U.S. patent number 3,610,297 [Application Number 04/853,124] was granted by the patent office on 1971-10-05 for dual-chamber liquid ejector and filling connector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Pfizer Inc.. Invention is credited to Lothar H. Happes, Helmut W. Raaf.
United States Patent |
3,610,297 |
Raaf , et al. |
October 5, 1971 |
DUAL-CHAMBER LIQUID EJECTOR AND FILLING CONNECTOR
Abstract
A dual-chamber liquid-injecting device includes a powder loaded
piston-type syringe attached to a liquid container by a connecting
member. The connecting member has an inner sleeve sliding within an
outer sleeve with opposite ends of the sleeves coupling the neck of
the container to the nozzle of the syringe. Ports on the inner
sleeve are sealed within the outer sleeve in a preliminary extended
position, and they are opened when the sleeves are pushed together
or contracted to communicate the syringe with the container. The
contents of the container are then drawn into the syringe. The
connecting member is screwed to the neck of the container and
attached to the nozzle of the syringe by a snap-fit connection on
the inner sleeve. This facilitates ready detachment of the syringe
from the connecting member and container for application. Locating
stops for the different positions of the sleeves are provided by
annular ridges between the sleeves or a cap on an internal boss
within the outer sleeve, which also acts as a seal. The cap is
automatically pushed off into the container when the connector is
pushed together.
Inventors: |
Raaf; Helmut W.
(Karlsruhe-Waldstadt, DT), Happes; Lothar H.
(Karlsruhe-Surlach, DT) |
Assignee: |
Pfizer Inc. (New York,
NY)
|
Family
ID: |
5707030 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/853,124 |
Filed: |
August 26, 1969 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 28, 1968 [DT] |
|
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P 17 91 012.2 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
141/27; 141/383;
141/363; 604/89 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61J
1/2089 (20130101); A61M 5/19 (20130101); A61J
1/2096 (20130101); A61M 5/00 (20130101); A61J
1/2031 (20150501) |
Current International
Class: |
A61J
1/00 (20060101); A61M 5/19 (20060101); A61M
5/00 (20060101); A61j 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/136,179.5
;141/22,23,24,27,350,363,364,365,383,385 ;128/272,218M |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Kocovsky; Thomas E.
Claims
We claim:
1. A dual-chamber liquid ejecting device comprising a piston-type
syringe incorporating a first chamber and a nozzle, a container
incorporating a second chamber and a neck, a connecting member
including an inner sleeve movably inserted within an outer sleeve,
coupling means on the opposite ends of said sleeves connecting said
outer sleeve to said neck of said container and said inner sleeve
to said nozzle of said syringe, port means on a portion of said
inner sleeve insertable within said outer sleeve, and sealing
surface means in said outer sleeve for closing said port means in
one relative position of said inner and outer sleeves and for
permitting said port means to communicate with said neck coupling
means in another relative position of said inner and outer sleeves
whereby the contents of said second chamber may be drawn into said
first chamber through said inner sleeve and said nozzle.
2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein radial guide vanes are
disposed within said outer sleeve in an array adjacent and about
said inner sleeve for maintaining said sleeves longitudinally
aligned.
3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the coupling end of
said inner sleeve and the adjacent ends of said radial guide vanes
are mutually conically shaped for engaging nesting contact with
each other.
4. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inner and outer
sleeves include mutually contacting longitudinal walls, said port
means comprises aperture means in said longitudinal wall of said
inner sleeve, said inner and outer sleeves slide longitudinally
relative to each other, and said sealing surface means comprises
said longitudinal wall in said outer sleeve within which said inner
sleeve slides, said coupling end of said inner sleeve being
longitudinally displaced away from said coupling end of said outer
sleeve in said one relative position whereby said aperture means
are maintained in sealing contact within said longitudinal wall in
said outer sleeve, and said sleeves being longitudinally contracted
in said other relative position of said sleeves whereby said
aperture means moves out of contact with said longitudinal wall in
said outer sleeve into communication with said neck coupling means
on said outer sleeve.
5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said outer sleeve
includes a cylindrical boss extending the longitudinal cylindrical
wall of said outer sleeve within which said inner sleeve slides
toward said neck coupling means, and cap means being detachably
mounted upon said cylindrical boss to help seal said inner sleeve
from said neck coupling means.
6. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said neck coupling
means comprises threaded connecting means on said neck and within
the end of said outer sleeve.
