JP2013252286A - Liquid supplier and liquid supplying method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid supplier having a simple structure, capable of appropriately removing gas from a liquid injection part of a liquid supplying apparatus.SOLUTION: A liquid supplier supplies a liquid to a liquid-accumulating part isolated from outside by a septum through an injection needle that pierces through a septum. The injection needle is provided with a passage, wherein: a gas moves from the inside of the liquid-accumulating part to the outside thereof through the passage; and an interval between an entrance port and outlet port of the passage is wider than the width of the septum.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid supply device and a liquid supply method.

  There is a liquid injection device that continuously injects liquid into the body or the like. For example, as a liquid injection device used for continuous subcutaneous injection of a drug solution such as insulin, a liquid injection unit that injects insulin into the body by placing a catheter subcutaneously and a liquid supply unit that supplies insulin to the liquid injection unit Subcutaneous injectors are widely known. In such a hypodermic injector, a liquid feeding line for sending liquid from the liquid supply unit to the liquid injection unit may interfere with daily life. For this reason, a method has been used in which the liquid injection part and the liquid supply line are configured to be detachable, and the liquid supply line is connected to the liquid injection part only when the chemical liquid is injected. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2010-51702 A

  When the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply unit to the liquid injection unit by the chemical liquid injection device, bubbles may be mixed in the supplied liquid. If the bubbles flow into the liquid injection part as they are, the accuracy of the liquid injection amount deteriorates and it is difficult to perform precise subcutaneous injection. For example, in a liquid injection apparatus of the type in which both are connected by inserting a needle from a liquid supply unit into a septum (separation member) attached to the liquid injection unit to inject liquid, bubbles are generated when the needle is inserted and removed. It is easy to mix. In order to perform accurate flow rate adjustment with such a liquid injection device, it is necessary to prevent bubbles from entering the liquid injection portion as much as possible.

  However, in practice, it is difficult to completely prevent bubbles from entering the liquid injection portion. In this case, if the bubble (gas) corresponding to the inflow can be removed from the liquid injection part, the liquid injection amount can be accurately controlled. Therefore, the gas can be appropriately removed in the liquid supplier that supplies the liquid to the liquid injection portion. At this time, it is desirable that the structure be as simple as possible in order to avoid an increase in the size of the liquid injection part itself.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid feeder having a simple structure that can appropriately remove gas from a liquid injection portion of a liquid injection device.

  A main invention for achieving the above object is a liquid supply device for supplying a liquid via a syringe needle penetrating the septum to a liquid reservoir isolated from the outside by a septum. Is a passage through which gas moves from the inside to the outside of the liquid storage section, and a passage having an interval between the entrance and the exit of the passage wider than the width of the septum is provided. It is.

  Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a liquid injection device 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid supply device 20. FIG. It is an expanded sectional view of the injection needle 221 for connection used in the first embodiment. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid injector 50. FIG. It is a figure explaining the groove part provided in the filter holding surface of case 512A. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a liquid supply device 20 is connected to a liquid injector 50. It is a figure showing the state by which the puncture device 30 was connected to the liquid injector 50. FIG. 8A to 8C are diagrams illustrating a method of removing gas from the inside of the liquid storage unit in the first embodiment. FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are diagrams for explaining the penetrating position of the connecting injection needle 221. It is an expanded sectional view of the injection needle 221 for connection used in the modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 11A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the connecting injection needle 221 used in the second embodiment. FIG. 11B is a view of the connecting injection needle 221 used in the second embodiment as viewed from above. 12A to 12C are diagrams illustrating a method of removing gas from the inside of the liquid storage unit in the second embodiment.

  At least the following matters will become clear from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

A liquid supply device for supplying a liquid to a liquid storage part isolated from the outside by a septum via an injection needle penetrating the septum, wherein the injection needle is provided from the inside of the liquid storage part to the outside. A liquid supply apparatus, characterized in that a gas movement path is provided in which a distance between an entrance and an exit of the path is wider than a width of the septum.
According to such a liquid injector, gas can be appropriately removed from the liquid injector with a simple structure.

In such a liquid injector, the injection needle preferably has a through hole provided in a side surface portion of a circular tube portion of the injection needle, and the through hole serves as an outlet of the passage.
According to such a liquid injector, when the injection needle is inserted into and removed from the septum, gas can be easily removed from the liquid reservoir of the liquid injector at low cost, and an accurate liquid injection operation can be performed. .

