U.S. patent number 3,677,245 [Application Number 05/026,021] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-18 for self-contained disposable syringe.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Becton Dickinson and Company. Invention is credited to Joseph T. Welch.
United States Patent |
3,677,245 |
Welch |
July 18, 1972 |
SELF-CONTAINED DISPOSABLE SYRINGE
Abstract
A self-contained disposable syringe including a syringe barrel
with an open rear end and a needle mounted on the forward end. The
needle has a passage therethrough which communicates with the
interior of the barrel. A plunger is positioned within the syringe
barrel and is movable with respect to the barrel. A needle shield
is normally positioned in sealing engagement with the forward end
of the syringe barrel and surrounds the needle so as to protect the
needle from damage and loss of sterility. A removable seal on the
rear end of the syringe barrel normally provides a compact sealed
self-contained disposable syringe in sterile condition and suitable
for shipment and storage. The needle shield is adapted for removal
from the forward end of the barrel and is adapted for engagement
with the rear end of the plunger to form finger gripping means on
said plunger to facilitate the movement of the plunger with respect
to the barrel when the sealed syringe is open for use.
Inventors: |
Welch; Joseph T. (Skyline
Lakes, NJ) |
Assignee: |
Becton Dickinson and Company
(East Rutherford, NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
21829402 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/026,021 |
Filed: |
April 6, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/193; 604/195;
604/201 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
5/3202 (20130101); A61M 5/178 (20130101); A61M
5/31515 (20130101); A61M 2005/3118 (20130101); A61M
2005/3121 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
5/178 (20060101); A61M 5/32 (20060101); A61M
5/31 (20060101); A61M 5/315 (20060101); A61m
005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/215,218P,128D,218S,221 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reich; Joseph S.
Claims
I claim:
1. A self-contained disposable syringe comprising:
a hollow syringe barrel having a substantially cylindrical main
body portion and a rear end portion having an open rear end and a
larger diameter than that of said main body portion, and needle
mounting means at the forward end of the barrel;
the needle having a passage therethrough communicating with the
interior of the barrel;
a plunger including a stopper portion and a rod portion movable
with respect to said syringe barrel and normally positioned within
said barrel the rod portion being mounted to the rear portion of
said stopper portion and extending rearwardly therefrom through
said barrel main body portion and terminating adjacent said rear
end portion when said stopper portion is positioned in the forward
end of the barrel main body portion;
a needle shield having sealing means thereon to normally position
said shield in sealing engagement with the forward end of said
syringe barrel and in surrounding non-contacting relationship with
respect to said needle so as to protect the needle from damage and
loss of sterility;
removable and piercable sealing means on the rear end of the
syringe barrel thereby normally providing a compact sealed
self-contained disposable syringe in sterile condition and suitable
for shipment and storage; and
said needle shield adapted for removal from the forward end of said
barrel and adapted for engagement with the rear end of the plunger
and having an external diameter to permit one end of said shield to
be placed within the rear end portion of the barrel to provide an
axial extension of and to form exterior finger gripping means on
said plunger to facilitate the movement of said plunger with
respect to said barrel when the sealed syringe is opened for use to
permit operation of the syringe without the use of any additional
parts.
2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the syringe
barrel has a reduced forward end portion having a bore therethrough
communicating with the interior of said barrel, said needle being
mounted in the bore of said reduced portion of said syringe barrel
and extending forwardly therefrom, an annular skirt extending from
said syringe barrel in concentric surrounding relationship with
said forward reduced portion of the barrel, said shield having a
substantially hollow cylindrical configuration and having a reduced
one end portion, at least one annular projection on the reduced end
of said shield, the reduced end of said shield having an inner
diameter and an outer diameter which permits the reduced end
portion of the shield to be inserted between the interior of the
skirt and the exterior of the reduced forward end of the syringe
barrel with tight frictional engagement between the annular
projections on the reduced end of the shield and the inner surface
of the skirt of the syringe barrel thereby providing a sealing
engagement between the shield and the syringe barrel, a shoulder
formed where the reduced end portion of the shield meets the
remainder of the shield, said shoulder engaging with the forward
rim of said skirt when said reduced end of said shield is engaged
with said syringe barrel thereby facilitating the seating
engagement between said shield and said syringe barrel.
3. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plunger
has a resilient member mounted on the forward end thereof with a
portion of said resilient member engaging in sealing frictional
engagement with the inner wall of said syringe barrel and slidable
with respect thereto to facilitate the drawing of liquid into said
barrel upon retraction of said plunger and projection of said fluid
from said barrel upon protraction of said plunger.
4. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein said plunger is
cylindrical in configuration and has a plurality of spaced
longitudinal ribs extending from the outer surface thereof along
its entire length with the outer diameter of said ribs being less
than the inner diameter of the syringe barrel located rearward of
the reduced forward portion thereof, the reduced forward end of
said shield having an inner diameter substantially the same as the
outer diameter of the longtitudinal ribs on the plunger so that
when said needle shield is removed from engagement with the forward
end portion of said syringe barrel and said sealing means is
removed from the rear end of said syringe barrel, the reduced end
portion of said needle shield may be frictionally engaged with the
rear end of said plunger to thereby form said finger gripping
handle for said plunger to facilitate operation of said
syringe.
5. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein the major
portion of said needle shield other than said reduced end portion
has a series of longitudinal projections thereon to facilitate the
gripping and handling of said needle shield when it is being
removed from frictional engagement with the forward end of the said
syringe barrel, when it is being brought into tight frictional
engagement with the rear end of the plunger and when it is being
utilized as a finger gripping means to slidably move said plunger
with respect to said syringe barrel.
6. The invention in accordance with claim 2 wherein the rear end
portion of said syringe barrel has a pair of diametrically opposed
flanges adjacent the forward end of said larger diameter rear end
portion of said syringe barrel to facilitate gripping of said
syringe during use.
7. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said plunger,
syringe barrel and needle shield are composed of a plastic
material.
8. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sealing
means on the rear end of said barrel is of a gas permeable paper
material adhesively engaged with the rear edge of the syringe
barrel to facilitate gas sterilization of said syringe in its
normal sealed condition.
9. The invention in accordance with claim 8 wherein the end of said
shield distal from said reduced end portion is sealed by means of a
gas permeable paper covering bonded thereto to thereby facilitate
the gas sterilization of said syringe in the normally sealed
condition.
10. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sealing
means is composed of an impermeable material thereby facilitating
the provision of a hermetically sealed syringe adapted for
sterilization by radiation.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In normal commercial production, disposable syringes are generally
contained in a packaging medium which entails the use of one or
more elements to contain and protect the syringe from damage during
shipment and handling. Additionally, the packages employed are
designed to retain the syringe in a sterile condition during the
shipping, handling and storage thereof until it is desired to use
the syringe.
Packages of this type tend to be bulky and consequently consume
more storage space per unit than is desirable. Furthermore, when
the package is opened and the syringe removed there are often
portions of the package which have to be removed by fracture or
some other means and then discarded.
Naturally with a packaging medium employed to contain each
individual syringe or a multiplicity of syringes, the cost of
providing the packaging contributes significantly to the overall
cost of each individual disposable syringe. It is desirable that a
disposable syringe be manufactured at as low a cost as possible
thereby facilitating the sale of a disposable syringe at a low
price. Furthermore, as previously discussed, the use of a packaging
medium to contain the syringe adds additional and unnecessary bulk
to each individual syringe which can significantly detract from
valuable storage space in a hospital or other storage area.
From the above comments, it is readily apparent from the state of
the art that it would be extremely advantageous to provide a
syringe which consists of the usual components of plunger, needle,
needle shield and barrel and also constitutes its own package which
will maintain a sterile interior prior to use as well as protect
the frangible portions of the syringe such as the needle from
damage. Furthermore, it would also be advantageous to provide such
a syringe which may be easily disassembled from its packaging
arrangement and assembled into its operating arrangement with a
minimum amount of effort and time. This would be advantageous in
providing a syringe which is equivalent to the preassembled syringe
in package form now on the market where no assembly steps are
necessary. Therefore, the syringe which forms its own package
should be readily and easily adaptable from its packaged
configuration to its assembled configuration in as few steps and as
quickly as possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the above considerations in mind, among the primary objectives
of this invention is to provide a syringe including a plunger,
needle, needle shield and barrel which in normal assembly forms its
own package and will maintain a sterile interior prior to use. No
additional packaging components are required with the exception of
a paper or plastic cover sealed to the end of the barrel and
possibly the shield if desired. The self-contained syringe will
maintain the interior portions thereof in a sterile condition
during shipping, handling and storage and additionally will protect
the frangible portions of the assembly such as the needle.