7. A device as set forth in claim 6, wherein said coupling means
also includes a snap-fitting means on said nozzle and within said
coupling end of said inner sleeve.
8. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein annular ridge means is
disposed within said outer sleeve in contact with said inner sleeve
to help seal the space therebetween.
9. A device as set forth in claim 8 wherein annular ridge means is
also provided on said inner sleeve means in contact with said outer
sleeve means to help seal the space therebetween.
10. A connecting member for filling a liquid ejector incorporating
a first chamber and a nozzle from a container incorporating a
second chamber and a neck, said connecting member comprising an
inner sleeve inserted to slide within an outer sleeve, coupling
means on the opposite ends of said sleeves for connecting said
outer sleeve to said neck of said container and said inner sleeve
to said nozzle of said liquid ejector port means on a portion of
said inner sleeve inserted within said outer sleeve, said inner and
outer sleeves include mutually contacting longitudinal walls, said
port means comprises aperture means in said longitudinal wall of
said inner sleeve, said coupling end of said inner sleeve being
longitudinally displaced away from said coupling end of said outer
sleeve in a preliminary relative position in which said aperture
means is maintained in sealing contact within said longitudinal
wall in said outer sleeve, and said sleeves being longitudinally
contracted in said other relative position of said sleeves whereby
said aperture means moves out of contact with said longitudinal
wall in said outer sleeve into communication with said neck
coupling means.
11. A connecting member as set forth in claim 10 wherein said outer
sleeve comprises a cylindrical boss extending the inner
longitudinal cylindrical wall of said outer wall within which said
inner sleeve slides toward said coupling means.
12. A connecting member as set forth in claim 11 wherein radial
guide vanes are disposed within said outer sleeve in an array
adjacent and about said inner sleeve for maintaining said sleeves
longitudinally aligned.
13. A connecting member as set forth in claim 12 wherein said neck
coupling means comprise internal connecting means within the end of
said outer sleeve for connection to the neck of said container and
an enlarged end on said inner sleeve for connection to said liquid
ejector.
14. A connecting member as set forth in claim 13 wherein circular
sealing ridges are disposed between said inner and outer sleeves
for sealing the space therebetween.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a dual-chamber liquid ejector or
injector, especially for veterinary purposes, including a
piston-type syringe which constitutes a first chamber for a
substance to be mixed.
In human and veterinary medicine, various devices are needed for
administration and injection of drugs. The invention aims at
facilitating the administration or injection for the doctor,
particularly where the drug to be applied must be mixed from two or
more original substances before use. Syringes of various types are
known, which provide two chambers containing the original
substances to be mixed. When activating the syringe, a partition
wall between these chambers is opened, the contents thus becoming
ready for use. These previously known dual-chamber syringes are,
however, expensive to manufacture or cause difficulties during
field use, thus preventing widespread use. Especially in veterinary
medicine, devices for administration and injection are needed,
which can be handled easily and which may be mass produced at low
cost.
For treatment of local disorders in animals, especially in the cow
udder, preparations are used wherein the active substances are
dispersed in a base containing mineral or vegetable oil. These
dispersions are supplied in plastic injectors as ready-to-use
syringes, thus permitting direct administration of the drug
dispersion into the udder. These drugs, effective in themselves,
show disadvantages, because relatively large quantities of the
vehicle, consisting of mineral and vegetable oil and thickened with
aluminum stearate, must be administered, resulting in delayed
release and absorption of the active substance and a possible
foreign body reaction in the udder. Moreover, the volume
administered is limited by the oleaginous vehicle. In many cases
there is not enough fluid available in the udder itself to extract
the active substances from the oleaginous vehicle.
For this reason, mineral and vegetable oil preparations have not
obtained full market acceptance. Many udder inflammations are
therefore treated with aqueous drug solutions. Such preparations
are generally marketed in the form of conventional ampuls or vials.
One vial contains the active substances in dry form, while the
solvent is contained in another vial or ampule. Thus, before
treatment, both substances must be drawn into a syringe and the
resulting solution of the two substances constitutes the medicament
to be administered. The use of such syringes is particularly
complicated when several ampuls are administered, especially under
the conditions in which veterinary treatments are often
performed.
