WO1996015653A2

WO1996015653A2 - Vial retainer

Info

Publication number: WO1996015653A2
Application number: PCT/US1995/013960
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gary Filimon; Patrick Pezzoli
Original assignee: The Immune Response Corporation
Priority date: 1994-11-04
Filing date: 1995-10-31
Publication date: 1996-05-30
Also published as: WO1996015653A3

Abstract

0he present invention provides a vial retainer which engages the top portion (10) of one or more vials. The retainer is a solid block of material with a base planar surface (15) and a top planar surface (10) and having a series of evenly spaced widening apertures through the block. So that the diameter of the aperture through the bottom surface (50) is larger than the diameter of the aperture at the top surface (40).

Description

VIAL RETAINER BACKGROUND OF TEE INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus intended for laboratory use.

The use of low-level radiation in biological experiments is critical to the study of biological processes, as well as medical testing and diagnoses. Scintillation counters are routinely used for guantitating low-level radiation such as ³H, ¹⁴C, ³⁵S, and ³²P-containing compounds to determine the results of these experiments or medical testing. Radioactive samples from biological experiments are first collected on small filters, which are placed in scintillation vials for counting. Commercially available scintillation vials are glass or plastic vials of various sizes, which are available with or without screw-on caps. Typically, scintillation vials containing radioactive filters are placed in racks which are inserted in the scintillation counters.

After counting, the vials containing the radioactive filters must be discarded as radioactive waste. In a large laboratory, hundreds or even thousands of vials can be used daily for counting radioactive samples. The consequence is the generation of a large amount of marginally contaminated solid waste which must be treated as radioactive waste.

The disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated by medical and research facilities is an expensive process. In some states, the cost may be as high as $5000 per barrel. Radioactive waste of this type must be disposed of at specially designated sites in each state.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a safe, convenient means for reducing the volume of solid radioactive waste produced in a medical or research facility. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a vial retainer which engages the top portion of one or more vials. Typically, the vial retainer is used to engage a rack of scintillation vials in a scintillation counter, allowing for the simultaneous removal of a group of vials, and facilitating the removal of the vials' contents without necessitating the disposal of the vials themselves. The retainer is a flat solid block of material having a series of evenly spaced widening apertures extending through the block between a top planar surface and a bottom planar surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1A shows a top planar view of one preferred embodiment of a vial retainer, and Figure IB shows the corresponding side view of the same embodiment.

Figure 2 shows a side view of a preferred retainer mounted onto a series of scintillation vials set in a vial rack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides a vial retainer for engaging the top portion of one or more vials in order to easily move a group of vials and facilitate the removal of the contents of the vials while minimizing contact with the vials or their contents. The retainer of the present invention is particularly useful for engaging a plurality of vials containing radioactive samples which are positioned in a scintillation counter rack after being analyzed, facilitating the removal of the engaged vials from the machine and the disposal of the radioactive wastes from the engaged vials without the necessity of individually handling each vial or its contents.

The vial retainer is a flat block of material having a series of evenly spaced circular apertures through the block for engaging the top portion of one or more vials. The block has a top planar surface and a base planar surface, a pair of oppositely positioned side walls and a pair of oppositely positioned end walls. The block contains a series of circular apertures extending through the block at a widening angle from the top surface to the base planar surface. The apertures are tapered from bottom to top such that the diameter of each aperture at the base surface is larger than its diameter at the top surface. The diameters of the apertures at the base surface are preferably about 8 to 12 percent larger, more preferably about 10 percent larger, than the diameters at the top surface of the retainer. The angle of the internal walls of each aperture between the top and bottom surfaces of the block are between 65 and 75 degrees, preferably about 70 degrees. The increasing width of the apertures from the top surface to the bottom surface allows the engaged vials to be held flush with the top surface of the vial retainer, as shown in Figure 2. This design is advantageous for a number of reasons. First, the retainer can be mounted onto the vials by manipulating the retainer near the endwalls, and eliminating the need for individual handling of the vials. This design also allows the vials to be safely moved around as a group without disengaging. When the retainer and the engaged vials are inverted to dispose of the contents of the vials, the flush position of the vials minimizes any contact of the retainer with the wastes being disposed of. Alternatively, the vial retainer can be designed so that the tops of the vials can protrude slightly above the top surface of the vial retainer. This provides additional insurance that the retainer does not become contaminated when the vials are emptied. The vial retainer of the present invention is particularly useful for handling scintillation vials containing radioactive waste. The retainer is typically mounted onto a series of vials loaded in a scintillation counter after the samples held in the vials are counted. The vials are then removed from the counter, and the radioactive contents disposed of while the vials are still engaged by the retainer. The vials can then be decontaminated by means known to those of skill in the art. For example, the vials can be decontaminated by soaking for 24 hours in any detergent. The insertion of the vials into the apertures until they are flush with, or slightly above, the top surface of the block of the retainer ensures that the retainer itself will have minimum contact with the radioactive contents of the vials as the waste is being disposed of.

