US2453589A - Hypodermic syringe and ampoule therefor - Google Patents

Description

` 1N VEN TOR.

NEL JT PUZ N. J. POUX Filed Nov. 4, 1946 Nov. 9, w

HYPODERMIC SYBINGE AND AMPOULE THEREFOR 'ilA Patented Nov. 9, i4@

GDERRHC SYRINGE AND AMPOULE i if i REFOR Noel i. Pour, Meadville, Pa.

Application November d, 1946, Serial No. 707,644

(Cl. 12S-220) lill Claims.

This invention relates to hypodermic syringes. and particularly to an improved hypodermic syringe which employs a capsule or ampule con' taining the medicament to be injected, and to an improved capsule or ampule therefor.

The subject matter disclosed herein is related to the subject matter of my co-pending applications Seria] Nov 707.645. filed November 4, 1946, and Serial No. 707.646, led November 4, 1946.

Various tvpes of syringes have been heretofore suggesed and used which are adapted to be loaded or charged with a capsule or ampule containing the liquid medicament to be iniected into the patient. Su^h an ampule consists generally of an elongated tube having a p'ug or stopper arranged in each end for sealing hermetically the medicament against contamination. One of these plugs or Stoppers is adapted to be perforated by a hollow needle mounted in the syringe through which the liquid is injected into the body of the patient. The other plug or stopper acts as a piston which is moved through the ampule by plunger means carried by the syringe so as to force the licuid through the needle into the patient. While such syringes employing ampules of this type are satisfactory in their usev they are usually cumbersome in their use and construction and oftentimes diilcult and expensive in their manufacture.

It is the eeneral object of the present invention to provide an improved hypoderrnic syringe which is no* only simple and easy to use in administering the'liquid medicament, but one which is so inexpensive in its manufacture that it can be discarded after one use.

It is an important object of the invention to provide an improved combination of a hypodermis syringe and ampule therefor having.y means incorporated therewith for easily and quickly determining whether or not the injection needle is positioned properly in the body of the patient for an injection intravenously or into the tissues ofthe Patient.

lt is another object of this invention to provide an improved hypodcrmic syringe which can `be easily and conveniently molded from a. plastic material at n minimum cost and, at the same time. one which is sufficiently strong and rugged for its intended use.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an improved hypodermic syringe having a member incorporated therewith which acts both as rt cap member for protecting the injection needie when the syringe is not in use and as a plunger when in use.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved hypodermic needle and ampule therefor which so constructed and arranged that it is impossible to reuse either the syringe or ampule after an injection has been made, thereby eliminatingl any danger of contamination by reuse.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will he more apparent in the course of the folowing specification. and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration. an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is an rleveiional view of the improved.

hypedermlc syringe of my invention:

Fia. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. showing how the ampule is positioned initially therein:

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of my syrinee, showing the ampule fully seated therein ready for the inlection:

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig, 3, showing the position of the plunger after an injection has been made:

Fig. 5 is a top view of my improved syringe, as shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an elevational'viewl partly in section. of the body portion of my improved umpule for use with the syringe of the present invention;

Fie. 'I is a detail view of one of the stoppers for the ampule body. as shown in Fie. G: and` Fig. 8 is a detail view. partly in section, of the other stopper therefor.

Referring,1 more particularly to the drawings. the improved syrinee of my invention comprises an elongated cylindrical thin-walleri body member 2 having,r acentrel cylindrical hollow portion or chamber 3 for housing an ampule or capsule which will be described hereinafter more in detail. This body member is made preferably from a transparent material. such as glass, styrene, or any other suitable moldable material. One end of the hollow portion or chamber 3 is open. as at 5, and the opposite end is closed. as at 5. Adjacent the open end. there is carried by the body member, a pair of dlametrically arranged curved finger grasping portions l for holding the syrinfre for an injection. On the out-er side of the closed end 6. there is provided a reduced frusto-conical shaped portion B so as to provide an outwardly tapered reduced end for a purpose to be described. There is positioned in the closed end 6 and extending therethrough, a.

double pointed hollow injection needle 9 having one end portion I extending into the hollow portion or chamber 3 and with the other or inject ing end portion I2 disposed centrally of the frusto-conical shaped portion 8 and extending outwardly from that end of the body member. There is securely attached to the needle 9 intermediate the length thereof, preferably by Welding, a ball-like member I3 which is embedded in the molded material in the closed end portion of the body member so as to prevent displacement of the needle relative to the body member when the syringe' is in use. It will be understood that the needle 9, together with the ball-like member I3, is molded into the body member at the time of the molding thereof.

