Method and apparatus for identifying injection syringes

• US 20050151652A1
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arzneimittel GmbH Apotheker Vetter & Co. Ravensburg
• Original Assignee: Arzneimittel GmbH Apotheker, Vetter & Company Ravensburg
• Inventors: Frasch, Eugen
• Granted Patent: US 7,161,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/273 preventing reuse, e.g. of disposables
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48

Abstract

A method and device for identifying, testing or clearing a prefilled medicinal syringe in which the syringe is inserted into the test device which reads coding on the syringe and has a display as to whether the syringe is appropriate or not.

Claims

1. A method of identifying, testing or clearing a prefilled medicinal syringe having a coding thereon indicating the medicinal in said syringe before use of the syringe by a patient, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) inserting said syringe into a test device having in an interior thereof a reader for said coding and displacing said syringe relative to said reader axially or rotationally about an axis of the syringe, thereby reading said coding;

(b) comparing the read coding with stored information;

(c) upon a positive or negative correlation of the read coding and the stored information, generating a signal at an indicator on said test device which represents to a user whether or not the contents of the syringe are usable.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein, following a reading of said coding and a comparison of the read coding with the stored information, an additional coding is applied to said syringe by said test device.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein said additional coding is applied to said syringe by printing.

4. The method defined in claim 2 wherein said additional coding is applied to said syringe by modifying the coding originally provided thereon.

5. The method defined in claim 2 wherein, in a radial readout of said coding, an indication is produced only after the coding has been read twice in succession.

6. A test device for identifying, testing or clearing a prefilled medicinal syringe having a coding thereon indicating the medicinal in said syringe before use of the syringe by a patient, said test device comprising:

a receiving sleeve for receiving a coding-carrying portion of said syringe and provided in an interior thereof with a reader for said coding having a two-dimensional or linear optical sensor for said coding and extending axially or radially in said sleeve;

a data storage for information read from said coding by % said reader and comparing said information with stored information as to contents of a syringe; and

an indicator on said sleeve for, upon a positive or negative correlation of the read coding and the stored information, generating a signal which represents to a user a result of the comparison.

7. The test device defined in claim 6 wherein said sleeve has a replaceable adapter matched to a syringe to be tested.

8. The test device defined in claim 7 wherein said test adapted is provided with an optical imaging device for said reader.

9. The test device defined in claim 8 wherein said adapter is provided with an illumination device for said reader.

10. The test device defined in claim 6, further comprising a printer in said sleeve for applying an additional coding to said syringe.

11. The test device defined in claim 6 wherein said data storage is an integral part of said sleeve.

12. The test device defined in claim 6 wherein said data storage is an external storage module.

13. The test device defined in claim 6 wherein said indicator is a two-color display.

14. The test device defined in claim 13 wherein said indicator is a red/green display.

15. The test device defined in claim 6 wherein said indicator is an alphanumeric display.

16. The test device defined in claim 6, further comprising a processor connected to said data storage and having a receiver for a time signal.