The apertures can be designed to accommodate any sized vials. Scintillation vials, for example, are commercially available and come in a variety of sizes and materials. Scintillation vials are typically threaded for screw-topped caps, and may be used with or without caps. These vial can contain liquid or solid samples, or a combination of both. The present invention anticipates that the caps of the vials, if they are on, should be removed prior to mounting the retainer. Dry radioactive samples such as filters typically does not require any liquid material for counting, and therefore no caps are used on the vials for counting.

The retainers of the present invention may be made from any sturdy materials. The block of material may be made from laminated wood, plexiglass, or glass, for example. A preferred material is plexiglass, which is sturdy, virtually unbreakable, and easily cleaned. The retainers are made using standard techniques known to those of skill in the art. The block is first cut from the desired material, and the tapered apertures drilled at regular intervals within the block. Tapered apertures can be drilled using standard techniques, for example, using a UNIBIT™ (Unibit Corp., Nebraska) step drill bit on a drill press which allows for the drilling of nine different hole sizes at one time. This provides the widening aperatures of the retainer.

One preferred embodiment of the retainer of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1A shows a top planar view of this embodiment. This embodiment is a long rectangular block 1 having a top surface 10 and a bottom surface 15, with endwalls 20, rounded corners 21, 22, 23 and 24, and sidewalls 30. The top opening of each aperture 35 in the top planar surface

10 is designated by the numeral 40 and opening of the aperture 35 at the bottom surface 15 is designated by the numeral 50. The endwalls 20 are set several inches from the closest apertures 35 on each side to allow for easy handling of the retainer as a whole. Figure 1A shows the apertures 35 spaced evenly in a single row along the block

1.

The dimensions of the retainer of the present invention would depend upon the size and shape of the vials it is designed to hold. For example, the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be designed to hold scintillation vials which are 2 1/8 inches tall by 5/8 inches wide. Such vials are commercially available from VWR Scientific, for example, and are typically used to hold 3/8 inch filters.

An exemplary retainer designed to hold vials of this size might have apertures varying from about 5/8 inches in diameter at the top surface to about 11/16 inches in diameter at the bottom surface. This would securely engage the scintillation vials and allow for their removal from a scintillation counter as a group, and the disposal of their contents without individual handling. The apertures if placed 7/8 inch apart measuring from the center of each top opening 40 to the next opening 40 could easily be mounted on a set of vials set in a scintillation rack as shown in Figure 2.

Figure IB shows the corresponding side view of the retainer of Figure 1A. The top planar surface 10 and base planar surface 15 are shown from the side, along with the top opening 40 and bottom opening 50 of the apertures 35. Figure IB shows the aperture wall 45 which is sloping from the top surface 10 of the block 1 outward to the bottom surface 15 of the block 1 at an angle of approximately 70 degrees. When given the dimensions suggested above for holding exemplary scintillation vials, this block preferably would be about 1/4 inch thick, and about 16 inches long, although these dimensions can be varied without the loss of the function of the retainer. The width of the block should allow the vials to be inserted fully into the apertures, so that the top of the vial is flush with or slightly above the top surface of the retainer. Generally, a width of no more than one quarter inch is preferred, so that the tops of the vials will protrude slightly above the top planar surface 10, reducing the chance of contamination of the vial retainer when the vials are emptied.

