Patent US3319418A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5000735A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Single use syringe
Assignee: University of California
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Filing: 1989-01-05
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Granted: 1991-03-19
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Expires: 2009-01-05
Abstract
Abstract A hyperdermic syringe having a plunger which separates from a piston inside a barrel of the syringe after a downward stroke of the plunger preventing reuse of the syringe. The plunger breaks breakaway portions mounted inside the piston when pushed downward to unload the syringe effectively separating the plunger from the piston and destroying the syringe, preventing the piston from being withdrawn for the purpose of reloading the syringe. In another embodiment, a connector is used to releasably engage a plunger to a piston. Downward movement of the plunger causes upward extensions of the connector to move toward each other and lock together. The plunger disengages from the connector and piston after the extension lock together. A modified tip portion of a barrel containing a valve ball and valve flaps may be used to prevent the syringe from being used after a single use discharging medicinal fluid from the syringe. The valve ball blocks flow of medicinal fluid into the syringe after use of the syringe. The modified tip portion may be used alone or in conjunction with the designs which disengage the plunger from the piston after a single use of the syringe.
Inventors
- 👤 James P. Whelan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 10:37
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M5/00; A61M5/50; A61M5/5066; A61M5/178; A61M5/31; A61M2005/3128; A61M5/5013; A61M5/502; A61M2005/5026; A61M2005/5073
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end releasably engaged to said piston; and support means mounted inside said piston for releasably engaging said plunger to said piston so that said plunger is capable of being initially withdrawn in order to fill said barrel with medicinal fluid and capable of being subsequently pushed forward in order to discharge said medicinal fluid from said barrel, said plunger disengaging from said piston upon subsequent withdrawal of said plunger, said support means including breakaway portions capable of being broken by forward movement of said plunger in order to disengage said plunger from said piston, said barrel having valve means at the forward end thereof for regulating flow of said medicinal fluid in and out of said barrel and for preventing flow of said medicinal fluid into said barrel after an initial use of said syringe.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end releasably engaged to said piston; and support means mounted inside said piston for releasably engaging said plunger to said piston so that said plunger is capable of being initially withdrawn in order to fill said barrel with medicinal fluid and capable of being subsequently pushed forward in order to discharge said medicinal fluid from said barrel, said plunger disengaging from said piston upon subsequent withdrawal of said plunger, said support means including breakaway portions capable of being broken by forward movement of said plunger in order to disengage said plunger from said piston, said barrel having valve means at the forward end thereof for regulating flow of said medicinal fluid in and out of said barrel and for preventing flow of said medicinal fluid into said barrel after an initial use of said syringe.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 1 wherein said valve means comprises a hollow tip portion having an aperture therein attached to said forward end of said barrel, upper and lower meshes mounted inside said tip portion, valve flaps mounted inside said tip portion between said meshes and a valve element located inside said tip portion between said meshes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 1 wherein said support means comprises an annular ring portion having said breakaway portions extending radically inward from said ring portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 3 wherein said breakaway portions are tabs, said tabs and said ring portion fitting into an annular groove in said piston, said piston having an annular ledge supporting bottom surfaces of said tabs, said tabs having slots therein and engaging an annular groove in said forward end of said plunger, said ring portion having an opening therein.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 4 wherein said barrel has a hollow tip portion with an aperture therein at the forward end thereof, upper and lower meshes mounted inside said tip portion, valve flaps mounted inside said tip portion between said meshes and a valve element located inside said tip portion between said meshes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
156 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end releasably engaged to said piston; and support means mounted inside said piston for releasably engaging said plunger to said piston so that said plunger is capable of being initially withdrawn in order to fill said barrel with medicinal fluid and capable of being subsequently pushed forward in order to discharge said medicinal fluid from said barrel, said plunger disengaging from said piston upon subsequent withdrawal of said plunger, said support means including breakaway portions capable of being broken by forward movement of said plunger in order to disengage said plunger from said piston, said support means comprising vertical tab supports with said breakaway portions attached thereto supported by horizontal tab supports.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
156 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end releasably engaged to said piston; and support means mounted inside said piston for releasably engaging said plunger to said piston so that said plunger is capable of being initially withdrawn in order to fill said barrel with medicinal fluid and capable of being subsequently pushed forward in order to discharge said medicinal fluid from said barrel, said plunger disengaging from said piston upon subsequent withdrawal of said plunger, said support means including breakaway portions capable of being broken by forward movement of said plunger in order to disengage said plunger from said piston, said support means comprising vertical tab supports with said breakaway portions attached thereto supported by horizontal tab supports.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 6 wherein said breakaway portions are tabs, said vertical and horizontal tab supports fitting in an internal bore of said piston, said tabs having slots therein and engaging an annular groove in said forward end of said plunger.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 7 wherein said barrel has a hollow tip portion with an aperture therein at the forward end thereof, upper and lower meshes mounted inside said tip portion, valve flaps mounted inside said tip portion between said meshes and a valve element located inside said tip portion between said meshes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
