Medical connection system

Abstract

A vial holding system (1) for a medical fluid injection assembly, the vial holding system (1) comprising: a toothed rack (6) extending in a first longitudinal direction (Z), a cradle (2) comprising a frame (5) configured to receive and hold a vial (4) of medical fluid and a support (10) configured to support the cradle (2) on the toothed rack (6), wherein the support (10) is provided with teeth (11) configured to engage with the toothed rack (6), and is configured to urge the teeth (11) in an engagement direction (X) into engagement with the toothed rack (6), a portion (10a) of the support (10) being moveable with respect to the frame (5) of the cradle, wherein the system further comprises an actuator (30) configured to selectively cause the support (10) to be moved and the teeth (11) of the support to disengage from the toothed rack (6).

Description

[0001] MEDICAL CONNECTION SYSTEM

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention generally relates to the field of medical fluid injection. More precisely, the invention relates to a vial holding system for a medical fluid injection assembly.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Injection devices are commonly used for injecting into a medical tubing a medical liquid from a vial, in particular procedures such as angiography, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and other imaging procedures. For example, the injection of medical liquid such as iodinated contrast agent is required in 70% of CT scan diagnosis cases. This injection, in about 70% of cases, is performed using an automated contrast agent injector and tubing is used to connect the automated injector to the patient.

[0006] Typically, the medical fluid injection assembly comprises an injection device supplied with the medical fluid. The medical fluid injection assembly usually comprises a vial holding system, able to hold a vial of medical fluid in a proper arrangement to supply medical fluid to the injection device. The vial is commonly arranged inverted or upside down in the vial holding system, the bottom of the vial being at the top, whereas an interface opposite to the bottom is down. The vial is connected to the injection device with a feeding tube extending from the interface of the vial.

[0007] The vial holding system must firmly hold the vial, so that it does not move when an operator manipulates the injection device. On the other hand, the vial holding system must also be easy to use, and a vial must be changed quickly. A vial holding system which is easy to use ensure that it will be properly used. It is also important that the vial holding system be able to adapt to various sizes of vials, as different medical fluid might be used. The vial holding system must also be compact.

[0008] Existing vial holding systems often have a limited simplicity and are not very easy to use. There is a need for a fluid injection assembly with an improved vial holding system that is easier to use. Besides, infusion stands to hold infusion bottles or bags are known from CN108325016A and CN114588388A.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] It is proposed a vial holding system for a medical fluid injection assembly, the vial holding system comprising:

[0011] - a toothed rack extending in a first longitudinal direction,

[0012] - a cradle comprising a frame configured to receive and hold a vial of medical fluid and a support configured to support the cradle on the toothed rack, wherein the support is provided with teeth configured to engage with the toothed rack, and is configured to urge the teeth in an engagement direction into engagement with the toothed rack, a portion of the support being moveable with respect to the frame of the cradle, wherein the system further comprises an actuator configured to selectively cause the support to be moved and the teeth of the support to disengage from the toothed rack.

[0013] The invention allows an operator to easily put in place any vial of various size in the vial holder, just by moving the cradle along the toothed rack, and to easily remove the vial.

[0014] Other preferred, although non-limitative, aspects of the invention are as follows, isolated or in a technically feasible combination:

[0015] - the teeth of the support and teeth of the toothed rack are angled to allow the support to travel first longitudinal direction towards a top end of the toothed rack without having to act on the actuator;

[0016] - the vial holding system further comprises an abutment facing the cradle in the first longitudinal direction so that a vial received in the cradle can abut on said abutment when the cradle travels towards a top end of the toothed rack;

[0017] - the support is elastic, and the support is configured to urge the teeth of the support into engagement with the toothed rack by an elastic force of the elastic part of the support;

[0018] - the cradle comprises a spring configured to exert a force urging the teeth of the support into engagement with the toothed rack; - the actuator is biased in an inactive state in which the actuator does not exert on the support a force sufficient for causing the teeth of the support to disengage from the toothed rack;

[0019] - the actuator comprises a cam configured to move a first portion of the support to displace the teeth of the support in a disengagement direction opposed to the engagement direction in which the teeth are urged;

[0020] - the cam is movable in an actuation direction to cause the teeth of the support to disengage from the toothed rack, and the cam is spring-biased towards a direction opposite to the actuation direction;

[0021] - the cam has an inclined surface, an arm of the support being configured to rest against the cam, and the actuator is configured so that an actuation of the actuator causes the arm of the support to slide against the inclined surface, thereby moving the teeth of the support out of engagement with the toothed rack.

