Needle Cap For Syringe Package

Abstract

A two piece syringe package of the type having a cap for enclosing the barrel end of a syringe and a sheath for enclosing the needle end of the syringe, characterized in that the sheath extends over the barrel end of the syringe with the inner diameter of the sheath spaced from the barrel outer diameter, and having a surface for receiving the cap on the outer diameter of the sheath, with the sheath further being provided with ribs on the interior thereof for centering the needle portion of the syringe during assembly, storage and shipment.

Parent Case Text

This application is a streamline continuation of Ser. No 715,238, filed Mar. 22, 1968, now abandoned.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to syringe containers.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The art, as represented by the patents to Kendall, U.S. Pat. No. 2,720,969, Wilburn U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,638, Burke U.S. Pat. No. 2,972,991 and Cowley U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,747, discloses syringe packages including a closed end needle sleeve which telescopes over the syringe needle. The patent to Green U.S. Pat. No. 2,421,495, as well as the Wilburn patent, also shows syringe packages where the needle sleeve covers part of the barrel portion of the syringe. However, in these structures there is direct contact between the needle sleeve and the syringe barrel which is an unsatisfactory departure from sterility standards. Thus, it has become desirable to provide a syringe package which safely holds the syringe in a centered relationship within the package and yet is maintained free of direct contact with the syringe to permit the desired air spacing between the package and the syringe.

Summary of the Invention

This invention is directed, in brief, to the provision of a two piece syringe package of the type having a sleeve-like cap for enclosing the barrel end of the syringe and a sheath separable from the cap for enclosing the syringe end thereof and, in particular, to a sheath for such a syringe which centers the needle portion of the syringe within the cap, extends over a portion of the barrel end of the syringe, and yet is free of direct contact therewith. The best mode currently contemplated for carrying out the instant invention is a needle cap which is of a generally frusto-conical shape and has inwardly directed and spaced ribs for centering the needle portion of the syringe. The syringe needle may be encased within a cannula whereby the cannula contacts the ribs in the sheath. The sheath terminates in an open, generally cylindrical syringe barrel receiving end which extends over the barrel and has an inner diameter substantially greater than the outer diameter of the syringe barrel so as to be diametrically spaced therefrom, and has an outer surface and an axially extending recess for firmly and telescopically receiving the cap portion of the syringe package over the exterior of the open end of the sheath.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a syringe package including the needle cap portion of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing the syringe package with a syringe in assembled relationship therein;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines 3--3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the lines 4--4 of Fig. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Syringe package 10 is intended for use in containing therein a syringe 12 having the usual barrel 14, and plunger 16 with thumb button 18 on the exterior thereof. Fluid is dischargeable out of the neck 22 of the barrel into the receiving end 24 of the needle 26 for dispensation out of the open end 27 of the needle.

For purposes of this invention, the needle 26 is shown encased in a cannula 28 of plastic or other suitable sterilizable material. The needle and cannula combination is shown in the copending application of Ralph D. Alley and David S. Sheridan, filed May 24, 1967, under Ser. No. 640,889. The cannula may include an enlarged portion 28a which tapers generally frusto-conically into a reduced generally cylindrical portion 28 b The tip end 28c of the cannula tapers into a smooth junction with the needle 26.

The barrel end of the syringe is generally closed by a circular cylindrical barrel cap 30 having a closed end 32 adjacent the thumb button 18 of plunger 16 and an open end 34 facing toward needle 26. The button 18 is intended to be in abutting engagement with the inside end portion 32 when the package is assembled.

The needle portion of the syringe is encased within a needle sheath or lower sleeve 36 of this invention. Sheath 36 includes a generally cylindrical base portion 38 which is intended to overlie a portion of the syringe barrel 14. Base 38 includes a reduced diameter portion 40 having inner surface 40a which has a diameter substantially larger than the outer diameter of the barrel 14 so as to be well spaced therefrom. The outer surface 40b of portion 40 has a diameter of a size to snugly mate with, and telescopically receive, the inner diameter of the barrel cap 30. In addition, base portion 38 has an axially extending recess 42 for receiving the free end 34 of the barrel cap 30 to close the two part package when so assembled.