In this liquid injector, the injection needle has a plurality of through holes provided in a side surface portion of a circular tube portion of the injection needle, and one through hole of the plurality of through holes is the passage. It is desirable that a through hole different from the one through hole is an outlet of the passage.
According to such a liquid injector, when the injection needle is inserted into and removed from the septum, the gas can be appropriately removed from the liquid reservoir of the liquid injector, and an accurate liquid injection operation can be performed. Further, since the problem such as an increase in the size of the liquid injection device does not occur, it becomes easy to efficiently remove gas at low cost.

In this liquid injector, the injection needle has a groove portion provided along the longitudinal direction on the outer surface of the circular tube portion of the injection needle, and one end side of the groove portion serves as an entrance of the passage, and the groove portion It is desirable that the other end side of this is the exit of the passage.
According to such a liquid injector, when the injection needle is inserted into and removed from the septum, the gas can be appropriately removed from the liquid reservoir of the liquid injector, and an accurate liquid injection operation can be performed. Moreover, since the part which supplies a liquid with an injection needle and the channel | path which removes gas are comprised independently, it becomes easy to perform each operation | movement more reliably.

In such a liquid injector, it is desirable that the outlet of the passage is closed by the septum when the liquid is supplied to the liquid reservoir through the injection needle.
According to such a liquid injector, when the liquid is supplied to the inside of the liquid reservoir via the injection needle, the movement of the liquid and gas from the inside of the liquid reservoir to the outside can be suppressed. Moreover, it can suppress that a liquid leak etc. arise from an injection needle.

In this liquid injector, it is preferable that the injection needle penetrates a position above the central portion of the septum.
Such a liquid injector facilitates efficient removal of the gas in the liquid reservoir.

This liquid injector has a stepped portion having a shape corresponding to the contact portion of the liquid injector provided with the liquid reservoir, and the liquid is supplied to the liquid reservoir via the injection needle. In this case, it is desirable that the amount of the injection needle penetrating the septum is defined by bringing the stepped portion into contact with the contact portion of the liquid injector.
According to such a liquid injector, when the injection needle penetrates the septum, the positional relationship between the outlet of the passage through which the gas moves and the septum can be suppressed.

  A liquid reservoir isolated from the outside by a septum; supplying a liquid via an injection needle penetrating the septum; and a passage provided in the injection needle, the entrance of the passage A liquid supply method is clarified in that the gas moves from the inside of the liquid storage portion to the outside by a passage having a wider distance from the outlet than the width of the septum.

=== Embodiment ===
<About liquid injection device>
There is a liquid injection device that continuously injects a predetermined amount of liquid into a living body or the like. For example, in an insulin injection device used for continuous subcutaneous injection of insulin, a certain amount of insulin can be continuously injected into the living body (subcutaneous). In the present embodiment, liquid injection using the liquid injection apparatus 1 capable of accurately injecting liquid will be described.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the liquid injection apparatus 1. The liquid injection device 1 includes a liquid supply device 20, a liquid injection device 50, and a puncture device 30 that is not shown in FIG. The puncture device 30 is a device used when the liquid injector 50 is attached to a living body.
At the time of liquid injection, it is connected to a liquid feed pump 10 that is a power source.

  The liquid feed pump 10 is a liquid transport device serving as a power source for supplying a liquid to the liquid injector 50, and it is desirable that the liquid transport amount per unit time can be accurately controlled. As the liquid feed pump 10 of the present embodiment, for example, a tube pump that transports the liquid filled in the tube in the transport direction by sequentially pressing the tube with a plurality of fingers.

<Configuration of liquid supplier 20>
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid supply device 20. The liquid supplier 20 is a device for supplying the liquid transported by the liquid feed pump 10 to the inside of the liquid injector 50, and includes a liquid transport path 21 and a connection portion 22. The liquid supply device 20 is connected to the liquid injector 50 at the time of liquid injection, and is removed from the liquid injector 50 when the liquid injection is not performed. A method for connecting the liquid supply device 20 and the liquid injector 50 will be described later.

(Liquid transport path 21)
The liquid transport path 21 is a tubular member that transports the liquid sent by the liquid feed pump 10 toward the connection portion 22. The liquid transport path 21 of this embodiment is formed of a flexible resin or the like.

