US2475060A - Ampoule syringe - Google Patents

Description

July 5, 1949. A'. E. SMITH AMPOULE SYRINGE mea .my 1o, '1947 Patented July 5, 1949 irse STATE-s AMPOULE SYRINGE `Arthur E. Smith, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 10, 1947, Serial No. 759,964

(Cl. 12S-'220) 5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to syringes.

The general object of theinvention is toA provide an improved syringe which is simple in construction, efficient in use and which can be economically manufactured.

A more specific object of the invention `is to provide a syringe including av barrelhavingA a novel plunger therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel piston cork for use'in a syringe.

vA further object of the invention is to provide a novel sliding plunger for use in a disposable syringe.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the` followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an extended side elevation, partly in section, showing my syringe and showing an apparatus for lling the medicinal ampule. or container;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing Vthecompleted syringe;

Fig 3 is an enlarged, central sectional view showing the syringe before it is prepared for use;

Fig. 4 is an elevation,` partly in section, showing the syringe after it has ,been prepared for use, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the syringe in use.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, I have shown my invention as embodied in a syringe which is indicated generally at I. As shown the syringe includes a barrel forming ampule II and a plunger i2. The barrel and plunger may be of transparent glass, plastic or other suitable material and both are preferably cylindrical tubes with the plunger I2 cf'slightly less external diameter than the internal diameter of the ampule.

As shown the ampule is provided with a closure I3 which includes a body having an external ampule engaging skirt I4, with aninternal axial recess I5 closed by a diaphragm I1. The closure I3 includes a peripheral bead yI8 engageable by the thumb of the user to prevent slipping during injection.

The plunger I2 has a piston stopperV 20 therein. The stopper includesa body 2l arranged 2 in the ampule end and having an outwardly facing recess 22 therein. The stopper also has an interior facing recess 23 with an enlarged recess 24 communicating with the recess 23. The recesses 2l, 22 and 23 are coaxial and aligned with the recess I5. A diaphragm 25 separates the recesses 22 and 23.

The stopper 2li is provided with a series of beads 25 which are spaced withv the innermost bead A spaced from the end 2l oi the stopper to form a shoulder 2l'. The closure i3 and the stopper 20 are made of either natural or synthetic rubber and the parts are molded so that the skirt IQ tightly engages the exteriory of the ampule. The body ZI of the stopper 20 is normally larger than the bore of the ampule it so that the stopper must be forced into place and as a result, due to the expansion of the rubber, there is a slight bulge at 23 when the stopper is pushed into the ampule. This provides a cirn cumferential groove 29 between the outer bead B and the adjacent end of the ampule.

in manufacturing the syringe, the piston cork 2o is inserted in one end of the ampule as shown inFig. l, with the closure i3 in place. A hypodermic needle 30, which communicates with the chamber 3 I of a filling apparatus 32 is then passed through the diaphragm Il and the plunger 33 oi the'lling apparatus is advanced as by turning a threaded membery 3d. As the medicinal material, which may be penicillin-oil-wax, enters the ampule the piston plunger 2t is moved forwardly a distance proportional to the amount of `material to Abe injected until it reaches the desired position such, for example, the position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon. the needie Sii is withdrawn and the diaphragm I l, due to the resiliency of the rubber, springs b-acl; to place, filling the holethrough which the needle passed, thereby causing'the contents to remain in a sterile condition.

`The plunger YI2 is provided with a iront end closure 35 which is in the nature of a cap,.hav-

ing a skirt 36 and a peripheral bead 3l, which maybe grasped by the yingers of the operators hand. "The front member 35 includes atip 38,

having a hemispherical recess 39 in the front end vand having a recess or hole 40 therein. The inner .end of the recess isclosed byy a diaphragm 40. A needlev 4I extends through the hole 40 and diaphragm 4D. The needle has a hemispherical protuberance 42 thereon. The inner end of the needle 43 is arranged in the recess E2 and is spaced from the diaphragm The front member 35 is made of rubber and the tip 38 supports a cap ld which protects the needle against contamination. The closure cap 4G may be made of flexible plastic material and in use this closure cap lid is rst removed after which the protuberance f2.2 is moved into the recess Sil, carrying with it the needle and causing the needle to pierce the diaphragm 25, thereby establishing communication between the interior of the ampule and the needle. The parts thus assume the position shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the operator may grasp the syringe the manner shown in Fig. 5 and may insert the needle as shown in this giue and may then, by grasping the bead 3l with two ngers and engaging the closure i3 with the thumb make the desired insertion and injection.

After the needle has been inserted into the patient, the ampule il may be slightly advanced along the piston cork and then withdrawn and any discoloration due to the presence of blood in the ampule will indicate that the needle is in a blood vessel so that the operator may .vithdraw the needle and make a fresh insertion.

The arrangement of the beads A and B peril its easy movement of the piston relative to the am pule. When the piston moves in and out of the ampule the beads are free to shift slightly and move almost without friction alongr the ampule wall. If the beads were close together the shifting would cause one bead to strike another and this would cause a jamming action, which is objectionable to the surgeon.

