JPH04150862A - Disposable cover for auto-injector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To keep an unsterilized outer cylinder at the same condition as sterilized condition and prevent it from contamination of bacteria by projecting outside an apex of a cylinder of a syringe and constituting a disposable cover covering the outer cylinder of a cover main body with a covering hole and an insulating member for a contrasting agent provided with a hole part with which the apex of the cylinder of the syringe is brought into tight contact. CONSTITUTION:A disposable cover 1 provides a cover main body 2 covering an outer cylinder 5 and an insulating member 3 for a contrasting agent provided with a hole part from which an apex 7 of a cylinder of a syringe is projected outside. The cover main body 2 consists of a thin and transparent plastic film material such as polyethylene and has a covering hole 9 for covering the outer cylinder 5 and an opening part 8 to which the insulating member 3 for a contrasting agent for projecting the apex 7 of the cylinder of the syringe to the outside of the cover so as to adhere tightly the outer periphery is fixed. The insulating member 3 for the contrasting agent has such a function that a contrasting agent leaked from the apex of the cylinder of the syringe during air bubble-sucking operation is prevented from being brought into contact with the outer periphery 5. It is possible thereby to exclude a danger of infection with bacteria of a subject and to perform safely and cleanly a work feeding a contrasting agent.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a disposable cover used in a contrast agent automatic injection device (hereinafter also referred to as an autoinjector). More specifically, during the process of placing a contrast medium in a sterilized disposable syringe as a pretreatment prior to angiography of a subject, the contrast medium that leaked out of the syringe was placed inside a non-sterile disposable syringe to protect the sterile syringe. This invention relates to a disposable cover for an autoinjector that is useful for preventing the risk of bacterial infection caused by contact with the cylinder.

[Prior Art] In recent years, with the increasing use of angiography for diagnosis and treatment, it has become common to inject a contrast medium into a subject using an autoinjector using a sterilized disposable syringe 6 as shown in FIG. I've been doing it.

The autoinjector has an injector head (not shown) equipped with a piston movement mechanism that can arbitrarily move the piston 16 inside the sterilized syringe 6 back and forth, and an outer cylinder (pressure jacket) 5 that protects the sterilized syringe 6. After fitting, the injector head is attached to the fixing device (turret) 19 for support, and then the contrast medium storage container 18 and the syringe 6 are connected with a tube 20 or the like, and the piston 16 is moved so that the pressure inside the syringe 6 is reduced. After storing the contrast medium in the syringe 6 by retracting it, the tube 20 is removed from the catheter connector 13.
After connecting the catheter, a contrast medium is injected into the subject.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the connection between the contrast medium storage container 18 and the syringe 6 when storing the contrast medium 17 in the syringe 6. As shown by the arrow in the figure, the contrast medium 17 in the contrast medium storage container 18 is sucked into the syringe 6 through the tube 20 by gradually retreating from the syringe tip 7 toward the turret 19 and reducing the pressure inside the syringe 6. Then, a desired amount of contrast agent 17 is contained in the syringe 6.

During this work of containing the contrast medium, the inside of the syringe is under reduced pressure, so as shown in FIG.
contamination is unavoidable.

These bubbles are harmful to the human body and must be removed from the contrast medium. For this reason, auto-injectors are shown in Figure 8 (
As shown in a) to (d), the piston 16 is moved back with the syringe facing upward, and the gas accumulated in the upper part is moved up and down by the movement of the liquid level in the syringe, and the air bubbles 21 are removed.

After removing the air bubbles, a catheter or extension tube for injecting the contrast medium into the subject is connected to complete preparations for contrast medium injection.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-mentioned bubble removal operation, in order to reliably remove the bubbles from the liquid, the liquid level of the contrast medium contained in the syringe 6 is as shown in FIG. 8(d). When the syringe tip is raised to the limit level, the contrast medium 17 overflows from the syringe tip and leaks to the outside. Contamination may occur due to the contrast agent coming into contact with the sterile outer cylinder.

The syringe is sterilized and disposable, and if the syringe is oriented upwards as shown in Figure 8, even if the contrast agent that leaks out comes into contact with the outside of the syringe, the subject will be contaminated with bacteria. It will not be done. However, when injecting a contrast agent into a subject, the injector head is set with the syringe barrel tip facing diagonally downward in order to perform the injection process smoothly, so that contamination may flow between the syringe and the outer barrel. The contrast medium flows back toward the tip of the syringe, and there is a risk that the subject may become infected with bacteria due to this contaminated contrast medium.

