ES2232484T3 - SINGLE USE SYRINGE. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a single-use syringe comprising: a shield; a barrel containing medicament and mounted for axial reciprocation within the shield; and wherein a locking member initially mounted on the barrel, wherein the locking member engages the shield during expression of medicament from the barrel, and subsequent to said engagement is dismounted from the barrel, the dismounted locking member thereafter preventing reciprocation of the barrel within the shield. <IMAGE>

Description

Single use syringe.

Invention Sector

The present invention relates to syringes single use (disposable).

State of the art

Lately there have been a multitude of designs of disposable syringes incorporating protectors susceptible to move to an advanced position to protect the needle after use. In most cases, the protector will Locks in the advanced position after use to prevent use rear of the syringe and / or to prevent accidental injuries by needle sticks.

Some examples of syringe designs that incorporate protectors are US Patent 5,584,818 in favor of Morrison, US Patent 5,492,536 to Mascia, US Patent 5,527,294 to Weatherford, US Patent 5,591,138 to Vaillancourt, US Patent 6,099,504 to Gross, US Patent 4,820,275 to Haber, US Patent 5,269,761 to Stehrenberger, US Patent 5,562,626 to Sanpietro, US Patent 4,863,434 to Bayless, US Patent 4,985,021 to Straw, US Patent 5,057,079 to Tiemann, US Patent 5,057,086 to Dillard, US Patent 5,092,851 to Ragner, US Patent 5,201,720 to Borgia, US Patent 5,215,534 to De Harde, US Patent 5,215,535 to Gettig, US Patent 5,222,945 to Basnight, US Patent 5,290,256 to Weatherford, US Patent 5,312,372 to De Harde and US Patent 5,360,408 to Vaillancourt.

Most of these syringe designs protected are supplied to the user with the protector in position withdrawal and therefore a drive or a manual manipulation of the protector to fire the protector towards Advanced position after use. In many designs the movement of the protector towards the advanced position after use get with the collaboration of a pier. Syringe protected according to the preamble of claim 1 is disclosed in US 5,980,494.

Only a few of these known designs are the user is supplied with the protector initially in position advanced In such cases, it is necessary for the user to manipulate some form of release mechanism to allow the protector moves to the retired position in order to expose the needle for use and after use it is necessary to operate new some form of release mechanism to fire the protector towards the advanced position. Again, a lot of sayings designs incorporate a spring that impels the protector towards the advanced position

Summary of the Invention

According to one of its aspects, the invention It consists of a single-use syringe (disposable) that is supplies the user with the protector in an advanced position and which does not require any manual manipulation of mechanisms of release or the like to release the protector towards the position rear for use, nor any additional manual handling for release and lock the guard in the advanced position after use.

These ergonomic advantages are achieved through a disposable syringe as defined in the accompanying claims.

Preferred embodiment

The invention will now be described in relationship with an example, for illustrative purposes, in which:

Figures 1 to 6 constitute a series of views in sequential longitudinal section of a syringe disposable, showing the operation of said syringe disposable; and Figure 7 shows the syringe coupled with the male port of a fluid bag IV.

In relation to Figure 1 first, it illustrates a previously filled disposable syringe 10 that includes a protector 12 with an extension of the protector 14, a cylinder 16 mounted to allow alternative movement in the inside the protector 12 with the needle 18 at its front end, and a piston assembly 20 mounted to allow movement alternative inside the cylinder 16.

The protector 12 is generally in shape cylindrical and includes a protector extension usually cylindrical 14 at its front end. The protector extension 14 It can be extended at the user's discretion to control the penetration depth of the needle during use, as will describe in more detail later. Portions Conventional finger support 22 are defined towards the rear end of protector 12, adapted to support the fingers of the user in the conventional way during use. The extreme Protector's front includes a circular groove 24 that engages with and retains a blocking element 26 during use, as is will describe later.

The rear end of the protector includes a rear circular flange 28 that limits the backward travel of the cylinder inside guard 12.

Cylinder 16 is previously filled with corresponding medication and sealed at its posterior end by the piston assembly 20 and at the front end by a seal breakable 30 that can be broken by the needle holder 32 before use, as will be explained later. Needle 18 extends forward from the needle holder 32, which is located immediately forward of the breakable seal 30. Cylinder 16 supports a bifurcated locking element generally cylindrical 26 at its front end, which adapts to couple and be retained by circular groove 24 in the protector 12 as will be described in more detail more ahead.

The piston assembly 20 is of construction conventional and includes a piston 34 at its front end that is adapts to the internal diameter of the cylinder 16 to form a seal. The piston assembly 20 further defines a portion of Thumb support 36 at its rear end.

In relation to Figure 1, first, it illustrates a disposable syringe previously filled in the form in which it would be supplied to the user. Normally, the syringe previously filled disposable 10 would be individually packed and Supplied in a sterile plastic container, not illustrated. So much in the container as in the syringe itself the medication and the volume of medication present in the cylinder the syringe.

As indicated above, the medication is locked in cylinder 16 by piston 34 of the piston assembly 20 at the rear of cylinder 16 and by a breakable seal 30 at the front end of the cylinder 16.

The first step in the use of the syringe is break the breakable seal 30, an operation that will be better understood comparing Figures 1 and 2.

The protector extension 14 is mounted by a thread of thick threads at the front end of guard 12 so that the rotation of the protector extension 14 in relation with protector 12 causes the movement of the extension of the Forward or backward guard relative to guard 12.

As can be seen in relation to the Figure 1, the syringe is provided with an extension of the protector 14 in a slightly forward position, that is the extension of the protector 14 extends a little beyond the position further advanced guard 12.

A plug 38 is provided, which has a skirt external that closes by friction in the protector extension 14 as indicated. The protector extension 14 also has a small protrusion that extends outward, coupled by the skirt outside and that prevents the backward movement of the plug 38 relative to the protector extension 14. The plug 38 also encloses the needle 18 with an inner skirt extending backwards and which sits on the conical anterior end of the support of the needle 32 as indicated.

Next, in relation to Figure 2, the plug 38 and the protector extension 14 have been turned relative with protector 12, so that the protector extension 14 and the plug have moved backward in unison with respect to the protector 12 until the rear end of protector 14 has butt with a small protrusion that extends outward formed in protector 12, which prevents further movement back of the protector extension 14 in relation to the protector 12. Simultaneously, the needle holder 12 has been driven back by the inner skirt of the plug 38, breaking the breakable seal 30 and leaving the needle 18 in fluid communication with the inside of the cylinder 16. The seal breakable 30 is designed so that a portion of its circumference according to a "live hinge" or integral hinge around the which pivots the rest of the breakable seal 30. PCT / AU99 / 00422 discloses a breakable seal and live hinge itself.

It will be appreciated that the needle holder 32 is of unconventional construction since it is cylindrical and contained entirely inside the tube containing the Herringbone tip of cylinder 16. contrast, conventional needle holders include a skirt which projects backwards and surrounds the outside of the tip in spike shape of cylinder 16. For this reason the syringe disclosed in PCT / AU99 / 00422 used a cylindrical tube 21 in an intermediate position between the conventional needle holder 7 and the breakable seal 9 in order to break the breakable seal 9.

In relation to Figure 3, the plug 38 and the needle is now ready for use and the needle is already It is ready for use with the protected needle, but in fluid communication with the inside of the cylinder 16, which houses the medicine.

In relation to Figure 3A, the extension of the protector 14 has been turned in the opposite direction relative to the protector 12 so that the protector extension 14 has moved forward relative to protector 12 from its position completely withdrawn and now extends forward beyond of the most advanced extension of the protector 12. The rotation selective extension of protector 14 relative to protector 12 allows the user to control the penetration depth of the 18 needle during use. The more the extension of the extension of the protector 14 beyond protector 12, less will penetrate the needle 18 in the patient

In relation to Figure 4, the user has started tightening the assembly to bring the support portion of the thumb 36 of the piston assembly 20 and the support portions of fingers 22 of protector 12 in the conventional manner, compressing this forms the compression spring 40 that is provided between a small projection extending outward shaped in the part rear of the cylinder 16 and a small projection directed towards the interior formed at an intermediate point along the protector 12.

As shown in Figure 4, the assembly of piston 20 has not yet moved forward in relation to the cylinder 16 to squeeze the medication from the needle 18, but that the piston assembly 20 and the cylinder 16 have moved forward in unison within protector 12 and the extension of the guard 14. The piston assembly 20 and the cylinder 16 will continue to move forward in unison until the front end of cylinder 16 engage the front end of protector 12, at which time the compression spring 40 reaches its maximum compression

Now in relation to Figure 5, the cylinder 16 has moved to the fully advanced position relative to protector 12, so that the front end of the cylinder 16 is couple with the front end of the protector 12 and the needle 18 is exposed to the maximum. Subsequently, any additional approach of the thumb support portion 36 and the support portions of fingers 22 in the conventional way makes the piston assembly 20 moves forward relative to cylinder 16, squeezing in this way the medicine from inside the cylinder 16.