(Connection 22)
The connection portion 22 is a portion that is connected to the liquid injector 50 during liquid injection and supplies liquid to the inside of the liquid injector 50, and the liquid supplier 20 can be attached to and detached from the liquid injector 50 by the connection portion 22. It has become. The connection part 22 includes a connection injection needle 221 and a body part 222.

  The connection injection needle 221 supplies a liquid to the inside of the liquid injector 50 (a liquid storage section described later) when the liquid supplier 20 and the liquid injector 50 are connected. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the connecting injection needle 221 used in the first embodiment. The connecting injection needle 221 is a circular and slender needle, and the liquid transported through the liquid transport path 21 flows through the connecting injection needle 221 and flows out from the tip. Moreover, the injection needle 221 for connection of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of through holes in the side surface portion of the circular tube portion. In FIG. 3, two through holes 221ha and 221hb penetrating from the inside of the connecting injection needle 221 to the outside are provided. The two through holes are respectively provided at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the connecting injection needle 221. The through hole 221ha is provided closer to the tip of the connecting injection needle 221 than the through hole 221hb, and the distance between the through hole 221ha and the through hole 221hb (the distance in the longitudinal direction of the connecting injection needle 221) is Lh. The operation of the through hole will be described later.

  The body portion 222 is a member constituting the exterior of the connection portion 22 (liquid supply device 20), and holds the connection injection needle 221 at a predetermined position. Further, a stepped portion as shown in FIG. 2 is provided at the lower portion of the body portion 222.

<Configuration of liquid injector 50>
The liquid injector 50 is a device for injecting the supplied liquid into a living body or the like. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the liquid injector 50. The liquid injector 50 includes a body part 51, a liquid injection part 52, a filter 53, and a septum 54.

(Torso 51)
The body portion 51 is a member that constitutes the exterior of the liquid injector 50, and the liquid injector 52, the filter 53, and the septum 54 are held therein. The body portion 51 includes a base 511, a case 512A, and a case 512B.

  The base 511 is a member formed of resin or the like, and holds a liquid injection part 52 (an injection pipe 521 and a communication part 522) described later (see FIG. 4). When injecting a liquid into a living body, the base 511 is fixed to the surface of the living body, and a part of the injection tube 521 is left in the body. That is, the base 511 also has a function as a mounting base when the liquid injector 50 is fixed to an object (living body) that is a liquid injection target. Moreover, the side (the lower left part of FIG. 4) which connects with the liquid supply device 20 in the bottom part of the base 511 is a contact part where a part protrudes, and fixes a position when connecting the liquid supply device 20. Can do.

  The case 512A and the case 512B form a liquid storage part for temporarily storing the liquid supplied from the liquid supply device 20 in the liquid injection device 50 at the time of liquid injection. The liquid storage portion is an area (area indicated by a thick line portion in FIG. 4) surrounded by the case 512A, the case 512B, the filter 53, and a connection septum 541 described later, and is isolated from the outside (outside air). In addition, this is an airtight region.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a membrane-like filter 53 is held between the case 512A and the case 512B, and a surface on which the filter 53 is held by the case 512A (hereinafter also referred to as a filter holding surface) has a plurality of pieces. A groove is provided. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a groove provided on the filter holding surface of case 512A. The filter holding surface of the case 512A has a plurality of grooves arranged in the horizontal direction. Each groove is connected to each other. For example, in the case of FIG. 5, each groove is connected on the left side. In addition, the groove located at the center of the groove part is formed wider than the other grooves, and a connection channel for moving the liquid to the liquid injection part 52 is provided on the bottom surface of the groove at the center part ( (See FIG. 4). The liquid stored in the liquid storage part flows through the filter 53 and then flows into the groove provided in the case 512A. The liquid that has flowed into the groove portion gathers from the connecting portion of each groove into a thick groove in the central portion, and moves to the liquid injection portion 52 through the connection flow path. By holding the filter 53 with such a groove-shaped holding surface, the load (pressure) acting on the filter 53 is dispersed, and the filter 53 is not easily damaged. In addition, by flowing the liquid after passing through the filter 53 along the groove, it is possible to suppress the liquid from staying in the vicinity of the filter 53.

In FIG. 5, the filter holding surface of the case 512A is formed in a circular shape, but the holding surface does not have to be circular. In FIG. 5, the plurality of grooves are provided in the horizontal direction, but may be grooves in the vertical direction. Further, the thickness, depth, quantity, and the like of the groove are changed according to the properties of the liquid to be injected (for example, a drug solution such as insulin).
The case 512B holds the connection septum 541 so as to be fitted.