Figure 2 shows an exemplary use of the retainer of the present invention. Retainer block 1 is mounted on vials 60 which are resting in a typical scintillation vial rack 70 which holds 18 vials. The retainer of the present invention, however, can be adapted to have sufficient apertures to accommodate the number of vials held by any sized rack, as well as any sized vial.

Typically, when the retainer is mounted onto a set of vials, the engaged vials can then be removed, and the wastes contained within them removed by inverting the vials as a group. The amount of waste produced is reduced to the contents of the vials alone. This is particularly significant if the contents are radioactive. This is because the vials can then be easily be decontaminated, for example, by soaking for 24 hours in detergent, if the vials previously held dried radioactive filters. After decontamination and drying, the vials can then be recycled or disposed of as non-radioactive material. An adequate survey of the vials post- decontamination should be conducted to be certain that no radioactivity remains. The result is that the amount of radioactive waste which must be disposed of is reduced from that of the vials plus contents to the contents alone.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method of disposing of the contents of scintillation vials without requiring their individual handling is disclosed. This method is the use of the retainer of the present invention to engage a set of scintillation vials, remove them to any area designated for waste disposal, and inverting the vials to remove the waste without handling either the vials individually, or their contents. This is advantageous if the waste is hazardous such as radioactive waste, because it reduces the exposure of the handler to radioactive or otherwise hazardous wastes.

In another aspect, present invention also discloses a method of reducing the volume of radioactive waste which must be disposed of at a research or medical facility. This method is the disposal of radioactive wastes by engaging the vials, moving them as a group to the area of waste disposal, inverting them to dispose of the waste, and then decontaminating the vials. Thus the waste volume is reduced from the vials plus their contents to the contents alone. For example, if the vials hold filters containing radioactive samples, then only the filters must disposed of as radioactive waste, while the vials themselves can be decontaminated and recycled. This represents a large reduction in the amount of solid radioactive waste generated when counting radioactive samples using a scintillation counter.

Although this invention has been described with reference to the presently preferred embodiments, it is understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWe claim:

1. A vial retainer for engaging one or more vials comprising a solid block of material having a base planar surface, a top planar surface, a pair of oppositely positioned side walls and a pair of oppositely positioned end walls, and having a plurality of identical circular apertures extending from the top planar surface at an angle through the base planar surface, wherein the diameter of each aperture at the base planar surface is greater than the diameter of that aperture at the top planar surface, so that the vials can be inserted to be flush against the top surface of the block.

2. The retainer of claim 1, wherein the angle between each aperture at the bottom planar surface and at the top planar surface is between 60 and 80 degrees.

3. The retainer of claim 1 wherein the end walls have rounded corners and extend 2 to 6 inches from the closest aperture.

4. The retainer of claim 1 wherein the block of material is made from clear plexiglass.

5. The retainer of claim 1 wherein the block of material is made from glass.

6. A method of disposing of the contents of one or more scintillation vials without requiring individual handling of any vial or its contents, comprising the steps of: a. engaging the top portion of a one or more scintillation vials with the retainer of claim 1; b. removing the retainer and the vials engaged therein to the area designated for waste disposal, and c. disposing of the contents of the vials engaged by the retainer by inverting the vials without removing them from the retainer.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the contents of the vials is radioactive.

8. A method of reducing amount of solid radioactive waste generated by counting radioactive samples in scintillation vials comprising the steps of: a. engaging the top portion of a one or more vials containing radioactive waste with the retainer of claim 1; b. moving the retainer and the vials engaged therein to an area designated for radioactive waste disposal; c. disposing of the contents of the vials engaged by the retainer by inverting the vials without removing the vials from the retainer, and d. decontaminating the emptied vials.