This application claims the benefit of PCT/JP2006/301290 filed 27 Jan. 2006 and foreign priority towards Japanese Patent Application 2005-026270 filed 2 Feb. 2005.
The present invention relates to syringes, and more specifically to a multi-chamber syringe which includes a plug that partitions a barrel into two chambers each capable of storing a fluid.
Conventionally, as a prefilled syringe which is already filled with a medical substance, there is known a two-chamber syringe (so called dual syringe), as disclosed in Patent Document 1 for example, including a barrel which has two chambers each filled with a medical substance.
Patent Document 1: JP-A 6-7446
However, in the dual syringe 1, the barrel 2 formed with the recess 2b is essential. The barrel 2 as described may be made of synthetic resin, and if formed by injection molding for example, a special metal mold must be prepared. This poses a problem of high cost, which leads to a high cost of the dual syringe 1. Further, the barrel 2 formed with the recess 2b has another problem of low product yield and low productivity due to burr formation when molding the recess 2b with synthetic resin, or due to shape inconsistency, etc. of the recess 2b if it is made of glass.
Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a multi-chamber syringe which can be manufactured at a low-cost and high-productivity.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-chamber syringe which includes: a barrel having an open end and a choked end, the choked end having an injection hole; a push member disposed to fit an inner side surface of the barrel and slidably on the inner side surface; and an elastic plug disposed more closely to the choked end than the push member, to fit the inner side surface and slidably on the inner side surface. The plug partitions an inside space of the barrel into two chambers each capable of storing a fluid. The syringe further includes: a first projection with an eccentric top, provided on the plug's main surface on a choked end side; and a flow path made between the inner side surface and the plug. Application of a pressure from an open end side to the plug, with the first projection contacting with the choked end, makes a first gap opening on the open end side and communicating with the flow path, and a second gap opening on the choked end side and communicating with the flow path, between the inner side surface and the plug.
According to the present invention, when the plug receives pressure from the open end side while the first projection contacts the choked end, the pressure from the open end side acts in the direction to turn the plug, causing the flexible plug to deform thereby making a first gap and the second gap, between the inner side surface of the barrel and the plug. Thus, the fluid stored in a space between the push member and the plug flows through the first gap, the flow path and the second gap in this order, and is injected from the injection hole. Therefore, the present invention makes possible to obtain multi-chamber syringes at a low cost and high productivity, using a simple barrel which is not formed with a recess for example.
Preferably, the first projection has a slanted surface slanted with respect to the plug's main surface on the choked end side, and does not to make contact with the inner side surface, and the slanted surface is formed with a groove for connecting the second gap with the injection hole. In this case, when the pressure from the open end side acts in the direction to turn the plug, the deformed plug tilts in the barrel, bringing the slanted surface of the first projection into contact with the choked end. The fluid from the second gap then flows through the groove formed in the slanted surface of the first projection, and is injected from the injection hole. As described, by tilting the plug within the barrel, the first gap and the second gap can be opened widely, enabling to inject the fluid which is stored in the space between the push member and the plug efficiently from the injection hole. Further, mutual contact between the choked end and the slanted surface of the first projection enables to hold the tilted plug stably in the barrel.
Further preferably, the syringe further includes a second projection provided on the plug's another main surface on the open end side. The second projection is eccentric in an opposite direction as to the first projection, on a plane parallel to the plug's main surface, and does not make contact with the inner side surface. In this case, the pressure from the open end side is received by the second projection, which helps the pressure from the open end side act in the direction to turn the plug, enabling to tilt the plug easily in the barrel.
The above-described object, other objects, characteristics, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following detailed description of embodiments to be made with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The description will cover cases where the present invention is applied to a 2-chamber syringe (dual syringe).
Referring to
The barrel 12 has an open end 18 and a choked end 20. At a substantial center of the choked end 20, there is formed an injection portion 20a to extend axially (in the direction indicated by Arrow A) of the barrel 12. The injection portion 20a is provided with an injection hole 20b. Further, the open end 18 of the barrel 12 is provided with a flange 22. The barrel 12 as described can be obtained easily from injection molding process of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene, cyclic olefin, cyclic polyolefin and polymethylpentene, using a common mold.