[0022] The invention also relates to a medical fluid injection assembly comprising an injection device and a vial holding system.

[0023] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, given as non-limiting examples, and made with reference to the appended drawings wherein:

[0025] - Fig. 1 is a side view of a vial holding system for a medical fluid injection assembly in accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention, with a bottle arranged in the cradle;

[0026] - Fig. 2 shows a mounting provided with a toothed rack on which is arranged the cradle;

[0027] - Fig. 3a is a global view of a cradle in accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention;

[0028] - Fig. 3b is an exploded view of the cradle of Fig. 3a; - Fig. 4a, 4b and 4c show a side view, a rear view, and a cross-section, respectively, of a rear part of the frame of the cradle in accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention;

[0029] - Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the support and cradle showing the teeth of the support engaged with the toothed rack, in accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention wherein a spring is configured to exert a force urging the teeth into engagement with the toothed rack;

[0030] - Fig. 6a is a cross-section of a cradle supported by a support, the support arm resting on the cam of the actuator, in accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention;

[0031] - Fig. 6b is an enlarged view of the cradle and support of Fig. 4a, the support arm being pushed by the cam, in accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention;

[0032] - Fig. 7a is a cross-section showing the teeth of the support engaged with the toothed rack, in accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention;

[0033] - Fig. 7b is a cross-section showing the teeth of the support out of engagement with the toothed rack, in accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention;

[0034] - Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the support and cradle showing the teeth of the support engaged with the toothed rack, in accordance with another possible embodiment of the invention wherein a spring is configured to exert a force urging the teeth into engagement with the toothed rack.

[0035] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] With reference to the appended drawings, and especially to Fig. 1, the vial holding system 1 comprises a cradle 2 and a toothed rack 6. The toothed rack 6 extends along a first longitudinal direction Z, with is typically substantially vertical. The cradle 2 comprises a frame 5 configured to receive and hold a vial 4, and a support 10 configured to support the cradle 2 on the toothed rack 6. In this example, the frame 5 comprises a front frame 5a and a rear frame 5b, but the frame 5 could also be one piece with a front part and a rear part instead of distinct front frame 5a and rear frame 5b, respectively, or could be divided in another way. The support 10 is provided with teeth 11 configured to engage with teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6. The cradle 2 is configured to urge the teeth 11 of the support 10 in an engagement direction X into engagement with the toothed rack 6. Preferably, the engagement direction X is substantially perpendicular to the first longitudinal direction Z, and is oriented to the rear of the system, opposite to the cradle 2.

[0037] The teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6 are successively arranged along the first longitudinal direction Z, which is typically vertical, for example along a distance of more than 5 cm, and preferably more than 10 cm. The toothed rack 6 comprises more than 10 teeth, and preferably more than 15 teeth. The teeth 11 of the support 10 are successively arranged along the first longitudinal direction Z, for example along a distance of more than 2 cm, and preferably more than 5 cm. The support 10 comprises more than 2 teeth, and preferably more than 4 teeth.

[0038] As best seen in Fig. 2, the holding system comprises a mounting 7 on which the toothed rack 6 is arranged. The mounting 7 comprises a guide 8 which is configured to allow a translation of the cradle 2 in the first longitudinal direction Z along the mounting 7 on which the toothed rack 6 is fixed, while restricting movement of the cradle 2 along other directions which are not parallel to the first longitudinal direction Z. For example, the guide 8 may comprise a grove, a slot, a rail or a track parallel to the toothed rack 6 in which a protruding part 28 of the cradle 2 is engaged, allowing the cradle 2 to slide along the first longitudinal direction Z towards a top end 6a of the toothed rack 6. Other arrangements providing a one-degree-of-freedom kinematic pair may be used.

[0039] The frame 5, in particular the front frame 5a, of the cradle 2 comprises a seat 20 for the vial 4, defining an opening 22 in which the bottleneck 4a of the vial 4 is inserted. In this example, the seat 22 is formed by a partial ring configured to accommodate a bottleneck 4a with a round-section.

[0040] The seat 20 could also be a complete ring. It is however preferable to have a partial ring with a gap 24 facing the operator, so that the operator may have an unobstructed view of the bottleneck 4a and of the interface 4c of the vial 4 opposite to the bottom 4b of the vial 4. Usually, a spike in inserted into the interface 4c of the vial 4 to allow the medical fluid to flow into a tube coupled to the spike and leading to the injection device. Advantageously, an end of the partial ring of the seat 20 at the gap 24 may be provided with a clipping space 26 for clipping a tube. The gap 24 also allows the operator to put in place a vial 4 with an interface 4c already coupled to the tubing, the tubing passing through the gap 24.

