Specification:
This is to introduce various Syringes, Vials and or their combinations to provide numerous advantages, including safe and easy Administration (Injection) without the need for any health professional or anyone.
Pre-Fillable Sealed Syringe—A Syringe, one version shown in FIG. 1, which is Pre-Filled (FIG. 1-1), by manufacturer, supplier, user or patient, from a bulk container, with one or more doses of a medicine, which medicine fills also the syringe's Needle.
Said needle is protected by an Optional Cover (FIG. 1-2), along some to all of said needle's length or more. The needle's Tip (Bevel) is sealed by a Cap (FIG. 1-3), preventing contact with and entry of external air into the needle and leakage of the medicine out. One option for the cap and or the said cover is a Rubber segment, into which said tip is inserted to provide said sealing. Said cap and cover can be one integral component, but even though a good material for the cap is rubber or rubber likes such as silicones, the length of the needle better be protected by a rigid or semi rigid material such as plastic. So a plastic Tubelike Cover with one end open for needle entry and the other end a rubber acting as said Cap is a good structure. Said cover, better have Latching means (FIG. 1-4) to removably attach its open end to the rest of the syringe to prevent unintended separation form the syringe.
During Filling the syringe with medicine, the syringe Plunger is positioned in full contact with medicine such that insignificant or No Air is left in the syringe and needle. The syringe barrel has Volume Markings (FIG. 1-5) to show how much medicine is inside, so that for example one filling can be divided into more than one doses.
The Plunger can have Fixing means to prevent unintended plunge or move. One method is to use a removable adhesive tape/patch (FIG. 1-6), known to the skilled, which may also show if any tampering has occurred.
Said Assembly better be held inside a suitably designed package for transport, storage and handling.
This version suits a user who can inject herself, or has access to someone who can. But saves a vial, medicine and time waste for filling, de-airing and dosage accuracy. Simply remove the cover, cap and any fixing to inject, stop when enough for one dose is injected, replace the cover, cap and any fixing until the next injection. An unqualified intern can do hundreds of fillings and store them for a nurse.
Above introduces at least a Needle Cap, Sealed Syringe and a Method of easing and speeding injections.
Pre-Fillable Syringe Vial—A Syringe with Vial Functionalities as in FIG. 2 which is self explanatory.
The Needle (FIG. 2-7) has a Base (FIG. 2-5) placed inside a Well dug into the Barrel's (FIG. 2-8) Lid (FIG. 2-17). If the needle should not unintentionally dislodge out of the well, said base can be Screw like, held in place by friction against well's walls, glued in place, or use other means known to the skilled. Said base can have any of various cross sections, but circular may allow some unintended rotation of the needle. The base should be long enough and the well deep enough, tightly holding the base to ensure the needle's Tip does not move laterally, and remains pointed towards the barrel's Liquid Outlet (Needle Exit Hole FIG. 2-12). The Lid is made of solid or semi solid material, at least around said well to ensure needle's stability. But may have Rubber or Rubbery material touching the inner wall of the barrel to seal the liquid inside the barrel.
The Needle has a Waist section (FIG. 2-6) with Conduit(s)/Hole(s) for the Liquid to enter the needles hollow Core for exit from needle's tip. Said waist may have a larger diameter than the rest of the Tube segment of the needle (Shaft), to enable higher liquid flow, and because holes around the needle's tube without the wider waist may lead to easy bending of the needle's tube. If the needle's base is of screw version, the waist's cross section can be non circular to be used for screwing the base in and out of the well.
The needle's base, waist and tube can be separate components but to avoid costs and complexities, an integral construction is often preferred.
The needle's Tip (FIG. 2-13) is inserted into, but not extruded out of, a rubber or rubber like Cap (FIG. 2-11), (also called a Seal), which cap is adhered to the inner Bottom of the Barrel, firm enough to prevent medicine leakage. The cap better extend and press firmly against the barrel's inner walls, rather than bottom, potentially saving adherent or glue for said leakage prevention. The cap better have a preferably smooth, solid and or slippery needle tip Guiding Funnel (FIG. 2-10), the narrow end of which Funnel encircles the inserted needle closely to limit needle wobble or tilt.
Needles with different Lengths and or Diameters can be used and interchanged.
