WO2003041765A1

WO2003041765A1 - Anesthesia syringe

Info

Publication number: WO2003041765A1
Application number: PCT/DE2002/004164
Authority: WO
Inventors: Said Mansouri
Original assignee: Said Mansouri
Priority date: 2001-11-11
Filing date: 2002-11-08
Publication date: 2003-05-22

Abstract

The invention has the aim of optimizing the injection of anesthetic agents in medicine. In order to achieve said aim, the invention provides an anesthesia syringe (1) that has a control unit (6) for controlling the injection process.

Description

Anasthesiespritze

The registration concerns an anesthetic injection.

In many areas of medicine, the task of injecting anesthetics into a human or animal body regularly arises. Anesthesia syringes are used for this purpose, which have also essentially proven themselves.

Usual syringes essentially consist of three elements: a piston, a cylinder and a needle. To prepare the injection, the needle is immersed in the liquid to be injected, ie the anesthetic, and the plunger is slowly pulled out of the cylinder with the tip immersed until a sufficient amount of anesthetic is sucked into the cylinder through the needle. The syringe is then subjected to slight shocks with the needle pointing upwards, in order to allow any air in the cylinder to move upwards in the cylinder where the needle is connected to the cylinder. This can be done by tapping the syringe with a finger, for example. The plunger is then carefully pushed back into the cylinder until liquid emerges from the needle and it can therefore be assumed that there is no air left in the syringe. Now the tip of the needle near the target area into which the anesthetic is to be introduced is inserted into the body so that the tip of the needle protrudes into the target area. The person who sets the syringe then pushes the plunger - usually with his thumb - back into the cylinder and displaces it through the anesthetic that is injected through the needle.

The syringes must be relatively light and small in order to ensure good handling for a user. This is particularly important if the syringe is to be placed in an area that is difficult to access, as is often the case in dentistry, for example.

Unfortunately, however, parameters such as quantity, pressure and the course of the injection process are subject to a certain fluctuation due to manual injection. These parameters cannot be set exactly, so that different results can be produced in individual injection processes. These differences can sometimes be considerable, especially for non-experienced users.

The inventor has therefore set himself the task of developing a conventional anesthesia syringe in such a way that the injection process can be controlled and repeated to the greatest possible extent.

This task is solved by an anesthetic syringe which has a control unit for controlling the injection process. The syringe should remain essentially small and handy. As a result, various united advantages. In particular, the setting of the syringe remains completely in human hands and can be carried out inimitably precisely. However, the injection process is carried out automatically or semi-automatically by the control unit, so that the greatest possible precision can also be achieved here. This optimizes the injection results as much as possible.

The control unit can be arranged both in the syringe and on the syringe or separately from it. In particular, small controls, such as a measuring device or a display, can preferably be arranged in or on the syringe, while control devices can prove themselves, especially separately from the actual syringe. As an indication, which is arranged directly on the syringe, an arrangement of light-emitting elements is shown, for example, which shows the user how an injection parameter relates to a setpoint. In the case of a control which directly influences the anesthetic, it can be advantageous if the control is arranged in a device separately from the syringe and, for example, there is a hose-like connection to the carpule of the syringe. For a transmission of data between the syringe and a separately arranged control system, however, a disembodied connection such as a radio and / or infrared connection can also exist. In the case of a physical, electrically conductive connection in particular, it can be exploited that the syringe can be supplied with current. For example, light-emitting diodes can also be arranged on the carpule that emit bright light along the needle. The control unit can advantageously have means for controlling, preferably regulating, the injection pressure. The injection pressure is an essential parameter in the injection process. Depending on the type of tissue that prevails in the target area of the injection, different pressures may be required for an optimal result. If the injection pressure is regulated, the syringe can be used with great success for a wide variety of tissue types.

It can also be advantageous here if the injection pressure has a time gradient. With a low initial pressure, for example, a patient's sensation of humor can often be avoided. On the other hand, a high initial pressure - as generally a high injection pressure - can cause the anesthetic to be distributed over a large area in the tissue. It is up to the attending doctor to determine which pressure curves are recommended for which application. Even unqualified users can perform very good injection processes with the pressure control device.

Alternatively and / or cumulatively, the control unit can have means for specifying the injection time. Especially with slow, long-lasting injection processes, the user's thumb can easily weaken, as a result of which the pressure sensation and, as a consequence, the control competence of the user are negatively influenced. However, if the injection time can be specified and the injection process is automatic or semi-automatic table takes place exactly over the predetermined time, this is advantageous, both for the user of the syringe and for the patient.

