Fluid Transfer Assembly

• US 20110098670A1
• Filed: 06/10/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Burnell, Rosemary Louise
• Granted Patent: US 8,939,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/414
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/326 Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A fluid transfer assembly comprises means for connection to a syringe and means for receiving a vial having a closure element. The receiving means is adapted to engage and open the closure element and permit fluid in the vial to be transferred to the syringe from the vial, for example by gravity acting on the fluid in the vial.

Claims

1. A fluid transfer assembly comprising:

means for connection to a syringe;

means for receiving a vial having a closure element,

wherein the receiving means is adapted to engage and open the closure element and permit fluid in the vial to be transferred to the syringe from the vial.

2. The fluid transfer assembly of claim 1, wherein the receiving means comprises a needle to pierce the closure element and extend into the vial.

3. The fluid transfer assembly of claim 2, wherein the needle forms part of a fluid pathway which extends in use between the vial and the syringe.

4. The fluid transfer assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiving means is a cylinder open at a first end which is dimensioned to receive the vial.

5. The fluid transfer assembly of claim 4, wherein the connection means and receiving means are integrally formed with each other.

6. The fluid transfer assembly of claim 5 wherein the connection means comprises a second end which is open and dimensioned to fit over or in an open end of the syringe.

7. The fluid transfer assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid transfers in use from the vial to the syringe under the force of gravity, when the connection means is located above the receiving means.

8. A fluid transfer system comprising:

the fluid transfer assembly of any one of the preceding claims; and

a syringe.

9. An injection kit comprising:

the fluid transfer system of claim 8; and

a delivery device including a delivery sub-assembly and a drive sub-assembly, which are both adapted to be attached to the syringe, and operate together to deliver the fluid from the syringe.

10. The kit of claim 8, wherein the delivery sub-assembly is adapted to support the syringe;

and

the drive sub-assembly comprises a drive adapted on activation to act on the syringe to advance it from a retracted position in which a discharge nozzle of the syringe is contained within the delivery sub-assembly to an extended position in which the discharge nozzle extends from the delivery sub-assembly.

11. The kit of claim 10 wherein the delivery sub-assembly comprises;

a syringe carrier adapted to support the syringe between its retracted and extended positions; and

a retraction element adapted to move the syringe after fluid delivery from the extended position to the retracted position.

12. The kit of claim 11 wherein the drive sub-assembly comprises a release mechanism to release the drive to act on the syringe to cause it to move from the retracted position to the extended position,

wherein the drive is in a first position when the syringe is in its retracted position and the drive is in a second position when the syringe is in its extended position.

13. The kit of any of the preceding claims further comprising a base station which is adapted to receive the drive sub-assembly and reset the drive by moving it from its second position to its first position and reset the release mechanism such that when actuated again it releases the drive.

14. The kit of claim 13 wherein the base station comprises an attachment to hold the delivery sub-assembly

15. The kit of claim any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the syringe is disposable.

16. A method of assembling an injection device, comprising:

inserting fluid into a syringe through a vial via the fluid transfer assembly of any one of claims 1 to 7;

inserting a syringe having a piston into a delivery sub-assembly;

attaching a sub-assembly comprising a drive to the delivery sub-assembly; and

assembling the drive sub-assembly and delivery sub-assembly together.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of resetting the drive assembly after activation of the drive.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein transfer of the content of the vial to the syringe assembly occurs while the delivery assembly is on the base station.