US3580251A

US3580251A - Self-injectable ampul

Info

Publication number: US3580251A
Application number: US815341A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond Guiriec
Original assignee: LABORAVER SARL
Current assignee: LABORAVER SARL; SOC A RESPONSABILITE LABORAVER Ltee
Priority date: 1968-04-12
Filing date: 1969-04-11
Publication date: 1971-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1988-05-25
Also published as: FR1576432A; DE1918360A1; GB1245713A

Abstract

A self-injectable ampul comprises an ampul containing medication and sealed by a penetrable plug. A hollow needle sharpened at both ends carried by the ampul penetrates the plug, and upon continued inward movement severs the plug and carries the plug with it as a piston to eject medicant from the opposite end of the needle. The needle has an external collar mounted between the middle and the inner end thereof. A sleeve extends outwardly from the plug, surrounds substantially one-half the length of the needle, has a bore adjacent to the plug, adapted to receive a portion of the needle, and a counter bore for the remainder thereof having a diameter sufficient to receive the collar. A second sleeve having an external diameter such that its inner end can enter the counter bore in the first sleeve and an internal diameter for receiving the needle has fingers pieces extending radially outwardly therefrom at the outer end portion thereof. A sleeve extension surrounds the remainder of the needle and is removably attached to the outer end of the second sleeve. When the ampoule and the finger pieces are moved toward each other, the inner end of the second sleeve engages the collar and advances the needle so that the inner end thereof passes through the penetratable plug. The plug has a circular line of weakness so that the plug can be made to enter the ampoule and discharge the medication therefrom.

Description

United States Patent [54] SELF-INJECTABLE AMPUL 7 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

[52] US. Cl. 128/220, 128/272 [51] Int. Cl A61 05/00 [50] Field of Search 128/220,

218, 218 (N), 218 (NV),218 (P), 218 (PA), 218.1, 218.1 (P), 272

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,554,352 5/ 1951 Ward et al. 128/220 2,605,767 8/1952 Smith 128/220 Primary ExaminerJoseph S. Reich Attorney-Young & Thompson ABSTRACT: A self-injectable ampul comprises an ampul containing medication and sealed by a penetrable plug. A hollow needle sharpened at both ends carried by the ampul penetrates the plug, and upon continued inward movement severs the plug and carries the plug with it as a piston to eject medicant from the opposite end of the needle. The needle has an external collar mounted between the middle and the inner end thereof. A sleeve extends outwardly from the plug, surrounds substantially one-half the length of the needle, has a bore adjacent to the plug, adapted to receive a portion of the needle, and a counter bore for the remainder thereof having a diameter sufficient to receive the collar. A second sleeve having an external diameter such that its inner end can enter the counter bore in the first sleeve and an internal diameter for receiving the needle has fingers pieces extending radially outwardly therefrom at the outer end portion thereof. A sleeve extension surrounds the remainder of the needle and is removably attached to the outer end of the second sleeve. When the ampoule and the finger pieces are moved toward each other, the inner end of the second sleeve engages the collar and advances the needle so that the inner end thereof passes through the penetratable plug. The plug has a circular line of weakness so that the plug can be made to enter the ampoule and discharge the medication therefrom.

2,874,694 2/1959 Blackman... 128/2l8(.1) 3,340,872 9/1967 Cox 128/218(,1) 3,378,008 4/1968 Ogle 128/272X SELF-.INJECTABLE AMPUL The present invention relates to self-injectable ampuls, of the one-dose type 'in which the injection needle is already incorporated in the ampul.

Such ampuls are already known, comprising a cylinder and piston forming a syringe in which the medication is contained, the syringe also including a sterile needle protected by. a removable sleeve. In general, the .piston is constituted by a rubber plug engaged in the opening of the ampul to seal the ampul.

However, the plugs used in the prior art do not alwaysseal tightly. The plugs are rubber and may-become loosewith time and under the action of light. Also, the needle protector is also used as the piston rod, which requires that it be removed from its original position and relocated with respect to the plug. Moreover, the ampuls of the prior art had to have a rather complicated form, and accordingly were molded from plastic, which was not always stable under conditions of storage. Finally, self-injectable ampuls according to the prior art could be reused, which was highly undesirable because of contamination.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a self-injectable ampul which will remain sealed and sterile over long periods of storage and under various conditions of storage.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a self-injectable ampulwhich requires only the simplest manipulation to penetrate the plug and inject the medicant.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a selfinjectable ampul whose medicant container may be of very simple shape.

The present invention also provides a self-injectable ampul which cannot be reused.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a self-injectable ampul which will berelatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and easy to prepare for use and to use, and which will provide sterile medication under all conditions.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a self-injectable ampul according to the present invention, in the condition of the parts during storage and prior to use.

Referring now to thedrawing in greater detail, there is provided a self-injectable ampul according to the present invention, comprising a cylindrical ampul 1 ofglassor the like, containing a single dose of a liquid medicant, and having at its open end an outwardly extending thick flange 2. Ampul l is closed at its open end by a penetrable plug 3 of rubber or the like, which also has a peripheral flange 4 secured to the flange 2 of ampul 1 by means of a retaining ring 5. Between the body and the flange of the plug 3 is an annular recess 6 that opens to the right as seen inthe drawing and that extends through most of the thickness of the flange 4 to weaken plug 3 between the body of the plug and the flange 4, that is, to provide a circular line of rupture at a radial distance from the center of the plug which is the same as the outer diameter of the portion of plug 3 which is disposed sealingly in ampul 1.

Plug 3 has a central recess that opens to the left as seen in the drawing, in which is force fitted a reduced end portion 7 of a first tubular element 8. The main body portion of tubular element 8 has an outer diameter which is only slightly less than the internal diameter of ampul 1. Element 8 has an axial bore 9 therethrough which extends all the way through portion 7 and opens onto the penetrable central portion of plug 3. The left end of tubular element 8 as seen in the drawing is occupied by an enlarged counter bore 10.

A double-pointed hollow needle 11 is provided, which has a sharpened point 12: disposed in reduced end portion 7 and a sharpened point 13 at its opposite end. A collar 14 is fixed to needle 11 intermediate its ends, but somewhat nearer point 12 than point 13, to limit movement of needle 11 relative to tubular element 8. The right-handend of needle ll as seen in the drawing is thus engaged in bore 9, while collar 14 is disposed in counter bore 10.

A second tubular element 15 is slidably disposed in counter bore l0.and has a central bore in which needle 11 is slidably disposed. At its outer or left end as seen in the drawing, element 15 has a pair of diametrically opposite ears or finger pieces 16. Also at its outer end, second tubular element 15 has an axial bore 17 in which is force fitted'with tight friction a reduced portion 18 of a cover 19 for'the injection end of the needle 11, which shields the point 13 prior to use.

In operation, the ampul is manipulated to force the ampul l and the finger pieces 16 toward each other. The inner end of second tubular element 15 bears against collar 14 and thus presses needle 11 to the right as seen in the drawing so that the point 12 penetrates the plug 3 and the central canal of the needle is in communication with the medicant in ampul l. The space between the left-hand end of first tubular element 8 and the finger pieces 16, or the distance between the collar 14 and thebottom-of counter bore 10, is sufficient to permit this relative penetrating movement between point 12 and plug 3.

With the cover 19 removed, the point 13 can then be inserted in the patient for parenteral or venous injection of the medicant. The medicant is expelled from ampul 1 through needle 11 by continued relative movement of the finger pieces 16 and ampul 1 toward each other. During this continued movement, second tubular element 15 with its finger pieces 16 and the needle 11 and first tubular element 8 all move as a unit toward ampul l. The movement of the right end of the enlarged portion of firsttubular element 8 into the ampul severs plug 3 from its flange 4 along the line of weakness provided by recess 6. In effect, flange 4 is simply sheared off between tubular element 8 and ampul l. Thereafter, the plug 3, which has removed after this preliminary penetration, then of course the point 13 is not inserted into the patient until after this preliminary penetration. But if the plug 3 is sufficiently penetrable and weak that the preliminary movement of the needle relative to the plug can be effected without much force, then the cover 19 can be removed and the point 13 inserted into the patient before any movement of the finger pieces 16 and ampul 1 toward each other takes place.

ln view of the foregoing disclosure, therefore, it will be evident that all of the initially recited objects of the present invention have been achieved.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is of course to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, as those skilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A self-injectable ampul .comprising an elongated ampul for liquid medicant, an imperforate penetrable plug closing one end of the ampul, a hollow needle pointed at both ends, first means mounting the needle parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ampul and outside the plug for sliding movement of the needle relative to the ampul through the plug and into the medicant, and second means to move the plug, said first and second means cooperating to move the plug and needle into the ampul as a unit once the needle has penetrated the plug, said plug having an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of said ampul and comprising a piston to force said medicant through the needle, the plug having a severable flange by which it is secured to the ampul, and said second means including means for severing the flange from the plug and said second means comprising a first hollow tubular member through which the needle extends.

2. An ampul as claimed in claim 1 said first hollow member having a relatively small diameter bore through which the needle extends and a relatively large diameter bore at the end of said hollow tubular member opposite the plug, and said first means comprising means movable in said relatively large diameter bore first to move the needle relative to the first hollow tubular member in cooperation with said second means to penetrate the plug and thereafter to move the needle and the hollow tubular member together as a unit to push the plug into the ampul.

3. An ampul as claimed in claim 2, said means movable in said relatively large diameter bore comprising a second hollow tubular member surrounding the needle and having finger pieces at its end opposite the plug to push said second hollow tubular member into the firstnamed hollow tubular memberi 4. An ampul as claimed in claim 3, and a cover for the pointed end of the needle opposite the plug, said cover being removably secured to said second hollow tubular member.

5. An ampul as claimed in claim 1, and a circular recess coaxial with the needle at the base of the flange of the plug, said recess having a depth which is most of the axial thickness of the flange thereby to provide a line of weakness between the plug and its flange.

6. An ampul as claimed in claim 1, the ampul having an outwardly extending flange at its end in which said plug is disposed, and means securing together said ampul flange and plug flange.

7. An ampul as claimed in claim 3, in which said needle has an abutment mounted thereon against whichthe other end of said second hollow tubular member bears, said abutment being spaced from the relatively small diameter bore a distance greater than the axial thickness of the penetrable portion of said plug to pemiit the needle to penetrate the plug before the first hollow tubular member pushes the plug into the ampul.

Claims

1. A self-injectable ampul comprising an elongated ampul for liquid medicant, an imperforate penetrable plug closing one end of the ampul, a hollow needle pointed at both ends, first means mounting the needle parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ampul and outside the plug for sliding movement of the needle relative to the ampul through the plug and into the medicant, and second means to move the plug, said first and second means cooperating to move the plug and needle into the ampul as a unit once the needle has penetrated the plug, said plug having an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of said ampul and comprising a piston to force said medicant through the needle, the plug having a severable flange by which it is secured to the ampul, and said second means including means for severing the flange from the plug and said second means comprising a first hollow tubular member through which the needle extends.

3. An ampul as claimed in claim 2, said means movable in said relatively large diameter bore comprising a second hollow tubular member surrounding the needle and having finger pieces at its end opposite the plug to push said second hollow tubular member into the first-named hollow tubular member.

4. An ampul as claimed in claim 3, and a cover for the pointed end of the needle opposite the plug, said cover being removably secured to said second hollow tubular member.

7. An ampul as claimed in claim 3, in which said needle has an abutment mounted thereon against which the Other end of said second hollow tubular member bears, said abutment being spaced from the relatively small diameter bore a distance greater than the axial thickness of the penetrable portion of said plug to permit the needle to penetrate the plug before the first hollow tubular member pushes the plug into the ampul.