In a preferred embodiment, the control unit of the anesthetic syringe has a data memory. In particular, this enables the anesthetic syringe to be used independently. For example, even recommended values for different injection parameters and different parameter combinations can be available for selection in the syringe. However, it would also be advantageous if data from injections made were recorded in the data memory. In this way, injection processes could be evaluated and further findings for subsequent injection processes could be obtained. It could also be practical if the syringe is connected to a programming device and data for control are transferred to the syringe on the programming device. The syringe can then be separated from the programming device and can only store the data which are relevant for the respective injection process. As a result, an internal syringe data memory can be made very small.

Independently of this, however, it is advantageous if the control unit has means for reading data. These can be saved if data storage is available; however, they can also be processed by the control unit in real time. In this case, data can advantageously be input separately from the syringe or the control unit. ben, saved and / or edited. A conventional computer can even be used for this.

In a particularly preferred embodiment variant, the anesthetic syringe according to the invention has a drive. A drive opens up the possibility of fully automatic operation of the anesthetic syringe. In particular, the control can have a direct influence on the drive, so that the plunger of the syringe can even be advanced without any human-haptic control and the associated inaccuracies. The feed can be carried out, for example, by a motor which acts on the piston via a gear. However, piezoelectronic drives are also conceivable in order to make the syringe according to the invention as small as possible. The advantage of piezo electronics is that an exact position measurement of the piston within the cartridge cylinder is also easily possible. This is also possible, for example, using a built-in potentiometer or a resolver.

In particular, however, it is advantageous if the syringe according to the invention has hydraulics and / or pneumatics. In both automatic and semi-automatic use, it is advantageous that hydraulic or pneumatic control can do without electronics. If a pressure is built up in the hydraulic fluid, this pressure can be used to move the control means and even enable hydraulic control or regulation. This pressure is advantageously generated via a gas pressure cushion. The gas pressure can be provided by a gas cartridge such as an N ₂ or C0 ₂ cartridge.

Alternatively and / or cumulatively, the syringe can have an ampoule holder and / or a holder for an ampoule holder. This in particular eliminates the need to suck the fluid to be injected into the carpule before the injection. Rather, a filled ampoule can be placed in a receptacle arranged, for example, between the needle and the piston and the injection agent contained can be pressed through the needle by simply advancing the piston. The ampoule can, for example, be inserted laterally into the ampoule holder if the holder has appropriate means for this. In a simple alternative to this, the ampoule holder can be detachably held on the carpule, for example by a thread or a latching device, so that an ampoule can be inserted along the longitudinal axis of an ampoule holder removed from the carpule for this purpose, whereupon the syringe after fastening the filled ampule holder is immediately ready for use on the carpule.

The syringe according to the invention can preferably also have a device for path-controlled manual operation. In this way, in particular a simple, inexpensive construction of the syringe can be made possible. For example, in the case of a drive by means of a gas pressure cushion, such an operation enables a sensitive metering of the injection pressure. It is particularly preferred here if the syringe has a space for storing a compressed gas. This even makes the syringe independent of external gas cartridges. Rather, a conventional N ₂ or C0 ₂ cartridge can be connected to the room via a suitable valve device and place the room under high gas pressure. After removing the gas cartridge, the pressure in the storage space in the syringe remains real, so that the syringe can apply the forces required for injection completely independently for a large number of injection processes.

The invention is explained below with reference to the drawing. It shows

Figure 1 schematically shows an embodiment of a syringe according to the invention, in which a control unit is arranged separately from the carpule and connected to it and

Figure 2 shows a section through an alternative syringe according to the invention, which is driven by gas pressure.

The syringe 1 in FIG. 1 essentially consists of the cartridge cylinder 2, which surrounds a cavity 3, a piston 4, a needle 5, the control inlet 6 and the slim, flexible connection 7. A hollow passage 8 is the needle 5 connected to the cavity 3.

The piston 4 can be moved along a pressure direction 9 or a suction direction 10 within the cylinder 2, the piston 4 always separating the cavity 3 from a rear cavity 11 and the piston ben 4 is also connected to a potentiometer 13. The rear cavity 11 is connected directly to the control unit 6 via a hose 12 arranged in the connection 7.