It will be noted that the inner pointed end oi the needle is spaced on the diaphragm so that it requires that the needle move inside the iront er# member 38 to permit the syringe to be prepared ior use. |This movement of the needle I deem of great importance inasmuch as it enables me to provide a syringe which is normally hermetically sealed yet may be readily prepared for injection by merely taking oi the cap it and advancing the needle into the plunger so that the diaphragm 25 is pierced.

Having thus described my application, I claim:

1. A medicament holding ampule, said ampule r comprising a cylindrical body, a closure at one end of said body, said closure including a body portion having a skirt engaging the rear end portion of the ampule, said closure having an axial recess therein, a diaphragm closing one end of said recess, a plunger in and slidable in relation to said ampule, said plunger comprising a cylindrical, tubular body having a piston stopper in one end thereof, said piston stopper comprising a soft, resilient body portion inserted in said plunger and having spaced beads thereon, said spaced beads slidably engaging the interior wall of the ampule, the innermost of said beads being spaced from the end of the stopper to provide a shoulder, there being a peripheral channel between the outermost bead and the adjacent end of the plunger, said piston stopper having an axial recess therein with a diaphragm closing one end of said recess and a front member on said plunger.

2. A syringe including a medicament holding ampule, said ampule comprising a cylindrical body, a closure at one end of said body, said closure having an axial recess therein, a diaphragm closing one end of said recess, a plunger slidable in said ampule, said plunger comprising a cylindrical, tubular body having a piston stopper in one end thereof, said piston stopper comprising soft, resilient body portion inserted in said plunger and having spaced beads thereon, said piston stopper having axial recesses therein with a diaphragm between said recesses, a front member on said plunger, said front member having a hole therethrough, a needle carried by said front member and extending through said hole, the inner end of said needle being disposed in the outermost recess of said piston stopper and spaced from the diaphragm of the piston stopper.

3. A syringe including a medicament holding ampule, said ampule comprising a cylindrical body, a closure at one end of said body, said closure having an axial recess therein with a diaphragm closing one end of said recess, a plunger slidable in said ampule, said plunger comprising a cylindrical, tubular body having a piston stopper in one end thereof, said piston stopper comprising a soft, resilient body portion inserted in said plunger and having spaced beads thereon, said spaced beads slidably engaging the interior wall ol the ampule, the innermost of said beads being spaced from the end of the stopper to provide a shoulder, there being a peripheral channel between the outermost bead and the adjacent end of the plunger, said piston stopper having axial recesses therein with a diaphragm between said recesses, a front member on said plunger, said iront member having a hole therethrough, a needie carried by said front member and extending through said hole, the inner end of said needle being disposed in the outermost recess of said piston stopper and spaced from the diaphragm or" the piston stopper.

fi. A syringe including a medicament holding ampule, said ampule comprising a cylindrical body, a closure at one end of said body, said closure including a body portion having a skirt engaging the rear end portion of the ampule, said closure having an axial recess therein, a diaphragm closing the inner end of said recess, a plunger slidable in said ampule, said plunger comprising a cylindrical, tubular body having a piston stopper in one end thereof, said piston stopper comprising a soft, resilient body portion inserted in said plunger and having spaced beads thereon, said spaced beads slidably engaging the interior wall of the ampule, the innermost of said beads being spaced from the end of the stopper to provide a shoulder, there being a peripheral channel between the outermost bead and the adjacent end of the plunger, said piston stopper having axial recesses therein `with a diaphragm between said recesses, a front member on said plunger, said front member including a tapering tip portion and a skirt portion about the end portion of the plunger and having a peripheral bead on the skirt portion thereof, said iront member having a hole therethrough, a needle carried by said iront member and extending through said hole, the inner end of said needle being dispose in the outermost recess of Said piston stopper land spaced from the diaphragm of the piston stopper, a protuberance on said needle in advance of said tapered tip and a cap on said tapered tip and surrounding the outer portion of said needle.

5. A syringe including a medicament holding ampule, said ampule comprising a cylindrical body, a closure at one end of said body, said closure having an axial recess therein, a diaphragm closing one end of said recess, a plunger slidable in said ampule, said plunger comprising 2,475,060 5 6 a cylindrical, tubular body having a piston stop- REFERENCES CITED per in one end thereof, said piston stopper having an axial recess therein, a diaphragm closing the inner end of said recess, a front member on The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

said plunger, said front member having a hole 5 UNITED STATES FATENTS therethrough, a needle carried by said front i member and slidably extending through said lulll HauNa'me Majtelgqz hole, the inner end of said needle being disposed 2408325 Lockai; "Sept 24 1946 in the outermost recess of said piston stopper and spaced from the diaphragm of the piston 10 FOREIGN PATENTS stopper, said needle being movable to pierce said Number Country Date diaphragm to thereby place said needle in com- 334207 France Dm 15J 1993 munication with the interior of the ampule.

ARTHUR E. SMITH.

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