Assembly and system for connecting a closure to a syringe

• US 8,591,462 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medical Device Engineering, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medical Device Engineering, LLC
• Inventors: Vitello, Jonathan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BERDICHEVSKY, AARTI
• Application Number:
  US13/457,302
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 604/110, 604/111
• US Class Current: 604/111
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3104 Caps for syringes without needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/312 comprising sealing means, e.g. severable caps, to be removed prior to injection by, e.g. tearing or twisting
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/002 Packages specially adapted therefor, e.g. for syringes or needles, kits for diabetics needle protection, e.g. caps, A61M5/3202; for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/008 Racks for supporting syringes or needles A61M5/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/10 by liquids or gases
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/00 Closing containers or receptacles after filling
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2835 applying and rotating preformed threaded caps for bottles or jars B67B3/20
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 2201/00 Indexing codes relating to constructional features of closing machines

Abstract

An assembly for closing the discharge nozzle of a syringe which is pre-filled with a drug or medication. A syringe in combination with a connecting structure removably maintain and support the closure in an operative orientation, which facilitates the rotational attachment of the syringe and the closure when the closure is in mating engagement with the connecting structure. A subsequent removal of the syringe and connected closure from the container or other type of connecting structure is thereby facilitated. The need for an individual to directly handle or touch the closure during its attachment to the syringe is restricted or eliminated. The closure assembly preferably also includes a tamper evident structure which reduces the chances of tampering with the syringe in order to access its contents.

Claims

1. An assembly structured to connect a closure to a syringe comprising:

at least one end cap member including an open end and a closed end, said open end dimensioned to receive a discharge port of the syringe therethrough into an interior of said one end cap member,

said closed end fixedly connected to said one end cap member in segregating relation between an exterior and at least a portion of an interior of said one end cap member,

a syringe cap disposed within said one end cap member and structured for rotational attachment to the syringe in covering relation to a discharge port of the syringe;

a drive assembly structured to facilitate said rotational attachment, said drive assembly formed on correspondingly disposed portions of both said syringe cap and said closed end, on an interior of said one end cap member,

a support base including at least one connector disposed to support said one end cap member in an operative orientation on said support base, and

said one connector cooperatively structured with said closed end to define a rotationally restrictive connection between said end cap member and said support base.

2. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one connector is integrated into a container and formed on an interior portion of said container.

3. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said operative orientation comprises said one end cap member positioned and said open end thereof exposed to facilitate said rotational attachment of the syringe.

4. An assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a tamper evident assembly disposed within said closure in cooperative relation to said syringe cap.

5. An assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said tamper evident assembly further includes said drive assembly structured for rotational movement of said end cap member relative to said syringe cap upon said rotational attachment of said syringe cap to the syringe and an indicator member removably connected to an interior of said one end cap member.

6. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said support base comprises an interior portion of a container, said container structured for commercial packaging of said one end cap member and dimensioned and configured to enclose and retain said one end cap member in said operative orientation.

7. An assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said container comprises a plurality of said connectors each formed on and extending outwardly from said interior portion;

each of said connectors disposed and structured to support a different one of a plurality of said end cap members in said operative orientation and in said rotationally restrictive connection with said interior portion.

8. An assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said rotationally restrictive connection comprises said one end cap member being disposed in substantially a rotationally fixed position relative to said support base, concurrent to rotation of the syringe relative to said one end cap member, thereby facilitating said rotational attachment of the syringe to said one end cap member.

9. An assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said rotationally restrictive connection comprises a substantially, rotationally fixed positioning of said closed end of said one end cap member relative to said one connector, concurrent to rotation of the syringe relative to said syringe cap and said rotational attachment therebetween.

10. An assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said closed end includes an exterior portion cooperatively structured with said one connector to define a removable, mating engagement therebetween;

said mating engagement at least partially defining said rotationally restrictive connection of said one end cap member and said one connector.

11. An assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein said closed end includes a recess formed on an exterior thereof and extending inwardly into said closed end.

12. An assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein said one connector is disposed in outwardly protruding relation from said support base, said one connector structured to establish a removable mating engagement with said closed end;

said removable mating engagement at least partially defined by disposition of said one connector within said recess.

13. An assembly as recited in claim 12 further comprising an outer surface formed on said one connector and an inner surface formed within said recess;

said outer surface and said inner surface being cooperatively configured with one another to at least partially define said rotationally restrictive connection of said end cap member to said support base when said one connector and said closed end are in said removable mating engagement with one another.