In addition, the outer cylinder 5 is touched by medical personnel injecting contrast media when fixing the syringe to the injector head, and since the work of connecting a catheter, etc. is done separately from the work of fixing the syringe, even if the worker does not Sometimes, even if sufficient care is taken, sterile hands and arms may come into direct contact with a contaminated outer tube, and there is a risk of bacterial infection to the patient through the contaminated medical worker. .

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the risk of bacterial contamination of the subject due to contrast medium leaking out of the syringe and contamination caused by medical personnel coming into contact with the unsterilized outer barrel that protects the syringe. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for preventing bacterial contamination by maintaining a non-sterile outer cylinder in the same state as a sterile state.

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the inventors have discovered the following:
To invent a disposable cover for an autoinjector that can prevent contrast medium from coming into contact with an unsterilized outer barrel even if it leaks out of the syringe, and can also prevent medical personnel from accidentally touching the outer barrel. This is what led to this.

In other words, the disposable cover for an autoinjector of the present invention is in close contact with the tip of the syringe to prevent liquid (contrast medium) from being absorbed.
A contrast agent blocking member is provided with a hole made of a material that does not leak, and a syringe barrel tip is protruded from the hole,
The outer cylinder portion to which the syringe is attached is completely covered.

[Function] In order to clarify the function of the present invention, the bubble removal operation of the contrast medium will be explained in detail again.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the outer tube 5 is fitted into the fin member 22 at the base of the syringe tube tip, fixed to the turret 19, the injector head is set, the tube 20 is inserted into the contrast medium storage container 18, and the tube 20 is inserted into the contrast medium storage container 18. Catheter connector 13 with the other end of 20 disposed at the tip of the syringe barrel
to prepare for storing the contrast medium 17 in the syringe 6.

Next, the piston movement mechanism of the injector head is activated to gradually move the piston 16 inside the syringe 6 back toward the turret 19 to reduce the pressure inside the syringe 6 and suck a predetermined amount of contrast medium into the syringe 6. Sometimes air bubbles get mixed into the contrast medium.

To remove these air bubbles, connect the connecting tube 20 to the syringe 6.
After removing the syringe 6 from the syringe 6 facing upward, follow the steps shown in FIGS. (Figure 8(b))
, ■ Next, move the piston 16 forward to gradually raise the liquid level (Fig. 8 (C)), ■ Return the liquid level to the tip of the syringe (Fig. 8 (d)). Repeat this operation as necessary to eliminate air bubbles. remove.

At this time, in order to ensure the removal of air bubbles 21, the syringe barrel tip 7
Contrast agent 17 was added to raise the liquid level to the lowest possible level.
overflows, passes through the gap between the fin members 22 at the tip of the syringe, and comes into contact with the unsterilized outer cylinder 5.

After the bubble removal operation, the outer cylinder 5 containing the syringe 6 is tilted diagonally downward to connect the catheter for injecting the contrast medium into the subject, but at this time, the overflowed and contaminated contrast medium comes out. The liquid flows backward along the cylindrical portion toward the sterilized syringe tip 7, causing contamination of the subject.

The disposable cover for an autoinjector of the present invention completely prevents the above-mentioned contrast agent contamination, and as shown in FIGS.
The syringe has a structure in which a sterilized syringe tip 7 protrudes and is covered with a cover 1 having a contrast agent blocking member 3 that is in close contact with the outer periphery of the tip. The agent only comes into contact with the outer surface of the sterilized cover 1, and this contrast agent does not flow into and come into contact with the unsterilized outer tube 5, unlike in the conventional case, thereby preventing contamination. In addition, by covering the outer cylinder 5 with the sterilized cover 1, the unsterilized outer cylinder 5 can be maintained in the same state as the sterilized one, so even if medical personnel come into contact with it, they only need to touch the sterilized cover 1. There is no direct contact with the outer cylinder 5, and bacterial infection due to contact with an unsterilized outer cylinder is reliably prevented.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the risk of bacterial infection to the subject during autoinjector operation is completely eliminated.

[Example code] The present invention will be further explained below based on Examples.

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are diagrams illustrating the usage state of an example of the disposable cover for an auto-injector of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively the cover main body according to the disposable cover of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a contrast agent blocking member.

