Device for administering a fluid product

Abstract

A device for administering a fluid product, such as an industrial or a medical compound. The device includes a reservoir (18) in which a plunger (15) is axially movable, and an axially movable rod (16) on which a ferromagnetic rod connector (12) is attached. The ferromagnetic rod connector (12) is adapted for sliding cooperation within the reservoir (18). And, a detachable mechanical connection is provided between the plunger (15) and the ferromagnetic rod connector (12). A ferromagnetic plunger connector (13) is attached to the plunger and a magnet (11), arranged for magnetic cooperation with the ferromagnetic connectors (12, 13), to provide a mechanical connection between the ferromagnetic connectors.

Claims

1. A device for administering a fluid product comprising: a reservoir; a plunger axially movable within said reservoir, said plunger comprising a ferromagnetic plunger connector; an axially movable rod comprising a ferromagnetic rod connector; a magnet, arranged for magnetic cooperation with said ferromagnetic plunger connector and with said ferromagnetic rod connector, to provide a magnetic connection between the ferromagnetic plunger connector and the ferromagnetic rod connector, wherein said magnet is provided outside the reservoir and is slidably movable along the reservoir.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide element for guiding a displacement of said magnet along the reservoir.

3. A device according to claim 2, comprising a tube around said reservoir, said tube acting as said guide element.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said ferromagnetic plunger connector, said ferromagnetic rod connector and said magnet together establish a magnetic circuit, wherein said circuit can be interrupted by sliding said magnet along said reservoir in order to disconnect the ferromagnetic plunger connector and the ferromagnetic rod connector.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said magnet comprises a permanent magnet.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said magnet comprises a coil.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said magnet is removable from said device.

8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said rod is rotatable relative to said reservoir and to said plunger.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said ferromagnetic rod connector is provided with an extending head with reduced diameter.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic rod connector is attached to said axially movable rod rotatably mounted into a fixed nut.

11. A device according to claim 1, further comprising an actuating module provided with a rotating stepper motor and a gear head.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid product comprises a glue, a lubricant, and/or a solder paste.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid product comprises a medical compound.

14. A process for administering a fluid product using an administering device having a reservoir in which a plunger with a ferromagnetic plunger connector is axially movable, comprising the steps of: providing an axially movable rod on which a ferromagnetic rod connector is attached; inserting said movable rod into said reservoir, until said ferromagnetic rod connector is in contact with said ferromagnetic plunger connector; placing at least one magnet, which is located outside the reservoir and is arranged so that it is slidably movable along the outside of the reservoir, into magnetic cooperation with the ferromagnetic rod connector and with the ferromagnetic plunger connector in order to provide a magnetic field connecting the ferromagnetic rod connector and the ferromagnetic plunger connector together; using an actuating module to displace the plunger and thereby administrate said fluid product; removing said magnet from magnetic cooperation with the ferromagnetic rod connector and ferromagnetic plunger connector; disconnecting the ferromagnetic rod connector and ferromagnetic plunger connector from mutual cooperation; removing the moveable rod and the ferromagnetic rod connector from the administering device.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the fluid product is a medical compound and the administering device is a syringe.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be better understood with the aid of the description of an embodiment given by way of example and illustrated by the figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a magnetic locking system for use with an administering module;

(3) FIG. 2 is a close view of the administering module with the outer tube of the magnetic locking mechanism attached on the volumetric dispenser;

(4) FIG. 3 is a complete view of an example of a volumetric dispenser according to the invention;

(5) FIGS. 4a to 4g illustrate the various steps to install and remove an administering module with an automatic motorized actuating module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF POSSIBLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an example of an administering module 10 with a magnetic locking system according to the invention. Such a system is advantageously used in industry to deliver small quantities of fluids, such as liquids or compounds, in technical uses where the deliveries shall be provided in well controlled conditions, with respect to quantities, time intervals, delivery rate, contamination free ambiances, etc.

(7) The administering module comprises a plunger 15 (or piston) slidably movable within a cylindrical reservoir 18. The plunger can be made of synthetic material for example, or of metal with a synthetic seal between plunger and the inner side of the reservoir. A ferromagnetic plunger connector 13 is attached to or integral with the plunger 15.

(8) The module 10 further comprises a threaded rod (or shaft) 16 that can be moved axially and in rotation by an actuating module 20. The distal end of the rod is provided with a ferromagnetic rod connector 12 for connecting the rod with the plunger. The rod 16 can be used to push and pull the plunger 15 within the reservoir 18 in order to expel a liquid outside of the reservoir 18, respectively to draw liquid into the reservoir, when the connectors 12 and 13 are mutually connected.

(9) A magnet 11 outside of the reservoir 18 is in magnetic cooperation with both ferromagnetic connectors 12 and 13. In one preferred embodiment, the magnet comprises at least one permanent magnet. Alternatively, the magnet can comprise one inductive coil for generating a magnetic field when a current passes through the coil.

(10) The magnets and connectors are arranged in such a way that a magnetic circuit can be established between the magnet 11 and the two connectors 12, 13, and between the two connectors. The magnetic field is oriented so that the two opposite connectors are attracting each other. In FIG. 1, the resulting magnetic field B is illustrated with the two dotted lines arrows.

(11) In a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the magnetic field is optimized with an interfacing zone 120 that has a reduced diameter compared to the diameter of adjacent connectors. In the example of FIG. 1, the rod connector 12 comprises two longitudinal sections with two different diameters: a first proximal section 121 with a large diameter in order to reduce the gap between this section 121 and the magnet 11, and a distal section 120 (or head) with a smaller diameter that concentrates the magnetic field. This architecture allows increasing the axial force between the two connectors while reducing the torque transmitted by the rod 16 to the plunger 15 when the rod rotates.