Furthermore, a minimum number of components are involved since no
parts are used as a package which allows the syringe and package
combination of this invention to be manufactured at a cost
approximately equal to that of the usable disposable syringe
without the additional cost of the package means. Naturally, this
provides a syringe having a minimum bulk since there are no excess
parts and therefore the required storage space per unit is
considerably decreased. Still further, an object of this invention
is to provide a self-contained disposable syringe wherein in the
preparation of the syringe for use, the time required for this
preparation is minimized since no components need be removed or
disassembled and discarded. The shield is adapted to be removed
from the needle and assembled to the plunger rod in one motion
thereby transforming the package syringe into a syringe ready for
immediate use quickly and efficiently.
In summary, a self-contained disposable syringe is provided which
includes a syringe barrel having an open rear end and a needle
mounted on the forward end thereof. The needle has a passage
therethrough communicating with the interior of the barrel. A
plunger is normally positioned within the barrel and is movable
with respect to the syringe barrel. A needle shield is normally in
sealing engagement with the forward end of the syringe barrel and
in surrounding relationship with the needle so as to protect the
needle from damage and loss of sterility. Removable sealing means
is positioned on the rear end of the syringe barrel thereby
normally providing a compact sealed, self-contained disposable
syringe in sterile condition and suitable for shipment and storage.
The needle shield is adapted for removal from the forward end of
the barrel and adapted for engagement with the rear end of the
plunger to form finger gripping means on the plunger to facilitate
the movement of the plunger with respect to the barrel when the
sealed syringe is opened for use.
With the above objects, among others, in mind reference is had to
the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a central sectional view of the selfcontained disposable
syringe of this invention shown in its normally sealed sterile
packaged condition; and
FIG. 2 is a central sectional view thereof showing the syringe with
its components in their unpackaged condition and with the syringe
assembled for immediate use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 of the drawing shows the self-contained disposable syringe
20 of the invention in its sterile packaged form. The syringe
assembly in package form basically consists of a syringe barrel 21,
a needle 22, a plunger 23 and a needle shield 24. In the embodiment
shown, both open ends of the package are sealed with separate
sealing means. Sealing means 25 covers the end of needle shield 24
distal from syringe barrel 21 and sealing means 26 covers the rear
end of syringe barrel 21.
Syringe barrel 21 is a conventional type of syringe barrel which is
constructed of a plastic material which lends itself readily to
disposability. The syringe barrel is hollow and of a general
cylindrical configuration and has a reduced forward cylindrical end
portion 27. Reduced portion 27 has a bore 28 therethrough which
communicates at its forward end with the exterior of the syringe
barrel and at the rear end with the interior of syringe barrel 21.
It may also be noted that the portion of syringe barrel 21
immediately adjacent the forward reduced portion is tapered into a
conical configuration to facilitate flow of fluid into and out of
the syringe barrel and also proper engagement with the stopper
mounted on the forward portion of plunger 23 as will be discussed
in greater detail below.
The forward tip of the bore 28 is flared outwardly to facilitate
reception of the needle 22 when it is combined with syringe barrel
21 in the formation of the syringe assembly. Needle or cannula 22
is a common commercial type of syringe needle metallic in nature
and having a bore 29 therethrough. The forward end of cannula or
needle 22 has a pointed puncture tip 30 for insertion into a fluid
source. The rear end 31 of cannula 22 generally has a blunt
configuration and communicates with the interior of the main body
portion of barrel 21. Cannula 22 may be retained in position within
reduced forward end 27 by any common bonding means such as an epoxy
resin. Reduced forward end 27 has a number of spaced longitudinal
ribs 34 on its outer surface to provide additional rigidity and
strength to end 27.
Extending from the main portion of barrel 21 is an annular skirt 32
which has the same outer diameter as the main portion of barrel 21
and a larger inner diameter than forward reduced portion 27 of
syringe barrel 21. It is not necessary that skirt 32 have the same
outer diameter as the main portion of barrel 21. Annular skirt 32
as shown extends at least as far forward as the forward tip of
reduced portion 27 and is substantially concentric with reduced
portion 27 and needle 22. Skirt 32 does not necessarily have to
extend as far forward as the tip of portion 27. The recess 33
formed between the outer surface of reduced portion 27 and skirt 32
forms a reception space for a portion of needle shield 24 as will
be discussed in greater detail below.