There is provided an elongated cylindrical combination cap and plunger member Id having an enlarged head portion which is depressed, as at 3|, for receiving the thumb of the user to actuate the plunger in a manner to be described. This member I4 has an axially arranged cylindrical hollow portion 32 open at one end for housing the outwardly extending end portion I2 of the needle 9, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The inner diameter of this hollow portion 32 is slightly less than the largest diameter of the frusto-conical shaped portion 8 of the body member 2. When the member I4 is used as a cap member, it is disposed over and around the outer end portion I2 of the needle with the inner end thereof being positioned and forced over the frusto-conical shaped portion 8 into frictional engagement therewith thereby protecting the outer end portion of the needle against con tamination. It is preferable that the member I4 be made from the same moldable material of which the body member 2 is made.

The capsule or ampule 4 of my invention consists of a cylindrical tubular member, as shown in Fig. 6, made from glass, styrene, or any other suitable material impervious to liquids and capable of being sterilized, and having a circumferential nange I5 arranged at each end thereof. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, there is provided a pair of cylindrical plugs or Stoppers I6 and I'I with one disposed in each end of the ampule for hermetically sealing the liquid adapted to be contained therein. These Stoppers are made preferably of soft rubber or any other suitable material which is easily perforated. One of these Stoppers I6 is disposed wholly within the ampule at one end thereof and has a plurality of circumferential grooves I8 arranged therearound to enhance its sealing eiect and, at the same time, to permit free sliding of the plug within the ampule. This stopper is adapted to be forced through the ampule and acts as a piston to eject the liquid there from in a manner to be described. The other stopper I1 consists of a relatively thick central portion I9 which is axially recessed or cupped, as at 20. so as to facilitate piercing thereof and to enable all of the contents of the ampule to be discharged therefrom4 which central portion rits snugly into the bore of the ampule at the end thereof opposite that from the stopper I6. There is provided a skirt portion 2I which is spaced from the central portion I9 by an annular space 22 which is fiared outwardly. as at 23. This skirt portion ts over and around the outer end and T side wall of thc ampule with the flange I5 at that end thereof positioned in the dared end 23 of the annular groove 22 of the stopper. Such flange construction is provided to prevent displacement of the stopper I1 from the end of the ampule when it is moved to position in the syringe. On the outer side of the skirt portion 2 I, there is provided a plurality o1 circumferential V-shapcd grooves or ridges 26 for facilitating insertion and movement of the ampule in the syringe and to obtain a better sealing eiiect. The outer end of the stopper I1 is rounded, as at 25, so as to aid in inserting and guiding the ampule into the chamber 3.

It will be understood that the syringe is sterilized before it is packaged. In other words. the injection needle 9 and the hollow port-ion or chamber 3 are sterilized together with the member I4 before packaging. After sterilization, the cap member I is positioned over the outer end portion I2 of the needle 9 so as to protect this portion thereof. A cork or stopper 2 is preferably inserted in the open end 5 to maintain the `sterility of the hollow portion 3 and the inner end portion I0 of the needle. Thus, it will be seen, as shown in Fig. 1, that after sterilization, it is a sealed sterile medicine package ready for use.

The sterile solution of anesthetic or other liquid medicament is disposed in the ampule r3 and conned between the stoppers I6 and Il as a separate component. The syringe and ampule may be packaged together or separately depending on the intended use for the syringe and the medicament to be injected.

The syringe of my invention is used in the following manner. The ampule l is inserted into the open end 5 of the hollow portion or chamber 3 of the body member 2 with the stopper Il being on the end rst inserted. The cap member id is then removed from the closed end of the body member so as to expose the injection end I2 of the needle. The needle is then injected into the body of the patient. In order to ascertain whether or not the end of the needle is positioned properly in the patient to administer the injection, the ampule 4 is retracted or reciprocated slightly and the stopper il due to its construction and arrangement acts as a piston to draw fluid out of the body of the patient into the closed chamber 26 at the bottom of the hollow portion 3 formed by the stopper Il and the closed end wail of the hollow portion 3. as shown in Fig. il. lf the pointv of the needle is positioned in a vein for an intravenous injection, blood will appear in the closed chamber 28, and if the needle point is positioned in the tissue of the patient. no blood will appear. Ey providingr such a separate closed chamber 2S, the blood is prevented from mixing with the medicament in the ampule and is forced from this chamber up past the stopper Il between the inner wall of the chamber 3 and the outer wall of the ampule. That is to say, the user of the syringe can determine quickly and accurately whether or not the needle is positioned properly in the patient for the desired injection, and this is one of the most important aspects of the present invention. The V-shaped ridges Bfr on the stopper II are designed to permit air to (scape from the bottom of the chamber 3 up between the inner wall of the chamber and the outer wall of the ampule as the latter is forced therein. The V. haped ridges bear yicldably against the inner wall of the chamber 3 and act as u suction means to draw the blood from the patient into thc chamber 26 when the ampule if: manipulated, as hereinbefore described.