1 to 3, a disposable cover 1 includes a cover main body 2 that covers an outer cylinder 5, and a contrast agent blocking member 3 having a hole 4 through which a syringe tip 7 protrudes to the outside.

The main body 2 covers the outer cylinder 5 when the syringe is attached, and is made of a thin and thick transparent plastic film material such as polyethylene. It has an opening 8 to which a contrast agent blocking member 3 is attached so as to fit tightly around its outer periphery and protrude to the outside of the cover, and the contrast agent blocking member 3 is arranged to cover this opening 8 .

The cover opening 9 has a shape that allows the outer cylinder 5 to be inserted easily, and has a tightening member for tightly fixing the cover 1 after the outer cylinder 5 is inserted. For tightening, the cover opening 9 is widened when the cover 1 is placed on the outer cylinder 5, and the cover opening 9 is tightly fixed to the outer cylinder 5 after being covered with the cover 1, and a flexible rubber material is preferably used. It will be done.

In this example, the tightening is performed by using a rubber band 10 that is easily available as a member, and after providing a folded part 11 in the cover opening 9 and inserting the rubber band 10, the folded part 11 is heat-sealed to tighten the cover body 2. At that time, parts were being installed. The length of the rubber is such that it tightens the outer cylinder 5 during contraction and extends slightly beyond the circumference of the cover opening 9 when the outer cylinder is inserted.

It is preferable that the cover main body 2 is in the form of a bag that covers the entire outer cylinder, but in this example, considering ease of handling during packaging or storage, a gusset (folding part) 12 is arranged on the side of the cover to make the packaging more compact. Measure.

The opening 8, which is the insertion part of the outer cylinder 5, contains a contrast medium having a hole 4 of a material and size that allows the tip of the syringe, which has a tapered tip with a slightly narrow tip, to come into close contact with the tip of the syringe in the middle. The blocking member 3 is fixed.

The disposable cover 1 of the present invention is for disposable use, and the cover main body 2 does not need to be particularly strong, but it is made to have appropriate flexibility in consideration of the covering work of the outer cylinder 5 and ease of handling during packaging or storage. It is preferable to use a thin material that has properties. In addition, the operating status of the piston inside the syringe,
It is desirable to have transparency to the extent that the state of the contrast agent and air bubbles can be visually determined, and the aforementioned polyethylene, polypropylene, or copolymer materials based on these are preferably used.

The contrast agent blocking member 3 has a function of preventing the contrast agent leaking from the syringe barrel tip 7 from coming into contact with the outer cylinder 5 during air bubble removal work.

In this example, a relatively thin disk-shaped rubber material is used so that the catheter connector 13 at the tip of the syringe can pass therethrough, and the syringe tip 7 and the contrast medium blocking member 3 can be easily brought into close contact. A hole 4 that is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the syringe tip 7 is arranged.

The contrast agent blocking member 3 is in close contact with the syringe barrel tip 7 and is made of a material that does not allow the contrast agent to pass through, preferably latex rubber, which is commonly used in the medical field.

The contrast agent blocking member 3 can be attached to the cover main body 2 by any method, but a bonding method using an adhesive or an adhesive tape is convenient.

The contrast agent blocking member 3 may be attached to the cover body 2 alone, but it is also possible to improve the sealing performance of the attachment portion to reliably prevent the contrast agent from flowing in, and for reinforcement purposes, the outer periphery of the attachment portion may be attached to other parts. It is preferable to seal with a member.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a preferred example of means for fixing the contrast agent blocking member 3.

A donut-shaped double-sided adhesive tape 14 whose inner diameter matches the diameter of the circular opening 8 of the cover body 2.
Joining the cover body 2 and the contrast agent blocking member 3 via
The outer surface of the double-sided adhesive tape 14 and the cover body 2 near the outer periphery
and the contrast medium blocking member 3 by sealing them with the adhesive sealing member 15.
The sealing performance of the attachment part between the cover body 2 and the cover body 2 is improved.

Here, the diameter of the hole 4 of the contrast medium blocking member 3 is smaller than the diameter of the opening 8 and is large enough for the catheter connector 13 to pass through, and the outer diameter of the double-sided adhesive tape 14 is smaller than the diameter of the opening 8.
The inner diameter of the adhesive sealing member 15 is preferably equal to the diameter of the opening 8 and the inner diameter of the double-sided adhesive tape 14.