The rear end portion 35 of syringe barrel 21 has a larger inner and
outer diameter than the main body portion of barrel 21 and is
connected thereto by means of a tapered integral conical shaped
portion 36 which is of the same diameter at its rear end as rear
portion 35 and has the same diameter at its forward end as the main
body portion of barrel 21. The purpose of this larger diameter
portion 35 on the syringe barrel 21 is for readily facilitating the
engagement of needle shield 24 with plunger 23 as will be discussed
in greater detail below. A pair of diametrically opposed finger
gripping flanges 37 extend outwardly from syringe barrel 21
intermediate the larger diameter upper portion 35 and the main
portion of syringe barrel 21. These flanges facilitate the gripping
of the syringe when it is in actual use.
Plunger 23 may assume a variety of different configurations with
the principal criteria being that it be a rigid member preferably
of a low cost material such as plastic and be of a length which
permits it to be located entirely within syringe barrel 21 when the
selfcontained disposable syringe 20 is in the sealed packaged
condition. A plurality of spaced longitudinal ribs 38' extend
almost the entire length of plunger 23 with the exception of its
forward end portion. These ribs 38' serve to rigidify plunger 23
and also form an engaging surface for shield 24 when it is
connected to plunger 23 to form the finger gripping portion of
plunger 23 when the syringe is opened and prepared for use. A
retaining lug 55 is on the plunger adjacent the rear end thereof to
assist in maintaining shield 24 in position on the rear end of
plunger 23 during use. Lug 55 engages with the inner surface of the
forward portion of the shield in a tight frictional engagement to
provide increased retention force to hold the shield in position on
the plunger.
The forward end portion of plunger 23 is in the form of a small
diameter cylindrical projection 38 terminating in a flanged tip 39.
The point of engagement between projection 38 and flanged tip 39
forms a shoulder 40 to facilitate engagement and retention of a
flexible stopper 41 mounted on the forward end of plunger 23.
Stopper 41 may be constructed of any common type of elastomeric
material commonly used in the art today such as a flexible rubber
or plastic material. Furthermore, alternatively, the stopper may be
formed integrally with the plunger as one member. Stopper 41 has a
recess 42 interiorly thereof to receive flanged tip 39 as shown in
the drawings. In this manner, stopper 41 is mounted to plunger 23
and is moved longitudinally within barrel 21 as plunger 23 is moved
longitudinally within barrel 21. A pair of annular projections 43
on stopper 41 frictionally engage with the inner surface of syringe
barrel 21 to form a sealing surface therebetween so that when
plunger 23 is withdrawn in a normal manner, fluid may be drawn into
the cavity 44 formed between the forward tip of stopper 41 and the
rear end 31 of cannula 22. It can be readily seen that the steps of
operating the syringe are similar to those employed in the
operation of syringes of this type.
Turning to needle shield 24, which also may be constructed of a
common type of plastic material, it will be noted that the main
body portion 45 is cylindrical in configuration and has
substantially the same inner and outer diameter as a portion of
syringe barrel 21. This provides for a substantial uniform diameter
intermediate the end portions of the syringe assembly 20 when in
its sealed condition. In this sealed condition, needle shield 24
has one end proximal the syringe barrel 21 and one end distal the
syringe barrel 21. The distal end 46 has a flange on the
circumference of its outer edge to receive sealing means 25 by an
adhesive bond or other common fastening means. The proximal end 47
has a reduced outer diameter substantially less than the outer
diameter of the main body portion 45 of needle shield 24. This
reduced end portion 47 of needle shield 24 is substantially
cylindrical in configuration. The outer surface of reduced end
portion 47 has a pair of annular rings 48 in parallel relationship
to one another and projecting therefrom. The resultant outer
diameter on reduced portion 47 provided by annular rings 48 and the
engagement between the inner diameter of skirt 32 form a tight
frictional engagement when reduced end portion 47 is inserted into
recess 33 provided between skirt 32 and reduced forward portion 27
of syringe barrel 21. The engagement occurs with sufficient
friction so that when the deformation of rings 48 occurs, reduced
proximal end 47 will snap into position within the forward end of
syringe barrel 21 thereby forming a seal therebetween thereby
preventing contamination of needle 22.