14. An assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein said one connector comprises a first plurality of projections formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof;

said recess comprising a second plurality of projections formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof;

said first and second plurality of projections relatively disposed and cooperatively structured to at least partially define said rotationally restrictive connection when said one connector and said recess are in said removable mating engagement with one another.

15. An assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said first and second plurality of projections are cooperatively disposed in interruptive, movement restricting engagement with one another;

said movement restricting engagement at least partially defining said rotationally restrictive connection to include restricting rotation of said end cap member in either of two opposite directions relative to said support base.

16. An assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein said support base comprises an interior portion of a container, said container dimensioned and configured to enclose and retain said one end cap member in said operative orientation therein.

17. An assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein said container comprises a plurality of said connectors each formed on and extending outwardly from said interior portion;

each of said connectors disposed and structured to support a different one of a plurality of said end cap members in said operative orientation and in said rotationally restrictive connection of said plurality of end cap members relative to said interior portion.

18. An assembly for closing a syringe comprising:

a closure including at least one end cap member having an open end and a closed end, said open end dimensioned to receive a discharge port of the syringe therethrough and into an interior of said end cap member,

said closed end of said end cap member disposed in segregating relation between an exterior and at least a portion of an interior of said end cap member,

a syringe cap disposed within said end cap member and structured for rotational attachment to the syringe in covering relation to the discharge port of the syringe;

a drive assembly structured to facilitate said rotational attachment, said drive assembly formed on correspondingly disposed portions of both said syringe cap and on an interior of said end cap member,

a container including at least one connector disposed to support said end cap member in an operative orientation, and

said at least one connector of said container cooperatively structured with said closed end of said end cap member to define a rotationally restrictive connection between said end cap member and said container.

19. An assembly as recited in claim 18 wherein said correspondingly disposed portions of said drive assembly are formed on said syringe cap and an interior side of said closed end of said end cap.

20. An assembly structured to connect a closure to a syringe comprising:

at least one closure structured for rotational attachment to the syringe and including an open end and a fixedly connected closed end;

said open end dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the syringe into said rotational attachment,

a support base at least partially defined by an interior portion of a container and including at least one connector disposed and structured to support said one closure in an operative orientation on said support base in said container,

said one connector cooperatively structured with said closed end of said one closure to define a removable mating engagement and a rotationally restrictive connection between said one closure and said one connector,

said operative orientation comprising said closed end of said one closure disposed in said removable mating engagement with said one connector and said open end exposed to the syringe to facilitate said rotational attachment therewith, and

said rotationally restrictive connection comprising a substantially rotationally fixed positioning of said closed end relative to said one connector concurrent to rotation of the syringe relative to said one closure and into said rotational attachment therewith.

21. An assembly as recited in claim 20 wherein said support base comprises a plurality of said connectors, each formed on and extending outwardly from said interior portion, and each of said connectors disposed and structured to support a different one of a plurality of said closures in said operative orientation and in said rotationally restrictive connection with said interior portion.

22. An assembly as recited in claim 20 further comprising a tamper evident assembly disposed within said closure in cooperative relation to said syringe cap.

23. An assembly as recited in claim 22 wherein said tamper evident assembly further includes said drive assembly structured for rotational movement of said end cap member relative to said syringe cap upon said rotational attachment of said syringe cap to the syringe and an indicator member removably connected to an interior of said one end cap member.

24. An assembly as recited in claim 20 wherein said closed end of said closure comprises a recess formed on an exterior thereof and extending inwardly into said closed end.

25. An assembly as recited in claim 24 wherein said one connector is disposed in outwardly protruding relation from said inner portion of said container, said one connector structured for disposition thereof into said recess to at least partially define said removable mating engagement with said closed end.

26. An assembly as recited in claim 25 wherein said one connector comprises a first plurality of projections formed on an outer surface;

said recess comprising a second plurality of projections formed on an inner surface thereof;

said first and second plurality of projections relatively disposed and cooperatively structured to at least partially define said rotationally restrictive connection when said one connector and said recess are in said removable mating engagement with one another.

27. An assembly as recited in claim 26 wherein said first and second plurality of projections are collectively disposed in interruptive, movement restricting engagement with one another;

said movement restricting engagement at least partially defining said rotationally restrictive connection to include restricting rotation of said end cap member in either of two opposite directions relative to said support base.