(Liquid injection part 52)
The liquid injection part 52 includes an injection pipe 521 and a communication part 522.
The injection tube 521 is a tube for injecting a liquid, and a catheter is used in this embodiment. A part of the injection pipe 521 is held by the base 511 of the body part 51, and a part is exposed below the base 511. When liquid is injected using the liquid injector 50, the exposed portion of the injection tube 521 is left inside the living body or the like, and the liquid can be continuously injected. Therefore, it is desirable that the injection tube 521 (catheter) is formed of a soft material such as a fluororesin in consideration of being placed in the living body.

  The communication part 522 is an introduction part for introducing a liquid into the injection pipe 521. A liquid (liquid to be injected such as insulin) that moves from the liquid reservoir through the connection channel is introduced into the injection tube 521 from the communication part 522 and injected into the living body.

(Filter 53)
The filter 53 is a film-like member that is held inside the body part 51 and is provided between the liquid storage part and the liquid injection part 52 (injection pipe 521). The filter 53 is formed of a hydrophilic material having a property of allowing liquid to pass but not allowing gas to pass. For example, a PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) membrane subjected to hydrophilic treatment is used. In the present embodiment, the filter 53 suppresses the gas present in the liquid storage part from flowing into the liquid injection part 52 (injection pipe 521). Further, the filter 53 does not pass solids. That is, it also has a function of separating the liquid and the individual.

(Septum 54)
The septum 54 has a connection septum 541.
The connection septum 541 is a member that isolates the liquid storage portion provided inside the body portion 51 from the outside air. When connecting the liquid supply device 20 to the liquid injection device 50 during liquid injection, the connection injection needle 221 of the liquid supply device 20 is penetrated. Therefore, even when the connecting injection needle 221 is penetrated, the connecting septum 541 is formed of a material (for example, silicone) that closes the hole opened by the penetration when the connecting injection needle 221 is pulled out. Is done. In this embodiment, the width of the connecting septum 541 (the width in the penetration direction of the connecting injection needle 221) is Ls.

<Liquid injection operation>
The liquid injection operation using the liquid injection device 1 will be described with reference to an example in which the liquid injection target is a living body.

  When performing liquid injection, the liquid supply unit 20 is connected to the liquid injection unit 50. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the liquid supply device 20 is connected to the liquid injector 50. In this embodiment, the liquid supply device 20 can be connected to the side of the liquid injector 50. When both are connected, the liquid supply device 20 is slid from the left side to the right side of FIG. Then, the connection injection needle 221 provided in the liquid supply device 20 passes through the connection septum 541 of the liquid injector 50 and is inserted into the liquid reservoir of the liquid injector 50.

  The stepped portion provided on the bottom surface of the liquid supply device 20 (body portion 222) has a shape corresponding to the contact portion of the liquid injector 50 (base 511), and as shown in FIG. The contact position of the liquid supply device 20 with respect to the liquid injector 50 is fixed by contacting the stepped portion. Thereby, the position of the injection needle 221 for connection in the liquid storage part in a connection state is adjusted. Specifically, the insertion amount of the connection injection needle 221 is adjusted so that the tip of the connection injection needle 221 does not come into contact with the filter 53 held in the liquid storage portion. By adjusting so that the connecting injection needle 221 and the filter 53 are not brought into contact with each other, the filter 53 can be prevented from being broken or damaged, and safer liquid injection can be performed.

  Next, the puncture device 30 is connected to the liquid injector 50. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the puncture device 30 is connected to the liquid injector 50.

  The puncture device 30 is a device used to place the injection tube 521 (catheter) in the body. As described above, since the injection tube 521 is formed of a soft material such as fluororesin, it is difficult to insert the injection tube 521 alone into the body. Therefore, when attaching the liquid injector 50 to the living body, the puncture device 30 is used.

  The puncture device 30 has a puncture needle 31. The puncture needle 31 is a hollow thin needle-like member, and the outer diameter thereof is smaller than the inner diameter of the injection tube 521. The puncture device 30 can be connected to the upper portion of the liquid injector 50, and when connecting both, the puncture needle 31 is inserted into the injection tube 521 as shown in FIG. The length of the puncture needle 31 is adjusted so that the tip of the puncture needle 31 protrudes from the lower end of the injection tube 521 when the puncture device 30 is connected to the liquid injector 50.

