Dosage verification system and method for safety syringe
Inventors
Shaw, Thomas J. • Duesman, Kathryn • Small, Mark • Zhu, Ni
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12458761-B2
Publication Date
2025-11-04
Expiration Date
Abstract
A dosage verification system for use prior to administering an injection of a medicinal fluid drawn into a medical syringe, the system comprising a medical syringe having a barrel with an outwardly facing, flat indicia display surface, plunger having a plunger seal disposed inside and slidably engaging an inwardly facing wall of the barrel and a plunger handle projecting rearwardly from the barrel, and a hypodermic needle projecting forwardly from the barrel, all in combination with an imaging device configured to view and selectively capture, store or transmit a digital image of the plunger position relative to the barrel when a dose of the medicinal fluid is drawn into the fluid chamber of the barrel prior to an injection to verify and provide a record of the dosage drawn, and to alert a user prior to injection when an incorrect dosage is drawn into the fluid chamber of the syringe.
Core Innovation
The disclosed syringe dosage verification system combines a medical syringe with an outwardly facing flat indicia display surface bearing a volumetric scale and an imaging device. The imaging device captures the position of the plunger seal in relation to the scale, or an image showing the medicinal fluid dosage and scale, so the volumetric dosage can be determined before administering an injection.
The disclosure also describes software that can determine and record dosage, compare it with an acceptable range, issue alerts, and generate or transmit reports. Needle-retraction and sliding-shield safety syringe embodiments are also described. The background section is not included in the provided content, so the problem identified there is not explicitly described in patent.
Claims Coverage
The provided relevant claims identify three independent claims: claims 1, 14, and 27. They cover three inventive features concerning imaging the syringe scale and plunger position or fluid dosage to determine dosage before injection.
Imaging the plunger seal relative to the volumetric scale
Claims 1 and 14 cover a syringe dosage verification system in which an imaging device captures the position of the plunger seal relative to the entirety of the volumetric scale on the outwardly facing flat indicia display surface to determine the dosage drawn into the cylindrical fluid chamber before injection.
Imaging the medicinal fluid dosage and full-length volumetric scale
Claim 27 covers a syringe in which the full length of the volumetric scale is disposed on the outwardly facing flat indicia display surface and at least a portion of the scale overlies the cylindrical fluid chamber, facilitating simultaneous viewing of the dosage and scale. An imaging device captures an image of the dosage and scale from which the dosage can be determined before injection.
Determining dosage before administering an injection
Claims 1, 14, and 27 cover determining the volumetric dosage of medicinal fluid drawn into the syringe before administering or injecting the medicinal fluid, based on an image of the scale and the plunger seal position or fluid dosage.
The three independent claims cover syringe configurations with a flat indicia display surface bearing a volumetric scale and an imaging device for determining the drawn dosage before injection. Claims 1 and 14 focus on the plunger seal relative to the scale, while claim 27 also specifies simultaneous viewing of the fluid dosage and full-length scale.
Stated Advantages
The arrangement of the volumetric scale over at least a portion of the cylindrical fluid chamber facilitates simultaneous viewing of the medicinal fluid dosage and the scale.
The imaging system determines the dosage before administering or injecting the medicinal fluid.
Documented Applications
Use of the syringe dosage verification system before administering an injection of medicinal fluid to determine the dosage drawn into the syringe.
The disclosure describes mobile or mounted imaging devices, including a cellular telephone, for capturing syringe images; software can determine and record dosage, compare it with an acceptable range, issue alerts, and generate or transmit reports.
The syringe embodiments include needle retraction and a sliding safety shield for covering the needle after use.
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