Cannabis Oil Injector and Heating System Therefor

Abstract

A system for injecting cannabis oil in a cannabis product comprises: a product holder for receiving the cannabis product; a reservoir for containing cannabis oil; a syringe, including a needle, in fluid communication with the reservoir via tubing for receiving cannabis oil therefrom; an engaging mechanism for relatively moving the product holder and syringe towards one another so that the needle is engaged in the cannabis product; and a heating system for heating the cannabis oil between the reservoir and the cannabis product. The heating system includes a syringe-lodging portion, having an opening for allowing the needle therethrough, a heating member for generating heat and being in close proximity with the tubing to transfer heat thereto; and a heat-canalizing system for forcing part of the heat generated by the heating member out of the casing through the opening.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for injecting cannabis oil in a cannabis product comprising:
 a product holder for receiving the cannabis product;   a reservoir for containing cannabis oil;   a syringe, including a barrel, a plunger mounted in the barrel and a needle; the syringe being in fluid communication with the reservoir for receiving cannabis oil therefrom by when the plunger is pulled up;   an engaging mechanism for relatively moving the product holder and syringe towards one another so that the needle is engaged in the product; and   a heating system for heating the cannabis oil between the reservoir and the product.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the product holder comprises a gripper. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the gripper includes a pair of claws movable between open and closed configurations and being configured to hold a cannabis joint when the pair of claws are in a closed position and to release the cannabis joint when the pair of claws are in the open configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the engaging mechanism includes a linear actuator having a sliding rod; the gripper being secured at the end of the sliding rod. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the engaging mechanism includes a linear actuator having a sliding rod; the product holder being secured at the end of the sliding rod. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the product holder includes a needle guide having a hole for allowing the needle of the syringe therethrough; the product holder being located under the needle guide; the cannabis product is a cannabis joint having a top portion; the hole of the needle guide being on a first side relative to the product holder; the needle guide including a bore on a second side of the needle guide that is opposite to the first side; the bore being shaped to complimentary receive the top portion of the cannabis joint therein. 
     
     
         7 . The system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the product holder including at least one opening for forcing air towards the cannabis joint to improve a release of the cannabis joint by the product holder after the needle is disengaged from the cannabis joint. 
     
     
         8 . The system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the needle guide includes a removable insert that includes the hole for the needle and the bore. 
     
     
         9 . The system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the needle guide includes a lumen that extends through the bore; the lumen being connectable via optic fiber cable to a fiber-optic sensor provided to detect the presence of a cannabis joint in the bore. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the barrel of the syringe is connected to the reservoir via tubing; the heating system including a heating member, a casing that includes the tubing, and the heating member; the tubing being positioned in the casing so as to be in close proximity to the heating member; parts of the syringe being mounted to the casing, therein. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the syringe further including a hub that mounts the needle to the barrel; the barrel and the hub being positioned in the casing; the casing further including a first opening for allowing the needle therethrough and a second opening for allowing the plunger therethrough; the tubing being connected to the barrel via a three-way valve that is mounted to the syringe between the barrel and the hub. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the heating system further including a heat-canalizing system for forcing part of the heat generated by the heating member out of the casing through the first opening. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the syringe and the first opening are located in the casing on a first lateral side thereof; the heating member being located on a second lateral side thereof; the heat-canalizing system including at least one fan mounted on the second lateral side of the casing for forcing air towards the first opening. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the reservoir is heated; the at least one fan includes a first fan for said forcing first airflow towards the first opening and a second fan for pulling second airflow from the heated reservoir and for pushing the air from the heated reservoir towards the syringe. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the heating member and the casing define a passage therebetween for the air towards the first opening. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the heat-canalizing system includes a bellow that is mounted to both the casing and the product holder, around the needle. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the heating member includes a passage therein for the tubing. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the heating member includes at least one heat conductive body. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cannabis product is a cannabis joint. 
     
     
         20 . A heating system for a cannabis oil injector that is provided with a cannabis oil reservoir and a syringe for delivering the cannabis oil and that is connected to the cannabis oil reservoir via tubing so as to be supplied with oil thereby, the heating system comprising:
 a casing, including a syringe-lodging portion that receives at least part of the syringe and having an opening for allowing the needle therethrough;   a heating member that is in close proximity with the tubing to transfer heat thereto; and   a heat-canalizing system for forcing part of the heat generated by the heating member out of the casing through the opening.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the syringe further including a barrel, a plunger mounted in the barrel and a hub that mounts the needle to the barrel; the barrel and the hub being positioned in the syringe-lodging portion of the casing; the opening in the syringe-lodging portion being a first opening; the casing further including a second opening, registered with the first opening for allowing the plunger therethrough. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the syringe and the first opening are located in the casing on a first lateral side thereof; the heating member being located on a second lateral side of the casing; the heat-canalizing system further including at least one airflow generator mounted on the second lateral side of the casing for forcing a first airflow towards the first opening. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the cannabis oil reservoir is heated; the at least one airflow generator including a first fan for said forcing the first airflow towards the first opening and a second fan for pulling air from the heated reservoir and for pushing the air from the heated reservoir towards the syringe. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the heat-canalizing system further including a bellow having inlet and outlet sides and being mounted to the casing around the first opening by its inlet side; the bellow being movable between extended and retracted configurations; the bellow being further configured for mounting to a product holder under the casing via its outlet side; whereby, in operation, when the needle and product holder are relatively moved towards each other for said delivering the cannabis oil, the bellow is moved from its extended configuration to its retracted configuration, while continuously acting as a conduct for the air forced towards the first opening. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the bellow is formed by a plurality of sleeve members that are consecutively nested into each other. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the heating member and the casing define a passage therebetween for the air towards the first opening. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein heat-canalizing system further including a heatsink positioned in the passage so as to be in contact with the heating member. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the heating member includes a passage therein for the tubing. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the heating member includes at least one heat conductive body.