  The puncture device 30 and the liquid injector 50 may be connected before the liquid injector 50 and the liquid supply device 20 are connected.

  In the present embodiment, before the liquid injector 50 is attached to the living body, the liquid to be injected (for example, insulin or the like) flows out from the distal end portion of the injection tube 521 (puncture needle 31) as shown in FIG. That is, the inside of the liquid transport path 21 and the connecting injection needle 221 of the liquid supply device 20 and the inside of the liquid storage portion and the injection tube 521 of the liquid injector 50 are filled with the liquid to be injected (this operation). Is called priming). By filling the liquid flow path with the liquid in advance, the gas remaining in the flow path is released, so that the gas can be made difficult to flow into the liquid injector 50. The puncture needle 31 inserted into the injection tube 521 is hollow and has a hole in the side. Therefore, in a state where the puncture needle 31 is inserted into the injection tube 521, the liquid flows out through the puncture needle 31.

  In this state, when the liquid injector 50 (and the puncture device 30, the liquid supply device 20) is attached to the living body from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the living body, the tip of the puncture needle 31 is stuck into the living body surface and gradually enters the living body. It will be inserted. At the same time, the injection tube 521 (catheter) is integrally inserted into the living body so as to be guided by the puncture needle 31. It is desirable that the tip of the injection tube 521 (catheter) be tapered so that the resistance during insertion is reduced. The liquid injector 50 is attached to the living body by bringing the bottom surface of the liquid injector 50 into close contact with the living body surface. An adhesive substance such as an adhesive tape is attached to the bottom surface portion of the liquid injector 50, and the position of the liquid injector 50 is fixed by the bottom surface portion being in close contact with the living body surface.

  When the liquid injector 50 is fixed on the surface of the living body, the liquid can be injected into the living body. The liquid transported from the liquid feed pump 10 through the liquid transport path 21 of the liquid supply device 20 is supplied to the liquid reservoir inside the liquid injector 50 through the connection injection needle 221. Then, it passes through the filter 53 and moves to the groove, and is guided from the communication part 522 to the inside of the injection tube 521 and injected into the living body.

  After the liquid injector 50 is attached to the living body, the puncture device 30 is detached from the liquid injector 50. Thereby, the puncture needle 31 inserted into the injection tube 521 is removed, and only the injection tube 521 (catheter) is left in the living body.

<Problems during liquid injection>
In the present embodiment, the gas inside the liquid channel is released by the priming described above, thereby making it difficult for the gas to flow into the liquid injector 50. However, when the connection injection needle 221 passes through the connection septum 541 of the liquid injector 50, gas outside the liquid injector 50 may be mixed into the liquid reservoir. Moreover, when removing the liquid supply device 20 from the liquid injector 50, gas may be mixed into the liquid storage portion.

  Since the gas mixed in the liquid storage part does not pass through the filter 53, it is stored in the liquid storage part as it is. Then, since a part of the liquid to be injected is replaced with gas inside the liquid storage part, the liquid injection amount tends to be inaccurate. Moreover, when the ratio of the gas with respect to the liquid becomes high inside the liquid storage part, it becomes difficult to accurately control the liquid injection amount due to an influence such as an increase in pressure fluctuation.

  Therefore, in order to perform accurate liquid injection, it is necessary to appropriately remove the gas accumulated in the liquid reservoir.

<Removal of gas in the liquid reservoir>
8A to 8C are diagrams illustrating a method for removing gas from the inside of the liquid reservoir.
FIG. 8A shows a state immediately before the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the connecting septum 541. At this time, the liquid storage part is isolated from the outside air. The through holes 221ha and 221hb of the connecting injection needle 221 are both open to the outside air.

  FIG. 8B shows a state in which the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the connecting septum 541. At this time, one through-hole 221ha of the connecting injection needle 221 is located inside the liquid reservoir, and the other through-hole 221hb is located outside the liquid reservoir (that is, in the outside air). As shown in FIG. 3, the through hole 221ha and the through hole 221hb are connected inside the injection needle. Therefore, in the state of FIG. 8B, the inside of the liquid storage unit is opened to the outside (outside air) via the connection injection needle 221.