As shown in FIG. 1, the ends may be sealed by means 25 and 26 at
each end of disposable syringe 20 respectively. The type of
material utilized for sealing means 25 and 26 may vary according to
the type of sterilization process used. If the disposable syringe
20 is to be gas sterilized, the material utilized for sealing means
25 and 26 would be in the form of a porous paper which is gas
permeable and which will maintain sterility after the gas
sterilization process. Naturally the gas sterilization process
utilized is one commonly known in the art. If other methods of
sterilization are to be employed such as by radiation, sealing
means 25 and 26 may take the form of an impermeable paper, plastic,
paper-foil, laminate or other similar material in which case the
syringe would be hermetically sealed and sterilized. Naturally, if
this method is to be employed, sealing means 25 may be eliminated
and the main portion of shield 24 including its distal end 46 may
be formed of an integral plastic material. The shown design
configuration would be changed to facilitate manufacture of shield
24. The reason this may be accomplished will be discussed below
when it will be readily seen that there is no necessity that the
distal end 46 of needle shield 24 be opened for operation of the
syringe. However, for purposes of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1
and 2 sealing means 25 and 26 are in the form of a gas permeable
paper and disposable syringe 20 as shown in FIG. 1 has been gas
sterilized and appears in its sealed condition.
It also should be noted that there may or may not be engagement
between the forward lip 48' of syringe barrel 21 and shoulder 49
fall at the juncture between reduced proximal end 47 and main body
portion 45 of needle shield 44. Engagement between rim 48' and
shoulder 49 indicates that needle shield 24 is completely seated
within recess 33 of syringe barrel 21. However, as can be seen from
FIG. 1, the sealing engagement substantially occurs between the
outer rings 48 on proximal end 47 and the inner surface of skirt
32. It should also be noted that an opening 50 is provided to
permit communication with the hollow cylindrical proximal end 47
and the main body portion 45 of needle shield 24. As depicted, this
facilitates reception of needle 22 within needle shield 24 through
opening 50. It should also be kept in mind that in addition to the
use of a gas permeable paper for sealing means 25 and 26 when gas
sterilization is employed, a gas permeable plastic material such as
nylon may also be utilized. When sealing means 25 and 26 takes the
form as shown in FIG. 1, it may be bonded to the respective ends of
syringe assembly 20 by any common means. Furthermore, it is not
necessary even for gas sterilization that sealing means 25 be at
the distal end 46 of needle shield 24. When the disposable syringe
20 is shown in its sealed and packaged condition as in FIG. 1, a
heat mark 51 may be located at the juncture of rim 48' and shoulder
49 so as to be utilized as a tamper-proof indicator thereby
providing a readily usable means of determining if the sterility of
the interior of disposable syringe 20 may have been affected by
previous removal of shield 24.
No additional components are required to provide a completely
packaged, self-contained disposable syringe 20 as shown in FIG. 1.
Needle shield 24 performs the usual function of protecting the
needle from damage and in addition it protects the sterility of the
needle, and as will be discussed in greater detail below provides
for an extension to plunger rod 23 permitting it to be used in a
normal manner when the syringe is opened and used. It should be
kept in mind that the plunger prior to use is preferably enclosed
completely within syringe barrel 21 thus allowing sealing means 26
to be positioned over the rear end of syringe barrel 21 to assist
in providing sterility protection and if so desired, a hermetic
seal.
FIG. 2 illustrates the self-contained disposable syringe in
unpackaged condition and ready for immediate use. All that need be
done to accomplish this positioning is to withdraw needle shield 24
from the forward end of syringe barrel 21 by supplying sufficient
force to overcome the frictional engagement between proximal end 47
and the forward end of syringe barrel 21. Needle shield 24 may then
be inverted and projected onto the rear end portion of plunger 23.
This exposes needle 22 for projection into whatever medium is
desired.
