| Fluid material dispensing syringe -> Monitor Keywords |
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Fluid material dispensing syringeRelated Patent Categories: Surgery, Means For Introducing Or Removing Material From Body For Therapeutic Purposes (e.g., Medicating, Irrigating, Aspirating, Etc.), Treating Material Introduced Into Or Removed From Body Orifice, Or Inserted Or Removed Subcutaneously Other Than By Diffusing Through Skin, Material Introduced Or Removed Through Conduit, Holder, Or Implantable Reservoir Inserted In Body, Treating Material Forced Into Or Out Of Body By Self-acting Fluid Pressure, Motor-driven, Or Mechanical Energy Storing Means (e.g., Pressure Infusion Or Aspiration, Etc.), Material Impelled By Nonreciprocating Piston Driven By MotorFluid material dispensing syringe description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070250010, Fluid material dispensing syringe. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a Continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/974,361 (Case MID-38 ABC) filed Oct. 10, 2001, which claims the benefit from Provisional Application No. 60/238917 filed Oct. 10, 2000. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present invention is directed toward a syringe for dispensing a fluid material such as a dental anesthesia. The invention provides an electronic programmable device indicated for the injection of local anesthetics for infiltration and nerve block anesthesia administered prior to, or in conjunction with, dental procedures, and the like. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Syringes, of any type, are essentially positive displacement pumps which generate a flow of liquid. While the present description may employ terms denoting an anetsthetic, including the word "anesthesia" or the like, it is to be understood that the present invention has application to the injection of any fluid into a patient. For convenience, the term anesthesia or its derivatives may be employed, with the understanding that these terms will encompass any injectible fluid or liquid, including anesthetics or medicants of any kind, and are thereby interchangeably employed herein. [0004] With all syringe injections, the pressure in the tissue is a function of the flow rate into the tissue and the rate at which fluid can be absorbed into the tissue. A slow injection into soft tissue will generate only a few psi (pounds per square inch) of pressure. A rapid injection into the periodontal ligament space, which has limited capacity to absorb or distribute fluid, will result in high fluid pressure. In the latter case, the maximum fluid pressure will ultimately be limited by the pressure (force) attainable with the injection device. The present device provides a slow, controlled, injection which tends to reduce patient discomfort by reducing interstitial pressure (relative to traditional, manual, methods). [0005] Dental anesthesia is known to be delivered from pre-filled, single use, carpules with a glass barrel and rubber-like plunger (by "rubber-like" it means actual rubber or some other material having physical properties similar to rubber). There are a variety of hand-operated dental syringes which hold these anesthesia carpules and drive the rubber plunger forward. In most clinical procedures, the dentist performs an aspiration to determine if a blood vessel has been entered, before injecting the anesthetic. (Injecting the anesthetic in the bloodstream is potentially hazardous.) Aspiration is accomplished by briefly retracting the carpule plunger to create a slight vacuum. There are a variety of means to retract the plunger, including the following: various mechanical hooks, harpoons, barbs, and corkscrews which embed in and grip the carpule plunger; a gripping member on the tip of the syringe plunger penetrates and grips the carpule's elastomeric seal. The gripping members are variously hooks, pointed needles, barbed needles, or corkscrews. This method is common in thumb-actuated syringes. One shortcoming of this method is that the carpule must be rapidly jammed onto the gripping member in order to embed it into the carpule seal without excess expulsion of anesthetic fluid. Another drawback is that various designs of gripping members either pull out of the carpule seal prematurely, or are not easily removed after injection is completed. [0006] Sealed syringe plungers which create a vacuum behind the carpule plunger are known. A secondary seal on the syringe plunger creates a slight vacuum behind the carpule seal so the carpule seal retracts when the syringe plunger is pulled back. This method is used in a product known as The Wand computer controlled syringe. A drawback of this method is that the carpule seal is not consistently retracted. Another drawback is that the syringe plunger seal must be periodically cleaned, lubricated, or replaced. [0007] Methods which create a vacuum in the carpule by distorting its needle septum are known. In this method, the syringe induces relative motion between the carpule and it's seal, creating the slight vacuum. In a variation of this method, the syringe induces a deflection in the carpule's septum, creating a slight vacuum in the carpule. [0008] It has been found in laboratory