  Thereby, the gas inside the liquid storage part moves from the through hole 221ha to the through hole 221hb through the inside of the connecting injection needle 221 and is discharged into the outside air. That is, the connecting injection needle 221 has a passage through which gas moves from the inside to the outside of the liquid reservoir, and the through hole 221ha serves as an entrance to the passage and the through hole 221hb serves as an exit from the passage. Note that the pressure inside the liquid reservoir becomes higher than the pressure outside the liquid reservoir (external pressure) due to the pressure at which the liquid is transported by the liquid feed pump 10, so that gas flows from the outside air into the liquid reservoir. The possibility of backflow is low.

  In the present embodiment, the distance Lh between the through hole 221ha and the through hole 221hb is adjusted to be longer than the width Ls of the connection septum 541 (Lh> Ls). That is, the connecting injection needle 221 has a passage in which the distance between the entrance (through hole 221ha) and the exit (through hole 221hb) is wider than the width of the connecting septum 541. Therefore, in the operation in which the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the connecting septum 541, a passage that connects the inside and the outside of the liquid reservoir is always formed, and the gas is easily removed.

  FIG. 8C shows a state where the connection injection needle 221 passes through the connection septum 541 and the liquid injector 50 and the liquid supply device 20 are connected (that is, the state of FIG. 6). In this state, one through-hole 221ha of the connection injection needle 221 is located inside the liquid reservoir, and the other through-hole 221hb is located inside the connection septum 541. Since the through hole 221hb is closed, the liquid storage part is again isolated from the outside. That is, when the outlet of the above-described passage is closed by the connection septum 541, the movement of the liquid and gas from the inside of the liquid reservoir to the outside (or in the opposite direction) is suppressed. That is, the liquid storage part is isolated from the outside.

  In addition, when the liquid is supplied to the inside of the liquid storage part via the connection injection needle 221 by closing the passage (that is, the through hole 221hb) between the inside and the outside (outside air) of the connection injection needle 221. Liquid leakage or the like does not occur from the connecting injection needle 221.

  When connecting the liquid supply device 20 and the liquid injector 50, the stepped portion of the liquid supply device 20 is brought into contact with the contact portion of the liquid injector 50 as described above, thereby injecting the connection. The insertion position of the needle 221 is determined. That is, the amount by which the connecting injection needle 221 penetrates the connecting septum 541 is defined. Therefore, there is a low possibility that the positional relationship between the connection septum 541 and the through hole 221hb is shifted in a state where the liquid injector 50 and the liquid supply device 20 are connected (state shown in FIG. 6).

  When removing the liquid supply device 20 from the liquid injector 50, the order of the above operations is reversed, and the gas is removed from the liquid storage portion in the state of FIG. 8B.

  The connection injection needle 221 of this embodiment has a plurality of through holes in the side surface portion of the circular tube portion, and a passage through which gas moves from the liquid storage portion to the outside is formed by the through holes and the inside of the circular tube. Is done. One through hole of the through holes serves as the entrance of the passage, and a through hole different from the one through hole serves as the exit of the passage, so that the distance between the entrance and the exit is wider than the width of the connecting septum 541. Set to Thereby, when inserting / removing the connecting injection needle 221 to / from the connecting septum 541, the gas can be appropriately removed from the liquid storage portion of the liquid injector. By removing the gas mixed in the liquid reservoir, an accurate liquid injection operation can be performed.

  In the present embodiment, gas can be removed with a simple structure in which a plurality of through holes are provided at predetermined positions of the connecting injection needle 221. Other special gas removal devices are not required, and problems such as an increase in the size of the liquid injection device do not occur, so that gas can be easily removed efficiently at low cost.

<About the penetration position of the injection needle for connection>
An example will be described in which the position where the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the connecting septum 541 is not the central portion of the connecting septum 541 but the upper portion.
FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are diagrams illustrating the penetrating position of the connecting injection needle 221. FIG. FIG. 9A shows the case where the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the central portion of the connecting septum 541, and FIG. 9B shows the case where the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the upper portion of the connecting septum 541.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, when the liquid remains in the liquid storage part, the gas tends to accumulate above the liquid storage part. In this situation, when the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the central portion of the connecting septum 541, the through hole 221ha comes out to the liquid portion in the liquid storage portion. For this reason, the gas accumulated in the upper part of the liquid storage part is not easily discharged.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the upper portion of the connecting septum 541, the through-hole 221ha comes out to the gas portion in the liquid reservoir. Therefore, the gas accumulated above the liquid storage part is easily discharged.

