Interlocking syringe rack segments and syringe rack systems incorporating said segments

Abstract

An assembled rack is provided for holding a set of syringes. The syringes may be conventional syringes or unique syringes that have a hollow elongated barrel engaged by a plunger with unique relative lengths. The assembled rack is made by interlocking smaller rack segments to create an assembled rack of any desired length. The assembled rack is configured to rest on a flat surface and hold the syringes so that the syringes are horizontal relative to the flat surface for easy viewing. The assembled rack has a series of cradles adapted to hold the barrels of syringes. To optionally stack one assembled rack on another assembled rack, the racks may have stacking prongs extending therefrom and corresponding recesses.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A syringe rack segment for use in assembling a syringe rack, comprising: 
 a rack segment body having a top, a bottom and opposing sides, 
 the bottom of the rack segment being adapted to rest on a flat surface,  
 the top of the rack segment comprising a plurality of syringe cradles,  
   each adapted to hold a syringe therein;    attachment means on at least one of the opposing sides of the rack segment body for selectively interconnecting two or more of the rack segment bodies side by side to yield an assembled rack comprising a desired number of rack segment bodies.    
     
     
         2 . A syringe rack segment as defined in  claim 1 , the rack segment body comprising two syringe cradles.  
     
     
         3 . A syringe rack segment as defined in  claim 1 , the rack segment body comprising three syringe cradles.  
     
     
         4 . A syringe rack segment as defined in  claim 1 , the rack segment body comprising four or more syringe cradles.  
     
     
         5 . A syringe rack segment as defined in  claim 1 , the attachment means comprising one or more projections disposed on a first side of the rack segment body.  
     
     
         6 . A syringe rack segment as defined in  claim 5 , the attachment means further comprising one or more recesses corresponding to the one or more projections on an opposite side of the rack segment body.  
     
     
         7 . A syringe rack segment as defined in  claim 6 , the attachment means comprising one or more projections and one or more corresponding recesses on both sides of the rack segment body.  
     
     
         8 . A syringe rack segment as defined in  claim 1 , each cradle further comprising at least one locking extension that serves to more securely retain a syringe within the cradle.  
     
     
         9 . A syringe rack segment as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more stacking projections extending from the top of the rack segment body and one or more corresponding recesses within the bottom of the rack segment body that facilitate stacking of one rack segment body over another.  
     
     
         10 . A syringe rack segment as defined in  claim 1 , each cradle being separate from an adjacent cradle by a spacing element disposed therebetween.  
     
     
         11 . A syringe rack segment for use in assembling a syringe rack, comprising: 
 a rack segment body having a top, a bottom and opposing sides, 
 the bottom of the rack segment being adapted to rest on a flat surface,  
 the top of the rack segment comprising a two or more syringe cradles,  
   each adapted to hold a syringe therein;    at least one projection on at least one of the opposing sides of the rack segment body and at least one recess on at least other of the opposing sides of the rack segment body that cooperate to permit selective side by side interconnection of two or more of the rack segment bodies.    
     
     
         12 . A kit for use in assembling a syringe rack, the kit comprising a plurality of syringe rack segments, each syringe rack segment comprising: 
 a rack segment body having a top, a bottom and opposing sides, 
 the bottom of the rack segment being adapted to rest on a flat surface,  
 the top of the rack segment comprising a plurality of syringe cradles,  
   each adapted to hold a syringe therein;    attachment means on at least one of the opposing sides of the rack segment body for selectively interconnecting two or more of the rack segment bodies side by side to yield an assembled rack comprising a desired number of rack segment bodies.    
     
     
         13 . A kit as defined in  claim 12 , at least one of the syringe rack segments having two cradles and at least one other of the syringe rack segments having three cradles.  
     
     
         14 . A kit as defined in  claim 16 , further comprising at least one additional syringe rack segment having one cradle.  
     
     
         15 . A kit as defined in  claim 12 , at least one of the syringe rack segments having at least four cradles.  
     
     
         16 . A kit as defined in  claim 12 , the attachment means comprising one or more projections disposed on a first side of the rack segment body.  
     
     
         17 . A kit as defined in  claim 16 , the attachment means further comprising one or more recesses corresponding to the one or more projections on an opposite side of the rack segment body.  
     
     
         18 . A kit as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising one or more stacking projections extending from the top of the rack segment body and one or more corresponding recesses within the bottom of the rack segment body that facilitate stacking of one rack segment body over another.  
     
     
         19 . A kit for use in assembling a syringe rack, the kit comprising a plurality of syringe rack segments, each syringe rack segment comprising: 
 a rack segment body having a top, a bottom and opposing sides, 
 the bottom of the rack segment being adapted to rest on a flat surface,  
 the top of the rack segment comprising a plurality of syringe cradles,  
   each adapted to hold a syringe therein;    at least one projection on at least one of the opposing sides of the rack segment body and at least one recess on at least other of the opposing sides of the rack segment body that cooperate to permit selective side by side interconnection of two or more of the rack segment bodies.    
     
     
         20 . A syringe rack system comprising at least one set of syringes and at least one assembled syringe rack formed by assembling a plurality of syringe rack segments side by side, each syringe rack segment comprising: 
 a rack segment body having a top, a bottom and opposing sides, 
 the bottom of the rack segment being adapted to rest on a flat surface,  
 the top of the rack segment comprising a plurality of syringe cradles,  
   each adapted to hold a syringe therein;    attachment means on at least one of the opposing sides of the rack segment body for selectively interconnecting two or more of the rack segment bodies side by side to yield the assembled rack.    
     
     
         21 . A syringe rack system as defined in  claim 20 , wherein each syringe within the set of syringes comprises a hollow syringe barrel with a chamber containing a composition and a plunger that can be used to selectively advance the composition contained within the barrel chamber.  
     
     
         22 . A syringe rack system as recited in  claim 21 , wherein each syringe contains from about 0.1 ml to about 0.7 ml of the composition.  
     
     
         23 . A syringe rack system as defined in  claim 20 , the assembled syringe rack comprising at least one syringe rack segment having two cradles and at least one syringe rack segment having three cradles.  
     
     
         24 . A syringe rack system as defined in  claim 23 , the assembled syringe rack further comprising at least one additional syringe rack segment having one cradle.  
     
     
         25 . A syringe rack system as defined in  claim 20 , the assembled syringe rack comprising at least one syringe rack segment having at least four cradles.  
     
     
         26 . A syringe rack system as defined in  claim 20 , the attachment means comprising one or more projections disposed on a first side of each rack segment body.  
     
     
         27 . A syringe rack system as defined in  claim 26 , the attachment means further comprising one or more recesses corresponding to the one or more projections on an opposite side of each rack segment body.  
     
     
         28 . A syringe rack system as defined in  claim 20 , further comprising one or more stacking projections extending from the top of each rack segment body and one or more corresponding recesses within the bottom of each rack segment body.  
     
     
         29 . A syringe rack system as defined in  claim 28 , the syringe rack system comprising a plurality of assembled syringe racks stacked together.  
     
     
         30 . A syringe rack system comprising at least one set of syringes and at least one assembled syringe rack formed by assembling a plurality of syringe rack segments side by side, each syringe rack segment comprising: 
 a rack segment body having a top, a bottom and opposing sides, 
 the bottom of the rack segment being adapted to rest on a flat surface,  
 the top of the rack segment comprising a plurality of syringe cradles,  
   each adapted to hold a syringe therein;    at least one projection on at least one of the opposing sides of the rack segment body and at least one recess on at least other of the opposing sides of the rack segment body that interconnect two or more of the rack segment bodies side by side within the assembled syringe rack.