The push member 14, which is an elastic member made of a flexible material such as butyl rubber, has a generally columnar main body 24 and flanges 26a-26c which are provided circumferentially on a side surface of the main body 24. The flanges 26a-26c have an outer diameter which is greater than the inner diameter of the barrel 12 within a range to allow the push member 14 to slide on an inner side surface 12a. Therefore, the push member 14 has a tight contact with the inner side surface 12a at its flanges 26a-26c. The push member 14 has a main surface on a side of the open end 18. A pushing rod 28 is attached to the main surface, extending out of the barrel 12.
The plug 16 is disposed between the push member 14 and the choked end 20, partitioning the space in the barrel 12. Thus, the barrel 12 has a chamber between the plug 16 and the choked end 20, and another chamber between the push member 14 and the plug 16.
Referring also to
The main body 30 is generally columnar, and has an outer diameter which is smaller than the inner diameter of the barrel 12. The flanges 32a, 32b have an outer diameter which is greater than the inner diameter of the barrel 12 within a range to allow the plug 16 to slide on the inner side surface 12a. Therefore, the plug 16 has a tight contact with the inner side surface 12a at its flanges 32a, 32b. A flow path 36 is provided between the flanges 32a, 32b and between the main body 30 of the plug 16 and the inner side surface 12a.
The projection 34 is formed on the main surface 16a, substantially as a quadrangular prism, off the center of the substantially circular main surface 16a, more closely to the inner side surface 12a of the barrel 12. In other words, the projection 34 is provided on the main surface 16a so that its top 34a is eccentric to the main surface 16a.
In the syringe 10 as described, the space in the barrel 12 between the plug 16 and the choked end 20 is prefilled with a liquid medical substance L1, whereas the space in the barrel 12 between the push member 14 and the plug 16 is prefilled with another kind of liquid medical substance L2. The syringe 10, which is a prefilled syringe, is used as an injector for example, when an injection needle is attached to the injection portion 20a. As shown in
Next, reference will be made to
First, the seal member 37 is removed. When the pushing rod 28 is pushed in the direction indicated by Arrow A, the push member 14 slides on the inner side surface 12a in the direction of Arrow A, whereby pressure is applied from the side on the open end 18 to the plug 16 via the medical substance L2. Accordingly, as shown in
Then, as shown in
Subsequently, as shown in
Then, as shown in
According to the syringe 10 as the above, the medical substance L2 stored in the space between the push member 14 and the plug 16 passes the first gap 38, the flow path 36 and the second gap 40 in this order, and then is injected from the injection hole 20b. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the syringe 10, using a simple barrel 12 which has a generally consistent inner diameter, at a low cost and high productivity.
Further, the plug 16 fits the inner side surface 12a of the barrel 12, at the flanges 32a, 32b which are larger than the inner diameter of the barrel. This prevents such a problem that the plug 16 will be tilted within the barrel 12 by the pressure from the side on the open end 18 before the projection 34 makes contact with the choked end 20. In other words, this prevents the medical substance L1 and the medical substance L2 from mixing with each other in the barrel 12.
Next, description will be made for a syringe 10a which is another embodiment of the present invention.
In the syringe 10a shown in
Referring to
The flanges 104a, 104b have an outer diameter which is greater than the inner diameter of the barrel 12 within a range to allow the plug 100 to slide on the inner side surface 12a. Therefore, the plug 100 has a tight contact with the inner side surface 12a at its flanges 104a, 104b. A flow path 110 is provided between the flanges 104a, 104b and between the main body 102 of the plug 100 and the inner side surface 12a.