(12) FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are more complete representations of an example of embodiment of a device for administering a substantially liquid product in accordance with the invention.

(13) The above described connectors 12 and 13, together with the cooperating magnet 11 are used in order to provide a detachable mechanical connection between an actuating module 20 and an administering module 10 provided with a cylindrical reservoir 18. Such a connection is required when the actuating module is used to displace the plunger 15 of the administering module in both directions within the reservoir 18.

(14) When the administering module needs to be disposed or cleaned or controlled, it is quickly and easily disconnected from the actuating device, simply by removal of the magnet 11 from magnetic cooperation with the two connectors 12, 13, thereby immediately interrupting the magnetic circuit. The two connectors are then free to be separated from each other, and the administering module may be removed.

(15) In the illustrated embodiment, a single annular magnet 11 is provided inside an optional outer tube, hereinafter called outer-tube 14. A magnet with a different shape could also be considered. The magnet 11 is slidably movable within the outer-tube 14 and along the reservoir 14. The magnet is guided by the outer-tube. The outer-tube can comprise one or more windows, such as elongated holes, in its sides in order to view the position of the magnet and of the plunger, and for displacing the plunger relative to the reservoir.

(16) The over-tube 14 could be screwed or otherwise mounted to the actuating module 20.

(17) A motor, such as for instance a rotating stepper motor 21, is used to rotate the rod 16 that extends from the actuating module 20 into the reservoir 18. The rod length is adapted to enable it to enter into the inner tube of an administering module axially aligned with the actuating module.

(18) A gear head 22 is advantageously provided between the motor 21 and the rod 16. The gear head increases the torque transmitted to the rod 16 by a given motor 21, and increases the precision of the displacement of the plunger. It also enables the use of a small stepper motor 21, thus reducing the weight of the assembly.

(19) In the illustrated embodiment, the threaded rod 16 is engaged within the nut 25 which is fixed relative to the over-tube 14 and to the actuating module 20. Therefore, the rod 16 is axially moved when it is rotated by the motor 21. The motor and rod assembly may then drive the plunger 15 in order to deliver the required product in the required conditions.

(20) As seen in the figures, the gear head and stepper motor can slide inside an inner volume 23 of the actuating module 20, following the plunger motion.

(21) The various steps to connect and disconnect an administering module 10 to an actuating module 20 will now be described in relation with FIGS. 4a to 4g.

(22) The first step consists in placing the administering module 10 into axial alignment with a corresponding actuating module 20, as shown in FIG. 4a.

(23) During this operation, the two ferromagnetic connectors, that is to say the rod-connector 12 and the plunger connector 13, enter in contact without force, as shown in FIG. 4b.

(24) The next step consists in placing an over-tube 14 with the magnet 11 around the reservoir 18, as shown in FIG. 4c.

(25) The magnet 11 within the over-tube 14 can be slided around the reservoir 18 at the axial position corresponding to those of the two connectors 12, 13.

(26) In another embodiment, a magnet 11 is placed outside of the reservoir 18, and guided with other guiding means, without any over-tube.

(27) In this position, the permanent magnet 11 generates a magnetic field B involving the two adjacent ferromagnetic connectors 12 and 13, so that a magnetic field B is established as shown in FIG. 1 by the two rotating arrows, representing the magnetic field.

(28) FIG. 4d illustrates the next step in which the administering module 10 is connected to the actuating module 20, in this example by screwing the over-tube 14 to the actuating module 20.

(29) The annular magnet 11 provides a strong magnetic connection between the two connectors 12 and 13. The over-tube 14 provides a guide into which the magnet 11 is slidably mounted. At least one window through a side wall of the over-tube 14 is provided in order to see the position of the plunger within the cylinder, or to move the magnet 11 if needed.

(30) Such an arrangement enables the actuating module 20 to displace the rod 16 and therefore the plunger 15 in both directions.

(31) The reduced contacting surface of the head 120 of the rod connector 12 limits the torque transmitted to the plunger connector 13 when the rod 16 and rod connector are in rotation. Therefore, the plunger connector 13 and plunger 15 do not rotate even if the rod connector 12 rotates with the shaft.

(32) FIGS. 4e and 4f illustrates the following step, in which the over-tube is unscrewed and removed, thus enabling the removal of the over-tube from the administering module 10.

(33) As the annular permanent magnet 11 is locked inside the over-tube 14, by removing the later, the permanent magnet 11 is taken away. During this step, the force applied on the plunger by displacement of the magnet is lower than the force needed to displace the plunger inside the reservoir. Such a low force is not sufficient to cause a displacement of the plunger.

(34) Many variants of the present invention may be provided, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

(35) For instance, in a variant, the outer tube 14 is replaced by a plurality of longitudinal rails cooperating with the magnet 11, and acting as a guide for guiding the axial displacement of the latter along the cylinder 18.

(36) In another variant, the stepper motor, rotating threaded rod and screw arrangement are replaced by a linear motor. In such an arrangement, the actuating rod does not require to be threaded.

(37) In a further embodiment, the administering module is a syringe, and the product to be delivered is a medical compound. In such an embodiment, the syringe is provided to be easily and quickly connectable/removable from the actuating device, for instance to replace the syringe between two medical treatments or the like. For such uses, the syringes are advantageously disposable. For such an embodiment, the previous description in relation with FIGS. 1 to 4 is also applicable, considering that the administering module is a syringe. As commonly used in this field, the syringe is preferably provided with a detachable needle or other adequate adaptor suitable for injection into the skin.