[0041] The vial holding system 1 also comprises an abutment 9 such as a bumper aligned with the cradle 2 in the first longitudinal direction Z. Typically, as the first longitudinal direction Z is the vertical direction, the abutment 9 faces the opening 22 of the seat 20 of the cradle 2. As a result, when a vial 4 is arranged on the cradle 2, i.e. with the bottleneck 4a inserted in the opening 22, the bottom 4b faces the abutment 9. When the cradle 2 is moved in the first longitudinal direction Z, towards the abutment 9 (i.e. upwards), the vial bottom 4b abuts against the abutment 9. The vial 4 is thus clamped between the abutment

[0042] 9 and the seat 20 of the cradle 2. The abutment 9 is preferably made of an elastic material, able to absorb the impact of the vial bottom 4b, to deform and applies a force on the vial bottom 4b. For example, the abutment 9 is made of polyurethane. Preferably, the abutment 9 protrudes from a ceiling 9a, so that the vial bottom 4b may only contact the abutment 9 and not the ceiling 9a. For example, as depicted, the abutment 9 may be shaped as a spherical cap or ellipsoidal cap (i.e. a portion of a sphere or an ellipsoid).

[0043] As best seen in Fig. 4a-4c, the support 10 comprises a first portion 10a and a second portion 10b. The first portion 10a is provided with the teeth 11 of the support 10, and is movable with respect to the frame 5 of the cradle 2. The second portion 10b is fixed with respect to the frame 5 of the cradle 2, and in particular with respect to the seat 20 holding the vial 4. For example, a fastener 16 such as a screw or a rivet may fasten the second portion 10b of the support 10 to the rear frame 5b. The second portion 10b may define a window 13 opening in the engagement direction X, and the teeth 11 of the support

[0044] 10 may protrude from the window 13. The second portion 10b may further comprise, as shown, the protruding part 28 of the cradle 2. In this example, the protruding part 28 comprises at least a wing or arm engaged in a rail or track of the guide 8. Other arrangements providing a one-degree-of-freedom kinematic pair may be used.

[0045] The first portion 10a is connected to the second portion 10b at a connecting portion 10c. The longer the distance between the teeth 11 and the connecting portion 10c, the easier the teeth 11 can be moved.

[0046] In a first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7b, the first and second portions 10a, 10b of the support 10 are made together in one piece. The support 10 may be elastic, and may be configured to urge the teeth 11 into engagement with the toothed rack 6 by an elastic force. For example, the support 10 is made of a flexible material such as Methylmethacrylate Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. The support 10 might be deflected so its teeth 11 become disengaged from the toothed rack 6 and are spaced apart from the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6.

[0047] In a second embodiment, shown in Figure 8, the first and second portions 10a, 10b of the support 10 are two different pieces articulated to each other by a pivot lOd constituting the connecting portion 10c so the first portion 10a is able to rotate relative to the second portion 10b around this pivot lOd. The pivot lOd may extend along a direction Y orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction Z and the engagement direction X. The first portion 10a is then preferably made of a rigid and wear resistant material, such as aluminum.

[0048] In either embodiments, as shown in Figures 5 and 8, the cradle 2 may comprise a spring 14 configured to exert a force urging the teeth 11 of the support 10 into engagement with the toothed rack 6. The spring 14 has one end 14a fixed to the first portion 10a of the support 10 provided with the teeth 11, and a second end 14b fixed to the second portion 10b of the support 10 or to the frame 5 of the cradle 2. In this example, the spring 14 is in a compressed state. In another configuration, the spring 14 is in an expanded state, but in either case, the spring 14 exerts a force on the first portion 10a in the engagement direction X towards the protruding part 28 and the toothed rack 6, so that the teeth 11 of the support 10 are urged into engagement with the teeth 12 of the toothed rack, in the engagement direction X.