The syringe also has a switch 14, which can assume three positions 15, 16, 17. Like the potentiometer 13, the switch 14 is connected to the control unit 6 via a line (not shown) which also runs through the connection 7. Both on the Steueremngseinlieit 6 and on the syringe 1, light indicators 18, 19 are also arranged, which can light up green and red, respectively.

Finally, there is also a power connector 20, a push button 21, a data connector 22 and a radio module (not shown) on the control unit 6, the control unit 6 being able to communicate with a commercially available computer by means of the latter two, for example via an integrated interface card ,

To use the syringe 1 according to the invention, the rear cavity 11 as well as the associated connecting hose 12 and a communicating space (not shown) in the control unit 6 are completely filled with a hydraulic fluid 23. This can be chosen independently of the anesthetic. The user now pushes the switch 14 from the neutral position 15 to the front position 16. He must hold the switch 14, because a small return spring (not shown) automatically moves the switch 14 back into the neutral position 15 when released front position 16 is controlled by the Unit 6 detects, whereupon this presses more hydraulic fluid 23 into the rear cavity 11 and thus displaces the piston 4 along the pressure direction 9. The control unit 6 continuously measures the position of the piston 4 via the potentiometer 13. When the piston 4 has reached the front end 24 of the cavity 3, the control unit 6 immediately stops the movement of the piston 4.

The user releases the switch 14 and dips the needle 5 with its tip 25 into a liquid to be injected, for example an anesthetic (not shown). With the tip 25 submerged, the user pushes the switch 14 from the neutral position 15 into the rear position 17. This is registered by the control unit, which then sucks hydraulic fluid 23 out of the rear cavity 11 and thereby forces the piston 4 along it Follow direction 10. As a result, anesthetic is sucked through the hollow passage 8 into the cavity 3. As soon as the user releases the switch 14 or the piston 4 reaches a rear end 26 of the carpule 2, the control stop stops the movement. If there is enough anesthetic in the cavity 3, the user pulls the tip 25 out of the anesthetic, points it upwards and shakes the syringe 1 slightly in order to let air possibly present in the cavity 3 rise towards the tip 25. By briefly displacing the switch 14 into the front position 16, the user also moves the piston 4 in this direction until anesthetic agent emerges from the tip 25 and it can consequently be concluded that the anesthetic agent completely fills the cavity 3 and the passage 8. Now the user starts the actual process by pressing the button 21. The control unit 6 causes the light indicators 18, 19 to flash once red and once green and then switch them to a continuously green light. If the user moves the switch 14 into the rear position 17 once more, which can happen accidentally and as a result of which air can get into the syringe 1, the control unit 6 switches the light indicators 18, 19 to flashing red. The user must now bleed the syringe 1 abeπnals and then press the button 21.

The syringe 1 prepared in this way now sticks into the tissue with the tip 25 in a conventional manner. Then he pushes the switch 14 into the front position 16 and holds it there. The control unit 6 is hereby instructed to start an injection program, which the user has defined in advance in several parameters via the commercially available computer and transmitted to the control unit 6. According to the defined parameters, the control valve 6 now regulates via the hydraulic fluid 23, via the potentiometer 13, via a flow meter (not shown) installed at the control end 27 of the hose 12 on the control side and further via a pressure meter (not shown) of the hydraulic fluid in the Steueremngseinlieit 6 the advance of the piston 4 and thus the injection of the anesthetic. As soon as the user slides the switch 14 back into the neutral position 15, the feed is stopped and only resumed when the user pushes the switch 14 into the front position 16 again. When the program has finished and the injection control has been programmed follows, the Steueremngseinlieit 6, the indicator lights 18, 19 flash green. The user can then pull the tip 25 out of the tissue.

If the Steueremngseinlieit measures data during the injection process that deviates from the target data transmitted by the program by more than certain tolerances, the feed of the piston 4 is stopped and the illuminated indicators 18, 19 are set to flashing red. Among other things, the data from the potentiometer 13 are verified on the basis of measurements from the flow meter within the control unit. If extraordinary deviations of these two values occur or if the control unit 6 has other knowledge that the injection process is not proceeding according to plan, such an emergency stop is carried out as a precaution.

