limit slidable movement of the rod with respect to the plunger.

18. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plunger and rod are configured to be removably attached with each other, and the rod is configured to be detached from the plunger before the rod is pushed into the dispensing tip.

19. A dispensing assembly, comprising:
a syringe body comprising a barrel and a dispensing tip; and
a mixing and plunging assembly configured to be removably coupled to the syringe body, the mixing and plunging assembly comprising a mixer and a plunger,
the mixer being configured to mix material in the barrel, the mixer comprising a rod and a mixing element removably attached to the rod,
the plunger being configured to be depressed relative to the barrel to dispense material from the barrel through the dispensing tip,
the rod being configured to be detached from the mixing element and be used to push remaining material from the barrel through the dispensing tip, and
the rod comprising an auger tip configured to engage the material in the barrel.

20. A dispensing assembly, comprising:
a syringe body comprising a barrel and a dispensing tip; and
a mixing and plunging assembly configured to be removably coupled to the syringe body, the mixing and plunging assembly comprising a mixer and a plunger,
the mixer being configured to mix material in the barrel, the mixer comprising a rod and a mixing element removably attached to the rod,
the plunger being configured to be depressed relative to the barrel to dispense material from the barrel through the dispensing tip,
the rod being configured to be detached from the mixing element and be used to push remaining material from the barrel through the dispensing tip, and
the mixing element comprising a cutting surface configured to engage material in the barrel.

21. A dispensing assembly, comprising:
a syringe body comprising a barrel and a dispensing tip;
a mixing and plunging assembly configured to be removably coupled to the syringe body, the mixing and plunging assembly comprising a mixer and a plunger, the mixer comprising a rod and a mixing

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Anderson Benjamin B
• Geppert Kevin C
• Hoogenakker Jon E
• Lou Huadong
• Rzeszutek Zachary
• Stevenson Mark

Classifications

• A61B17/8822 Primary

  characterised by means facilitating expulsion of fluid from the introducer, e.g. a screw pump plunger, hydraulic force transmissions, application of vibrations or a vacuum · CPC title

• A61B2017/8838

  for mixing bone cement or fluid fillers · CPC title

• B01F13/0023

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/00051

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2215/0029

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic