Hypodermic Syringe With Vial Attachment

• US 20080255523A1
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yair Grinberg
• Original Assignee: Yair Grinberg
• Inventors: Grinberg, Yair
• Granted Patent: US 9,901,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/192
• 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 1/18 Arrangements for indicating condition of container contents, e.g. sterile condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2037 having valve means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2062 with directional valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2075 for external venting
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2082 for gas filtration
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/10 Coring prevention means, e.g. for plug or septum piecing members
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3104 Caps for syringes without needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/585 having magnification means, e.g. magnifying glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/008 Racks for supporting syringes or needles A61M5/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1782 Devices aiding filling of syringes in situ combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents A61J1/2096, filling of medical containers in general B65B3/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/204 connected to external reservoirs for multiple refilling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3135 characterised by constructional features of the proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3216 Caps placed transversally onto the needle, e.g. pivotally attached to the needle base
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3219 Semi-automatic repositioning of the cap, i.e. in which the repositioning of the cap to the needle covering position requires a deliberate action by the user to trigger the repositioning of the cap, e.g. manual release of spring-biased cap repositioning means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile

Abstract

A medical syringe apparatus includes a syringe unit, a hypodermic needle attached to the syringe unit and at least one interfacing member for mating a labeled medication container to the syringe unit. A filling needle is attached to the syringe unit for drawing fluid from a container. A movable needle sheath protects the hypodermic needle when not in use and may be moved out of the way when administering an injection. The medication label is visible. The container remains mated to the syringe when the syringe is in use. Risk of mislabeling the syringe may therefore be substantially reduced or eliminated and patient safety may accordingly be improved.

Claims

1. A medical syringe apparatus, comprising:

a syringe unit;

a filling needle attached to the syringe unit for drawing fluid from a container; and

a hypodermic needle attached to the syringe unit for injecting the fluid drawn from the container, wherein the filling needle and the hypodermic needle are two distinct needles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the syringe includes a valve for allowing fluid to travel from the container into the syringe via the filling needle and preventing fluid from traveling from the syringe into the container via the filling needle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the syringe includes a valve for allowing fluid to travel from the syringe through the hypodermic needle and preventing fluid from entering the syringe from the hypodermic needle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filling needle includes an air vent for releasing air that is drawn from the container.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filling needle includes a filling hole that is positioned along a side of the filling needle or at the tip of the filling needle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the container is mated to the syringe while fluid is drawn from the container.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the container is mated to the syringe via the filling needle.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the container is mated to the syringe by at least one interfacing member such that a label of the container is visible and such that the container remains mated to the syringe when the syringe is in use.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the interfacing member irremovably attaches the syringe unit to the container.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the interfacing member removably attaches the syringe unit to the container.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising more than one interfacing member, wherein each of the interfacing members is adapted to accommodate a container of a different size.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the interfacing member comprises a flange of the syringe.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the interfacing member is a clamping unit for accepting a top of the container.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the interfacing member is an adhesive cup including a concave surface for receiving the container.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the interfacing member has an adhesive surface for adhering to the container.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the interfacing member with the adhesive surface thereon has a flexible surface for adhering to a container of any size.

17. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the interfacing member has a horseshoe shape end for receiving the container.

18. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the interfacing member comprises a lens for magnifying the label of the container.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filling needle is provided at an angle with respect to the hypodermic needle.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filling needle is provided antiparallel to the hypodermic needle.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising a filling tube for conducting fluid from the filling needle to the syringe.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the filling tube is flexible.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filling needle includes a first pathway for transferring the fluid from the container to the syringe unit and a second pathway to allow air to replace a volume of the fluid drawn up from the container.

24. A penetrating spike for attachment to a medical syringe apparatus, comprising:

a body unit that at one end is inserted into a vial; and

an adapter unit, located at an opposite end of the body unit for connecting the body unit to a syringe, wherein the body unit contains one or more ridges for preventing the body unit from being removed from the vial.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a syringe having a first adapter unit for mating with the adapter unit of the spike to draw up medication from the vial, and a second adapter unit for mating with the adapter unit of the spike to display the vial.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the first and second adapter units each comprise luer connectors.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one of the luer connectors comprises a cap covering the luer connector.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the cap is biased in a position covering the luer connector.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a syringe having a first adapter unit for mating with the adapter unit of the spike to draw up medication from the vial, and a second adapter unit for mating with a hypodermic needle or an IV, wherein fluid is drawn up into the syringe from the spike and fluid is ejected from the syringe through the hypodermic needle or through a luer connector at the tip of the syringe when the syringe is connected directly to the IV via an injection port.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising one or more handles for facilitating the removal or placement of the spike from or to the syringe.

31. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the body includes a first pathway for passing fluid from the vial to the syringe and a second pathway for allowing air to enter the vial as the fluid is removed.

32. A medical syringe apparatus, comprising:

a syringe unit;

a hypodermic needle attached to the syringe unit for injecting fluid drawn into the syringe unit; and

a needle sheath for protecting the hypodermic needle, wherein the needle sheath is rotatably connected to the syringe unit such that the needle sheath reveals the hypodermic needle when force is provided and conceals the hypodermic needle when force is discontinued.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the needle sheath is spring-loaded.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, additionally comprising a filling needle distinct from the hypodermic needle and attached to the syringe unit for drawing the fluid from a container.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the container is mated to the syringe.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the container is mated to the syringe by at least one interfacing member such that a label of the container is visible and such that the container remains mated to the syringe when the syringe is in use.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, additionally comprising a filling tube for conducting fluid from the filling needle to the syringe.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the filling tube is flexible.

39. A medical syringe apparatus, comprising:

a syringe unit;

an adapter unit for attaching a spike that has been inserted into a vial; and

an adapter sheath for protecting the adapter unit when the spike is detached from the adapter unit.

40. A medical syringe packaging system comprising:

a medical syringe in a sterile packaging; and

a timing device within the sterile packaging, wherein the timing unit begins counting time when the sterile packaging is opened.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the timing device includes a time sensitive dye that begins to change color after exposure to air.

42. The system of claim 40, further including an indicator for indicating when a predetermined period of time has elapses since the sterile packaging has been opened.

43. A medical syringe system comprising:

a medical syringe; and

a timing device that begins counting time when a fluid is drawn into the syringe.

44. The system of claim 43 further comprising an optical sensor for sensing when fluid is drawn into the syringe and generating a start signal when the fluid is sensed, wherein the start signal is sent to the timing device to begin the counting of time.

45. The system of claim 43 further comprising an indicator for indicating when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the fluid was drawn into the syringe.

46. A method for administering a hypodermic injection, comprising:

applying force to a needle sheath to move the needle sheath and reveal a hypodermic needle;

administering the hypodermic injection while the needle sheath is in the moved position; and

discontinuing force to the needle sheath to return the needle sheath to its original position and covering the hypodermic needle.

47. An adapter unit, comprising:

a body portion;

a first one-way valve connected to the body portion and permitting fluid flow into the body portion;

a second one-way valve connected to the body portion and permitting fluid flow out of the body portion, wherein the first one-way valve connects to a medication vial.

48. The adapter unit of claim 47, wherein the first one-way valve connects to the medication vial via a spike.

49. The adapter unit of claim 47, wherein the first one-way valve connects to the medication vial via a filling needle.

50. The adapter unit of claim 47, wherein the body portion includes a connector for connecting the adapter unit to a hypodermic needle or to an IV.

51. The adapter unit of claim 47, wherein the body portion includes a connector for connecting the adapter unit to a syringe.

52. The adapter unit of claim 47, wherein the adapter unit is one of reversibly or permanently bonded to a syringe.