Patent ID: 8353879

Claim:
A contrast media injector assembly comprising: a syringe comprising: a barrel having a cylindrical sidewall, a forward end and an opposing rear end; a front wall section integral with the forward end of the barrel; a neck that extends forwardly from and is integral with the front wall section, wherein the neck terminates in a discharge tip; and a plunger disposed within and snugly slidable relative to the barrel, wherein the plunger comprises: a rearwardmost face substantially perpendicular to the cylindrical sidewall of the barrel; an interior cavity defined within the plunger; and one and only one opening extending into the interior cavity, wherein the opening is defined in the rearwardmost face of the plunger; and an injector comprising: a drive ram that is movable relative to the barrel of the syringe to move the plunger of the syringe relative to the barrel, wherein the drive ram comprises: a longitudinal axis along which the drive ram is movable; and a movable member that is movable in a direction non-parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drive ram, wherein the at least a portion of the drive ram extends through the opening in the plunger such that at least a portion of the movable member is located within the interior cavity defined in the plunger of the syringe; and a motor to deploy the drive ram of the injector and the plunger of the syringe in cooperative forward and backward motion along the longitudinal axis of the drive ram relative to the barrel of the syringe, wherein the at least a portion of the movable member that is located within the interior cavity of the plunger of the syringe is located therein during the cooperative forward and backward motion of the drive ram of the injector and the plunger of the syringe.