The bottom of the barrel has a Needle Exit Hole to enable needle's tip to exit the barrel. Said hole is sealed by the Rubbery segment of the cap, which rubber allows the needle tip out of the barrel and closes in when the needle is removed. Said bottom can be detached from the barrel and attached to the cap of the type that extends to the barrel's inner walls, forming a removable cap that acts as the barrel's bottom too, in which case the cap better have a solid or semi solid external layer, replacing said barrel bottom layer, to resist bulging out when the medicine is under plunger pressure.
The Contour of inner surface of the barrel's bottom with said cap in place better match the contour of the inner surface of the lid, such that when said inner surfaces are in full contact, the least amount of medicine is trapped without exiting the barrel, to minimize waste.
The Plunger's Handle (FIG. 2-1) can be conventionally attached to the top (external surface) of barrel's lid, which lid also acts as a conventional plunger's seal inside the barrel. But said handle is not essential, as a finger or any rod like apparatus can be used to push said lid down (plunge). Said handle, if attached to the lid, may cause unintended pressing of the lid. One preferred version is that said handle is detached from but placed over the exterior top of the lid to press the lit into the barrel. Preferably, the handle should latch onto the lid (FIG. 2-3), using any of many known means, such as screwed in, to enable pulling the lid up after plunged in, even out for one method of refilling. Another way of enabling lid pull up and or out is to attach a Finger Ring hinged to or a String attached to the top of the lid. One handle can be used for many different syringes, each many times, thus no need to accompany a handle to each barrel.
Refilling can be done by removing the lid or the barrel bottom if removable. Another way is via Filling Hole(s) (FIGS. 2-2 & 18) through the barrel bottom and or lid, which holes are sealed by a Rubber or Rubber like Layer within same bottom or lid, such that a supply syringe is inserted via one of said filling holes, through said rubbery layer, to replenish the medicine, then pulled out, as the rubbery layer closes the syringe's piercing.
For De-airing, the Contour of the lid inside the barrel can have at least one Concave Dip close to one of the filling holes. A conventional syringe needle tip is inserted via said nearby hole barely exiting the rubber layer, into said dip, letting excess air (FIGS. 2-16) out, due to filling pressure. Said dip can also be carved onto the inner surface of the bottom cap connecting to a corresponding filling hole.
The barrel need not have a circular cross section. In fact a rectangular one has more capacity than a circular one of same diameter and easier to hold.
Barrels bottom better be flat, to rest on the skin, with less risk of skidding when the plunger is pressed, keeping the needle perpendicular to the skin. But an outwardly Convex barrel bottom eases resting the barrel non perpendicular to the skin, if non-perpendicular needle entry into user's body is desired. Convex barrel bottom can be smooth, for a continuum of barrel to skin angles, may have multiple planar surfaces, each plane easing a certain angle or have both types of convex surface bands which bands cross each other, enabling both continuous and discrete angles of barrel to skin.
The barrel can have no, small or large flange(s) (FIG. 2-4). A small flange can be supplemented by an external flange, being a ring with flange(s) tightly surrounding the barrel, which barrel is run through said ring, until the flanged ring meets the barrel's small flange(s).
The syringe barrel has Volume Markings (FIG. 2-9) to show how much medicine is inside, so that for example one filling can be divided into more than one doses.
Above enables a single injection of a dosage depending on needle length and barrels cross section area. So for a large dose and short needle, a larger cross section is needed and vice versa.
For a second dose capability, a longer needle can be used, part of which exits the barrel after the first injection, then a Barrel Extender as in FIG. 3 with rigid walls (FIG. 3-3) and almost the same cross section as the barrel, with an opening to tightly encircle the lower rim and or walls of the barrel, a cap at the opposite end inside the barrel extender, replicating the cap inside the barrel, to receive needle's tip can be inserted. Second injection is performed by placing the barrel extender's bottom over the skin and plunger pressed. Ditto for next injection(s).
Injecting—Is done by placing the bottom of the barrel over the skin and pressing down the plunger by one hand, preferably holding the barrel by the other, which is possible on most injection sites. For upper arm, either one hand injection is performed or another person may hold the barrel. No expertise required.
When Self Injection is not easy for a person, any non expert can do the injecting.
Pre-Filled Syringe Vials can be distributed by a local pharmacy or shop, administered there upon purchase, even from over the garment, by the user, shop assistant or by-passer.
