US2007454A - Ampoule - Google Patents

Description

July 9, 1935. H. N. MAY 2,00%?,454

AMPOULE Filed Aug. 19, 1953 Patented Iuly 9, 1935 UNITED lSTATES PATENT oFFlcE 1- claim.

'Ihe present invention relates to a container and a closure therefor and has particularly to do with an ampoule or similar article.`

Originally, hypodermic injections were pre- 5 pared in bulk. It was usual and customary for a dentist, physician, or veterinarian to maintain a case containing bottles of medicinal liquids, each liquid comprising a solution of a selectedstrength of a useful medicament. The liquids were used to ll or partially ll the barrel of a hypodermic syringe. Bulkiness and uncertainty of dosage were disadvantages inherent to this method.

Such hypodermio injections were produced,

mainlywithin the confines of a laboratory. It was possible the laboratory to make sterile solutions of potent material, obtain uniformity therefor, but exact dosage in the hands of the user was impossible. It was irksome to carry a large number of bottles of solutions.

The selectedliquid was drawn into the barrel of a syringe in measured quantity but this arrangement was diilicult of operation and there were variations in the quantity drawn in due to the t of the plunger within the syringe barrel.

Next came hypodermic or hypodermatic tablets. Necessarily, these are made by admixing the potent medicine with` a vehicle. The mixture is run through a tableting machine. Absolute uniformity of mixture of medicament and vehicle appears impossible. It has repeatedly been demonstrated that the percentage of active ingredient in relation to one portion of a mixture varies radically with the medicinal strength of another portion of the same mixture which went through the'same batch mixing device 'and at the same time. v I

`ack of uniformity wasnot the only difficulty. Distilled water was not always convenient for use as a solvents Often polluted or impure water was utilized, perhaps 'with disastrous results. An ability to obtain the precise amount of water best suited for the purpose was not present and frequently the physician, dentist, or veterinarian was called upon to mix the tablet in water held in the bowl of a tablespoon or in some other crude Vessel. Uniform solution was impossible.

When the physician, dentist, or veterinarian attempted to *draw a dissolved charge of potent material into a syringe, his success varied. The result was that the dose given by a hypodermic injection and made from a tablet, even under the best of circumstances, was uncertain.

The latest step has been to provide ampoules containingthe selected quantity of medicament in solution, that is, in a 'single ampoule enough (o1. 12s-21s) of a solution to equal a dose, say for example, one eighth of one grain of` cocaine hydrochloride.

, Glass vials or cylinders are used. One end of the vial or cylinderv is provided with a movable plug and thel other end with a puncturable head. The 5 hypodermic needle is used to puncture the head coincidentally with the disposition of the ampoule in the barrel of' a syringe. Thus greater accuracy was obtained than is possible` by either of the previouslydescribed methods 'of preparing 10 hypodermic injections( v The present invention is anA improvement over previously employed ampoules.' It is intended for use in a syringe having a needle disposed to puncture the head of the ampoule and a plunger to 15 force, longitudinally of the ampoule, a plug disposed adjacentthe other end of the glass vial or cylinder. f

The objectsof the present invention are the provision of new and novel. ampoules; an improved puncturable closure therefor; and a better, more positive, air-tight and sanitary means forcapping'withpuncturable material the end of a glass vial or the like. Y

These'lobjects, `and such other objects as may hereinafterappear', are obtained by the novel construction', unique arrangement, and improved combination of the several elements which constitute the single rform of the invention illustratedv in the accompanying drawing, hereby made a part of this specication, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a device embodying the subject matter of the invention; l s

Figure 2 is a diametric section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and Y Y Figure 3 `is a fragmentary elevation of t e end of the ampoule completely `assembled for arketlng.. f

Likereference characters are used to dejsignate similar parts in the drawing and in the escription of the invention which follows.

The ampouleillustrated is designated lill. It is shaped like a conventional homeopathic viral, and comprises an open ended cylindrical section Il, generally of uniform diameter, terminating in shoulders I 2, a neck i3 and a squared or rimmed mouth I4. The diameter of the squared mouth is slightly less than the diameter of the body Il. The open bottom end of the cylinder Il is closed by a plug IB, which plug is of any suitable compressible material which will not contaminate the contents ofthe vial.

