Syringe safety device

• US 6,729,370 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Wolfe, John R., Norton, Paul H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sirmon, Kevin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/011,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 604/537, 604/68, 604/82, 604/110, 604/181, 604/187, 604/188, 604/86-88, 604/200, 604/201, 604/411, 604/414-416, 604/905, 141/329
• US Class Current: 141/329
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2051 having tap means, e.g. tap means activated by sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2065 having aligning and guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents

Abstract

A syringe safety device coupling between a vial and a syringe, including a tubular connector having a first axial end receiving the vial and a second, opposing axial end releasably receiving a syringe. The tubular connector encloses a sliding joint having opposing open axial ends and a passageway between the ends. A first sliding joint end is adapted to engage a syringe needle. A second sliding joint end is configured to releasably engage a needle receiver. The syringe is releasably removable from the sliding joint after fluid coupling with the vial through the sliding joint, without removal of the needle or the sliding joint from the connector, which captures the needle with the sliding joint in the connector. The first end of a joint includes a receiver, adapted to releasably receive a removable syringe needle, and a mount, adapted to releasably receive a releasable needle receiver of a syringe.

Claims

1. A syringe safety device configured to form a fluid coupling between a sealed vial and a syringe, the syringe safety device comprising:

a tubular connector having opposing first and second axial open ends, the first open axial end being adapted to engage an end of a conventional medicine vial with stopper, the second axial end having an open ended cavity; and

a sliding joint received in the second open axial end of the tubular connector, the sliding joint having opposing first and second open axial ends and a passageway between the first and second axial open ends, the first axial open end being adapted to engage with an enlarged, blunt mounting end of a syringe needle, the second axial end of the sliding joint further being adapted to releasably engage at least a releasable needle receiver on a distal end of a barrel of a conventional syringe without needle, the syringe being releasably removable from the sliding joint after fluid coupling with the vial through the passageway of the sliding joint without removal of the sliding joint from the tubular connector and without the needle, the second open axial end of the tubular connector receiving the sliding joint, wherein the sliding joint has at least one circumferentially and radially outwardly extending protrusion and wherein the tubular connector has at least one spring clip member extending inwardly into the cavity such that the protrusion of the sliding joint must cam under and past the at least one spring clip member to fully seat in the cavity, the protrusion and the at least one spring clip member being mutually adapted such that the at least one spring clip member snaps against the sliding joint after the protrusion has cammed under and past the at least one spring clip member.

2. The syringe safety device according to claim 1 further comprising a syringe needle with one pointed end and one enlarged, blunt removable mounting end, the needle being non-releasably captured in the tubular connector with the sliding joint.

3. The syringe safety device according to claim 2 wherein the first axial end of the sliding joint is configured to releasably mate with the blunt mounting end of the enclosed needle.

4. The syringe safety device according to claim 3 wherein the first axial end of the sliding joint includes a needle receiver configured to releasably engage the blunt mounting end of the enclosed needle.

5. The syringe safety device according to claim 1 wherein the sliding joint has a needle receiver at the first axial end configured to engage with the enlarged blunt end of the needle and a needle receiver engaging structure at the second axial end configured to releasably receive the needle receiver of the syringe.

6. The syringe safety device of claim 5 wherein a Luer type needle receiver of the syringe is releasably matable with the needle receiver engaging structure at the second end of the sliding joint and a bell shaped mating member of the needle, the needle receiver at the first end of the sliding joint also being releasably matable with the bell shaped mating member of the needle, whereby the sliding joint can be releasably engaged between a releasable syringe needle and a syringe directly releasably engageable with the syringe needle.

7. The syringe safety device according to claim 1 in combination with the sealed vial.

8. The combination in accordance with claim 7 wherein the syringe safety device and the vial are packaged together in sealed, sterile packaging.

9. The syringe safety device according to claim 1 in combination with the syringe without needle.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein the syringe safety device and the syringe are packaged together in sealed, sterile packaging.

11. The combination according to claim 10 further comprising the sealed vial packaged together with the syringe safety device and the syringe in the sealed, sterile packaging.