[0049] The teeth 11 of the support 10 and the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6 are angled to allow the support 10 to travel along the first longitudinal direction Z, towards a top end 6a of the toothed rack 6, and thus towards the abutment 9. When an operator applies a force on the cradle 2 to move it in the first longitudinal direction Z (i.e. upwards), the teeth 11 of the support 10 slide on the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6. Conversely, if a force is applied in a second longitudinal direction Z' opposed to the first longitudinal direction (i.e. downwards), the teeth 11 of the support 10 do not slide on the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6, and stay engaged or intermeshed with the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6. To this end, each tooth 12 of the toothed rack 6 may be formed as a triangular prism, with a first face 12a in the first longitudinal direction Z (i.e. top face) forming a right or acute angle with the first longitudinal direction Z, and a second face 12b adjacent to the first face 12a and facing the first longitudinal direction Z (i.e. bottom face) forming an obtuse angle with the first longitudinal direction Z. Conversely, each tooth 11 of the support 10 may be formed as a triangular prism, with a first face I la in the first longitudinal direction Z (i.e. top face) forming an obtuse angle with the first longitudinal direction Z, and a second face 11b adjacent to the first face I la and facing the first longitudinal direction Z (i.e. bottom face) forming a right or acute angle with the first longitudinal direction Z. Accordingly, the inclined first face I la of a tooth 11 of the support 10 may slide on the inclined second face 12a of a tooth 12 of the toothed rack 6, whereas the second face 12b of a tooth 11 of the support 10 is prevented from sliding the inclined 12b second face of a tooth 12 of the toothed rack 6.

[0050] In order for the cradle 2 to be able to be moved in the second longitudinal direction Z' (i.e. downwards) opposed to the first longitudinal direction Z, the teeth 11 of the support 10 must be disengaged from the toothed rack 6, i.e. must be spaced apart from the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6. To this end, the vial holding system 1 comprises an actuator 30 configured to selectively cause the first portion 10a of the support 10 to be moved relative to the frame 5 and the teeth 11 of the support 10 to disengage from the toothed rack 6. More precisely, in an inactive state, the actuator 30 does not exert on the first portion 10a of the support 10 a force sufficient for causing the teeth 11 of the support 10 to disengage from the toothed rack 6 as shown in Fig. 7a, whereas in an active state, the actuator does exert on the first portion 10a of the support 10 a force sufficient for causing the teeth 11 of the support 10 to disengage from the toothed rack 6, as shown in Fig. 7b

[0051] The actuator 30 comprises a handling part which is configured to be operated by an operator to activate the actuator 30, i.e. to put it in the active state. In the depicted example, the handling part is a button 32, and the actuator 30 is activated by pressing the button 32, whereas the actuator 30 is in an inactive state while the button 32 is not pressed. Other handling part could be used, for example a rotating lever.

[0052] The actuator 30 is biased, typically by a spring 34, to the inactive state in which the actuator does not urge the teeth 11 of the support 10 out of engagement from the toothed rack 6. The handling part is thus also biased, and the operator must operate the handling part to keep the actuator 30 in the active state. In the depicted example, the operator 30 must keep the button 32 depressed to keep the actuator 30 activated. When the operator releases the button 32, the actuator 30 gets back to the unactive state.

[0053] The actuator 30 comprises a cam 36 configured to displace the teeth 11 of the support 10 in a disengagement direction X' opposed to the engagement direction X in which the teeth 11 are urged. More precisely, in the active state, the actuator 30 keeps the teeth 11 of the support 10 spaced apart from the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6, and in the inactive state, the actuator 30 lets the teeth 11 of the support 10 engage with the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6.

[0054] The cam 36 is movable in an actuation direction Y, which in the depicted example is in a plane perpendicular to the first longitudinal direction Z, and preferably substantially perpendicular to the engagement direction X. The cam 36 extends in the actuation direction Y, and has an inclined surface 38, defining at one end a first portion 36a with a narrow first cross-section or first width and at the other end a second portion 36b with a large second cross-section or second width.

[0055] At least a portion of the cam 36 faces a window 39 in the frame 5, so that in an inactive state of the actuator 30, the first portion 36a faces the window 39, and in an active state of the actuator 30, the second portion 36b faces the window 39. Preferably, the window 39 opens in the engagement direction X. Typically, the cam 36 translates in the actuation direction Y to transition from the inactive state to the active state, and the inclined surface 38 translates in front of the window 39. For example, as depicted in Fig. 6a, in the inactive state of the actuator 30, at least a part of the first portion 36a of the cam 36 and at least a part of the inclined surface 38 are exposed by the window 39. In the active state of the actuator 30, at least a part of the second portion 36b of the cam 36 and at least a part of the inclined surface 38 are exposed by the window 39. The window 39 may be omitted if the cam 36 is more exposed.