It, therefore, appears advisable to provide aqueous solutions for
veterinary application in a two-component syringe, in which they
are mixed immediately before treatment in the manner already known
in human medicine, e.g., in chloramphenicol injection. Those
syringes already known are however, unsuitable for veterinary use
as mass-produced articles. There is also a need for a simple and
economical connector for rapidly and conveniently filling a liquid
injector from a sealed container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at creating a dual-chamber injector,
especially for veterinary purposes. which may be mass-produced at a
low cost and which allows for especially simple handling. The
starting point of the invention is an injector in the form of a
piston-type syringe, which constitutes a first chamber for a
substance to be mixed. A second chamber for a further substance to
be mixed is provided by an additional receptacle adapted to be
fitted on the nozzle portion of the injector. In the region of the
neck portion on the additional receptacle a seal is provided which
may be opened by a slidable sleeve. The slidable sleeve is mounted
in a connecting member which is connectable with said neck portion
and the end of the slidable sleeve remote from the seal provides a
seal on the nozzle portion. Such a dual-chamber injector comprises
a piston-type syringe with a fitted additional receptacle. The
stability of active substances and additives in the individual
chambers is maintained by the perfect sealing of the injector from
the additional receptacle under sterile conditions. To prepare the
dual-chamber injector for use, it is only necessary to slide the
additional receptacle with the connecting member in the direction
of the injector. This opens the seal or removes or ruptures any
additional sealing element. Subsequently, the contents of the
additional receptacle enters the slidable sleeve, which surrounds
and seals the nozzle portion, and from there it is drawn up into
the injector. The additional receptacle with connecting member and
the slidable sleeve is then taken off the nozzle portion of the
injector. The mixture, which has formed in the chamber of the
injector, is ready for use. The connecting member is also useful
for rapidly and conveniently filling a liquid injector from a
sealed receptacle or container for the liquid.
The connecting member may be designed to permit a combination of
additional receptacles with injectors of different sizes, without
simultaneously requiring a change of the connecting member and the
slidable sleeve. A considerable simplification of assembly is
thereby achieved.
The connecting member may advantageously be screwed on the check
portion of the additional receptacle with a threaded outer sleeve,
and a sealing element or cap and/or ridge may be provided in the
region of this threaded sleeve on an internal boss within the
connecting member. A central bore of the outer sleeve acts as a
guiding element for slidable sleeve. The outer sleeve may also be
provided with a socket at the end adjacent the injector, which is
adapted to the external shape of the slidable sleeve. When readying
the injector for use the sealing element limits the extent of
engagement of the sleeve members towards each other. This permits
especially convenient handling. Cooperatively arranged annular
ridges on the slidable sleeves may permit assembly of the sleeves
without contracting them.
The sealing element, provided if necessary in case of stringent
sealing requirements, may be designed in different ways depending
on the substances to be contained, e.g., as a cap, which may be
slipped off, a partition wall capable of being perforated or a
sealing ring or ridge between the outer and the inner sleeve. In
many cases, an adequate seal is provided by the fit between the
outer sleeve and the slidable inner sleeve, whose flow-through
recesses communicate with the inside of the additional receptacle
only after shifting the slidable inner sleeve into the position for
use. In this case, it may under certain circumstances be
appropriate to increase the reliability of the seal by providing a
seal in the zone of the central bore of the connecting member,
opposing the slidable sleeve. It may be advantageous that this seal
is designed as a circular lip or ridge, integral with the
connecting member.
The slidable inner sleeve may be closed at the end remote from the
injector and be provided with an annular end piece at the face
side, while the flow-through recesses for the contents of the
additional receptacle are provided adjacent the closed end,
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
The dual-chamber injector, consisting of injector, slidable
connecting member, and additional receptacle, may be preassembled
as one unit, ready for use. The individual parts of the
dual-chamber injector are preferably produced as molded parts, for
instance as plastic injection molded parts.
The additional receptacle either contains a sufficient quantity of
air or is sufficiently flexible due to material and wall thickness,
to allow for changes in volume.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following
description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein
similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in
which:
FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation of a dual-chamber injector which
is one embodiment of this invention assembled with chambers
isolated from each other;
FIG. 2 is a left end view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation similar to FIG. 1, partially
broken away in cross section;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view in elevation of the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in the contracted condition with
chambers in communication with each other;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 in which the
contents of the container are drawn into the syringe;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 3 along the
line 6--6; and
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view in elevation of the
connecting portion of another embodiment of this invention.
FIGS. 1 to 6 show a dual-chamber injector 20, incorporating ejector
1 comprising a piston-type syringe. An additional container 4 is
connected with the ejector by inner sleeve member 3, slidable in
outer sleeve 2. Sleeves 2 and 3 are included within connector 30.
