Syringe pump abstract
The syringe pump comprises a housing (10). The operating panel
(32) is situated on a swiveling lid (30) on the front side of the
housing (10). The lid (30) further comprises a window (34) with
a magnifying device (35) through which the user can view the syringe.
The invention allows for a miniaturization of the syringe pump in
a highly densified modular system. The lid (30) may further include
a lighting means for illuminating the syringe.
Syringe pump claims
What is claimed is:
1. A syringe pump comprising: a housing (10) with a syringe trough
(14) for a syringe (15) to be placed therein; a drive head (26)
for moving the syringe plunger of the syringe, the drive head being
movable linearly with respect to the housing (10); an operating
panel (32) connected to the housing; and a swiveling lid (30) covering
at least a part of the syringe trough (14), the swiveling lid (30)
comprising a magnifying device (35) for a magnified representation
of the syringe surface, the magnifying device (35) capable of optically
magnifying the syringe surface of syringes (15a, 15b) of different
sizes whose diameters differ by at least the factor 2.
2. The syringe pump of claim 1 wherein the magnifying device (35)
comprises an elongate cylinder lens.
3. The syringe pump of claim 2 wherein the lid (30) comprises
a lighting device (40) for illuminating the syringe (15) in the
syringe trough (14).
4. The syringe pump of claim 2 wherein the syringe trough (14)
comprises a lighting device (40) for illuminating the syringe (15)
in the syringe trough (14).
5. The syringe pump of claim 1 wherein the lid (30) comprises
a lighting device (40) for illuminating the syringe (15) in the
syringe trough (14).
6. The syringe pump of claim 1 wherein the syringe trough (14)
comprises a lighting device (40) for illuminating the syringe (15)
in the syringe trough (14).
7. The syringe pump of claims 1 2 3 4 5 or 6 wherein the lid
(30) includes the operating panel (32) and a display device (33).
Syringe pump description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from German Patent Application
No. 202 09 581.9 filed on Jun. 20 2002 incorporated herein by
reference for all legitimate purposes and relied upon for priority.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a syringe pump comprising a housing
presenting a syringe trough for a syringe to be placed therein,
an operating panel and a drive head for moving a plunger of the
syringe, the drive head being movable linearly with respect to the
housing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In modern intensive-care medicine large numbers of infusion
apparatus find increasing use. A single intensive-care site can
comprise up to twenty infusion pumps. This requires a compact design
of the infusion pumps. Therefore, they should be designed small
in size.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] In the figures:
[0005] FIG. 1--is a perspective view of the syringe pump with the
lid closed,
[0006] FIG. 2--illustrates the syringe pump with the lid opened,
[0007] FIG. 3--is a perspective view of the lid, and
[0008] FIG. 4--is a sectional view for illustrating the suitability
of the syringe pump for different syringe sizes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0009] The following is a detailed description of an embodiment
of the invention with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show
a syringe pump comprising a housing 10 in the form of a flat box.
At the front side of the housing 10 a horizontal syringe trough
14 is located, into which a syringe 15 may be placed. The syringe
15 has a syringe barrel 16 and a plunger therein, connected to a
plunger rod 17. A piston plate 18 is arranged at the end of the
plunger rod 17. The proximal end of the syringe barrel 16 is provided
with a syringe lug 20 set against a syringe bearing 21 of the housing
to secure the syringe against axial displacement.
[0010] The housing 10 is further provided with a syringe bracket
22 adapted to be manually pulled out to the front and having a handle
23 for that purpose. The syringe bracket 22 is drawn towards the
syringe 15 by a spring, whereby the bracket 22 pushes the syringe
against the syringe trough 14. The position of the syringe bracket
22 is detected and electronically evaluated to thereby determine
the syringe size. The syringe bracket 22 has a blade 24 partially
extending over the syringe lug 20 which may engage the plunger
rod 17 to act as a piston brake. The blade 24 can be moved in a
controlled manner.
