Syringe with visually coded needle hub

• US 10,130,769 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Limaye, Amit, Levine, Claire, deFreese, Matthew, Reiners, Rick, Rosen, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, Ryan J
• Application Number:
  US15/012,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20160158449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/065 Rigid ampoules, e.g. glass ampoules
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1406 Septums, pierceable membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3125 specific display means, e.g. to indicate dose setting
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3126 Specific display means related to dosing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/584 having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/002 Packages specially adapted therefor, e.g. for syringes or needles, kits for diabetics needle protection, e.g. caps, A61M5/3202; for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3202 Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3293 characterised by features of the needle hub
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/348 snap lock, i.e. upon axial displacement of needle assembly A61M5/344 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 63/005 for marking or coding articles prior to packaging

Abstract

A medication delivery device included molded cylindrical barrel having visual marks on the surface of the barrel in the axial direction, a plunger seals the distal opening of the cylindrical barrel, a molded needle hub disposed in the proximal opening of the cylindrical barrel for sealing the needle hub to the barrel. A needle is disposed in the needle hub for communicating liquids by operation of the plunger in the axial direction. The circumferential surface on the flange of the needle hub comprises a colored mark that corresponds to a characteristic of the medication delivery device or its contents.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a medication delivery device, comprising:

forming a barrel;

forming a needle hub, selecting a colored mark to place on an outer surface of the needle hub, and creating the colored mark on the outer surface so that it extends substantially around an entire circumference of the needle hub;

attaching a needle to the needle hub; and

attaching the needle hub to the barrel;

wherein the colored mark corresponds to a characteristic of the medication delivery device or its content; and

wherein forming the barrel and the needle hub comprises selecting a polymer and adding a laser sensitive dye to the polymer for forming the barrel and the needle hub, and wherein the laser sensitive dye is selected based on the colored mark to be created on the needle hub.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein creating the colored mark on the outer surface of the needle hub comprises applying an ultraviolet sensitive resin to the needle hub and exposing the resin to an ultraviolet light.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising selectively exposing one of the barrel and needle hub to a laser source to selectively activate the laser sensitive dye to create a color on a respective surface.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein forming the needle hub comprises forming the needle hub to have a flange.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising exposing the needle hub to a laser source to create the colored mark on one of a flange and a base of the needle hub.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the colored mark is substantially identical to a color of a cap or label on an insulin container for withdrawing insulin therefrom by operation of the medication delivery device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising packaging the medication delivery device into a container having an exterior surface, wherein the surface features a mark that has a color substantially identical to the colored mark on the needle hub.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein forming the barrel further comprises selecting visual marks to place on the barrel, and creating the selected visual marks on a surface of the barrel.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the colored mark is associated with visual marks on the surface of the barrel.