US3367488A - Hypodermic syringe package - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1968 D. A. HAMILTON 3,367,488

HYPODERMI C SYRINGE PACKAGE Filed Nov. 16, 1966 INVENTOR Mil/1L0 A. HAM/U00 ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fifice 3,367,488 HYPODERMIC SYRINGE PACKAGE Donald A. Hamilton, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Pharmaseal Laboratories, Glendale, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Nov. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 594,915 7 Claims. (Cl. 206-632) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A package including a hollow casing which encases a hypodermic syringe and holds it between a tape-red shoulder in the casings mid portion and a pair of internal holding tabs near the casings open end. The casing near its open end is spaced from the syringe in a direction transverse to the tabs and is deformable inwardly along this direct-ion to'spread the tabs and release the syringe. A removable cap closes the casings open end and has a skirt that mus-t be broken before the cap can be removed.

This invention relates to a package for a sterile hypodermic syringe and more particularly to a package that positively retains the syringe in the package .alf-ter the package is opened.

In the past when a nurse or physician opened a sterile syringe lpackage, he had to be careful so the syringe would not slide out of the package and fall onto an unsterile or contaminated surface. This might happen if he inverted or jarred the package while opening it. Obviously, a syringe that touches a contaminated surface is no longer considered sterile and must be discarded.

To overcome this disadvantage, I have invented a syringe package that positively holds the syringe until the nurse or physician releases the syringe by deforming the package such as by laterally squeezing it adjacent its open end. Until ready to use, this open end of the package is closed ofi by a unique tamperproof closure.

My invention can be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the package with the encased hypodermic syringe shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the syringe package;

FIGURE 3 is a right end view of the closed package;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional side view of the syringe package showing the syringe positively locked to the syringe package;

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the syringe package with the syringe released tor removal from the package; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIGURE 3 but showing the closure in the process or" being opened.

Referring to these drawings, the syringe package in cludes a hollow casing 1 and a removable closure 30. The casing has a first section 2 adjacent a closed end 6 and a larger second section B joined to the first section by a tapered area 5. Fin-ally, at the rear of the casing is a third section 4 adjacent open end 7. A syringe 10 has a needle protector 12, a barrel 1'1 and a flange 13 that fits respectively into the first, second and third sections of the hollow casing 1.

Casing 1 has two cooperating retaining means which lock the syringe to the casing. An inwardly projecting surface 9 of tapered area 5 converges toward closed end 6 of the casing .and engages flange 14 of protector 12. Inwardly extending protrusions or syringe catches 50 and 51 engage flange 13 of the syringe. Thus, the syringe cannot accidentally slip out of the casing if inverted or jostled during opening.

3,367,488 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 As supplied to hospitals and doctors olfices, open end 7 of casing '1 is closed by a unique closure 30 which shows if the package has been opened. A top wall 3 1 of the closure is separated into a first portion and a second portion 81 by a transverse fold line 34. A skirt 32 connected to this top wall 31 extends over an external flange 40 on casing 1 adjacent its open end 7. Weakened teara'ble sections 35 and 36 of skirt 32 join opposite ends of the transverse told line 34. A segment Otf skirt 32 connected to [first portion 80 of the top wall 31 has an inwardly extending ledge 33 confining the flange 40 between top wall 31 and this ledge 33. The skirt segment connected to the second section of top wall 31 has no ledge so this section or the top wall can hinge outwardly, as in FIGURE 6. Ledge 33 has a sloping area 39 so the closure can be pressed onto flange 40 in production. Also, if needed, a breather vent tor sterilizing gases can be provided between the closure 30 and easing 1.

When the nurse or physician is ready to use the syringe, he picks up the syringe package, holds it in one hand and grasps an overhanging lip 98 of the closure with the other hand. As he pulls to the right and upwardly on this lip (FIGURE 6) the skirt tears or splits at tearable sections 35 and 36 as second section 81 of the top wall 31 hinges about fold line 34. Until this is done, tab 36 extending toward closed end 6 of the casing 1 engages flange 40, preventing the closure from sliding upwardly in FIGURE 6. However, once second section 81 of top wall 31 is folded up as in FIGURE 6, the closure can slide from casing 1. If the tearable sections 35 and 36 have been previously torn, the nurse or physician knows the syringe package has been opened and the syringe must not now be used.

Atter removing closure 30 from casing 1, the operator squeezes the third section 4 of the casing 1 as shown in FIGURE 5. This causes the side walls 91 and 92 to bow outwardly and protrusions 50 and 51 disengage syringe flange 1'3. The operator can now remove the syringe.

Both the casing 1 and closure 30 are preferably made of a semirigid thermoplastic material such as polypropylene or polsytyrene, giving a package that can be easily squeezed at the casings third section 4 to release the syringe.