tests, that none of these method work reliably, failing in one or more of the following ways: did not penetrate certain brands of carpules with high durometer rubber plungers; requiring excessive user effort or skill; pulling out of the carpule plunger and therefore failing to create an aspiration vacuum; and/or, becoming loaded with the silicone lubricant used on these carpule plungers, and then failing to grip the plunger. [0009] A harpoon design which solves these problems is desirable. [0010] Further, previous dental anesthesia syringes have had several problems in their operation: only a single injection rate for all procedures; only crude feedback on the amount of anesthetic injected; no feedback for the elapsed time of injection; does not allow the practitioner to speed-up the injection rate. [0011] One device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,618, addressed some of these issues, but exhibited other problems: very complex to use, requiring the clinician to program various rates and times for each injection; and, no feedback for the elapsed time or cumulative volume of injection. [0012] This present invention is indicated for all dental anesthesia procedures, including, but not limited to, procedures such as: periodontal ligament (PDL); intraseptal; posterior superior alveolar block (PSA); middle superior alveolar block (MSA); anterior superior alveolar block (infraorbital); maxillary block; greater palatine block (palaral); nasopalatine block; supraperiosteal (infiltration); inferior alveolar block (mandibular block); buccal block; mandibular block (Gow- Gates); intraseptal; intrapulpal; AMSA; P-AMSA, and the like. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0013] It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide syringe useful in dispensing fluid materials. [0014] It is another object of the invention to provide such a syringe particularly suited for the dispensing of dental materials. [0015] It is a further object of the invention to provide such a syringe that is computer controlled. [0016] It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a syringe with an improved harpoon connector between a drive shaft and a carpule seal. [0017] These and other objects of the invention that will become apparent from the following discussion are carried out by the invention as hereinafter described and claimed. [0018] In general, an electrically controlled syringe for dispensing a fluid material, comprises a power drive unit electrically and operatively connected to a syringe unit via at least one connecting conduit; said syringe unit having a releasably connected carpule holder, said carpule holder being initially loaded with the material to be dispensed, said carpule holder being releasably connected at one end to said syringe unit and fluidly connected at its other end to a dispensing needle, said carpule holder having a rubber-like plunger seal laterally displaceable therein between a dispensing and a retracted position, such that when said carpule plunger seal is moved toward a dispensing position, the material in said carpule holder is caused to flow through said dispensing needle; a longitudinally movable, powered drive shaft in said syringe unit and releasably connected to said carpule plunger seal, said drive shaft having an end proximal to and an end distal to said carpule plunger seal when said carpule holder is in place on said syringe unit; wherein said drive shaft is provided with a harpoon at said proximal end; said harpoon having a swept-back, barbed point and knife edges along its length, such that said barbed point is insertable into said rubber-like carpule plunger seal, and is selectively prevented from being removed by physical contact between said barbed point and said carpule plunger seal; an electric drive motor operatively affixed to said drive shaft, and operatively connected to said power drive unit, such that the rate of and direction of the longitudinal displacement of said drive shaft is selectable by electrical, operative signals received from said power drive unit to cause said drive motor to displace said drive shaft in a selected longitudinal direction at a selected rate, thereby laterally displacing said operatively connected harpoon and carpule plunger seal, said drive motor being operable with electric power received from said power drive unit; said harpoon being fabricated from a hard, corrosion resistant, sterilizable material; a stripper ring positioned within said syringe unit and proximate to said carpule plunger seal when said carpule holder is in place upon said syringe unit, such that when said carpule plunger seal is moved from the dispensing to the retracted position, said stripper ring physically engages said carpule plunger seal, preventing further retracting movement of said carpule plunger seal and hence, allowing extraction of said harpoon from said carpule plunger seal; said stripper ring having an inside diameter larger than said harpoon such that said harpoon is receivable therein; and at least one secondary injection control mechanism located proximate to said syringe unit and distal to said power drive unit, wherein said secondary injection control mechanism is operatively connected to said syringe