Syringe mount for a medical fluid injector
View Patent ↗In certain embodiments, a syringe mount of the invention may include a plate, an actuator, and one or more movable members located between the plate and the actuator. Each of the plate and the actuator may have an orifice defined therein, and an imaginary reference axis of the syringe mount may extend through one or both of these orifices. The actuator may be movable relative to the plate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the reference axis. Further, the moveable member(s) may be designed to move (e.g., pivot) toward the reference axis due to movement of the actuator from a first position to a second position and to move (e.g., pivot) away from the reference axis due to movement of the actuator from the second position to the first position.
1. A method of using a syringe mount of a medical fluid injector, the medical fluid injector comprising a drive ram having a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
moving a syringe through an aperture of the syringe mount and into an interior cavity of the syringe mount to insert the syringe into a separate orifice defined in a first component of the syringe mount;
moving the first component in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the syringe to move the longitudinal axis of the syringe towards the longitudinal axis of the drive ram, wherein the syringe is located within the orifice during the moving of the first component; and
the moving of the first component causing movement of a second component of the syringe mount toward the longitudinal axis of the syringe.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving of the second component comprises moving opposing first and second portions of the second component toward the longitudinal axis of the syringe, wherein the longitudinal axis of the syringe is located between the first and second portions prior to and after the moving of the second component.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second component of the syringe mount contacts the syringe as a result of the moving of the second component.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is defined in a third component of the syringe mount.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the moving of the first component comprises moving the first component relative to the third component.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the moving of the second component comprises moving the second component relative to the third component.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the syringe is disposed within the aperture and orifice of the first and third components, respectively, during the moving of the first component.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a user of the syringe mount exerting a force on the syringe while the syringe is located within the orifice defined in the first component, wherein the force exerted by the user comprises a force vector oriented in the first direction, and wherein the force exerted by the user causes the moving of the first component.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving of the first component changes the position of the orifice relative to the longitudinal axis of the drive ram.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving of the first component changes a position of the longitudinal axis of the syringe relative to the longitudinal axis of the drive ram.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving of the syringe is executed with the first component being in a first position, wherein the longitudinal axis of the syringe is spaced from the longitudinal axis of the drive ram with the first component being in the first position, wherein the moving of the first component moves the first component from the first position to a second position, and wherein the moving of the first component moves the longitudinal axis of the syringe into a substantially coaxial relationship with the longitudinal axis of the drive ram.
12. A method of using a syringe mount of a medical fluid injector, the medical fluid injector comprising a drive ram having a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
moving a syringe parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drive ram to insert the syringe into an orifice defined in a first component of the syringe mount;
moving the first component in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the syringe to change the position of the orifice of the first component relative to the longitudinal axis of the drive ram; and
the moving of the first component causing movement of a second component of the syringe mount toward the longitudinal axis of the syringe.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the moving of the second component comprises moving opposing first and second portions of the second component toward the longitudinal axis of the syringe, wherein the longitudinal axis of the syringe is located between the first and second portions prior to and after the moving of the second component.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second component of the syringe mount contacts the syringe as a result of the moving of the second component.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising inserting the syringe into an orifice defined in a third component of the syringe mount.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the moving of the first component comprises moving the first component relative to the third component.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the moving of the second component comprises moving the second component relative to the third component.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the syringe is disposed within the orifices of the first and third components during the moving of the first component.
19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising a user of the syringe mount exerting a force on the syringe while the syringe is located within the orifice defined in the first component, wherein the force exerted by the user comprises a force vector oriented in the first direction, and wherein the force exerted by the user causes the moving of the first component.
20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the moving of the first component changes a position of the longitudinal axis of the syringe relative to the longitudinal axis of the drive ram.
21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the moving of the syringe is executed with the first component being in a first position, wherein the longitudinal axis of the syringe is spaced from the longitudinal axis of the drive ram with the first component being in the first position, wherein the moving of the first component moves the first component from the first position to a second position, and wherein the moving of the first component moves the longitudinal axis of the syringe into a substantially coaxial relationship with the longitudinal axis of the drive ram.
22. A method of using a syringe mount of a medical fluid injector, the medical fluid injector comprising a drive ram having a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
moving a syringe in an insertion direction to insert the syringe into an orifice defined in a first component of the syringe mount; and
moving the first component in a first direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the syringe to change a position of the longitudinal axis of the syringe relative to the longitudinal axis of the drive ram, wherein the insertion and first directions are different, and wherein the moving of the first component is while the syringe is located within the orifice and causes movement of a second component of the syringe mount toward the longitudinal axis of the syringe.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the moving of the second component comprises moving opposing first and second portions of the second component toward the longitudinal axis of the syringe, wherein the longitudinal axis of the syringe is located between the first and second portions prior to and after the moving of the second component.
24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the second component of the syringe mount contacts the syringe as a result of the moving of the second component.
25. The method of claim 22 , further comprising inserting the syringe into an orifice defined in a third component of the syringe mount.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the moving of the first component comprises moving the first component relative to the third component.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the moving of the second component comprises moving the second component relative to the third component.
28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the syringe is disposed within the orifices of the first and third components during the moving of the first component.
29. The method of claim 22 , further comprising a user of the syringe mount exerting a force on the syringe while the syringe is located within the orifice defined in the first component, wherein the force exerted by the user comprises a force vector oriented in the first direction, and wherein the force exerted by the user causes the moving of the first component.
30. The method of claim 22 , wherein the moving of the syringe is executed with the first component being in a first position, wherein the longitudinal axis of the syringe is spaced from the longitudinal axis of the drive ram with the first component being in the first position, wherein the moving of the first component moves the first component from the first position to a second position, and wherein the moving of the first component moves the longitudinal axis of the syringe into a substantially coaxial relationship with the longitudinal axis of the drive ram.
31. A method of using a syringe mount of a medical fluid injector, the medical fluid injector comprising a drive ram having a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
inserting a syringe into an orifice defined in a first component of the syringe mount and while the first component is both in a first position and interconnected with the medical fluid injector, wherein a longitudinal axis of the syringe is spaced from the longitudinal axis of the drive ram with the first component being in the first position; and
moving the first component from the first position to a second position while the syringe is located within the orifice, wherein the moving of the first component is in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the syringe, causes movement of a second component of the syringe mount toward the longitudinal axis of the syringe, and moves the longitudinal axis of the syringe into a substantially coaxial relationship with the longitudinal axis of the drive ram.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the moving of the second component comprises moving opposing first and second portions of the second component toward the longitudinal axis of the syringe, wherein the longitudinal axis of the syringe is located between the first and second portions prior to and after the moving of the second component.
33. The method of claim 31 , wherein the second component of the syringe mount contacts the syringe as a result of the moving of the second component.
34. The method of claim 31 , further comprising inserting the syringe into an orifice defined in a third component of the syringe mount.
35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the moving of the first component comprises moving the first component relative to the third component.
36. The method of claim 34 , wherein the moving of the second component comprises moving the second component relative to the third component.
37. The method of claim 34 , wherein the syringe is disposed within the orifices of the first and third components during the moving of the first component.
38. The method of claim 31 , further comprising a user of the syringe mount exerting a force on the syringe while the syringe is located within the orifice defined in the first component, wherein the force exerted by the user comprises a force vector oriented in the first direction, and wherein the force exerted by the user causes the moving of the first component.