Latching piercing pin for use with fluid vials of varying sizes

• US 5,334,179 A
• Filed: 10/16/1992
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hospira Incorporated (Pfizer Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Rudzena, William L., Adolf, Wayne F., Poli, Robert G., Thomas, V. Stanton
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Application Number:
  US07/961,758
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 604/403, 604/411, 604/414, 604/415, 141/329, 141/330, 222/80, 222/81, 222/88
• US Class Current: 604/403
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2055 having gripping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2075 for external venting
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2089 Containers or vials which are to be joined to each other in order to mix their contents combinations of vial and syringe for mixing their contents A61J1/2096

Abstract

A latching piercing pin useable to retain the pin and an associated fluid vial in latching relation. Latching members provided on the pin engage a peripheral lip provided on the end cap of the vial to maintain the latching relation between the pin and the vial. The pin is useable with vials and end caps of varying sizes, although larger end caps may require the mounting of a locking ring on the end cap of the vial to receive and engage the latching piercing pin.

Claims

1. A latching piercing pin comprising:

a longitudinal body portion having opposite ends, with a piercing element at one end, a connecting member at an opposite and a fluid channel extending the length of said body portion, and in fluid communication with said opposite ends, a second vent channel and a vent port, the second channel extending from the piercing end to the vent port;

a flexible beam mounted on said body portion to extend transversely from a mid-portion of said body portion, said beam bendable about a longitudinal axis of the piercing pin substantially in excess of 45°

from the transverse initial position thereof;

engaging members mounted on said flexible beam on opposite sides of said body portion and extending outwardly in the same direction as the piercing element and each member including at respective upper end thereof an latching member having an inwardly directed latching flange and an outwardly directed gripping flange, the pin operable to engage and pierce an associated fluid vial cooperable therewith, and the flexible beam moveable to substantially bend about the longitudinal axis of the pin to accept within the beam structure fluid vial covers for rigid walled vials of substantially varying sizes and the latching members are moveable in combination with said beam to engage and latch to said vial cover and gripping flanges operable to enable selective disengagement of the latching pin from the cover of an engaged fluid vial thereby implementing removal of the pin from the cover of the fluid vial.

2. A piercing pin locking system comprising a latching piercing pin and a fluid vial associated therewith, said locking system including

a piercing pin having a longitudinal body portion with opposite ends, with a piercing element at one end, a connecting member at an opposite end and a fluid channel extending the length of said body portion, and in fluid communication with said opposite ends;

a flexible beam mounted to extend transversely from a mid-portion of said body portion;

engaging members mounted on said flexible beam on opposite sides of said body portion and extending outwardly in the same direction as the piercing element and each including at a respective upper end thereof an inwardly directed latching member, said engaging members biased to a latching position wherein the engaging members are generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the piercing pin and the latching members overlie the peripheral lip of an end cap of an associated fluid vial;

said fluid vial including a piercible member overlying an open end of the vial, an end cap overlying and sealing the piercible member, the end cap including an upright peripheral wall engaging the vial and having an inwardly stepped peripheral lip providing a gripping surface for the latching members of the pin, the end cap of the fluid vial sufficiently large to distend the engaging members away from the longitudinal axis of the piercing pin, the fluid vial including a locking ring mountable on the end cap thereof, the locking ring including a peripheral lip engageable with the latching members of the locking pin the pin to pierce the piercible member of the vial and engage and latch the pin to the vial with the engagement of the latching members with the stepped peripheral lip of the end cap closing the open end of the vial, the engaging members and the flexible beam, moveable in combination to enable the pin to engage and latch to vial end caps and gripping surfaces of varying sizes, and the locking ring to retain the latching piercing pin on the locking cap and the associated fluid vial in latched relation.

3. A piercing pin locking system as claimed in claim 2 including gripping members associated with said engaging members to enable disengagement of latching members from the fluid vial, thereby implementing removal of the pin from the fluid vial.

4. A piercing pin locking system comprising a latching piercing pin and a fluid vial associated therewith, said locking system including;

a piercing pin having a longitudinal body portion with opposite ends, with a piercing element at one end, a connecting member at an opposite end, a fluid channel extending the length of said body portion, and in fluid communication with said opposite ends a second vent channel and a vent port, with the second channel extending from the piercing end to the vent port;

a flexible beam mounted to extend transversely from a mid-portion of said body portion;

engaging members mounted on said flexible beam on opposite sides of said body portion and extending outwardly in the same direction as the piercing element and each including at a respective upper end thereof an inwardly directed latching member,

a fluid vial including a piercible member overlying an open end of the vial, an end cap overlying and sealing the piercible member, the end cap including an upright peripheral wall engaging the vial and having an inwardly stepped peripheral lip providing a gripping surface for the latching members of the pin;

the pin to pierce the piercible member of the vial and engage and latch the pin to the vial with the engagement of the latching members with the stepped peripheral lip of the end cap closing the open end of the vial, the engaging members and the flexible beam, moveable in combination to enable the pin to engage and latch to vial end caps and gripping surfaces of varying sizes.

5. A piercing pin locking system comprising a latching piercing pin and a fluid vial associated therewith, said locking system including:

a piercing pin having a longitudinal body portion with opposite ends, with a piercing element at one end, a connecting member at an opposite end a fluid channel extending the length of said body portion, and in fluid communication with said opposite ends;

a flexible beam mounted to extend transversely from a mid-portion of said body portion;

engaging members mounted on said flexible beam on opposite sides of said body portion and extending outwardly in the same direction as the piercing element and each including at a respective upper end thereof an inwardly directed latching member,

a fluid vial including a piercible member overlying an open end of the vial, an end cap overlying and sealing the piercible member, the end cap including an upright peripheral wall engaging the vial and having an inwardly stepped peripheral lip providing a gripping surface for the latching members of the pin;

stop means of a drug infusion device for receiving the fluid vial and piercing pin in combination;

the pin to pierce the piercible member of the vial and engage and latch the pin to the vial with the engagement of the latching members with the stepped peripheral lip of the end cap closing the open end of the vial, the engaging members and the flexible beam, moveable in combination to enable the pin to engage and latch to vial end caps and gripping surfaces of varying sizes, and said stop means aligned to engage the opposite engaging members of the piercing pin so as to retain the piercing pin in a latched position within the device, thereby to prevent removal of the fluid vial and latching piercing pin from the device.

6. A latching piercing pin comprising:

a longitudinal body portion having opposite ends, with a piercing element at one end, a connecting member at an opposite and a fluid channel extending the length of said body portion, and in fluid communication said opposite ends, a second vent channel and a vent port, with the second channel extending from the piercing end to the vent port;

a flexible beam mounted on said body portion to extend transversely from a mid-portion of said body portion;

engaging members mounted on said flexible beam on opposite sides of said body portion and extending outwardly in the same direction as the piercing element and each including at respective upper end thereof an inwardly directed latching member, the pin operable to pierce, engage and latch an associated fluid vial cooperable therewith, and the flexible beam and engaging members are moveable in combination to engage and latch to vials of varying sizes.

7. A latching piercing pin as claimed in claim 6 including gripping members associated with said engaging members to enable selective disengagement of the latching members from the fluid vial thereby implementing removal of the pin from the fluid vial.