As shown in
The projection 108 has a top 108a, and slanted surfaces 108b, 108c sandwiching the top 108a. As understood from
Next, reference will be made to
First, when the pushing rod 28 is pushed in the direction indicated by Arrow A, the push member 14 slides on the inner side surface 12a in the direction of Arrow A, whereby pressure from the side on the open end 18 is applied to the plug 100 via the medical substance L2. Accordingly, as shown in
Then, as shown in
Subsequently, as shown in
According to the syringe 10a as described, it is possible to open the first gap 112 and the second gap 114 widely by tilting the plug 100 in the barrel 12, and to inject the medical substance L2 in the space between the push member 14 and the plug 100 efficiently from the injection hole 20b.
Further, it is possible to retain the tilted plug 100 stably in the barrel 12, by the contact of the slanted surface 106b of the projection 106 with the choked end 20 as well as by the contact of the slanted surface 106c of the projection 106 and the slanted surface 108c of the projection 108 with the inner side surface 12a.
Further, the pressure from the side on the open end 18 is received mainly by the slanted surface 108b of the projection 108. Thus, the pressure from the side on the open end 18 acts easily in the direction of Arrow B [See
It should be noted that the slanted surface 108b of the projection 108 may also be formed with a groove which is like the groove 106d. This permits the plug 100 to be disposed in the opposite direction in the barrel 12, with the projection 108 facing the choked end 20, eliminating such a mistake that the plug 100 is placed in the wrong direction when disposing the plug 100 in the barrel 12.
Further, the shape of the first projection is not limited to the shape of the projection 106.
Now, reference will be made to
The projection 202 has a top 202a which is parallel to the main surface 100a, and slanted surfaces 202b, 202c sandwiching the top 202a. The top 202a is provided the same way as is the top 106a of the projection 106, and so is the slanted surface 202c as the slanted surface 106c of the projection 106. As shown in
When using the plug 200 as the above, the slanted surface 202b makes contact with the choked end 20 when the plug 200, which is contacting with the choked end 20 (See
It should be noted that the area of the slanted surface 202b of the projection 202, and accordingly the volume of the space made by the main surface 100a of the plug 200, the projection 202 of the plug 200 and the choked end 20 are discretional.
Besides the shapes of the projections 106, 202, the shape of the first projection is discretional as long as it is easy to form and does not trap bubbles easily at the first projection if a gaseous substance is stored in the space on the push member side. Specifically, the first projection may be generally conical, generally truncated conical, generally prismoidal, generally truncated prismoidal, generally columnar, generally spherical or others. The same applies to the second projection.
Further, the shape of the first projection may be related to the outer dimension of the plug, the material from which the plug is made, the medical substance to be filled in the space between the plug and the choked end, etc. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to identify the plug's outer dimension, the material from which the plug is made, the medical substance filled in the space between the plug and the choked end, etc., by a visual observation on the shape of the first projection. Likewise, the second projection may be related to the medical substance filled in the space between the push member and the plug, etc.
It should be noted here that the above-described embodiments covers a case where the barrel 12 is made of synthetic resin. However, the material for the barrel is not limited to this: For example, the barrel may be made of glass.
Further, the above-described embodiments covers a case where the syringe 10 (10a) is a two-chamber type which uses one plug 16 (100). However, two or more plugs 16 (100) may be used to provide three or more chambers in the barrel 12.
Further, the medical substance L1 and the medical substance L2 are injected sequentially by the pressure from the side on the open end 18 generated by the sliding movement of the push member 14. Therefore, whichever of the medical substance L1 and the medical substance L2 stored in the syringe according to the present invention may have a higher viscosity than the other.
Still further, the fluids to be stored in the syringe according to the present invention are not limited to liquid, but may be gas. For example, air may be filled in the space between the push member 14 and the plug 16 (100) instead of the medical substance L2. This allows to push out the medical substance L1 remaining in the needle, the connecting tube, etc. connected to the injection portion 20a by the air, when the amount of medical substance L1 is small or the medical substance L1 is expensive.
The present invention being thus far described and illustrated in detail, it is obvious that these description and drawings only represent examples of the present invention, and should not be interpreted as limiting the invention. The spirit and scope of the present invention is only limited by words used in the accompanied claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2005-026270 | Feb 2005 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2006/301290 | 1/27/2006 | WO | 00 | 5/1/2007 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2006/082755 | 8/10/2006 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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