12. The syringe safety device according to claim 1 wherein the tubular connector has an open ended cavity at the first open axial end adapted to receive a flange end of a vial with stopper and wherein the tubular connector has at least one spring clip member extending into the cavity and adapted to snap against a vial inserted into the first cavity after the flange end of the inserted vial has cammed under and past the at least one spring clip member.

13. The syringe safety device according to claim 12 wherein the at least one spring clip member is adapted to non-releasably engage the flange of a vial cammed under and past the at least one spring clip member.

14. The syringe safety device of claim 1 wherein the at least one spring clip member is adapted to non-releasably engage the protrusion of the sliding joint after the protrusion has cammed under and past the spring clip member.

15. A syringe safety device configured to form a fluid coupling between a sealed vial and a syringe, the syringe safety device comprising:

a tubular connector having opposing first and second axial open ends, the first open axial end being adapted to engage an end of a conventional medicine vial with stopper;

a syringe needle with one pointed end and one enlarged, blunt removable mounting end; and

a sliding joint received in the second open axial end of the tubular connector, the sliding joint having opposing first and second open axial ends and a passageway between the first and second axial open ends, the first axial open end being adapted to engage with an enlarged, blunt mounting end of a syringe needle, the second axial end of the sliding joint further being adapted to releasably engage at least a releasable needle receiver on a distal end of a barrel of a conventional syringe without needle, the syringe being releasably removable from the sliding joint after fluid coupling with the vial through the passageway of the sliding joint without removal of the sliding joint from the tubular connector and without the needle, the needle being non-releasably captured in the tubular connector with the sliding joint, the sliding joint is slidably mounted in the tubular connector and the first axial end of the sliding joint is engaged with the blunt mounting end of the enclosed needle to support and axially move the needle in the tubular connector and sufficiently to form a leak resistant fluid coupling between the blunt mounting end of the needle and the sliding joint.

16. A syringe safety device configured to form a fluid coupling between a sealed vial and a syringe, the syringe safety device comprising:

a tubular connector having opposing first and second axial open ends, the first open axial end being adapted to engage an end of a conventional medicine vial with stopper;

a syringe needle with one pointed end and one enlarged, blunt removably mounting end; and

a sliding joint received in the second open axial end of the tubular connector, the sliding joint having opposing first and second open axial ends and a passageway between the first and second axial open ends, the first axial open end being adapted to engage with an enlarged, blunt mounting end of a syringe needle, the second axial end of the sliding joint further being adapted to releasably engage at least a releasable needle receiver on a distal end of a barrel of a conventional syringe without needle, the syringe being releasably removable from the sliding joint after fluid coupling with the vial through the passageway of the sliding joint without removal of the sliding joint from the tubular connector and without the needle, the needle being non-releasably captured in the tubular connector with the sliding joint, the first axial end of the sliding joint being configured to releasably mate with the blunt mounting end of the enclosed needle, the first axial end of the sliding joint includes threads configured to releasably engage the blunt mounting end of the enclosed needle.

17. A syringe safety device configured to form a fluid coupling between a sealed vial and a syringe, the syringe safety device comprising:

a tubular connector having opposing first and second axial open ends, the first open axial end being adapted to engage an end of a conventional medicine vial with stopper; and

a sliding joint received in the second open axial end of the tubular connector, the sliding joint having opposing first and second open axial ends and a passageway between the first and second axial open ends, the first axial open end being adapted to engage with an enlarged, blunt mounting end of a syringe needle, the second axial end of the sliding joint further being adapted to releasably engage at least a releasable needle receiver on a distal end of a barrel of a conventional syringe without needle, the syringe being releasably removable from the sliding joint after fluid coupling with the vial through the passageway of the sliding joint without removal of the sliding joint from the tubular connector and without the needle, the second axial end of the sliding joint is open and has an inner chamber exposed at the second end of the tubular connector, the inner chamber being configured to releasably receive at least a needle mount provided on the distal end of the syringe to removably mount a needle to the distal end of the syringe, the inner chamber of the sliding joint has a tapered central opening forming part of the passageway and is configured to releasably frictionally engage the needle mount of the syringe.