The unpackaging of syringe 20 may be accomplished in a one-step
operation, that is by merely removing needle shield 24 from its
sealing position at the forward end of syringe barrel 21 and by
removing sealing means 26 and engaging proximal end 47 of needle
shield 24 with the rear end of plunger 23. The syringe is then
ready for operation with finger gripping means being provided on
the main body portion 45 of needle shield 24 and flanges 37 on
syringe barrel 21. In fact, in order to assist the gripping surface
provided by body portion 45 of needle shield 24 there are a
plurality of spaced longitudinal ribs 52 on the outer circumference
of body portion 45 of needle shield 25.
If desired, sealing means 26 may first be removed before shield 24
is positioned on plunger 23 rather than just merely punctured. To
facilitate this step, a tab 53 as shown in FIG. 1 may be provided
to facilitate the removal of sealing means 26 from the rear surface
of the syringe barrel 21 to which it is fastened by common means
such as an adhesive.
The engagement between the proximal end 47 of needle shield 24 and
the rear end of plunger 23 is by means of a frictional engagement
between the inner surface of proximal reduced end 47 and the outer
surface of ribs 38 on plunger 23. The frictional engagement may be
of a tight nature due to the deformability of the plastic members
so that a snap-on result may once again be achieved thereby
providing a positive engagement so that when needle shield 24 is
moved longitudinally plunger 23 will simultaneously be moved
longitudinally and there will be little or no danger of
disengagement therebetween. As previously discussed, to facilitate
reception of part of body portion 45 of needle shield 24 within
syringe barrel 21 the rear portion 35 of syringe barrel 21 is of an
expanded inner and outer diameter. This also facilitates the rapid
and easy engagement between needle shield 24 and plunger 23 as well
as the reception of body portion 45 of needle shield 24 within the
forward end portion of syringe barrel 21. Since it is not necessary
to provide a sealing engagement within syringe barrel 21 where
needle shield 24 engages with plunger 23, this engagement may take
a variety of forms in addition to the one described above as long
as the engagement can be easily made and will facilitate the
movement of plunger 23 as needle shield 24 is moved. There are many
types of frictional or snap-on engagements well known in the art as
well as threaded connections which may be employed to achieve
substantially the same result. All that need be kept in mind is
that a rapid and easy engagement be achieved to facilitate rapid
and efficient transfer of the self-contained disposable syringe 20
from a sealed packaged condition to an opened ready to use
condition.
As shown in FIG. 2, syringe 20 is in a ready to use position
whereby the puncture end 30 of needle 22 may then be inserted into
a fluid source and connected needle shield 24 and plunger 23 may be
withdrawn thereby withdrawing connected stopper 41 and drawing
fluid into recess 44 of syringe 21 through needle 22 until the
desired amount has been collected. Needle 22 may then be withdrawn
from the source of the fluid and combined needle shield 24 and
plunger 23 may be projected forward thereby projecting stopper 41
forward and ejecting the fluid through needle 22 into its ultimate
reception area. The tapered forward end of the main body portion of
syringe barrel 21 facilitates the flow of fluid in both directions
through needle 22 as stopper 41 is moved along the interior of
syringe barrel 21. As shown, the forward end portion of stopper 41
may assume a configuration which approximates the configuration of
the tapered forward portion of barrel 21 to assist in projecting
the greatest possible amount of fluid from within syringe barrel
21. As previously discussed, the sealing engagement between annular
projections 43 on stopper 41 and the inner surface of barrel 21
prevents passage of fluid or air between the forward and rear ends
of stopper 41.
Since the syringe is disposable, once it has been used it may be
then discarded. All of the components are of a low cost economical
material so that disposability may be readily attained due to the
low cost of the syringe.
The resultant self-contained disposable syringe has a number of
significant features which are obvious advantages over the known
art. Among these are the fact that a minimum number of components
are involved since no parts are used as a package with the
exception of sealing means where necessary such as sealing means 25
and 26 as shown in FIG. 1. This allows the syringe package
combination to be manufactured for a cost approximately equal to
that of the usual diSposable syringe without its package thereby
saving the extra cost involved in providing a packaging means for
the disposable syringe. This also facilitates the provision of a
syringe having a minimum amount of bulk since there are no excess
parts and thereby permits the storage of a greater number of units
per given storage area.
Furthermore, the preparation prior to use of this syringe is
minimized since no components need be removed and discarded. The
shield can be removed from the needle and assembled to the plunger
rod in one motion.
Thus, the above discussed objectives and advantages of this
invention are most effectively attained.
* * * * *