drive motor to control the longitudinal displacement direction or rate of said drive shaft, and hence, the injection rate of the material dispensed from said needle. [0019] In another embodiment of the invention, an electrically controlled syringe for dispensing a fluid material comprises a power drive unit electrically and operatively connected to a syringe unit via at least one connecting conduit; said syringe unit having a releasably connected carpule holder, said carpule holder being initially loaded with the material to be dispensed, said carpule holder being releasably connected at one end to said syringe unit and fluidly connected at its other end to a dispensing needle, said carpule holder having a rubber-like plunger seal laterally displaceable therein between a dispensing and a retracted position, such that when said carpule plunger seal is moved toward a dispensing position, the material in said carpule holder is caused to flow through said dispensing needle; a longitudinally movable, powered drive shaft in said syringe unit and releasably connected to said carpule plunger seal, said drive shaft having an end proximal to and an end distal to said carpule plunger seal when said carpule holder is in place on said syringe unit; wherein said drive shaft is provided with a harpoon at said proximal end; said harpoon having a swept-back, barbed point and knife edges along its length, such that said barbed point is insertable into said rubber-like carpule plunger seal, and is selectively prevented from being removed by physical contact between said barbed point and said carpule plunger seal; an electric drive motor operatively affixed to said drive shaft, and operatively connected to said power drive unit, such that the rate of and direction of the longitudinal displacement of said drive shaft is selectable by electrical, operative signals received from said power drive unit to cause said drive motor to displace said drive shaft in a selected longitudinal direction at a selected rate, thereby laterally displacing said operatively connected harpoon and carpule plunger seal, said drive motor being operable with electric power received from said power drive unit; said harpoon being fabricated from a hard, corrosion resistant, sterilizable material; and at least one secondary injection control mechanism located proximate to said syringe unit and distal to said power drive unit, wherein said secondary injection control mechanism is operatively connected to said syringe drive motor to control the longitudinal displacement direction or rate of said drive shaft, and hence, the injection rate of the material dispensed from said needle. [0020] A computer controlled syringe for dispensing a fluid material also comprises a power drive unit electrically and operatively connected to a syringe unit via at least one connecting conduit; said power drive unit including a logic control circuit; said syringe unit having a releasably connected carpule holder, said carpule holder being initially loaded with the material to be dispensed, said carpule holder being releasably connected at one end to said syringe unit and fluidly connected at its other end to a dispensing needle, said carpule holder having a rubber-like plunger seal laterally displaceable therein between a dispensing and a retracted position, such that when said carpule plunger seal is moved toward a dispensing position, the material in said carpule holder is caused to flow through said dispensing needle; a longitudinally movable, powered drive shaft in said syringe unit and releasably connected to said carpule plunger seal, said drive shaft having an end proximal to and an end distal to said carpule plunger seal when said carpule holder is in place on said syringe unit; wherein said drive shaft is provided with a harpoon at said proximal end; said harpoon having a swept-back, barbed point and knife edges along its length, such that said barbed point is insertable into said rubber-like carpule plunger seal, and is selectively prevented from being removed by physical contact between said barbed point and said carpule plunger seal; an electric drive motor operatively affixed to said drive shaft, and operatively connected to said power drive unit, such that the rate of and direction of the longitudinal displacement of said drive shaft is selectable by electrical, operative signals received from said logic control circuit of said power drive unit to cause said drive motor to displace said drive shaft in a selected longitudinal direction at a selected rate, thereby laterally displacing said operatively connected harpoon and carpule plunger seal, said drive motor being operable with electric power received from said power drive unit; said harpoon being fabricated from a hard, corrosion resistant, sterilizable material; and at least one secondary injection control mechanism located proximate to said syringe unit and distal to said power drive unit, wherein said secondary injection control mechanism is operatively connected to said syringe drive motor to control the longitudinal displacement direction or rate of said drive shaft, and hence, the injection rate of the material dispensed from said needle. 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