Luer connector with rotationally engaging piercing luer

• US 6,258,078 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1999
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SmithKline Beecham Biologicals SA (GSK plc)
• Original Assignee: SmithKline Beecham Biologicals SA (GSK plc)
• Inventors: Thilly, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRIS, RONALD C
• Application Number:
  US09/341,934
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 604/200, 604/201, 604/86-89, 604/403, 604/411, 604/414, 604/415, 604/905, 604/256, 215/247, 215/DIG.3, 206/363, 206/365, 206/364
• US Class Current: 604/411
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1418 Threaded type
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1425 Snap-fit type
• 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: A61J 2200/10 Coring prevention means, e.g. for plug or septum piecing members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 604/905 Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable

Abstract

A luer connector which facilitates connection of a hypodermic syringe to the vial, comprising a luer connectable to a syringe and which extends to a sharpened end capable of being driven through a puncturable vial closure to thereby puncture the closure; a luer support, mountable on a vial, and which initially supports the luer in a first position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is pointed toward the closure; a luer driver such that movement of the driver relative to the support causes the luer to be driven so that the sharpened end punctures the closure and enters the vial.

Claims

1. A luer connector which comprises;

a luer comprising a luer port connectable to a syringe and being in communication with a first end of a channel passing longitudinally through a tubular conduit, the conduit extending longitudinally from the luer port to a second end of the channel, the end of the tubular conduit remote from the luer port being sharpened so as to be capable of being driven through a puncturable vial closure to thereby puncture the closure;

a luer support, mountable on a vial when the vial is sealed with a puncturable vial closure, the support initially supporting the luer longitudinally moveable in a first position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is pointed toward the closure;

characterised by;

a luer driver, rotatably moveably mounted on the support and engaged with the support, the luer and driver having engaging screw thread parts thereupon such that engagement of the screw thread parts and relative rotation of the driver and the luer causes the luer driver to bear upon the luer so as to drive the luer longitudinally into a second position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is driven through the closure to puncture the closure and to enter the vial.

2. A luer connector according to claim 1 charaterised in that,

the luer is provided with one or more abutment part(s) which when the luer has reached the extreme end of its movement into the second position prevent further longitudinal movement of the luer,

and the arrangement of the screw thread parts and abutment parts are such that when the conduit has entered the vial as far as is desired or allowed by the abutment part(s) the screw thread parts on the luer driver and luer are still engaged, so at their continued relative rotation generates an upward thrust upon the luer driver to force the luer driver out of engagement with the support.

3. A luer connector according to claim 1 characterised in that the luer support comprises a sleeve which is mountable around the neck of the vial, so as to be thereby retained on the neck and extends above the mouth of the vial, and the upper part of the support above the mouth of the vial is in the form of a generally tubular extension defining a compartment extending above the vial closure, and having an upper open end, of suitable dimensions that the luer can be supported therein in its first position with the sharpened end of the conduit pointed toward the closure.

4. A luer connector according to claim 1 characterised in that the luer and the support include respective engagement parts so that when the luer has reached the limits of its movement from its first to its second position, with the conduit as far within the vial as desired, the luer is locked in place in its second position.

5. A luer connector according to claim 3 characterised in that the luer driver is in the form of a closure closing the upper end of the compartment.

6. A luer connector according to claim 5 charaterised in that luer driver is in the form of a cap closing the upper open end of the compartment by means of the luer driver having a wholly closed end which forms a closure surface over the open end of the compartment.

7. A luer connector according to claim 1 characterised in that the luer is provided with means to resist rotation with the luer driver when the luer driver is rotated on the support so that relative rotation of the luer and the driver, and hence the engagement of the screw thread parts can occur.

8. A luer connector according to claim 1 characterised in that the support and luer driver have their respective facing surfaces provided with engaging circumferential bead parts and a groove, which allow rotation and guide them in rotation about the axis of the sleeves whilst restraining relative axial movement, and which are constructed that the driver is detachable from the support by a snap-fit disengagement of the bead from the groove as the driver moves in the axial direction.

