Dispensing – Plural sources – compartment – containers and/or spaced jacket – With discharge assistant for each source
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-22
2001-05-22
Bomberg, Kenneth (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Plural sources, compartment, containers and/or spaced jacket
With discharge assistant for each source
C222S137000, C222S327000, C222S386000, C604S082000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234356
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an applicator system for co-applying two or more liquid components from separate containers via separate liquid channels or tubes having separate outlets and, more particularly, to an electro-mechanical applicator drive system for automatically emptying the liquid components from respective syringes in a controlled manner for co-applying fibrin sealant components with a gas to form a spray.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices and methods for the enhanced application of two or more liquids for forming a biopolymer, e.g., a surgical sealant, are disclosed in WO 97/20585 and WO 98/20931 both of which are commonly owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and both of which are incorporated herein by reference. These two international publications disclose a device and methods which provide uniform mixing at low air and liquid flow rates in order to apply thin, even coats of sealant with reduced waste and aerosols. Examples of suitable applications for the device and methods are fibrin sealants wherein a gas, such as air, is used to help mix and apply two or more liquid components which could be a fibrinogen solution and a thrombin solution or a fibrin monomer solution and a fibrin-polymerizing solution, e.g., pH 10 buffer, as set forth in European Patent 592,242 to Edwardson et al.
The present invention focuses on the applicator drive system and is suitable for incorporation into an application system as described in WO 97/20585 and also WO 98/20931. As shown in
FIG. 1
, an application system or applicator is generally designated with the reference numeral
10
including an applicator spray pen
11
having an optional handle
12
and a spray tip or nozzle
14
and a spray pen actuator button
16
to initiate application. The spray nozzle or tip
14
terminates in a generally flat lip surface
14
′ which is substantially normal to the longitudinal direction of the tip
14
and which includes exit apertures (not shown) through which gases and liquids are dispensed during application. The applicator spray pen
11
is in fluid communication via tubing or tubing system (
18
,
30
,
32
,
34
,
36
) with a dispenser
20
of liquids and gases to be applied.
The component source containers preferably are in the form of syringes (
60
,
61
) wherein the pistons in the syringe cartridges can be actuated to supply the gas and liquid components to the spray nozzle
14
of the applicator spray pen
11
. The present invention is primarily concerned with the applicator drive system for simultaneously actuating the pistons of the syringes to provide an accurate and constant volume flow from the spray nozzle
14
of the applicator spray pen
11
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an applicator and an electro-mechanical applicator drive system for automatically emptying the liquid components from respective syringes in a controlled manner for co-applying fibrin sealant components with a gas to form a spray. The electro-mechanical applicator drive system is a non-sterile device which preferably houses fibrin l and pH 10 buffer syringe cartridges and feeds these solutions to a hand-held applicator spray pen via a tubing system such as a multilumen catheter.
More specifically, the present invention relates to an electro-mechanical applicator drive system for automatically emptying liquid components from a plurality of syringes, each of the syringes having a corresponding syringe piston, the applicator drive system comprising: a piston elevator section which moves the syringe pistons in unison; at least one syringe piston force sensor which senses a force required by the piston elevator section to move at least one of the syringe pistons forward and outputs a force sensor signal; and a controller which controls movement of the piston elevator section based on the force sensor signal.
The piston elevator section comprises: a support bar having a cross plate mounted thereto; a linear slide fixedly mounted to the support bar; a linear slide block slidably mounted for up and down movement on the linear slide; a piston elevator fixedly mounted to the linear slide block, the syringe pistons being mounted to the piston elevator; a piston actuator flag fixedly mounted to the piston elevator; and a piston stepper motor fixedly mounted to the cross plate and having an axially movable motor shaft extending downwardly and having a lower end connected to the piston actuator flag. Thus, as the motor shaft moves axially up or down, the piston actuator flag, the linear slide block, the piston elevator and the syringe pistons all move up or down as a unit with respect to the linear slide.
The applicator drive system may further include a syringe elevator section which moves the syringes for loading/removal. The syringe elevator section comprises: the support bar having the cross plate mounted thereto; the linear slide fixedly mounted to the support bar; a monorail plate slidably mounted for up and down movement on the linear slide; a syringe actuator flag fixedly mounted to the monorail plate; a syringe elevator fixedly mounted to the monorail plate; a syringe stepper motor fixedly mounted to the cross plate and having an axially movable motor shaft extending upwardly and having an upper end connected to the syringe actuator flag. Thus, as the motor shaft moves axially up or down, the syringe actuator flag, the monorail plate, and the syringe elevator all move up or down as a unit with respect to the linear slide.
The invention further provides an application system for co-applying a plurality of liquid components from a plurality of corresponding syringes, each of the syringes having a corresponding syringe piston. The application system comprises: a) a standalone housing unit; a dispenser disposed within the standalone housing unit and having an applicator drive system; and c) a disposable application set which includes a connector to which the syringes are installed and which is operative to be loaded into the dispenser, a hand-held applicator, and a tubing system for providing fluid communication between the connector and the hand-held applicator. The applicator drive system comprises: i) a piston elevator section which moves the syringe pistons in unison; ii) at least one syringe piston force sensor which senses a force required by the piston elevator section to move at least one of the syringe pistons forward and outputs a force sensor signal; and iii) a controller which controls movement of the piston elevator section based on the force sensor signal.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4228924 (1980-10-01), Gilbert
patent: 4631055 (1986-12-01), Redl et al.
patent: 4846405 (1989-07-01), Zimmerman
patent: 5226877 (1993-07-01), Epstein
patent: 5368653 (1994-11-01), Lonneman et al.
patent: 5605541 (1997-02-01), Holm
patent: 5759169 (1998-06-01), Marx
patent: 5975367 (1999-11-01), Coelho et al.
patent: 6165201 (2000-12-01), Sawhney et al.
patent: WO 97/20585 (1997-06-01), None
patent: WO 98/20931 (1998-05-01), None
Cianciolo David
Garbasch Allan
Hvid Niels
Bomberg Kenneth
Bristol--Myers Squibb Company
Furman, Jr. Theodore R.
Krieger Stuart E.
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