GB1601137A

GB1601137A - Lever device

Info

Publication number: GB1601137A
Application number: GB1177178A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Ed Geistlich Soehne AG fuer Chemische Industrie
Current assignee: Ed Geistlich Soehne AG fuer Chemische Industrie
Priority date: 1978-03-23
Filing date: 1978-03-23
Publication date: 1981-10-28
Also published as: DE2911086A1; SE7902528L; NL7902257A; JPS54148689A; FR2420506A1

Description

(54) LEVER DEVICE (71) We, ED GEISTLICH SOHNE A.G., fur Chemische Industrie, a Swiss Body Corporate of Wolhusen, Lucerne, Switzerland, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a rapid and simple method of opening bottles containing sterile liquids for injection or infusion and to a novel device therefor.

Liquids for injection or infusion are commonly provided in standard bottles of varying sizes, the outlet of the bottle having a rubber or similar diaphragm seated therein through which a hypodermic needle can be passed in order to withdraw the liquid in a sterile manner. In order to maintain sterility and to hold the diaphragm in position, a cap is placed over the latter and crimped or otherwise turned under a flange at the rim of the outlet.

In general, the outlet of the bottle is circular and the flange annular, so that the cap is substantially cylindrical, normally having a flat circular top.

In many cases, the top of the cap is partially cut, without penetration through the material, to define a tear strip. Where the sterile liquid is intended solely for injection of infustion, only the top of the cap need be cut in this way.

However, a doctor or surgeon frequently needs to open the bottle and apply the contents by pouring as in laparotomy and rinsing inside the peritoneum using Ringer or isotonic saline solution (peritoneal-lavage), or washing or rinsing of infected wounds with isotonic solutions, or application to large areas of bandage. It is often necessary to open the bottle as a matter of urgency, for example when applying heparin to prevent blood clotting during surgery or when two or more solutions must be mixed immediately prior to use, as when mixing lidocaine with isotonic electrolyte, glucose solutions or solutions of other chemotherapeutics.

Where the liquid may be used in such a way the side of the cap is also cut so that removal of tear-strip opens the cylindrical wall of the cap which can then readily be removed. However, the cutting of the side wall of the cylinder has to be relatively precise in order to avoid undue weakness and premature opening of the bottle or, alternatively, difficulty in tearing. In any case, the removal of the tear strips is found to be troublesome in the context of surgical operations, where sterile gloves are commonly worn and direct use of the fingers may be unacceptable.

It has now been found that the cap of a bottle of the above type can very readily be removed together with the rubber diaphragm by application of a simple lever device which is capable, at least initially, of retaining both-cap and diaphragm so that there is no danger of these falling into the sterile surgical operating area.

According to the present invention, therefore, there is provided a lever device for opening bottles containing sterile liquid for injection or instillation, which bottles have a diaphragm covering the outlet thereof and a substantially cylindrical and flat topped cap which extends over the diaphragm and is turned under a flange surrounding said outlet so as to cover and secure the diaphragm in a sterile manner, said lever device comprising a flat head portion provided with a hook portion comprising a section of a cylinder which subtends to an angle at the centre thereof between 80 and 1800, the axis of the said cylinder being perpendicular to a substantially flat surface of the head portion, and being provided with a tip section which turns inwards at the free edge of the hook section, the internal diameter of the said cylinder and the height of the said cylinder between the tip section and the said surface of the head portion being substantially equal to the corresponding dimensions of the cap so that the cap fits in close contact with the hook section and the said surface of the head portion.

In general, the cap of a bottle of the above kind is normally turned under the flange of the bottle a distance which is from 10% to 20% of the height of the side wall.

It is important that the device should be able to retainthe cap and diaphragm at least immediately after removal and this is conveniently and simply achieved by the particular design of the device, as described above, which ensures that the hook section of the head portion wraps round a sufficient arc of the cylindrical cap to prevent it from falling out of the device immediately after removal.

In general, the angle subtended by the partially cylindrical hook portion will preferably be at the larger end of the given range when the hook is relatively small. Thus, for example, when the height of the inner surface of the partially cylindrical hook, which corresponds to the height of the cap, is about 16 mm, as in conventional 500 ml. serum flasks, the hook may, for example, subtend about 90" of arc whereas when the inner height of the hook is about 8 mm, as in the case of conventional 20 ml. bottles, the angle subtended may be about 1200 of arc. It is found that such relative dimensions facilitate retention of the cap and diaphragm in the device on removal from the bottle.