151 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end releasably engaged to said piston; and support means mounted inside said piston for releasably engaging said plunger to said piston so that said plunger is capable of being initially withdrawn in order to fill said barrel with medicinal fluid and capable of being subsequently pushed forward in order to discharge said medicinal fluid from said barrel, said plunger disengaging from said piston upon subsequent withdrawal of said plunger, said support means including breakaway portions capable of being broken by forward movement of said plunger in order to disengage said plunger from said piston, said support means comprising two ring halves held together by said breakaway portions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
151 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end releasably engaged to said piston; and support means mounted inside said piston for releasably engaging said plunger to said piston so that said plunger is capable of being initially withdrawn in order to fill said barrel with medicinal fluid and capable of being subsequently pushed forward in order to discharge said medicinal fluid from said barrel, said plunger disengaging from said piston upon subsequent withdrawal of said plunger, said support means including breakaway portions capable of being broken by forward movement of said plunger in order to disengage said plunger from said piston, said support means comprising two ring halves held together by said breakaway portions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 9 wherein said breakaway portions are elongated connecting members, said forward end of said plunger having a frustro-conically-shaped portion capable of engaging said ring halves in order to separate said halves causing said connecting members to break so that said plunger will disengage from said piston.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 10 wherein one of said elongated connecting members has an end thereof that engages a socket in one of said ring halves.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 11 wherein said barrel has a hollow tip portion with an aperture therein at the forward end thereof, upper and lower meshes mounted inside said tip portion, valve flaps mounted inside said tip portion between said meshes and a valve element located inside said tip portion between said meshes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
174 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls and a hollow tip portion with an aperture therein at a forward end of said barrel; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end engaged to said piston; and valve means inside said tip portion for regulating flow of medicinal fluid in and out of said aperture in said tip portion and for preventing flow of said medicinal fluid into said aperture after an initial use of said syringe, said valve means adapted to respond solely due to changes in fluid pressure in order to prevent said flow of said medicinal fluid into said aperture after said initial use, said valve means including a valve element and valve flaps, said valve element and valve flaps being adapted so that said flow of said medicinal fluid into said aperture is prevented after said initial use of said syringe.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
174 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls and a hollow tip portion with an aperture therein at a forward end of said barrel; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end engaged to said piston; and valve means inside said tip portion for regulating flow of medicinal fluid in and out of said aperture in said tip portion and for preventing flow of said medicinal fluid into said aperture after an initial use of said syringe, said valve means adapted to respond solely due to changes in fluid pressure in order to prevent said flow of said medicinal fluid into said aperture after said initial use, said valve means including a valve element and valve flaps, said valve element and valve flaps being adapted so that said flow of said medicinal fluid into said aperture is prevented after said initial use of said syringe.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
141 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls and a hollow tip portion with an aperture therein at the forward end of said barrel; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end engaged to said piston; and valve means inside said tip portion for regulating flow of medicinal fluid in an dout of said aperture in said tip portion and for preventing flow of said medicinal fluid into said aperture after an initial use of said syringe, said valve means comprising upper and lower meshes mounted inside said tip portion, valve flaps mounted inside said tip portion between said meshes and a valve element located inside said tip portion between said meshes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
141 words
A single use hypodermic syringe comprising: a hollow barrel having interior walls and a hollow tip portion with an aperture therein at the forward end of said barrel; a hollow piston slidably engaging said interior walls of said barrel in order to provide a seal between said piston and said walls; a plunger fitting inside said barrel having a forward end engaged to said piston; and valve means inside said tip portion for regulating flow of medicinal fluid in an dout of said aperture in said tip portion and for preventing flow of said medicinal fluid into said aperture after an initial use of said syringe, said valve means comprising upper and lower meshes mounted inside said tip portion, valve flaps mounted inside said tip portion between said meshes and a valve element located inside said tip portion between said meshes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
115 words
The single use hypodermic syringe of claim 14 wherein said valve element is capable of passing downward through an aperture formed by said valve flaps as said flaps bend downward from an original position when said plunger and said piston are pushed downward to discharge said medicinal fluid out of said tip portion through said aperture in said tip portion, said valve element prevented from passing upward from below said valve flaps through said aperture formed by said flaps after said flaps return upward to said original position when said plunger and said piston are withdrawn upward so that said valve element blocks flow of said medicinal fluid through said aperture formed by said flaps.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-03-18 | 1994-09-17 | 1995-03-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-03-18 | 1998-09-17 | 1999-03-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-03-18 | 2002-09-17 | 2003-03-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |