Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6752180
-
Patent Number
6,752,180
-
Date Filed
Friday, September 6, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 22, 200420 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 414 97
- 414 311 R
- 414 319
- 414 329
- 414 330
- 414 346
- 414 369
- 414 383
- 414 384
- 604 192
- 604 201
- 604 403
- 604 411
- 604 412
- 604 413
- 604 416
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A device for bidirectional transfer between a vial and a carpule. The device having a body fastened to the vial, a hollow needle, a moving element which is displaceable with respect to the body along the axis of the needle, a carpule reservoir constrained to moved axially in the direction of the axis of the needle, and a distance sleeve interposed between the body and the puncturable piston of the carpule. The distance sleeve forms a limit stop for the puncturable piston with respect to the body. The hollow needle is rigidly joined to the body and is axially fixed with respect to the body.
Description
The present invention relates to a device for the bidirectional transfer of a liquid between a vial equipped with a puncturable stopper and a carpule comprising a cylindrical reservoir in which a puncturable piston slides, said device comprising:
a body having means for fastening on the vial;
a hollow needle presenting a first extremity for puncturing the piston of the carpule and a second extremity adapted for puncturing the stopper of the vial;
a moving element which is displaceable with respect to the body along the axis of the needle, said moving element having means for constraining the reservoir of the carpule to move axially in the direction of the axis of the needle; and
a distance sleeve interposed between the body and the puncturable piston of the carpule, said distance sleeve forming a limit stop for the puncturable piston with respect to the body.
Such a bidirectional transfer device is notably described in French Patent Application No. 2,790,948.
In that document the needle providing the means for the carpule and the vial to communicate is carried by a puncturable shuttle which is initially free to slide axially with respect to the body.
The operating sequence of said device is relatively complex.
It is the object of the invention to propose a transfer device with a simplified operating sequence.
To this end, the object of the invention is a bidirectional transfer device of the foregoing type, characterised in that the hollow needle is rigidly joined to the body and is axially fixed with respect to the body.
Under specific embodiments of the invention, the transfer device has one or more of the following features:
said distance sleeve is displaceable with respect to the body between an initial position in which it holds the puncturable piston away from the first extremity of the needle and a final position in which the needle is engaged through the puncturable piston,
the moving element and the body have means for limiting the displacement of the moving element with respect to the body in the direction in which the puncturable piston is withdrawn from the cylindrical reservoir,
the moving element and the body have means for translatory guidance and for rotational immobilisation in relation to one another.
The invention will be more readily understood from reading the following description, which is given solely by way of example and refers to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of the transfer device according to the invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective view of the transfer device seen in
FIG. 1
, connected to a vial and to a carpule;
FIG. 3
is a longitudinal sectional view of the transfer device, depicted without the vial and carpule; and
FIGS. 4
,
5
,
6
and
7
are longitudinal sectional views of the transfer device connected to a vial and to a carpule, depicted at successive stages of use.
The transfer device
10
depicted in
FIG. 1
is of a generally cylindrical form with an axis X—X. It is adapted to provide bidirectional transfer of a fluid between a carpule
12
, visible in
FIGS. 2 and 4
, and a vial
14
, visible in the same figures.
The device
10
essentially includes a body
16
featuring, at a bottom end, means
18
for fastening on the vial, a moving element
20
for supporting the body of the carpule, said element being adapted to slide with respect to the body
16
, and a distance sleeve
22
which forms a plunger adapted to rest on the piston of the carpule
12
.
The device further has a hollow needle
24
rigidly joined to the body
16
. In
FIG. 2
said needle
24
is shown spaced apart from the body
16
in order to be visible.
As known per se and as illustrated in
FIG. 4
, the carpule
12
is designed to give an injection after having been withdrawn from the transfer device and fitted with an injection needle and with an operating plunger. It has a cylindrical reservoir
25
presenting, at the front, a constricted neck which is obturated by a puncturable inner capsule
26
. The inner capsule
26
is adapted to be punctured by an injection needle mounted on the carpule in readiness for giving an injection. The carpule further has a puncturable piston
27
which slides axially inside the reservoir
25
. Initially the carpule contains a solvent.
The vial
14
has a glass body incorporating a mouth obturated by a puncturable inner capsule
28
. The mouth exhibits a peripheral rim which defines a collar
29
. The vial
14
initially contains a freeze-dried substance which must be dissolved in the solvent that is contained in the carpule.
As the Figures illustrate, the body
16
is of a generally tubular shape. At its bottom end it features a cap
30
which delimits a housing
31
for receiving the vial
14
. The housing
31
is defined by a cylindrical wall
32
obturated by a bowl
34
for receiving the mouth of the vial
14
. The bowl
34
is delimited laterally by a cylindrical wall
36
of smaller diameter than the cylindrical wall
32
. It is obturated by a transverse wall
37
which forms the base. The bowl is joined to the cylindrical wall
32
by a tapered section
38
.
Incorporated on the internal surface of the cylindrical wall
32
are projections
40
which make it possible for the vial to be retained axially by flexible interlocking of the projections at the back of the mouth of the vial.
The transfer needle
24
passes axially through the base
37
of the bowl. This needle is retained by a flange
42
which juts out from the housing
30
. The flange
42
ensures that the body
16
and the needle
24
are constrained to move together axially.
The needle
24
presents a first end
24
A which projects inside the housing
30
. This end is adapted to puncture the inner capsule
26
obturating the vial
14
.
The needle
24
extends on the other side of the base
37
over most of the length of the body
16
. On this side of the base
37
it presents an end
24
B for puncturing the carpule piston.
Furthermore, the body
16
features a tubular shaft
50
which extends the cylindrical wall
32
of the cap. The tubular shaft
50
surrounds the lateral wall
36
. An annular space
52
is defined between the cylindrical wall
36
and the bottom end of the tubular shaft
50
.
The tubular shaft
50
features longitudinal slits and windows which ensure the flexible interlocking of projections incorporated on the moving element
20
retaining the carpule and on the distance sleeve
22
.
At a bottom end, the distance sleeve
22
features a bell-shaped seat
60
adapted to engage around the bowl
34
. At its other free end it features a profile
62
for fastening to and resting on the piston of the carpule.
To be more specific, the distance sleeve
22
presents a cylindrical wall
64
which axially surrounds the needle
24
. The external diameter of the cylindrical wall
64
is smaller than the internal diameter of the reservoir of the carpule, so as to enable the distance sleeve to penetrate the carpule.
The seat
60
has come from material on the end of the cylindrical wall
64
. Said seat features a peripheral skirt
66
adapted to be received in the annular space
52
. Said skirt is joined to the cylindrical wall
64
by a collar
68
.
At its free end, the outside of the skirt
66
features two diametrically opposed snap-fit projections
70
. As illustrated in
FIG. 3
, these projections are adapted to be received in two windows
72
incorporated in the tubular shaft
50
of the body. These windows
72
are set spaced apart from the cap
30
.
Two identical windows
74
are set close to the cap
29
and are adapted to receive the snap-fit projections
70
following displacement of the distance sleeve
22
along the needle
24
towards the vial
14
.
At the other end of the cylindrical wall
64
, the profile
62
for fastening and supporting the puncturable piston of the carpule incorporates a threaded connector
75
which extends axially within the continuation of the cylindrical wall
64
. This threaded connector has a small external diameter and is externally threaded in a manner adapted to cooperate with a thread incorporated in a threaded recess in the puncturable carpule piston
27
.
A shoulder
76
is incorporated on the end of the cylindrical wall
64
in order to provide the link between said wall
64
and the connector
75
. The shoulder furthermore enables the piston of the carpule to be supported.
The connector
75
is extended inside the cylindrical body by a flange
77
. The connector
75
and the flange
77
internally delimit a passage
78
for guiding the needle
24
and, more particularly, the end section thereof terminating in the perforation end
24
B. The dimensions of the needle
24
and of the various constituents of the distance sleeve
22
are such that when the distance sleeve
22
is in its initial position, with the snap-fit projections
70
received in the windows
72
(FIGS.
3
and
4
), the perforation end
24
B of the needle is disposed inside the passage
78
.
The moving element
20
for supporting and displacing the reservoir of the carpule includes a carpule support
80
and a cover
82
screwed onto the carpule support. Between them they delimit a housing
84
for axially immobilising the reservoir
25
of the carpule.
The carpule support
80
features a tubular section
86
whose internal diameter corresponds to the external diameter of the reservoir
25
. On its external surface said tubular section features a thread adapted to cooperate with a complementary thread on the end of the cover
82
. The latter has a cylindrical side wall
88
in which the tubular section
86
supporting the carpule is partially received. This side wall
88
is obturated by a transverse wall
90
which forms a surface for resting the hand.
At its opposite extremity to the cover
82
, the cylindrical section features a collar
91
which forms a shoulder for supporting the rear extremity of the reservoir. The collar
91
is extended by a peripheral lip
92
which runs round the cylindrical wall
64
of the distance sleeve so as to provide axial guidance for the moving element
20
with respect to the distance sleeve
22
.
Moreover, the support
80
features an outer skirt
94
which runs round the tubular section
86
between the thread allowing the cover
82
to be attached and the end of the section
86
that is equipped with the lip
92
. On the outside, said skirt
94
features a first pair of diametrically opposed snap-fit projections
98
which are adapted to be initially received in two windows
100
set close to the top end of the tubular section of the body. Furthermore, another pair of diametrically opposed projections
104
is externally incorporated, on the free end of the skirt
94
. These projections are received in diametrically opposed longitudinal slots
106
which extend for most of the length of the tubular shaft
50
of the body.
The way in which the transfer device works will now be outlined with reference to
FIGS. 3
to
7
.
Initially the device is in the storage state represented in FIG.
3
. In this state there is neither a vial nor a carpule positioned in the device.
The carpule
12
is first of all positioned in the moving element
20
, as illustrated in FIG.
4
. To this end, the cover
82
is unscrewed from the carpule support
80
. The carpule is then introduced with its rear extremity engaged in the space delimited by the cylindrical section
86
. The puncturable piston
27
is screwed onto the connector
75
of the distance sleeve. In this position, the rear extremity of the carpule rests against the collar
91
of the carpule support
80
. The stopper
82
is now screwed back onto the carpule support
80
. This screwing action is continued until the transverse wall
90
of the cover is resting on the front end of the carpule, with the result that the reservoir
25
of the carpule is constrained to move axially with respect to the moving element
20
.
Next the vial
14
is engaged in the housing
30
, as illustrated in FIG.
4
. The vial
14
is retained in the housing
30
by the flexible interlocking projections
40
applied against the shoulder
29
.
At the same time as the mouth is being positioned in the cover
20
, the puncturable inner capsule
28
is punctured by the transfer needle
24
, from the extremity
24
A thereof.
In this position a pressure is now applied to the cover
90
which tries to draw the latter closer to the body
50
. Under the action of this pressure, the projections
70
which initially immobilise the distance sleeve
22
in its initial position become disengaged from the windows
72
, thus enabling the distance sleeve
22
and the puncturable piston constrained to move therewith to be displaced in the direction of the vial
14
along the needle
24
. This displacement continues until the snap-fit projections
70
have been received in the windows
74
.
Simultaneously, the moving element
20
is made to move along the body. Specifically, the snap-fit projections
98
become disengaged from the windows
100
, thereby permitting the moving element
20
to slide inside the tubular shaft
50
of the body.
At the moment of said displacement, the carpule piston
27
is punctured by the end
24
B of the needle, such that at the end of the displacement of the distance sleeve
22
, and as illustrated in
FIG. 5
, the vial
14
and the carpule
12
are communicating through the needle
24
.