  In this way, the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the upper part of the connecting septum 541 as much as possible. The position at which the connection injection needle 221 is held is adjusted so as to penetrate at least the position above the central portion of the connection septum 541. Thereby, the gas in the liquid storage part can be easily removed efficiently. This is also applicable to a second embodiment described later.

<Modification>
A hole opened at the tip of the connecting injection needle 221 may also function as the through hole 221ha. That is, in the passage through which the gas moves from the liquid reservoir to the outside, a hole opened at the tip of the connecting injection needle 221 serves as an entrance of the passage, and a through hole provided in the side surface portion of the circular tube portion of the connecting injection needle 221 Becomes the exit of the passage.

  In FIG. 10, the expanded sectional view of the injection needle 221 for connection used in the modification of 1st Embodiment is shown. In the modification, a through hole 221hb is provided in the side surface portion of the connecting injection needle 221, and the distance (distance in the longitudinal direction) from the hole opened at the tip to the through hole hb is represented by Lh. The distance Lh is set to be larger than the width Ls of the connection septum 541 (Lh> Ls).

The method for removing the gas from the liquid reservoir is substantially the same as that described with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8C. In other words, when the connecting injection needle 221 passes through the connecting septum 541, the gas inside the liquid reservoir moves from the hole opened at the tip of the connecting injection needle 221 to the through hole 221hb. , Discharged into the open air. At this time, since Lh> Ls, a passage connecting the inside and the outside of the liquid reservoir is formed, and the gas is easily removed.
In the state where the liquid injector 50 and the liquid supply device 20 are connected (corresponding to the state of FIG. 6 described above), the distal end portion (hole) of the connecting injection needle 221 is located inside the liquid storage portion, The through hole 221hb is located inside the connection septum 541. Since the through hole 221hb is closed, the liquid reservoir is isolated from the outside.
Thereby, gas is removed from the inside of a liquid storage part.

  In the present modification, the connecting injection needle 221 only needs to be provided with one through hole 221hb. Therefore, the structure of the connecting injection needle 221 becomes simpler and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Further, since the width of Lh can be easily set, it is easy to adjust the relationship of Lh> Ls.

=== Second Embodiment ===
In the second embodiment, liquid injection is performed using a connecting injection needle 221 having a shape different from that of the first embodiment. The configuration of the liquid injection device other than the connection injection needle 221 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 11A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the connecting injection needle 221 used in the second embodiment. FIG. 11B is a view of the connecting injection needle 221 used in the second embodiment as viewed from above.

  The connecting injection needle 221 used in the second embodiment is not provided with the through holes 221ha and 221hb, but is provided with a groove 221d instead. The groove portion 221d is provided on the outer surface of the connecting injection needle 221 along the longitudinal direction. Moreover, the length of the groove part 221d shall be represented by Ld (refer FIG. 11B). The length Ld of the groove 221d is longer than the width Ls of the connection septum 541 (Ld> Ls).

<Removal of gas in the liquid reservoir>
12A to 12C are diagrams illustrating a method of removing gas from the inside of the liquid storage unit in the second embodiment.
FIG. 12A shows a state immediately before the connecting injection needle 221 of the second embodiment penetrates the connecting septum 541. At this time, the liquid storage part is isolated from the outside air.

  FIG. 12B shows a state in the middle of the connection injection needle 221 of the second embodiment passing through the connection septum 541. In the present embodiment, the length Ld of the groove 221d is longer than the width Ls of the connecting septum 541. Therefore, in the middle of the penetrating operation, one end side of the groove portion 221d is located inside the liquid storage portion, and the other end side is located outside the liquid storage portion (outside air). That is, the inside of the liquid storage part is opened to the outside (outside air) by the groove part 221d. Thereby, the gas inside the liquid storage part moves from the one end side of the groove part 221d to the other end side, and is discharged to the outside of the liquid storage part.

  In this embodiment, the groove part 221d provided in the connecting injection needle 221 corresponds to a passage through which gas moves from the inside of the liquid storage part to the outside. In addition, since the interval (Ld) between the entrance and the exit of the passage is wider than the width (Ls) of the connection septum 541, the connection injection needle 221 must always be inside the liquid reservoir in the operation of passing through the connection septum 541. A passage connecting the outside and the outside is formed, and the gas is easily removed.