6 diverse programs can be transferred to the control unit. For example, the injection pressure measured by the control unit 6 in the hydraulic fluid 23 or in the cavity 3 can be assigned a defined sequence depending on the time. Via the distance measurement, the injection quantity of the anesthetic agent can also be assigned a specific sequence over time, or the injection time can simply be specified. The control unit thus has data and processes for numerous anesthesia applications, so that an accurate, repeatable and thus optimal anesthesia is made possible. The computer for programming the control unit 6 can also be networked backwards with a data pool from which it obtains data. The syringe 30 according to the invention in FIG. 2 essentially consists of a gas pressure element 31, a body 32, a spring lever 33 and an ampoule holder 34.

The gas pressure element 31 has a filling opening 35 to which a gas pressure cartridge can be connected. From here, the compressed gas reaches a spoke space 36 which is connected to a pressure channel 37 and is otherwise completely sealed. The gas pressure element 31 surrounding the storage space 36 is screwed into the body 32 of the syringe 30 via a thread 38.

A bellows 40 is connected to the pressure channel 37 in a gas-tight manner at an opening 39 of the pressure channel 37. This is located in a hydraulic two-chamber system 41, which makes up a large part of the body 32. Here, a rear hydraulic chamber 42 is connected to a front hydraulic chamber 44 via a hydraulic channel 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d. A sealing piston plate 45 separates the rear hydraulic chamber 42 from the front hydraulic chamber 44. The hydraulic channel 43a, b, c, d leads along a closure 46 which is held in a position by means of a spring 47 with its conical tip 48 which holds the hydraulic channel 43a , b, c, d closes. The closure 46 is connected via a joint 49 to the spring lever 33, which in turn is rotatably mounted about the bolt 50.

The piston plate 45 hangs on a piston 51 which is displaceable along an axis 52. He is conclusive and sealed by a sealing device 53 guided, which is screwed into the body 32 via a fastening thread 54.

The ampoule receptacle 34 is held on the body 32 via a holder 55. It has a needle holder 56 for receiving an injection needle. It also has two viewing windows 57, 58.

To use the syringe 30 according to the invention, a gas cartridge is connected to the filling opening 35 and the storage space 36 is filled, for example, with N ₂ or C0 ₂ under high pressure. A check valve 59 keeps the gas pressure inside the storage space 36. The storage space 36 is filled with 50-70 bar. The hydraulic chambers 42, 44 and the hydraulic channel 43a, b, c, d are filled with a hydraulic fluid, for example a non-toxic white oil. The ampoule receptacle 34 is detached from the holder 55 and an ampoule (not shown) is inserted into the ampoule receptacle 34 along the axis 52. Then the ampoule holder 34 is fastened again to the body 32 and a needle (not shown) is inserted into the needle holder 56. By manually depressing the spring lever 33, preferably on the sensing surface 60, to the body 32, the closure 46 is pulled out of the channel 43 c, so that the two hydraulic chambers 42 and 44 communicate with one another. The bellows 40 transfer the pressure from the storage space 36 to the hydraulic system 41, so that essentially identical pressure conditions prevail on both sides of the piston plate 45. Since the engagement surface 61 is larger than the surface 62 opposite it, the piston 51 moves in Direction of the spray needle. Hydraulic fluid flows from the front hydraulic chamber 44 through the hydraulic channel 43a, b, c, d along the tip 48 of the closure 46 into the rear hydraulic chamber 42.

Since there is essentially a gap flow in the channel piece 43 c which can be closed by the tip 48 of the closure 46, the piston speed of the piston 51 can be determined very well manually via the low-pressure path of the spring lever 33. The piston 51 begins to move after a lever travel of approx. 0.7 mm, which arises due to the leverage, and the speed increases linearly over large areas with the stylus travel to approx. 5 to 6 mm per second at approx. 2. 5 mm leverage in this example.

Claims

claims:

1. Anesthetic syringe, characterized in that it has a control unit for controlling the injection process.

2. Anesthetic syringe according to Anspmch 1, characterized in that the control unit has means for controlling, preferably regulating, the injection pressure.

3. Anesthesia syringe according to Anspmch 2, characterized in that the injection pressure has a time gradient.

4. Anesthetic syringe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit has means for specifying the injection time.

5. Anesthesia syringe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit has a data memory.

6. Anesthesia syringe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit has means for reading data.

7. Anesthesia syringe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a drive.

8. Anesthetic syringe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a hydraulic and / or pneumatic system.

9. Anesthesia syringe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has an ampoule mounting and / or a holder for an ampoule mounting.

10. Anesthesia syringe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a device for a path-controlled manual operation.

11. Anesthesia syringe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a space for storing a compressed gas.