In one preferred embodiment, the head portion of the device comprises a flat disc slightly larger in diameter than the cap to be removed and carrying the hook section at one edge of the disc. The centre of the partial cylinder comprising the hook can thus coincide with the centre of the disc. It may be convenient to provide the disc with a slight raised edge which effectively defines the area of contact between the device and the cap to be removed, thus facilitating close contact of the hook section with the cap and ensuring retention of the cap and diaphragm.

The means for pivoting the device is preferably simply a handle which is conveniently situated on the opposite side of the head to the hook section. The handle may be pierced for attachment to a chain or similar means for suspending the device when not in use.

It is important that the lever device should be sterilisable by normal medical techniques such as autoclaving or using antimicrobial solutions. The device is preferably as simple as possible, with a minimum of places in which microorganisms could be retained; in a preferred embodiment, the head and hook sections are integral and a handle is simply attached by a screw thread. It is also possible to form the whole device out of a single piece of metal or like material.

The lever device is preferably constructed of metal, for example cast steel, brass, copper, bronze or aluminium alloy (e.g hardened with magnesium). The most preferred metal, however, is stainless steel, for example chromenickel steel.

The invention also extends to a method of rapidly removing the cap and diaphragm from a bottle of the type described above whereby a lever device of the type described above is applied to the cap thereof and pivoted about a point on the cap opposite to the point of contact of the hook.

The invention is now described by way of illustration only, with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a lever device shown in Figure 1; Figure 2 is a view of the underside of the lever device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of another embodiment of the lever device according to the invention applied to the cap of a 25 ml. bottle; and Figure 4 is a view of the underside of the lever device shown in Figure 3.

The lever device 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a disc-shaped head section 2 provided with a handle 3 and a partially cylindrical hook section 4 the edge 5 of which is turned under in such a way that it underlies the lower edge 6 of the cap 7 of the bottle 8 when the lever device 1 is in position. As is seen more clearly in Figure 2, the hook section comprises an arc of a cylinder and subtends an arc of about 900 at the centre of the disc-shaped head section 2.

The underside of the head section 2 is provided with a shallow circular inset area 9 which fits over the cap 7 in operation and assists in locating the device 1 on the cap 7.

The lever device shown in Figure 3 is similar to that shown in Figure 1 but the partially cylindrical hook section 4 subtends a larger angle at the centre of the disc-shaped head section 2, namely about 1500, as is more clearly seen in Figure 4.

In both the embodiments in the drawings, removal of the cap is effected simply by downward movement of the handle. It will be appreciated that use of such a device makes it unnecessary to define a tear strip on the cap of the bottle which extends down the side of the cap. This enables the caps to be stronger and made more cheaply.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A lever device for opening bottles containing sterile liquid for injection or instillation, which bottles have a diaphragm covering the outlet thereof and a substantially cylindrical and flat topped cap which extends over the alapnragm and is turned under a flange surrounding said outlet so as to cover and secure the diaphragm in a sterile manner, said lever device comprising a flat head portion provided with a hook portion comprising a section of a cylinder which subtends an angle at the centre thereof between 80" and 180, the axis of the said cylinder being perpendicular to a substantially flat surface of the head portion, and being provided with a tip section which turns inwards at the free edge of the hook section, the internal diameter of the said cylinder and the height of the said cylinder between the tip section and the said surface of the head portion being substantially equal to the corresponding dimensions of the cap so that the cap fits in close contact with the hook section and the said surface of the head portion.

2. A lever device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the head portion is in the form of a substantially circular disc the diameter of which is substantially equal to the external diameter of the hook portion.