  FIG. 12C shows a state where the connection injection needle 221 of the second embodiment passes through the connection septum 541 and the liquid injector 50 and the liquid supply device 20 are connected. In this state, one end side (the above-described inlet side) of the groove portion 221d is positioned inside the liquid storage section, while the other end side (the above-described outlet side) is positioned inside the connecting septum 541. That is, when the outlet of the above-described passage is closed by the connection septum 541, the movement of the liquid and gas from the inside of the liquid reservoir to the outside (or in the opposite direction) is suppressed. That is, the liquid storage part is isolated from the outside.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the groove portion 221d is provided on the outer surface of the connecting injection needle 221, no liquid leaks from the inside of the connecting injection needle 221 to the outside.

  The connection injection needle 221 of the second embodiment has a groove-shaped passage through which gas moves from the liquid storage portion to the outside, and one end side of the groove portion serves as an entrance of the passage, and the other end side serves as an exit of the passage. The distance between the entrance and the exit is set to be wider than the width of the connection septum 541. Thereby, similarly to 1st Embodiment, gas can be appropriately removed from the inside of the liquid storage part of a liquid injector. By removing the gas mixed in the liquid reservoir, an accurate liquid injection operation can be performed.

  Further, since the portion for supplying the liquid with the connecting injection needle 221 (inside of the connecting injection needle 221) and the passage for removing gas (the outer surface of the connecting injection needle 221) are configured independently, It becomes easier to perform the operation of.

=== Other Embodiments ===
Although the liquid injection apparatus as one embodiment has been described, the above-described embodiment is for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and it is needless to say that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In particular, the embodiments described below are also included in the present invention.

<About liquid feed pump 10>
In the above-described embodiment, the example of using the tube pump that transports the liquid by causing a peristaltic motion in the tube by compressing the finger as the configuration of the liquid feeding pump 10 has been described. Is not limited to this example. For example, a roller pump that presses a tube by rotation of a roller, a syringe pump that transports liquid by moving a piston, or the like can also be used.

<About the liquid injector 50>
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the liquid is injected into the living body using the liquid injector 50 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. The liquid injector 50 can accurately inject a liquid into an injection target other than a living body.

1 liquid injection device,
10 Liquid feed pump,
20 liquid supply, 21 liquid transport path, 22 connection,
221 connecting needle, 221ha / 221ha through hole, 221d groove,
222 torso,
30 puncture device, 31 puncture needle,
50 liquid injectors,
51 trunk, 511 base, 512A / 512B case,
52 liquid injection part, 521 injection pipe, 522 communication part,
53 filters,
54 Septum, 541 Septum for connection

Claims (8)

A liquid supply device for supplying a liquid via a syringe needle penetrating the septum to a liquid reservoir isolated from the outside by a septum,
The injection needle is provided with a passage through which a gas moves from the inside to the outside of the liquid storage portion, and a passage between the entrance and the exit of the passage is wider than the width of the septum. Liquid supplier to be used. The liquid supply device according to claim 1,
The injection needle has a through hole provided in a side surface portion of a circular tube portion of the injection needle,
The liquid supply device, wherein the through hole serves as an outlet of the passage. The liquid supply device according to claim 2,
The injection needle has a plurality of through holes provided in a side surface portion of a circular tube portion of the injection needle,
One through hole of the plurality of through holes serves as an entrance of the passage, and a through hole different from the one through hole serves as an exit of the passage. The liquid supply device according to claim 1,
The injection needle has a groove provided along the longitudinal direction on the outer surface of the circular tube portion of the injection needle;
One end of the groove is an inlet of the passage, and the other end of the groove is an outlet of the passage. A liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
When the liquid is supplied to the liquid reservoir through the injection needle, the outlet of the passage is closed by the septum. A liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the injection needle penetrates a position above a central portion of the septum. A liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A stepped portion having a shape corresponding to the contact portion of the liquid injector provided with the liquid storage portion,
When the liquid is supplied to the liquid reservoir through the injection needle, by bringing the stepped portion into contact with the contact portion of the liquid injector,
An amount of the injection needle penetrating the septum is defined. Supplying liquid via a syringe needle penetrating the septum to a liquid reservoir isolated from the outside by a septum;
The passage is provided in the injection needle, and the gas moves from the inside of the liquid storage portion to the outside by a passage whose interval between the entrance and the exit of the passage is wider than the width of the septum. Liquid supply method.