[0011] To move the syringe piston relative to the syringe barrel
16 the housing 10 is provided with a drive rod 25 that can be extended
from a front end face of the housing and has a drive head 26 at
its end. The drive head 26 includes a gripping device that grips
and holds the piston plate 18. By a controlled movement of the drive
rod 25 the plunger rod 17 is advanced to expel the contents of
the syringe 15. An infusion line 27 leading to a patient is connected
to the distal end of the syringe 15.
[0012] The syringe trough 14 extends along a front side of the
housing 10 between one end wall 28 and an intermediate wall 29 of
the housing. The syringe trough 14 is closed with a lid 14 hinged
to a lower front edge of the housing by hinges 31. In the closed
state, the lid 30 abuts on the end wall 28 the intermediate wall
29 and a top wall 13 of the housing.
[0013] As illustrated in FIG. 1 the front face of the lid 30 includes
an operating panel 32 comprising various keys for operation by the
user. Further, a front face of the lid comprises a display device
33. The operating panel 32 and the display device 33 are electrically
connected to a processor within the housing.
[0014] The operating panel 32 and the display device 33 extend
over only a part of the height of the lid 30. The upper part of
the lid 30 is provided with a transparent window 34. The window
34 contains a cylinder lens forming a magnifying device 35. With
the lid 30 closed, the magnifying device 35 magnifies the syringe
and especially a scale 36 on the syringe. The focal length of the
magnifying device is greater than the distance a between an object
and the magnifying device for the smallest syringe usable.
[0015] FIGS. 2 and 3 show the lid 30 including a lighting device
40 which in the present embodiment has three light sources emitting
light towards the syringe 15. The lighting device may serve, on
the one hand, to illuminate the syringe, but, in case of a syringe
alarm, may also serve as a signaling means to identify the syringe
pump causing the alarm.
[0016] A part of the lid is designed as a magnifying means so as
to provide the user a magnified representation of the relevant portion
of the syringe. Such an optical magnification is especially useful
if the syringe pump is suitable for syringes of different formats.
With small syringes, the scale and the numbers are necessarily small
in size. In this case, the magnifying means brings the surface of
the syringe lying deep down in the syringe trough to the eye of
the viewer in a magnified form. Thereby, it is avoided that the
user first has to visually search for a small syringe and then has
to undergo the trouble of reading a minuscule scale. Even if the
viewer is further away and the viewing angle is unfavorable, a small
syringe can be read easily.
[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates that syringes of different sizes can
be placed into the syringe trough 14 being orientated such that
they can be viewed through the magnifying device 35. A circumference
of a large syringe, is defined by an imaginary line at 15a, whereas
the circumference of a small syringe is defined by an imaginary
line at 15b.
[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, a swiveling
lid covering at least a part of the syringe trough comprises a magnifying
means for a magnified representation of the syringe surface, which
optically magnifies the syringe surface of syringes of different
sizes whose diameters differ by at least the factor 2.
[0019] The invention provides a syringe pump which, despite its
small size, allows for a good readability of the syringes inserted
therein.
Variations and Equivalents
[0020] It is understood that variations may be made in the foregoing
without departing from the scope of the invention. For example,
the magnifying device is disclosed in one embodiment as a cylinder
lens and could also be another type of magnifying lens or device
for optical magnification without departing from certain aspects
of the invention.
[0021] Also, while the lighting device 40 has been described as
included in the lid 30 alternate constructions with the lighting
device 40 included in the trough 14 to illuminate the syringe 15
may also be used without departing from certain aspects of the invention.
The lid can include a lighting conducting light into the syringe
trough. As an alternative, the lighting device can be provided at
the syringe trough. The assistance provided by a lighting device
is particularly useful in darkened environments. Moreover, lighting
can also draw attention to special conditions of an apparatus, e.g.
to indicate an alarm. To this end, special light colors may also
be activated.
[0022] Spatial references such as "bottom", "top",
"front", "back", "lower", "upper",
"under", and "central" are for purposes of illustration
only, relative to the figures shown and are not limited to the specific
orientation of the structure or movement directions as described.
[0023] Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention
have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will
readily appreciate that many other modifications are possible in
the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the
novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all
such modifications are intended to be included within the scope
of this invention as defined in the following claims.
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