[0056] The support 10 comprises an arm 40, which is maintained by the frame 5 against translations along the engagement direction X or the disengagement direction X' opposed to the engagement direction X. In this example, the arm 40 extends in the window 39 of the frame 5 faced by the cam 36. The arm 40 is part of the first portion 10a of the support 10, i.e. the one able to be moved with respect to the frame 5. The arm 40 of the support 10 is configured to rest against the cam 36. As the first portion 10a of the support 10 is biased towards the engagement direction X, the arm 40 is also biased towards the engagement direction X, through the window 39, against the cam 36.

[0057] Accordingly, when an operator actuates the actuator 30, e.g. presses the button 32, the cam 36 translates in the actuation direction X, and the inclined surface 38 translates in front of the window 39. Since the arm 40 is biased against the cam 36 through the window 39, the arm 36 slides on the inclined surface 38 and is displaced in a disengagement direction X' opposed to the engagement direction X. As the arm 40 is part of the first portion 10a of the support 10, the first portion 10a of the support 10 is moved in the disengagement direction X', causing the teeth 11 of the support 10 to be moved in in the disengagement direction X', and therefore to disengage from the toothed rack 6.

[0058] In the depicted example, the arm 40 comprises two surface portions facing the cam connected with a bend: a first surface portion 40a parallel to the actuation direction Y, and a second surface portion 40b inclined with respect to the actuation direction Y, preferably parallel to the inclined surface 38 of the cam 36. The first surface portion 40a and the second surface portion 40b may be connected by a bend 40c.

[0059] Preferably, in the inactive state depicted on Fig. 6a, the first surface portion 40a of the arm 40 rests on the first, narrower portion 36a of the cam 36, and the second surface portion 40b of the arm 40 rests on the second, larger portion 36b of the cam 36. As the cam 36 translates, the second portion 40b of the arm 40 slides on the inclined surface 38 of the cam 36, and moves the arm 40. The inclined second surface portion 40b helps ensuring a smooth displacement of the support's arm 40 against the cam 36 when the cam 36 translates.

[0060] In the meantime, the first portion 40a of the arm 40 is moved aside from the cam 36. The support's teeth 11 become disengaged from the toothed rack 6. The width difference between the cam's first portion 36a and the cam's second portion 36b is chosen to make sure that the support's teeth 11 are sufficiently spaced apart from the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6 so that the cradle 2 may be moved downwards, even before the second portion 40b of the arm 40 has slid over the entire inclined surface 38 of the cam 36.

[0061] After the bend 40c has reached the end of the inclined surface 38 of the cam 36, the first portion 40a of the arm 40 rests on the second portion 36b of the cam 36. The arm 40 thus stays shifted, and therefore the support's teeth 11 are also kept shifted away from the toothed rack 6, out of engagement from the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6. The operator may move the cradle 2 up and down as long as the operator keeps operating the actuator 30, i.e. keeps pressing the button 32.

[0062] As soon as the operator stops operating the actuator 30, for example stop pressing the button 32, the actuator 30 comes back in the inactive state into which it is biased. More precisely, the spring 34 expands in a direction Y' opposite to the actuation direction Y, causing the cam 36 to translate in this direction Y' opposite to the actuation direction Y.

[0063] The first portion 40a of the arm 40 slides on the second portion 36b of the cam 36, until the bend reaches the inclined surface 38. Then the second portion 40b of the arm 40 slides on the second portion 36b of the cam 36, while the first portion 40a of the arm 40 becomes closer to the first portion 36a of the cam 36. As the arm 40 is moved in the engagement direction X, the support's teeth 11 are also moved in the engagement direction X, towards the toothed rack 6. At one point, the support's teeth 11 intermesh with the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6, thus preventing any further translation of the cradle 2 along the first longitudinal direction Z. Finally, once the cam 36 has terminated translating in the direction Y' opposite to the actuation direction Y, the cam 36 and arm 40 get back in the inactive state illustrated by Fig. 6a, wherein the first portion 40a of the arm 40 rests on the first portion 36a of the cam 36, and the second portion 40b of the arm 40 rests against the inclined surface 38.

[0064] Using the proposed vial holding system 1 is very easy for an operator. In order to arrange a vial 4 in the vial holding system 1, the operator inserts the bottleneck 4a of the vial 4 through the opening 22 of the cradle so that the bottleneck 4a. If the interface 4c of the vial 4 is already provided with a tube leading to an injection device, the tube may be pass through the gap 24. If necessary, the cradle 2 may be lowered as described below if more space is required to insert the vial 4.

