Pre-filled syringe for abusable drugs

• US 4,367,738 A
• Filed: 10/28/1981
• Issued: 01/11/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Schlossberg, Steven, Legendre, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): YASKO JR, JOHN D
• Application Number:
  US06/315,800
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 128/218 R, 128/218 PA, 128/218 P, 128/218 C, 128/218 F, 128/215, 128/216, 128/234, 128/220, 128/272, 222/153, 222/386
• US Class Current: 604/110
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/5006 Having means for destroying the syringe barrel, e.g. by cutting or piercing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5013 Means for blocking the piston or the fluid passageway to prevent illegal refilling of a syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/502 for blocking the piston

Abstract

A pre-filled syringe suitable for administration of abusable injectable drugs which prevents surreptitious injection of the drug and replacement by an adulterant to avoid detection of the abuse.

Claims

1. A disposable, non-reusable, pre-filled syringe comprising:

(a) a barrel having a first open end having a restricted opening and a second end adapted to receive a hypodermic needle;

(b) a piston assembly within said barrel comprising a piston and plunger rod attached to the piston and extending out through the restricted opening of the first open end of the barrel, said plunger rod having a plurality of short, stiff, flexible spikes attached thereto at an oblique angle away from the piston; and

(c) a fluid to be injected contained within said barrel between said piston and said second end of the barrel,

whereby a push on the plunger rod will inject the fluid through the hypodermic needle since the oblique-angled;

spikes will contract to pass through the restricted opening, while a pull on the plunger rod will be resisted by the oblique-angled spikes, thus preventing aspiration of fluid into the barrel.

2. The syringe of claim 1 which further comprises a hypodermic needle attached to the second end of the barrel.

3. The syringe of claim 1 wherein the fluid to be injected is a pharmaceutically acceptable injectable formulation containing fentanyl or morphine.