The syringe is preferably released from casing 1 by squeezing it. However, alternatively, protrusions 50 and 51 can be made very thin so as to bend. Thus, the oper a'tor could grasp the syringe in FIGURE 4 and pull it from casing -.1 by bending or defiorming the casings protrusions '50 and 51.

In the above specification I have described my invention by using a specific embodiment thereof. It is understood that persons skilled in the art can make certain modifications to this embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination: a medical instrument package including an elongated hollow casing closed at one end and open at an opposite end, a removable closure fitting across the opposite end of the casing, said casing having an inwardly projecting wall surta'ce intermediate its two ends; a medical instrument within said casing and locked against longitudinal movement toward said closed end by engagement with said inwardly projecting wall surface; said casing having at least one tab adjacent its opposite end projecting inwardly in a first direction to engage the medical instru ment and prevent this instrument from sliding toward the casings opposite end; and said casing being spaced from the instrument in a scond direction transverse to the first direction with the casing being defiormable inwardly along said second direction to spread a portion of the casing carrying said tab outwardly t0 disengage the instrument for removal of the instrument from the casing.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second directions are approximately at right angles to each other.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the casing has an external flange adjacent its open end; and the closure includes a top wall separate into first and second sections by a transverse fold line, a depending skirt connected to the first section of the top wall, said skirt having along a length thereof an inwardly projecting ledge retaining the casing flange between the first section of the top wall and the ledge, said second section of the top wall having locking means associated therewith for engaging the casing and locking the closure against sliding on the flange, said locking means disengaging from the casing when the first section is folded outwardly about the transverse fold area to allow the closure to slide along the flange.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the skirt of the closure has a weakened tearable area joining each end of the transverse fold line of the top wall, said tearalble .are'as showing whether the syringe package has been opened.

5. In combination: a hypodermic syringe package including an elongated hollow casing closed at one end and open at an opposite end with an external flange on the casing adjacent its open end, said casing having a first section adjacent its closed end for receiving a needle protector and having a second section of larger diameter than said first section and adapted to receive a syringe barrel, said first and second sections of the casing being joined by a tapered area of the casing, and a third laterally squeezable section joined to the second section and adapted to receive a flange of a syringe; and a hypodermic syringe within the casing, said syringe including a barrel, a flange at one end of the barrel, and a needle protector at an opposite end, said needle protector having an external flange which wedges against a tapered internal surface of the casings tapered area; said casing having in its third section at least one tab projecting inwardly in a first direction to engage the syringe and prevent the syringe from sliding toward the casings open end; said casing being spaced from the syringe in a second direction transverse to the first direction with the casing being deformable inwardly along said second direction to spread -a portion of the casing carrying said taJb outwardly to disengage the syringe for removal of the syringe from the casing; said syringe package including a sliding closure across the casings open end, said closure including a top wall separated into first and second sect-ions by a transverse fold line, a depending skirt connected to the first section of the top wall, said skirt having an inwardly projecting ledge retaining the flange between the first section of the top wall and the ledge, said second section of the top wall having associated therewith a stop member projecting toward the casings closed end, which stop member engages the casing and prevents the closure from sliding on the fi ange, and a pair of weakened tearable areas of the skirt joining ends of the fold area of the closures top wall, said tearable areas of the skirt showing whether the second section of the top wall has been folded outwardly to open the syringe package.

6. In combination: a medical instrument package including an elongated hollow casing closed at one end and [open at an opposite end; a removable closure fitting across the opposite end of the casing; a medical instrument within said casing; said casing having at least one tab adjacent its opposite end projecting inwardly in a first direction to engage the medical instrument and prevent this instrument from sliding toward the casings opposite end; and said casing being spaced from the instrument in .a second direct-ion with the casing being deformable inwardly along said second direction to spread a portion of the casing carrying said tab outwardly to disengage the instrument for removal of the instrument from the casing.

7. In combination: a medical instrument package including an elongated hollow casing closed at one end and open at an opposite end; rernovable closure means detachably engaged across said opposite end; a medical instrument enclosed within said casing when said removable closure means is removed; said casing having at least one abutment portion adjacent said opposite casing end projecting inwardly in a first direction and abuttingly engaging said instrument and normally preventing said instrument from sliding out of the casing open end when said closure means is removed; said casing being so conformed and spaced from the instrument in a second direction and being deformable in said second direction inwardly toward said instrument for moving a portion of said casing outwardly and disengaging said abutment portion from the instrument and permitting free movement of the instrument out of the casing open end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,156,258 5/1939 Atwood 215-42 3,074,540 1/1963 Beich et .al. 206-43 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. THERON E. CONDON, Examiner.

J. M. OASKI-E, Assistant Examiner.

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