Syringe with visually coded needle hub

• US 9,272,099 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Limaye, Amit, Levine, Claire L., Rosen, Edward J., deFreese, Matthew J., Reiners, Rick P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berdichevsky, Aarti B
• Application Number:
  US13/442,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20130267904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 604/187, 604/189, 604/110, 604192-198, 604/263
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/065 Rigid ampoules, e.g. glass ampoules
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1406 Septums, pierceable membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3125 specific display means, e.g. to indicate dose setting
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3126 Specific display means related to dosing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/584 having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• 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 5/31 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3202 Devices for protection of the needle before use, e.g. caps A61M5/50 takes precedence; for infusion spikes A61M5/1626; protectors for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3293 characterised by features of the needle hub
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/348 snap lock, i.e. upon axial displacement of needle assembly A61M5/344 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 63/005 for marking or coding articles prior to packaging

Abstract

A medication delivery device included molded cylindrical barrel having visual marks on the surface of the barrel in the axial direction, a plunger seals the distal opening of the cylindrical barrel, a molded needle hub disposed in the proximal opening of the cylindrical barrel for sealing the needle hub to the barrel. A needle is disposed in the needle hub for communicating liquids by operation of the plunger in the axial direction. The circumferential surface on the flange of the needle hub comprises a colored mark that corresponds to a characteristic of the medication delivery device or its contents.

Claims

1. A medication delivery device, comprising:

a barrel having an opening at a first end, and an opening at a second end;

a plunger disposed in the second end opening of the barrel for sealing the second end opening of the barrel;

a needle safety shield, comprising an outer surface and an inner surface for removable attachment to a needle hub;

a separately formed needle hub attached to the first opening of the barrel, wherein said needle hub comprises a flange and a colored mark that extends around a circumference of said flange and corresponds to a characteristic of the medication delivery device or its content, and wherein said flange extends radially from an outer surface of the needle hub such that said colored mark is adjacent to said outer surface of said needle safety shield when said needle safety shield is attached to said needle hub; and

a needle disposed in the needle hub for injecting liquids by operation of the plunger in the axial direction;

wherein, when the needle safety shield is attached to the needle hub, the needle safety shield abuts the flange of the needle hub; and

wherein the flange is completely visible to a user when the needle safety shield is not attached to the needle hub.

2. The medication delivery device as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the needle hub flange having the colored mark is substantially visible when said needle safety shield is attached to said needle hub.

3. The medication delivery device as recited in claim 1, wherein the colored mark is substantially identical to a color of a cap or label on an insulin container for withdrawing the insulin therefrom by operation of the medication delivery device.

4. The medication delivery device as recited in claim 1, wherein the medication delivery device is packaged in a container having an exterior surface, wherein the surface includes a visual mark that has a color substantially identical to the colored mark.

5. The medication delivery device as recited in claim 1, wherein the colored mark is formed via an ultraviolet resin and an ultraviolet light.

6. The medication delivery device as recited in claim 1, wherein a colored mark is selectively formed on an outer surface of a base of the needle hub.

7. The medication delivery device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of a surface of the barrel and a surface of the needle hub comprises a tinted color formed via selective exposure to a laser.

8. The medication delivery device as recited in claim 1, wherein the colored mark is associated with visual marks on an outer surface of the barrel.

9. The medication delivery device as recited in claim 8, wherein the visual marks on the outer surface of the barrel correspond to units of insulin based on an insulin concentration.