After thc needle has been propel-liy positie-ucd. as above determined, the ampule d is fully seated. as shown in Fig. 3, and upon movina to its seat the stopper I1 is perforated by the inner end I0 aeeaeae of the needle with the extreme end finally being positioned in the recess or well 2li of the stopper when it is fully seated. In such position, it will be seen that the ampule is positioned wholly within the hollow portion or chamber 3 with the upper end thereof being positioned a slight distance below the open end 5 of the hollow portion. In other words. the length oi the ampule i is slightly less than the depth or length of the hollow portion or chamber 3 in the body inember. Such an arrangement prevents the removal Aof the ampule from the syringe and is important in that it prevents reuse of either of them.

After the ampule has been fully seated in the syringe, the combination cap and plunger member M is positioned in the upper end of the ampule 4 against the stopper vI6 therein, as shown in Fig. 3. It will be understood that the outer diameter of the member It is slightly less than the inner diameter of the ampule. The syringe is then grasped by the linger portions 'l with the thumb of the user resting in the depression or well 3l in the outer end of the member i4. The plunger member M is forced inwardly by the thumb which in turn moves the piston stopper i6 inwardly through the ampule thereby ejecting the liquid medicament through the hollow needle 9 into the patient. It will be understood that it is the purpose of the ilan'ge i5 at the upper end of the ampule to prevent the ampule from being tilted or cocked when the plunger I 4 is forced therethrough. In other words, the outer diameter of the ampule at the flange is slightly less than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 3 so as to prevent any lost motion therebetween. After all of the liquid has been injected, the stopper itl is seated against the stopper l1 in the bottom oi the ampule, as shown in Fig. 4. The needle is then withdrawn from the patient and the syringe together with the ampule contained therein discarded.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that there is provided a `neat and compact syringe which is not only sterile and ready for use. but one which can be easily and conveniently packaged for merchandising purposes. It is so constructed and arranged that it is foolproof and can be used safely bythe most inexperienced person. The syringe of the present invention is so simple and inexpensive in its construction that it can bediscarded after it has been used but once.

While I have shown and described an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description, and that other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

i. A hypodermic syringe comprising, in combination, an elongated cylindrical hollow body member being open at one end for receiving a cylindrical ampule containing a liquid to be injected with the opposite end being closed. a. double pointed injection needle securely arranged in said closed endl with one point extending into the hollow portion of said body member and with the other point extending outwardly therefrom. an elongated cylindrical ampule containingthe liquid to be injected, a pair of resilient ,Stoppers with one disposed in each end of said ampule for hermetically sealing the same, one of said stopper-s disposed wholly within d the ampule and the other iitting in and around the end thereof so as to nt snugly the hollow portion of the body member and which is adapted to act as a piston when the ampule is manipulated to determine whether or not the injection when the needle is positioned in the patient is positioned in a vein for an intravenous injectionv or in the tissues, said last mentioned stopper adapted to be perforated by the needle point disposed in the hollow portion of said member when it is fully seated therein, and means for pushing the iirst mentioned stopper inwardly through the ampul'e` to force the liquid through said needle.

2. A hypodermic syringe, as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for pushing the rst mentioned stopper through the ampule consists of an elongated cylindrical hollow member which` in one position is adapted to act as a cap disposed over and around the outer end oi the injection needle and engaging the closed end of the body member so as to protect said needle when not in use.

3. A hypodermc syringe comprising, in combination, an elongated cylindrical hollow body `member being open at one end and closed at its opposite end, a double pointed injection needle securely arranged in said closed end with one point extending into the hollow portion of said body member and with the other end extending outwardly therefrom, an elongated cylindrical ampule containing liquid to be injected positioned in the hollow portion of said body member and inserted through the open end thereof, a pair oi` stoppers with one disposed .at each end oi' said ampule lor hermtically sealing the same, one of said Stoppers disposed wholly within the ampule with the other being shaped to t around the end thereof with itsA outer part snugly lit ting the end o! the hollow portion of the body member, said last mentioned stopper adapted to be perforated by the needle point disposed in the hollow portion of said body member. and means for pushing the first mentioned stopper inwardly through the ampule to Aiorce the liquid through said needle.

4. A hypodermic syringe, as defined in claim 3,

Vdouble pointed injection needle securely arranged in said closed end with one point extending into the hollow portion of said body member und with the other point extending outwardly therefrom, an elongated cylindrical ampule containing the liquid to be injected, a pair of stoppers with one disposed in each end of said ampule for hermetically sealing the same, one of said Stoppers disposed wholly within the ampule and the other fitting in and around the end thereof so as to fit snugly the hollow portion of the body member and which is adapted to act as a piston when theampule is manipulated to determine whether or not the injection when the needle is positioned in the patient is positioned in a vein for an intra encased venous injection or in the tissues, said last inenticned stopper 'adapted to be perforated by the needle point disposed in the hollow portion of said member when it is fully seated therein, said ampule having an outwardly extending flange portion arranged around that end in which the stopper is disposed wholly therewithin with the diameter of this flange portion being slightly less than that of the stopper on the opposite end and the inner diameter of the hollow portion of the body member so as to center the ampule body member and with the other end extending v outwardly therefrom, an elongated cylindrical ampule containing liquid to be injected positioned in the hollow portion of said body member and inserted through the open end thereof, said ampule being shorter in length than the length of said hollow portion whereby the ampuie can not be removed therefrom after it is fully seated therein so as to prevent reuse of the ampule and the syringe, a pair of stoppers with one disposed at each end of said ampule for hermetically sealing the same, one of said stoppers disposed wholly within the ampule with the otherbeing shaped to iit around the end of the ampule and to t snugly the bottom of the hollow portion of the body member, said last mentioned stopper adapted to be engaged and perforated by the needle point disposed in the hollow portion of said body member, means carried by the ampule for centering it in the hollow portion of said body member so as to prevent any tilting action thereof relative to said body member, and means for pushing the first mentioned stopper inwardly through the ampule to force the liquid `through said needle.

7. A hypodermic syringe comprising, in combination, an elongated cylindrical hollow body member being open at one end and closed at its opposite end, a double pointed injection needle securely arranged in said closed end with one point extending into the hollow portion of said body member and with the other end extending outwardly therefrom, an elongated cylindrical ampule containing liquid to be injected positioned in the hollow portion of said body member and inserted through the open end thereof, a pair of stoppers with one disposed at each end of said ampule for hermetically sealing the same, one of said stoppers disposed wholly within the ampule with the other being shaped to fit around the end thereof with its outer part snugly fitting the end of the hollow portion of the body member. said last mentioned stopper adapted to be perforated by the needle point disposed in the hollow portion of said body member, said ampule having an outwardlyv extending ila-nge portion arranged around each end thereof with the ange portion arranged at that end in which4 with the other flange portion engaging the stopper disposed at that end of the ampule so as to prevent displacement of this stopper from the end thereof, and means for pushing the iirst mentioned stopper inwardly through the ampule to force the liquid through Asaid needle.

8. A hypodermic syringe, as defined in claim 7, wherein the means for pushing the irst mentioned stopper through the ampule consists of an elongated cylindrical hollow member which in' one position is adapted to act as a cap disposed over and around the outer end of the injection needle and engaging the closed end of the body member so as to protect said needle when not in use.

9. A hypodermic syringe comprising, in combination, an elongated cylindrical body member made from a transparent plastic material, said body having a cylindrical chamber therein so as to provide a relatively thin wall body member with said chamber being open at one end and closed at its opposite end, a double pointed injection needle securely arranged in said closed end with one point extending centrally into said chamber and with the other point extending outwardly from the body member, an elongated cylindrical ampule containing the liquid to be injected, a pair of stoppers with one disposed in each end ofsaid ampule for hermetically sealing the same, one of said stoppers disposed wholly within the ampule and the other fittingy securely around the end thereof, said ampule adapted to be inserted through the open end of said chamber with said last mentioned stopper adapted to be perforated by the needle point in said chamber, means carried by said ampule for centering it in the hollow portion of the body member so as to prevent any tilting action of said ampule relative to said body member, and means for pushing the rst mentioned stopper inwardly through the ampule to force the liquid through said needle,

10. An ampule adapted to contain a medicament comprising an elongated tubular member, a plug slidably arranged in one end of said member, a stopper made from a plerceable material arranged on the opposite end of said member her metlcally sealing the same said stopper having a cylindrical portion fitting snugly within the bore of said member and having a skirt portion fitting snugly around the outer side thereof. wherein there is arranged around the skirt portion a plurality of circumferential grooves.

, NOEL J. POUX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 743,743 McCullough Nov. 10, i903 1,704,678 Brown Mar. 5, 1929 1,715,771 MacGregor June 4, 1929 1,718,602 Smith June 25, 1929 l 1,929,247 Hein Oct, 3, 1933 2,408,323 Lockhart Sept. 24, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 430,263 Great Britain June 17, 1935 495,067 Great Britain Nov. 7, 1938 '776,968 France Nov. 17, 1934

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