Syringe Extension Barrel
This Invention introduces Aiding Accessory(s) and or Assemblies for easier or Self Injection of both Pre-Filled and site filled Syringes, especially if it is desired that the needle is inserted to at least some depth before injection I dispensing of medicine, one shown in FIG. 4.
A Syringe Barrel Extension's Inner Walls (FIG. 4-5) tightly surround the outer walls of the barrel. The bottom of the Extension is placed over the skin, the barrel is pressed down, preferably by its flange(s) (FIG. 4-2), and only when in its desired depth, the plunger is pressed to release the medicine.
Especially for the Pre-Filled Syringe, the needle's Tip is inserted into a Rubber or Rubbery Sealing Cap, (FIG. 4-7) which can be made removable or pierced by the needle before injection.
Any of many known Means of holding/preventing the barrel from unintended moving into the Extension can be added, one is a Hold Plug (FIG. 4-13) inserted in a Hole on the Extension side, to be removed before injecting.
Any of known Means of stopping the barrel's movement into the Extension can be added, one shown as Stop Plug (FIG. 4-6), inserted into one hole, one of many disconnected holes, one of many connected holes (shown), a continuous opening for fixing the Stop Plug anywhere along its length, and or a combination of said versions. Said Stop Plug holes or opening need Not be along a vertical or straight line. If desired, longer Stop Plug Entry lines can be produced curved, waved, snake, zig zag and or other. Stop Plug can be used also as Hold Plug, then repositioned as Stop Plug.
Hold plug and stop plug can be attached via a Tail (FIG. 4-12) , especially to the multi use Barrel Extension.
The Barrel Extension need Not have a Conical Bottom, but can have Convex (Dome), Multi Planar Convex, combination Convex Smooth Band and Multi Planar Band, crossing each other. One good version is a Flat Bottom, to better rest on the skin, especially for needle perpendicular injection into the skin.
Any of many known Barrel Extension Fixing Means to prevent the barrel from unintended exit from the Extension can be used, such as a Sticking Tape/Patch, known to the skilled, ash shown (FIG. 4-14), which can have tamper exposing or alert means too.
A Syringe Stabilizer can be added, as shown (FIG. 4-10). A rigid or preferably semi rigid pad with non-slippery underlayer material , such as rubber, silicone, or other, that rests on the skin (FIG. 4-9), preventing skidding of the Assembly's needle exit over the skin.
Said stabilizer is connect to the needle exit via a Needle Guide (FIG. 4-8), being a Hollow Hinge, a simple version of which is a rubber or rubber like tube, preferably not too soft, not to collapse, but flexible to enable the Extension Barrel and the rest of the assembly to be held in various directions against the skin, such as almost parallel for injection under the skin to vertical for deep muscular injections.
Accessories to Ease Syringe Injections:
Syringe Stabilizing Base—If the Syringe bottom is too small to rest stable on the skin, a tube with a wider base (FIG. 5-A-1) can be used, to hold the barrel, barrel extension or extender (FIG. 5-A-4) over the skin (FIG. 5-A-2). One hand holds the barrel or the stabilizer for the other hand to do the rest of injecting. Said base better have a non slippery, such as Rubber underlayer that touches the skin. The base can be integral to Syringe.
Syringe Needle Direction Guide & Stabilizer—An Inverted Cone or similar shape to suit the syringe it will serve (FIG. 5-B-5), with a Base (FIG. 5-B-2) that rests on the skin (FIG. 5-B-3). Said Base & Cone are connected via a Multi Directional Hollow Hinge, through its hollow joint (core), the needle (FIG. 5-B-7) can pass to penetrate the skin. Said hinge, can hold the syringe and or guide the needle in the desired angel towards the skin. Its range can be from a narrow and limited to full x-y plane or limited or full all directions. Said Hinge better have some resistance to pivoting in one or any direction to stay reasonably motionless in the desired direction while injecting. The base better have a non slippery, such as rubber underlayer not to skid over the skin.
An alternative is to add a Cylinder (FIG. 5-B-6) to the Cone, to hold the barrel or extension(s).
One such Hollow Core Hinge is shown, two concentric abridged globes (FIGS. 5-B-1 & 4) that can slide against each other. At least the outer shell better be larger than a semi globe (semi plus) to ensure the inner one does not fall out of it. Any of many other hinges that perform above functions, known to the skilled, can be used.
Body, Muscle, Skin Grab Jaws—For grabbing the skin, body fat and or muscle as desired, a device as in FIG. 5-C is introduced. Two conjoint Jaws (FIG. 5-C-1), movable towards each other by spring action or from their joint Hinge (FIG. 5-C-5), while a Loop (FIG. 5-C-4) that can be Locked when the required body mass (FIG. 5-C-3) is grabbed. The Jaws have non-slippery linings such as rubber (FIG. 5-C-2), to better hold the skin around the grabbed body mass.
One situation is for upper arm that better be grabbed, when self injecting, as the injected arm's hand cannot be used to grab, while the other hand is injecting. Another is to hold belly skin and or fat for insulin shots.
Any of many known Lock Means can be used.
Straps—Elastic, cloth or other straps can be attached to the Syringe Stabilizer via Means attached to the strap, such as Grabs, Jaws, Claws, Pins, . . . , Means on the Stabilizer such as Slits, Holes, Loops, Rings, . . . and or Means on both such as Velcro, to attach straps to the stabilizer and tighten them to the body via Ties, Buckles, Fasteners, and so on. For example, a strap can secure a stabilizer placed on the upper arm, to around the neck and another strap can secure it around the arm. A wrist band can secure a stabilizer to he wrist or arm.
Practice Dolls—Rubber or Sponge versions can be used for practice by water filled Syringe assemblies.
Independent Needle & Medicine Plungers—Of use especially for Pre-Fillable Sealed Syringe, when it is desired that the needle penetrates the users body to some depth before the medicine is injected, the needle can have its own plunger (FIG. 6-5), operating independently of the liquid plunger (FIG. 6-8). The needle is connected to its own plunger handle (FIG. 6-4) which runs through a sealed Core tube in the Vial and or Syringe Medicine Sealing (FIG. 6-3), which core's walls firmly surround the needle plunger's handle, such that the medicine cannot leak through said core tube. For example at least the inside of the core tube is or is lined with rubber or rubber like material (FIG. 6-2), or is of well polished glass. Also the needle plunger handle is of polished exterior.
The needle plunger can have a removable handle, with a Pin (FIG. 6-1), as shown, that enters a matching well inside the needle's Base.
The needle plunger is alongside the medicine plunger, preferably inside the medicine plunger's handle's which for this purpose should be a hollow core, while the body of the medicine handle has vertical gaps or openings (FIG. 6-7) to let the needle's plunger Flanges (FIG. 6-6) out and accessible by a user's fingers and thumb.
Thus, the needles plunger can be pressed down first, until the needle penetrates to desired depth, then the medicine plunder is pressed to inject the liquid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS:
FIG. 1 shows Pre-Fillable Sealed Syringe
FIG. 2 shows a Syringe with Vial Functionalities
FIG. 2A shows a blown up of the upper part of the syringe in FIG. 2
FIG. 2B shows a blown up of the lower part of the syringe in FIG. 2
FIG. 3 shows a Syringe Barrel Extender
FIG. 4 shows a Syringe Extension Barrel
FIG. 5-A shows a Syringe Stabilizing Base
FIG. 5-B shows a Syringe Needle Direction Guide & Stabilizer
FIG. 5-C, shows a Body, Muscle and or Skin Grab Jaws
FIG. 6 shows Independent Needle & Medicine Plungers
Some Clarifications (including some terms used in claims):
Needle Adapter used in conventional Syringes can be modified to be as the Needle Base introduced here.
Needle Hub uses in conventional Syringes can be modified to be as the Needle Waist introduced here.
The part of Plunger used in a convention Syringes which is adjacent to the liquid, to be called plunger head here, can be modified to act as the Lid introduced here, to harbour the Needle's Base introduced here.
Needle's hollow tube is also called Shaft.
Needle's sharp tip is also called Bevel.
The Syringes and other inventions introduced here can be made for non medical uses too.
The Syringe Extension Barrel can be used for both conventional syringes and those introduced here.
The Barrel's Liquid Outlet is a hole at the Barrel's Bottom via which the liquid may exit.
Patent Application
20230226276