In relation to Figure 5, we must take note that the leading end of the blocking element 26 (which has been moved forward at the front end of cylinder 16) has coupled the circular groove 24 defined at the front end of guard 12. Locking element 26 is retained subsequently in this position by virtue of its coupling with the slot 24.

In relation to Figure 6, the effort of user-applied tightening has been discontinued and the cylinder 16 and the piston assembly 20 have moved back in in line with the effect of compression spring 20. It will be appreciated that the blocking element 26 is retained in the circular groove 24 defined at the front end of the protector 12. According to the cylinder 16 moves backward with respect to guard 12, the blocking element 26 slides or starts to exit from the advanced end of cylinder 16 until it moves away completely of said cylinder 16 in the manner illustrated in Figure 6. In this phase, the rear end of the blocking element 26, formed of an elastic plastic material with memory, it internal pressure to adopt a conical and bifurcated shape as illustrated in Figure 6. Of course, above, while the locking element 26 surrounded the cylinder 16, it adopted a bifurcated cylindrical shape. Therefore, the elastic memory of blocking element 26 causes deformation of the element of blocking from a generally cylindrical configuration to a generally conical shape, when removed from the end front of cylinder 16 by coupling with the groove 24.

Once the blocking element 26 has adopted the truncated cone shape as illustrated in Figure 6, is prevented any additional forward movement of cylinder 16 in relationship with protector 12 under physical interference with the blocking element 26 and therefore the blocking element 26 prevents subsequent deprotection of the needle 18.

In relation to Figure 7, the syringe disposable can also be used conveniently and safely with intravenous polyethylene bags as indicated. In In this sense, the advanced end of the protector 12 is sized so that it closely houses the male port of a bag of polyethylene as illustrated. Typically, said ports males are sealed by a rubber stopper as indicated. The needle can go through the rubber stopper and then the medication can be injected into the IV feeding bag of the patient by means of a conventional or similar catheter. Behind the Injection of the medication into the polyethylene bag, the needle and rubber cap is elastic enough to return to close the male port of the polyethylene bag.

The present invention provides a syringe disposable supplied to the user with the protector in position advanced or protective, but does not require any manipulation conventional or activation of release mechanisms or the like to remove the protector to the position with the exposed needle for use. In addition, no manipulation is necessary unconventional release mechanisms or similar to release the protector to the advanced position of protection after use. The user simply brings the thumb to fingers in the conventional way and this unique action and conventional exposes the needle 18, activates the blocking element 26 by coupling with slot 24 and squeezing the medication. The cessation of the tightening or approach effort causes the protector return to its advanced position or protected by the effect of the spring, blocking it in this way to prevent later use or accidental injuries due to needle sticks.

Claims (8)

1. Single-use syringe (disposable) (10) that includes: a protector (12); a cylinder (16) with a needle (18) at its advanced end, the cylinder (16) being mounted for alternative axial movement within the guard (12) between a rear position where the needle (18) is protected and a advanced position in which the needle (18) is exposed; in which the cylinder (16) advances a blocking element (26) when the cylinder (16) moves from the rear position to the previous position and in which the blocking element (26) engages the guard (12) in the position anterior, characterized in that the blocking element (26) is retained in the previous position by the protector (12), as the cylinder (16) is returned to the rear position, said blocking element (26) preventing any additional movement towards ahead of the cylinder (16). 2. Disposable syringe according to the claim 1, wherein the cylinder (16) is predisposed towards the back position. 3. Disposable syringe according to the claim 1 or 2, wherein the syringe (10) includes a piston assembly (20) mounted for alternative movement in the inside of the cylinder (16) and in which the piston assembly (29) defines a support portion for the thumb (36) and the protector (12) define at least one finger support portion (22) so that the user's thumb and finger / s can only be used by the user actuate the syringe (10) in order to first move the cylinder (16) forward with respect to the protector (12) for expose the needle (18) and then to move the assembly of the piston (20) forward with respect to the cylinder (16) for Eject the medication. 4. Disposable syringe according to the claim 1, wherein the locking element (26) surrounds initially the front end of the cylinder (16) and in which the blocking element (26) prevents further displacement towards ahead of the cylinder when removed from the front end of the cylinder (16). 5. Disposable syringe according to the claim 4, wherein the blocking element (26) is a cylinder bifurcated that adopts a truncated conical shape when extracted from the front end of the cylinder (16). 6. Disposable syringe according to the claim 1, wherein the locking element (26) engages and is retained by a groove (24) made in the protector (12). 7. Disposable syringe according to the claim 1, wherein the protector (12) includes an extension of the protector (14) to control the depth of penetration of a needle. 8. Disposable syringe according to the claim 1, wherein the front end of the protector (12) is adapts to accommodate the male port of an IV bag or similar.