The invention relates to a device for mixing and applying mixed material, in particular medical cement, and comprises a cartridge cylinder with a mixed material cavity, a filling end and an outlet end, a mixer with an actuating rod, a mixing paddle and a grip, a plunger for closing the mixed material cavity at the filling end during the mixing and for forcing out the mixed material through the outlet end during the application, and a holding element for temporarily fastening the plunger to the filling end.
Such a device is known from EP 1 278 488 B1. The device serves for preparing a pasty, flowable composition from a liquid component and a powdered component, which set with a time delay during mixing. In the case of medical cement, also known as bone cement, the mixing operation and the application of the medical cement must take place under sterile conditions, which leads to certain constraints on the design of the device. Even if the device is used only once and then disposed of, all the components must be easily accessible for sterilisation. For this reason, structural forms that are as simple as possible are desired. A further requirement in the case of such devices is for simple handling, in order to avoid the risk of errors.
The previously known device (EP 1 278 488 B1) has a closure cap, to lock the plunger on the filling end of the cartridge cylinder before the mixing operation is commenced. When the mixed material is to be applied, the closure cap must be removed in order to unlock the plunger. The closure cap consequently represents a holding element for temporarily fastening the plunger to the filling end, an element which has to be removed.
The invention is based on the object of simplifying a mixing and application device of the type stated at the beginning in its structural design and handling.
To achieve this object, the holding element is formed as a locking ring with radially outer and inner locking means. In order to hold the locking ring, the filling end of the cartridge cylinder has first counter-locking means, which interact with the outer locking means of the locking ring when the plunger closes the mixed material cavity. The plunger also has second counter-locking means, which interact with the inner locking means of the locking ring, in order to hold the plunger during the mixing but release it at the beginning of the application operation, so that the plunger can be pushed forwards by means of an applicator and the mixed material forced out through the outlet end of the cartridge cylinder.
The interaction of the locking ring with the filling end of the cartridge cylinder on the one hand and the plunger on the other hand is such that the plunger with the locking ring attached can be fitted manually into the filling end of the cartridge cylinder with a locking-in action, but the locking fit between the locking ring and the plunger is so strong that the plunger is not displaced into the interior of the mixed material cavity when it is manually fitted in this way. Only the applicator is capable of overcoming the holding force of the locking engagement between the locking ring and the plunger, in order then to use the plunger for forcing the mixed material out of the mixed material cavity.
The plunger has an annular receiving groove for the locking ring, which is fitted with a ring portion into this receiving groove in a snapping-in manner. For this purpose, the wall of the locking groove is formed so as to yield and has locking hooks which can resiliently yield because of the yielding nature of the wall. The yielding nature of the wall is produced by slits in the plunger wall in the region of the locking groove, the length of the slits providing the designer with a means for setting the resiliently yielding nature of the locking hooks to the correct amount. For example, the locking-holding force of the locking ring on the plunger is chosen to be stronger than the force that is required for fitting the plunger together with the locking ring onto the filling end of the cartridge cylinder. This ensures that, when the plunger together with the locking ring is fitted on the filling end of the cartridge cylinder, the plunger is not unintentionally pressed too far into the interior of the mixed material cavity.
In order to lock the plunger on the filling end of the cartridge cylinder by means of the locking ring, the filling end of the cartridge cylinder has a flanged ring, the radial extent of which is greater than the wall of the cartridge cylinder. As a result, an annular cavity with a diameter greater than that of the mixed material cavity is formed, and this annular cavity is constricted by hook-shaped projections, behind which an annular hook formation of the locking ring comes to lie when the plunger with the attached locking ring is pressed into the filling end of the cartridge cylinder.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is described on the basis of the drawing, in which:
The mixer 2 comprises an actuating rod 21, a mixing paddle 22 at the front end and a grip 23 at the rear end. The mixing paddle 22 has sector-shaped through-openings, through which the mixed material is forced during the turning and moving back and forth of the actuating rod, and is thereby mixed.
The plunger 3 comprises a plunger body 30, which can best be seen from
The locking ring 4 serves for the temporary fastening of the plunger 3 to the filling end 11 of the cartridge cylinder 1. For this purpose, the locking ring 4 has radially outer, annular locking means 41 and radially inner, annular locking means 42, which in the cross section of the locking ring respectively appear as a hook formation 41 and as a cylindrical ring portion 42 with an insertion bevel (see
For medical applications, the mixing and application device is supplied in sterilized, ready-fitted-together structural units, namely the cartridge cylinder 1 with the attached base as a closure at the outlet end 12, the mixer 2 with the secured plunger 3 together with the placed-on locking ring 4, the components of the medical cement (bone cement) in appropriate containers, a filling funnel and an application tube (snorkel), these components being packed in a sterile form in a dish or a bag. The equipment also includes a suction pump and an applicator gun for pushing the plunger forwards and forcing the mixed material out of the cartridge cylinder.
The mixing and application device is handled as follows:
The cartridge cylinder is filled with the material to be mixed. The suction pump is connected to the suction connection piece 36, and the mixer 2 together with the plunger 3 is inserted into the filling end of the cartridge cylinder. The applied negative pressure is helpful during the fitting of the plunger 3 as a closure of the filling end, i.e. not much force has to be exerted to make the locking ring snap with its hook formation 41 in behind the resilient counter-hooks 14. By evacuating excess air and any vapors from the mixed material cavity 10, the mixed material is prepared for mixing. The mixing is performed by turning and pushing back and forth the mixing paddle 22 inside the mixed material cavity. After intimate mixing, the mixing paddle is brought to bear against the inner side of the plunger and the actuating rod 21 is broken off in such a way that the mixed material cavity remains closed. Then the cartridge cylinder can be placed onto the applicator gun, the closure base is removed and the applicator tube is instead screwed onto the outlet end. If appropriate, the applicator tube is shortened. Then the applicator gun can be actuated, pressure being exerted on the plunger 3 and tension exerted on the flange 13 of the cartridge cylinder. As a result, the holding force of the locking ring 4, with which the plunger 3 is held on the filling end 11 of the cartridge cylinder, is overcome. The plunger 3 together with the broken-off end of the actuating rod 21 inserted in it can then be displaced by the applicator gun in the direction of the outlet end 12 of the cartridge cylinder, in order to bring the mixed material to a suitable location through the applicator tube.
It is consequently evident that the novel mixing and application device has with the locking ring 4 a holding element for temporarily fastening the plunger to the filling end that need not be unlocked before attaching the applicator gun. This dispenses with the need for a locking bar that is otherwise required in the prior art (EP 1 278 488 B1) and with the need for the operation of actuating and removing the locking bar.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2007 026 034.4 | Jun 2007 | DE | national |