3. A lever device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the head portion is provided

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. In general, the angle subtended by the partially cylindrical hook portion will preferably be at the larger end of the given range when the hook is relatively small. Thus, for example, when the height of the inner surface of the partially cylindrical hook, which corresponds to the height of the cap, is about 16 mm, as in conventional 500 ml. serum flasks, the hook may, for example, subtend about 90" of arc whereas when the inner height of the hook is about 8 mm, as in the case of conventional 20 ml. bottles, the angle subtended may be about 1200 of arc. It is found that such relative dimensions facilitate retention of the cap and diaphragm in the device on removal from the bottle. In one preferred embodiment, the head portion of the device comprises a flat disc slightly larger in diameter than the cap to be removed and carrying the hook section at one edge of the disc. The centre of the partial cylinder comprising the hook can thus coincide with the centre of the disc. It may be convenient to provide the disc with a slight raised edge which effectively defines the area of contact between the device and the cap to be removed, thus facilitating close contact of the hook section with the cap and ensuring retention of the cap and diaphragm. The means for pivoting the device is preferably simply a handle which is conveniently situated on the opposite side of the head to the hook section. The handle may be pierced for attachment to a chain or similar means for suspending the device when not in use. It is important that the lever device should be sterilisable by normal medical techniques such as autoclaving or using antimicrobial solutions. The device is preferably as simple as possible, with a minimum of places in which microorganisms could be retained; in a preferred embodiment, the head and hook sections are integral and a handle is simply attached by a screw thread. It is also possible to form the whole device out of a single piece of metal or like material. The lever device is preferably constructed of metal, for example cast steel, brass, copper, bronze or aluminium alloy (e.g hardened with magnesium). The most preferred metal, however, is stainless steel, for example chromenickel steel. The invention also extends to a method of rapidly removing the cap and diaphragm from a bottle of the type described above whereby a lever device of the type described above is applied to the cap thereof and pivoted about a point on the cap opposite to the point of contact of the hook. The invention is now described by way of illustration only, with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a lever device shown in Figure 1; Figure 2 is a view of the underside of the lever device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of another embodiment of the lever device according to the invention applied to the cap of a 25 ml. bottle; and Figure 4 is a view of the underside of the lever device shown in Figure 3. The lever device 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a disc-shaped head section 2 provided with a handle 3 and a partially cylindrical hook section 4 the edge 5 of which is turned under in such a way that it underlies the lower edge 6 of the cap 7 of the bottle 8 when the lever device 1 is in position. As is seen more clearly in Figure 2, the hook section comprises an arc of a cylinder and subtends an arc of about 900 at the centre of the disc-shaped head section 2. The underside of the head section 2 is provided with a shallow circular inset area 9 which fits over the cap 7 in operation and assists in locating the device 1 on the cap 7. The lever device shown in Figure 3 is similar to that shown in Figure 1 but the partially cylindrical hook section 4 subtends a larger angle at the centre of the disc-shaped head section 2, namely about 1500, as is more clearly seen in Figure 4. In both the embodiments in the drawings, removal of the cap is effected simply by downward movement of the handle. It will be appreciated that use of such a device makes it unnecessary to define a tear strip on the cap of the bottle which extends down the side of the cap. This enables the caps to be stronger and made more cheaply. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A lever device for opening bottles containing sterile liquid for injection or instillation, which bottles have a diaphragm covering the outlet thereof and a substantially cylindrical and flat topped cap which extends over the alapnragm and is turned under a flange surrounding said outlet so as to cover and secure the diaphragm in a sterile manner, said lever device comprising a flat head portion provided with a hook portion comprising a section of a cylinder which subtends an angle at the centre thereof between 80" and 180, the axis of the said cylinder being perpendicular to a substantially flat surface of the head portion, and being provided with a tip section which turns inwards at the free edge of the hook section, the internal diameter of the said cylinder and the height of the said cylinder between the tip section and the said surface of the head portion being substantially equal to the corresponding dimensions of the cap so that the cap fits in close contact with the hook section and the said surface of the head portion.

with a raised cylindrical edge having an internal diameter which is the same as that of the said hook portion, and which is coaxial therewith.

4. A lever device as claimed in Claim 3 in which the head portion is provided with a han dle mounted parallel to the flat surface thereof and on the opposite side to the said hook portion.

5. A lever device as claimed in Claim 1, substantially as herein described.

6. A lever device as claimed in Claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to any of the drawings.

7. A method for the rapid removal of the cap and diaphragm from a bottle as defined in Claim 1, whereby a lever device as claimed in Claim 1 is applied to the cap and pivoted about a point on the cap opposite to the point of contact of the hook whereby the cap and diaphragm are removed from the bottle.

8. A method as claimed in Claim 7, substantially as herein described.