The sheath 36 further includes a generally frusto-conical tapered body 44 which merges into a substantially cylindrical tip portion 46 that terminates in a closed end 48 for shielding the pointed or free end 27 of needle 26. Outer ribs 50 may be formed on the exterior of the frusto-conical body portion 44, these ribs 50 terminating in flange portion 50b in the area of the juncture of the frusto-conical portion 44 and cylindrical base 38. The flange portion 50b is shown in the shape of a hexagonal figure with six flat surfaces 50c each one of which forms a means for limiting rolling of the package when placed on a smooth surface. The number of sides on the flange portion 50b can vary without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The interior of the sheath 38 is provided with a plurality (preferably eight) of generally radially inwardly directed and axially extending ribs 52. The ribs have tapered guide surfaces 53 adjacent the enlarged open end 40 and terminate in inwardly facing free ends 54 which define a generally circular cylindrical inner sleeve that substantially snugly mates with the receiving end 24 of needle 26 and also with the enlarged portion 28a of plastic cannula 28, centering the syringe with respect to the cap when the syringe is inserted therein and holding the barrel centered relative to the cylindrical base 38 and well spaced out of contact therewith. The fit between the ribs 52 and the needle is such as to retain the needle in position in the sheath. However, a slight shaking action will break the fit and permit the needle and syringe to be dropped from the sheath.

The cap 30 is placed over the syringe 14 with the open end 34 slid down the outer surface 40b of the reduced portion 40 of the sheath 36. The end 34 seats into the recess 42 in base portion 38 of the sheath 36 with the button 18 of the syringe bearing against the inner surface of end 32 of the cap 30. The cap 30 is sealed to the sheath by spot heat sealing or by tape at the junction of the cap to the sheath. The whole unit is appropriately sterilized prior to shipment by a gas sterilization process or the equivalent. When the seal is broken between the cap and the sheath, the bottom end 34 of the cap 30 being sterile will not contaminate the surface 40b as it is removed therefrom. Therefore, the outer edge of the reduced diameter portion 40 is maintained in a sterile condition so that even if the needle strikes said edge as it is removed from the sheath, it will not effect its sterile state.

With this construction, after the cap 30 has been removed from the syringe, the syringe is still maintained centered within the sheath 36 and the barrel spaced from direct engagement therewith. Thus, the syringe may be held on a tray, still received within the sheath 36, in a condition ready for use and still be maintained sterile and out of direct contact with any surfaces. Furthermore, as the syringe is either dropped or withdrawn from the sheath 36, the needle 26 and/or cannula 28 will slide along the sterile edges 54 of the guides or ribs 52 and over the sterile inner surface 40a as it drops from the package whereby no sterility of the needle or cannula will be lost. All other portions of the syringe will be maintained free of contact with the needle cap to insure maximum sterility thereof prior to use. In addition, the multiplicity of ribs 52, and close circumferential spacing at the inner ends 54 thereof, and the effective inner diameter formed by the free ends 54 affords a means for initially guiding and subsequently holding the syringe in a centered relationship within the needle cap for maintaining the syringe so centered and generally spaced from the portions 40, 44 and 46 of the needle cap following assembly.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Claims

I claim:

1. A package for use with a syringe having a barrel and a hub with a needle projecting outwardly from said hub, a plastic cannula having a sleeve portion encircling the distal end portion of the needle and gradually tapering to an enlarged portion encasing the remainder of the needle with the proximal end portion of the cannula abutting the hub, a sheath having a closed end merging into a tapered body for receiving and enclosing the plastic cannula and the hub and needle of the syringe, the tapered body terminating in an enlarged open end, the body being of a length from the closed end to the open end sufficient to enclose the syringe hub and needle and part of the syringe barrel, the inner diameter of the open end of the sheath being substantially larger than the outer diameter of the syringe barrel with which the sheath is intended to be used so as to be free of direct contact therewith, the interior of the body portion of the sheath being provided with a plurality of generally radially inwardly directed and axially extending ribs, the radical extent of the ribs being of such a dimension as to closely embrace the hub portion of the syringe and to hold the same in centered relationship relative to the sheath, the distance between the innermost edges of adjacent ribs being smaller than the diameter of the hub so as to guide the needle into said centered position in said sheath, and a barrel cap enclosing the barrel of the syringe, said sheath having a circumferential recess formed in the axially facing open end wall for receiving the end of said barrel cap for sealing the sheath and cap together, said cap, sheath, and syringe having portions thereof spaced from each other to provide a gas passageway extending from the interior of said barrel cap to the interior of that portion of the sheath which surrounds the distal end portion of the needle.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein external flange means are formed on said sheath with flat surfaces formed on the outer edge of said flange, each flat surface being adapted when in the down position to limit rolling of the package when placed on a smooth surface.

3. The package as claimed in claim 1 wherein said barrel includes a main cylindrical portion and a generally radially inwardly extending distal end portion facing toward the proximal end portions of the ribs, the ribs extending radially outwardly to points which are radially outward of the outer periphery of said main cylindrical portion of the barrel.

4. The package as claimed in claim 1 wherein said barrel includes a main cylindrical portion and a generally radially inwardly extending distal end portion facing toward the proximal end portions of the ribs, said distal end portion being axially spaced from the proximal end portions of the ribs.

5. The package as claimed in claim 1 wherein said barrel includes a neck received in said hub and spacing the barrel entirely out of direct contact with the sheath.