9. A luer connector according to claim 1 characterised by a construction in which the luer driver and luer have respective engaging screw thread parts thereon, and in which the luer and the support are provided with respective abutment surfaces such that the lower limit of travel of the luer within the support is reached when the respective abutment surfaces abut, and in which when the luer is in its first position the respective abutment surfaces are separated by a longitudinal distance which is less than the longitudinal distance the luer driver can be moved by the screw action of the luer driver.

12. A pharmaceutical vial having a puncturable closure sealing its mouth opening, the vial being mounted with a luer connector as claimed in claims 1, 10 or 11.

10. A luer connector which comprises;

a luer, connectable to a syringe, the luer comprising a luer port in communication with a first end of a channel passing longitudinally through a tubular conduit integrally extending longitudinally from luer port to a second end of the channel, the end of the tubular conduit remote from the luer port being sharpened so as to be capable of being driven longitudinally through a puncturable vial closure to thereby puncture the closure;

a luer support, comprising a sleeve which is mountable around the neck of the vial, so as to be thereby retained on the vial when sealed with a puncturable vial closure, the support extending into an upper part above the mouth of the vial in the form of a generally cylindrical compartment extending above the vial closure and forming a guide for the luer, the compartment being of suitable dimensions that the luer is supported therein longitudinally moveable in a first position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is pointed toward the unpunctured closure;

a luer driver, mounted on the support and capable of rotational movement relative to the support and luer, the driver comprising a cylindrical sleeve or part sleeve, coaxial with the said upper part of the support, the driver being in the form of a cap over the compartment in the upper part of the support, and having a wholly or partly closed end over the compartment when the driver is in place;

the luer and driver having respective screw thread engagement parts such that engagement of the screw thread parts on the said rotational movement causes the luer to be screwed downwards toward a second position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is driven through the closure to puncture the closure and to enter the vial,

and the luer is provided with one or more abutment part(s) which when the luer has reached the extreme end of its movement into the second position prevent further longitudinal movement of the luer,

and the dimensions of the screw thread parts are such that when the conduit has entered the vial as far as is desired or allowed by the abutment part(s) the screw thread parts on the luer driver and luer are still engaged, so that their continued relative rotation generates an upward thrust upon the luer driver to force the luer driver out of engagement with the support.

11. A luer connector which comprises;

a luer, connectable to a syringe, the luer comprising a luer port in communication with a first end of a channel passing longitudinally through a tubular conduit integrally extending longitudinally from the luer port to a second end of the channel, the end of the tubular conduit remote from the luer port being sharpened so as to be capable of being driven longitudinally through a puncturable vial closure to thereby puncture the closure;

a luer support, comprising a sleeve which is mounted and engaged around the neck of the vial, so as to be thereby retained on the vial when sealed with a puncturable vial closure, the support extending into an upper part above the mouth of the vial in the form of a generally cylindrical compartment extending above the vial closure and forming a guide for the luer, the compartment being of suitable dimensions that the luer is supported therein longitudinally moveable in a first position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is pointed toward the unpunctured closure;

a luer driver, mounted on the support and capable of rotational movement relative to the support and luer, the driver comprising a cylindrical sleeve or part sleeve, coaxial with the said upper part of the support, the driver being in the form of a cap over the compartment in the upper part of the support, and having a wholly or partly closed end over the compartment when the driver is in place;

the luer and driver having respective screw thread engagement parts such that engagement of the screw thread parts on the said rotational movement causes the luer to be screwed downwards toward a second position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is driven through the closure to puncture the closure and to enter the vial;

the luer and the support being provided with respective abutment surfaces such that the lower limit of travel of the luer within the support is reached when the respective abutment surfaces abut, and in which when the luer is in its first position the respective abutment surfaces are separated by a longitudinal distance which is less than the longitudinal distance the luer driver can be moved by the screw action of the luer driver, so that when the abutment surfaces on the luer abuts against the abutment surface on the luer support the luer has reached the lower limit of its travel relative to the support it has not yet reached the lower limit of travel on the screw thread on the luer driver and the continued rotation of the luer driver relative to the luer will force the luer driver and support are forced longitudinally out of engagement with each other.