In barrel 5 of ejector 1, a shiftable piston 6 is inserted in
conventional manner. On barrel 5, there is a nozzle portion 7,
which merges into a conical needle portion 8. The end of slidable
inner sleeve 3 adjacent to ejector 1 is fitted onto the nozzle
portion 7 over circular sealing ridge 22. Flow-through apertures 9
extend through sleeve member 3, transversely or perpendicularly to
the longitudinal axis. The end of the slidable sleeve 3 adjacent to
the additional receptacle 4 has a circular end base 10 and an
annular end 11 which fits snugly against circular lip 24 extending
within longitudinal passageway 19 in outer sleeve 2. A tight seal
is thereby obtained, despite variation in the diameters of recess
19 and pipe member 3 encountered in production. Another circular
lip 28 on inner sleeve 3 also helps guide and seal as later
described.
Outer sleeve 2 has a threaded sleeve portion 14 provided with an
internal thread whereby it may be screwed onto a correspondingly
threaded zone on neck portion 15 of additional receptacle or
container 4. Outer sleeve 2 contains a partly conical socket 17,
defined by longitudinal ribs 16. The conical recess conforms to the
external shape of the end piece on inner sleeve 3. Inner sleeve 3
also has an annular flange 18 on the end coupled to nozzle 7 and is
mounted in a central passageway 19 through outer sleeve 2.
Injector 1 has a first chamber I, while a second chamber II is
provided by the internal space of the additional receptacle or
container 4. In both chambers, respective components of the drug,
to be applied as a mixture, may be stored. Powder 21 is thus stored
in chamber I and liquid 23 in chamber II.
The dual-chamber injector is assembled and delivered in the
position shown in FIGS. 1-3. To ready the injector for use, outer
sleeve 2 of connector 30 together with the screwed-on additional
receptacle 4 is shifted toward nozzle portion 7 of injector 1 (as
shown in FIG. 4) in such a manner that the end portion of inner
slidable sleeve 3 adjacent the injector is in contact with recessed
ends 17 of radial ribs 16 of the outer sleeve 2. In this case, the
end of the inner slidable sleeve 3 adjacent additional receptacle 4
enters the inside of additional receptacle 4. Flow-through
apertures 9 then move out of their sealing contact on the inner
surface of the central recess 19 of the outer sleeve 2 and now
communicate with the interior of the additional receptacle 4. The
piston 6 of the injector 1 is then withdrawn (as shown in FIG. 5)
thus drawing in the liquid contents of the additional receptacle 4
from chamber II. If desired, the distribution of dry substance or
powder 21 and liquid 23 may be reversed. The liquid contents mix
with the contents of chamber I, so that the drug is ready for use.
The additional receptacle 4 together with the connecting member 2
and the slidable sleeve 3 may then be removed. The injector is then
ready for use.
In accordance with the invention, a dual-chamber injector, capable
of being assembled ready for use, may be produced, preferably for
veterinary medicine, but in special cases also for human medicine.
Furthermore, the conical shoulder portion or nozzle 7 of the
injector can be advantageously constructed for fitting known
injection needles.
FIG. 7 shows the connecting portion 30A of another embodiment of
this invention. FIG. 7 shows the parts in the preliminary sealed
condition similar to FIG. 3. Cap 13 is mounted on reduced annular
end 12A of boss 32A forming an extension of longitudinal passageway
19A within outer sleeve 2A. Cap 13A provides a positive seal
between the interior of inner sleeve 3A and chamber IIA in
container 4A. Cap 13A also provides a locating stop for the annular
end 11A of inner sleeve 3A. When outer sleeve 3A is moved toward
the coupling end flange 18A of inner sleeve 3A, annular end 11A of
inner sleeve 3A pushes cap 13A off extended annular end 12A of boss
32A into chamber IIA of container 4A. A cap such as 13A may also be
used in conjunction with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6 and
would therein be positioned on annular extension 11 of boss 32
within the coupling end of outer sleeve 2.
Because of low production costs, such dual-chamber injectors or
ejectors are--apart from application in the field of medicine--
also practicable for other fields where a mixture of two separately
stored substances is to be produced before use. For example, a
similar ejector may be produced as a spraying device for cream,
wherein a freeze-dried storable initial product is contained in
chamber I and a quantity of liquid required for dissolution in
chamber II. Connector 30 may also be used for filling an empty
injector 20 with a liquid from a container or receptacle 4. The
liquid may thus be maintained sealed in the container until
immediately prior to use.
* * * * *