[0065] Once the vial 4 is in place in the cradle 2, the operator moves the cradle 2 in the first longitudinal direction Z (i.e. upwards) until the vial's bottom 4b meets the abutment 9. When the vial 4 is firmly maintained between the cradle's seat 20 and the abutment 9, the operator may release the cradle 2, and does not need to further handle the vial holding system 1 until the vial 4 is to be replaced.

[0066] In order to remove the vial 4, the cradle 2 is lowered by operating the actuator to disengage the support's teeth 11 from the toothed rack 6. Once the support's teeth 11 are disengaged from the toothed rack 6, the cradle 2 may be moved along the toothed rack 6. It is therefore possible to adapt to vials 4 of various heights. Due to the weight of the cradle 2, and potentially the vial 4 received in the cradle 2, the cradle 2 naturally goes down once the actuator 30 is actuated, i.e. in the active state. While operating the actuator 30with one hand, e.g. pressing the button 32, the operator may control the movement of the cradle 2 with his other hand if needed. As soon as the operator releases the actuator 30, the support's teeth 11 intermesh with the teeth 12 of the toothed rack 6, hence preventing the cradle 2 from moving in the second longitudinal direction Z', i.e. downwards. When the cradle 2 has been translated enough in the second longitudinal direction

[0067] Z', the operator just lifts the vial 4 to remove the bottleneck 4a from the seat 20. The vial holding system 1 is ready to receive another vial 4.

[0068] While the present invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it is obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and it comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described and their combinations. In particular, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Claims1. A vial holding system (1) for a medical fluid injection assembly, the vial holding system (1) comprising:- a toothed rack (6) extending in a first longitudinal direction (Z),- a cradle (2) comprising a frame (5) configured to receive and hold a vial (4) of medical fluid and a support (10) configured to support the cradle (2) on the toothed rack (6), wherein the support (10) is provided with teeth (11) configured to engage with the toothed rack (6), and the cradle (2) is configured to urge the teeth (11) in an engagement direction (X) into engagement with the toothed rack (6), a portion (10a) of the support (10), provided with the teeth (11), being moveable with respect to the frame (5) of the cradle (2), wherein the system (1) further comprises an actuator (30) configured to selectively cause the portion (10a) of the support (10) to be moved relative to the frame (5), thereby disengaging the teeth (11) of the support from the toothed rack (6)2. The vial holding system of claim 1, wherein the teeth (11) of the support (10) and teeth (12) of the toothed rack (6) are angled to allow the support (10) to travel first longitudinal direction (Z) towards a top end (6a) of the toothed rack (6) without having to act on the actuator (30).

3. The vial holding system of any one of the previous claims, further comprising an abutment (9) facing the cradle (2) in the first longitudinal direction (Z) so that a vial (4) received in the cradle (2) can abut on said abutment (9) when the cradle (2) travels towards a top end (6a) of the toothed rack (6).

4. The vial holding system of any one of the previous claims, wherein the support (10) is elastic, and the support (10) is configured to urge the teeth (11) of the support into engagement with the toothed rack (6) by an elastic force of the elastic part of the support5. The vial holding system of any one of the previous claims, wherein the cradle (2) comprises a spring (14) configured to exert a force urging the teeth (11) of the support(10) into engagement with the toothed rack (6).

6. The vial holding system of any one of the previous claims, wherein the actuator (30) is biased in an inactive state in which the actuator (30) does not exert on the support (10) a force sufficient for causing the teeth (11) of the support (10) to disengage from the toothed rack (6).

7. The vial holding system of any one of the previous claims, wherein the actuator (30) comprises a cam (36) configured to move a first portion (10a) of the support (10) to displace the teeth (11) of the support (10) in a disengagement direction (X1) opposed to the engagement direction (X) in which the teeth are urged.

8. The vial holding system of claim 7, wherein the cam (36) is movable in an actuation direction (Y) to cause the teeth (11) of the support to disengage from the toothed rack (6), and the cam (36) is spring-biased towards a direction (Y1) opposite to the actuation direction (Y).

9. The vial holding system of the previous claim, wherein the cam (36) has an inclined surface (38), an arm (40) of the support (10) being configured to rest against the cam (36), and the actuator (30) is configured so that an actuation of the actuator (30) causes the arm (40) of the support to slide against the inclined surface (38), thereby moving the teeth(11) of the support (10) out of engagement with the toothed rack (6).

10. A medical fluid injection assembly comprising an injection device and a vial holding system according to any one of the previous claims.

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