As the displacement progresses, the punctured piston of the carpule is kept resting on the distance sleeve
22
and is thus immobilised with respect to the body. Since the body of the carpule is displaced by sliding the moving element
20
along, a relative displacement takes place between the piston and the carpule body, with the piston being progressively driven into the body. The liquid contained in the carpule is then ejected through the needle
24
and into the vial
14
.
The projections
104
received in the longitudinal slots
106
provide translatory guidance and rotational immobilisation of the moving element with respect to the body. During the sliding action the snap-fit projections
98
are likewise received in the slots
106
.
Displacement is continued until the piston
27
reaches the front end of the carpule, as illustrated in FIG.
6
.
In this position the device is shaken gently in order to ensure that the freeze-dried substance dissolves in the solvent initially contained in the carpule.
In order to bring about re-transfer of the mixture contained in the vial
14
, the device is completely turned around. Accordingly, the vial
14
is situated above the carpule. In particular, the end
24
A of the needle is situated in the lower part of the vial, enabling most of the mixture contained therein to be drawn off by aspiration. Aspiration is ensured by the moving element
20
which is drawn away from the vial
14
. To this end, the body
16
is held in one hand whilst pulling the cover
90
in the direction of the needle. At the time of this displacement the piston
27
through which the needle
24
runs is kept immobilised with respect to the body by virtue of the interlocking of the snap-fit projections
70
in the windows
74
. Conversely, the moving element
20
with which the cylindrical reservoir
25
is constrained to move travels inside the body towards the needle
24
, with the result that the piston moves with respect to the cylindrical reservoir, thereby creating a depression in the carpule which causes the recall of the mixture contained in the vial
14
.
The displacement of the moving element
20
is interrupted when the snap-fit projections
98
reach the top end of the longitudinal slots
106
. The presence of the projections
98
and of the limit stops formed by the ends of the slots
106
makes it possible to prevent the moving element
20
from travelling too far from the body, thereby avoiding any risk of the piston
27
being accidentally pulled out of the reservoir
25
.
The cover
82
is then disassembled and the carpule is withdrawn from the moving element. This carpule is now used to give an injection, after fitting it with an injection needle and a push-rod screwed into the puncturable piston.
Claims
- 1. Device for the bidirectional transfer of a liquid between a vial (14) equipped with a puncturable stopper (28) and a carpule (12) comprising a cylindrical reservoir (25) in which slides a puncturable piston (27), said device comprising:a body (16) having means (18) for fastening on the vial (14); a hollow needle (24) featuring a first extremity (24B) for puncturing the piston (27) of the carpule and a second extremity (24A) adapted for puncturing the stopper (28) of the vial; a moving element (20) which is displaceable with respect to the body (16) along the axis of the needle (24), said moving element (20) having means for constraining the reservoir (25) of the carpule to move axially along the axis of the needle (24); and a distance sleeve (22) interposed between the body (16) and the puncturable piston (27) of the carpule, said distance sleeve (22) forming a limit stop for the puncturable piston (27) with respect to the body (16), characterized in that the hollow needle (24) is rigidly joined to the body (16) and is axially fixed with respect to the body (16).
- 2. Transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that said distance sleeve (22) is displaceable with respect to the body (16) between an initial position in which it holds the puncturable piston (27) spaced apart from the first extremity (24B) of the needle and a final position in which the needle (24) is engaged through the puncturable piston (27).
- 3. Transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that the moving element (20) and the body (16) have means (98, 106) for limiting the displacement of the moving element (20) with respect to the body (16) in the direction in which the puncturable piston (27) is withdrawn from the cylindrical reservoir (25).
- 4. Transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that the moving element (20) and the body (16) have means (104, 106) for translatory guidance and rotational immobilization in relation to one another.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
01 12007 |
Sep 2001 |
FR |
|
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
676548 |
Feb 1991 |
CH |
2284339 |
Apr 1976 |
FR |
2790948 |
Mar 1999 |
FR |