While closing the end of the ampoule against liquid seepage, the'plug should be movable longi- 55 Fir tudinally of the cylinder for the purpose of discharging any liquid contained therein through the neck I3 and mouth I4, when the head is opened by a puncture therein, as by way of the barrel of a hypodermic needle which is shown in dotted outline in Figure 1.

Such needle has a pointed, hollow, cylindrical section Il extending through the closure member at the neck end of the ampoule. An enlarged portion on said needle and designated i8 is of soft metal and is used for snugly securing the needle upon the barrel of a hypodermic syringe. Said needle also has an extending cylindrical, pointed section I9 intended to be forced into flesh. The discharge of the ampoule is through an axial passage of generally uniform diameter coextensve with the needle as illustrated.

For closing the neck end of the ampoule, a cap 20 is provided. This may be of a suitable rubber or any other suitable sturdy but flexible material. The cap may be a combination of flexible and rigid material, if preferred. The cap or head comprises an end section ZI in which there is a seat 22, such seat being depressed to provide a guide for centering section I'I of the hypodermic needle. The depressed seat extends inwardly of the mouth of the ampoule. It possesses the tendency of causing the needle, when it is forced through the head, to seek the axis of the ampoule, thus avoiding contact with the walls of glass forming the flaring mouth and neck of the ampoule. This seat may be eliminated if desired.

Depending from the end section 2i is an annular section 23 of relatively thin material coextensive with and vadapted to shape itself to ccnform with the external mouth structure of the ampoule. Immediately adjacent and depending from the annular section 23 is another annular section 24 integral with the remainder of the closure member, the material however .being of greater thickness `and with either a smooth internal periphery or knurled or tabbed or formed with slits therein as is shown in Figure 2 to provide a plurality of independent gripping surfaces .25 rather than a single .gripping surface as where the surface is a continuous `annular section. The gripping surface or surfaces closely .engage the exterior of the neck of the bottle, the purpose of the knurls or slitted structure being to reduce the tendency of the closure Amember to slip or be twisted upon the ampoule neck.

The ampoule may be employed .as already described, or there may be placed thereabout .or thereover a foil band or .cap or the ampoule may be dipped into a viscous material which subsequently dries thereover to provide .an air tight cover which may be readily sterilized by dipping in the usual sterilizing solutions. A metallic or foil band about the head may be similarly sterilized. One form of band 21 is illustrated in Figure 3 and has a flange 28 at its top edge. Across the opening in the top of the band is a thin foil disk 29, readily puncturable by a needle.

The diameter of the cap and covering thereover is substantially the same as the diameter of the cylinder II, thus making the ampoule a generally cylindrical cartridge adapted to fit into the barrel of a syringe without binding or undue stress at `any point.

That there is a uniform strain upon all portions of the ampoule prevents fracture or collapse. Such a structure provides an improved ampoule `in that the cap is not readily displaceable therefrom, and will resist a large degree of outward pressure while concurrently supporting or strengthening the wall of the ampoule at the constricted neck and mouth portion thereof. No special machinery is needed for attaching the head.

The close hugging of the rubber cap over the mouth or flange of the ampoule while adapting itself to the indented neck of the ampoule makes the entire unit airproof and sterile. The flared mouth -or flange of the ampoule serves as a lock against the smaller neck portion of the rubber caps 4and in this manner it will resist great pressure.

Fur-ther, the rubber ears surrounding all of the ampoule end and having a suicient thickness of wall and bottom, protects the tube or ampoule against breakage and the resiliency of the bottom protective flange acts as a rebound agency to greatly relieve tension and pressure on the ampoule and at the same time practically eliminates regurgitation.

On the cap 21, a number or other designation may be used for identifying the solution in the ampoule .to which the cap is attached.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by 'Letters Patent of the United States is:

An ampoule comprising a body generally cylindrical in configuration, said body having an elongated neck surrounding the mouth of said ampoule, said neck having a lip of less diameter than said body and of greater diameter than said neck, a one ,piece slip-over cap of elastic material having an Aexternal uniformly cylindrical periphery of slightly less -diameter than the diameter of Ysaid body, the cap comprising a section of reduced

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