After the disposable cover 1 of the present invention is sterilized by gas sterilization or the like, it is sterilized and packaged one by one, packed in bags, and provided to consumers.

When in use, the sterile bag is opened, the cover 1 is taken out, the cover 1 is attached as shown in FIG. 1, and the contrast medium is injected.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention provides a disposable cover for an autoinjector used in a contrast medium injection operation using an autoinjector. By covering the outer cylinder and maintaining the unsterilized outer cylinder in the same state as the sterilized state, it is possible to reliably prevent the contrast agent from being contaminated with bacteria. As a result, the risk of bacterial infection of the subject due to the contaminated contrast medium is eliminated, and the contrast medium injection operation can be performed safely and cleanly.

In addition, since the outer tube does not come into contact with the contrast medium, cleaning the outer tube after repeated use is reduced, and covering the outer tube with a cover prevents medical personnel from accidentally coming into contact with the outer tube. This also prevents the risk of bacterial contamination of medical personnel caused by contact with the outer cylinder.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1(a) and (b) are a perspective view and a sectional view, respectively, of an embodiment of the disposable cover for an autoinjector of the present invention in a used state, and FIGS. 2(a) to (C) are the disposable cover of FIG. 1. It is a figure explaining the cover main body concerning a cover, and is
Figure (a) is a plan view of the cover body in the folded state, Figure 2 (b) is a sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1 (a), and Figure 2 (C) is a plan view of the cover body in the unfolded state. 3 is a perspective view of the contrast agent blocking member related to the disposable cover of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating an example of how the contrast agent blocking member is attached to the cover body, and FIG. A partially cutaway plan view showing an example of a syringe and outer cylinder used in an autoinjector, Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the connection between a contrast medium storage container and a syringe, and Fig. 7 shows how to prevent air bubbles from entering the syringe. The partially cutaway plan view and FIGS. 8(a) to 8(d) are diagrams each illustrating the operation of removing air bubbles from within the syringe. Symbols in the figure: 1... Disposable cover; 2... Cover body; 3... Contrast medium blocking member; 4... Hole portion; 5
... Outer tube; 6... Syringe; 7... Syringe tip: 8... Opening; 9... Cover opening; 10...
・Rubber band; 11... Folded portion; 12... Gazette; 14... Double-sided adhesive tape; 15... Adhesive seal; 16... Piston; 17... Contrast medium; 19... Turret 21 ...Bubble; 22...Fin member. patent

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) The outer cylinder 5 is attached to the fixture 19 provided on the injector head.
A disposable cover that is used in an auto-injector that attaches a syringe 6 through the syringe 6 and moves a piston 16 inside the syringe 6 to suck and eject a contrast medium, protrudes the syringe barrel tip 7 to the outside, and covers the outer barrel 5. Cover mouth 9
1. A disposable cover for an autoinjector, comprising: a cover body 2 having a syringe tip 7; and a contrast agent blocking member 3 having a hole 4 into which a syringe tip 7 is brought into close contact. 2) Claim 1 in which the contrast medium blocking member 3 is made of a thin rubber material having a hole 4 slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the syringe tip 7.
Disposable cover as listed. 3) The disposable cover according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover body 2 is made of a flexible material with transparency that allows the inside of the syringe 6 to be visually seen. 4) An elastic rubber member 10 whose cover opening 9 tightens the outer cylinder 5
The disposable cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: 5) The contrast agent blocking member 3 is inserted into the circular opening 8 of the cover body 2.
A sealing member 15 is joined to the cover body 2 via a donut-shaped double-sided adhesive tape 14 that matches the adhesive tape 14, and adhesively seals the outer surface of the adhesive tape 14 and the cover body 2 near its outer periphery.
3. The disposable cover according to claim 2, wherein the disposable cover is sealed with. 6) The diameter of the hole 4 of the contrast agent blocking member 3 is smaller than the diameter of the circular opening 8, and the outer diameter of the double-sided adhesive tape 14 is equal to the outer diameter of the contrast agent blocking member 3, and the inner diameter thereof is the diameter of the opening 8. 6. The disposable cover according to claim 5, wherein the inner diameter of the adhesive seal member 15 is equal to the diameter of the opening 8 and the inner diameter of the double-sided adhesive tape 14.