18. A syringe safety device configured to form a fluid coupling between a sealed vial and a syringe, the syringe safety device comprising:

a tubular connector having opposing first and second axial open ends, the first open axial end being adapted to engage an end of a conventional medicine vial with stopper; and

a sliding joint received in the second open axial end of the tubular connector, the sliding joint having opposing first and second open axial ends and a passageway between the first and second axial open ends, the first axial open end being adapted to engage with an enlarged, blunt mounting end of a syringe needle, the second axial end of the sliding joint further being adapted to releasably engage at least a releasable needle receiver on a distal end of a barrel of a conventional syringe without needle, the syringe being releasably removable from the sliding joint after fluid coupling with the vial through the passageway of the sliding joint without removal of the sliding joint from the tubular connector and without the needle, the second axial end of the sliding joint is open and has an inner chamber exposed at the second end of the tubular connector, the inner chamber being configured to releasably receive at least a needle mount provided on the distal end of the syringe to removably mount a needle to the distal end of the syringe, the inner chamber of the sliding joint has a structure configured to releasably threadingly mate with the needle mount of the syringe.

19. A syringe safety device configured to form a fluid coupling between a sealed vial and a syringe, the syringe safety device comprising:

a tubular connector having opposing first and second axial open ends, the first open axial end being adapted to engage an end of a conventional medicine vial with stopper;

a syringe needle with one pointed end and one enlarged, blunt removable mounting end; and

a sliding joint received in the second open axial end of the tubular connector, the sliding joint having opposing first and second open axial ends and a passageway between the first and second axial open ends, the first axial open end being adapted to engage with an enlarged, blunt mounting end of a syringe needle, the second axial end of the sliding joint further being adapted to releasably engage at least a releasable needle receiver on a distal end of a barrel of a conventional syringe without needle, the syringe being releasably removable from the sliding joint after fluid coupling with the vial through the passageway of the sliding joint without removal of the sliding joint from the tubular connector and without the needle, the needle being non-releasably captured in the tubular connector with the sliding joint, the tubular connector has first and second open ended cavities at the first and second open axial ends and a central passageway fluidly connecting the first and second cavities and wherein the central passageway tapers radially inwardly in extending from the second cavity toward the first cavity sufficiently to engage the blunt end of the needle to retain the needle within the connector with the sliding joint.

20. The syringe safety device according to claim 19 wherein the first cavity includes an interior transverse wall, wherein the passageway includes a central opening through the transverse wall and wherein the transverse wall includes an annular protuberance projecting axially outwardly toward the first open end from the transverse wall and surrounding the opening sufficiently to seal against the stopper of a vial secured in the first cavity.

21. A syringe safety device configured to form a fluid coupling between a sealed vial and a syringe, the syringe safety device comprising:

a tubular connector having opposing first and second axial open ends, the first open axial end being adapted to engage an end of a conventional medicine vial with stopper; and

a sliding joint received in the second open axial end of the tubular connector, the sliding joint having opposing first and second open axial ends and a passageway between the first and second axial open ends, the first axial open end being adapted to engage with an enlarged, blunt mounting end of a syringe needle, the second axial end of the sliding joint further being adapted to releasably engage at least a releasable needle receiver on a distal end of a barrel of a conventional syringe without needle, the syringe being releasably removable from the sliding joint after fluid coupling with the vial through the passageway of the sliding joint without removal of the sliding joint from the tubular connector and without the needle, the tubular connector has an open ended cavity at the second open axial end of the connector receiving the sliding joint, wherein the sliding joint has at least one circumferentially and radially outwardly extending protrusion and wherein the tubular connector has at least one spring clip member extending inwardly into the cavity such that the one spring clip member must engage at least one sidewall of the protrusion extending generally radially and axially on the sliding joint to prevent rotation of the sliding joint in the cavity in at least one direction of rotation of the sliding joint with respect to the tubular connector.

22. The syringe safety device of claim 21 wherein the protrusion has a ramp surface extending partially around the sliding joint generally circumferentially and radially inwardly from a radially distal end of the radially and axially extending sidewall of the protrusion.