US2966986A - Packaged sterile hypodermic needles - Google Patents

Packaged sterile hypodermic needles Download PDF

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Publication number
US2966986A
US2966986A US786800A US78680059A US2966986A US 2966986 A US2966986 A US 2966986A US 786800 A US786800 A US 786800A US 78680059 A US78680059 A US 78680059A US 2966986 A US2966986 A US 2966986A
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United States
Prior art keywords
packaged
needle
hypodermic needle
hypodermic
syringe
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US786800A
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David D Jones
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EXTRUDED PLASTICS Inc
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EXTRUDED PLASTICS Inc
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Priority to US786800A priority Critical patent/US2966986A/en
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Publication of US2966986A publication Critical patent/US2966986A/en
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
    • A61M5/002—Packages specially adapted therefor, e.g. for syringes or needles, kits for diabetics
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/20—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for incompressible or rigid rod-shaped or tubular articles
    • B65D85/24—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for incompressible or rigid rod-shaped or tubular articles for needles, nails or like elongate small articles

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a new article of manufacture, more particularly to a packaged hypodermic needle.
  • hypodermic needles which have been sterilized and protected from subsequent contamination and which are inexpensive enough to be discarded after a single use are finding widespread acceptance among busy physicians and in hospitals. They have the advantages that they need not be sterilized by the physician or nurse prior to use, they can be made into many diiferent sizes for use with a single syringe and need not be cleaned after use. Obviously these packaged hypodermic needles should be as inexpensive as possible.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a packaged and sterilized single-use hypodermic needle of low cost. Other objects will appear hereinafter.
  • Figure 1 is an elevational view of a hypodermic needle packaged in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is an elevational view with a part cut away of the packaged needle with cap removed.
  • Figure 3 is a top view of the article taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.
  • Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of Figure 3 of the part of the article illustrated in Figure 2.
  • the new article of manufacture of the present invention comprises a container 1 made of a suitable plastic material such as cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, or other extrudable plastic material.
  • a suitable plastic material such as cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, or other extrudable plastic material.
  • the body of the container should be made of a transparent material to facilitate identification of the needle.
  • the body of the container 1 is preferably made from an extruded tube of the plastic material about 0.005 to 0.010 inch in wall thickness.
  • This body section is characterized by having one end sealed 2 which may be accomplished by crimping one end of the tube and using acetone or some other solvent for the plastic as a cement.
  • the tube may be closed with a cap or plug of the same or some other material and suitably sealed with cement or heat.
  • the open end of the container is closed with a plastic cap 3 which is readily formed by a molding process or by drawing from
  • the open end of the tube is formed by turning in a section of the tube by pressing the tube against a heated turning fixture which softens the end of the tube and turns the section inward as is indicated in the drawing.
  • the hypodermic needle assembly consists essentially of a hollow needle portion 7 suitably sharpened at one end 8 and fitted into a body 9 which may be made either of metal or some suitable moldable plastic material. Frequently the body portion or shank of the hypodermic needle is made of a plastic material which will not stand steam sterilization, thus discouraging use of the needle a second time.
  • the hypodermic needle shown in the drawings is of the well-known Luer-Lok type which is so designed as to fit into the end of the barrel of a syringe.
  • the shank of the particular hypodermic needle shown in the drawings is slightly tapered to help secure a tighter fit in the top of the container. It will be understood, of course, that hypodermic needles having straight shanks may be used. The slight taper of the shank tends to cause the plastic material of the body of the container to coldflow when firmly inserted so that the turned-in portion assumes the appearance of a truncated cone as indicated by the drawings in which the innermost section 5 has a slightly smaller diameter than the opening at 6.
  • the top 10 of the shank in which the needle is molded is provided with lugs 11 and 12 which are formed to fit in screw threads of the syringe barrel.
  • the cap 3 is removed and the uncovered end of the shank is fitted into the screws of the syringe and the syringe is turned with the lugs 11 and 12 following the screw threads until the plastic fitment is locked securely in place.
  • the hypodermic needle may then be withdrawn from the tube and is ready for use.
  • An advantage of the invention is that the light plastic body 1 may be left on the shank to protect the needle until it is to be used.
  • hypodermic needle fitments of the type just described are not new. However, it has been necessary in other packaged hypodermic needles of the type described herein to employ a more complicated and expensive construction.
  • the package itself has been molded of polyethylene or similar moldable plastic material.
  • the necessity of such complicated construction is avoided by the present invention.
  • a very important feature of the new article of the present invention is the fact that the thin wall construction as is illustrated particularly in Figure 4 is readily deformed by pressure of the thumb and forefinger as it is being held as the body of the syringe is attached; and this slight pressure carried through to the inner walls of the body of the tube makes it possible for the operator of the device to prevent any slippage Whatever, and a tight fit of the needle in the syringe is insured.
  • the wedge-like action that is obtained when using a hypodermic needle with a tapered shank as is illustrated in the drawings also tends to give a better fit in the package making it less likely for the needle to turn as it is being screwed into the syringe and at the same time making it easier to be withdrawn.
  • hypodermic neede and the package may be separately sterilized prior to assembly or the article may be sterilized after it has been assembled with either gaseous or liquid sterilizing agents.
  • certain sterilizing gases such as ethylene oxide are able to penetrate the cellulosic body and effect the sterilization of the contents even though completely sealed.
  • cap 3 Ordinarily it is not necessary to seal the cap 3 in place; but under some circumstances it may be desirable to seal the cap with a plastic band or some low temperature melting film-forming plastic material which can be readily stripped from the cap when the cap is to be removed.
  • An article of the character described comprising a tubular container of flexible thin-wall construction sealed at one end and having an open end, a section of the tubular body turned in to provide a seat for the shank of a hypodermic needle at said open end, a hypodermic needle and its supporting shank disposed in said seat,
  • lugs on said shank extending outward from the opening in the end of said tubular body and being adapted to engage screw threads in the body of a syringe, and a tightly fitting cap covering the said assembly, the Walls of the open end of the container body being sufliciently thin so as to be deformed by light pressure to thereby hold the shank of said needle assembly firmly in position and prevent rotation as the lugs thereof are being turned into the syringe.
  • a packaged hypodermic needle in accordance with claim 1 in which the thin-wall construction of the tubular container is 0.005 to 0.01 inch in thickness.
  • a packaged hypodermic needle in accordance with claim 1 in which the turned-in section of the tubular body is in the form of a truncated cone and the shank of the hypodermic needle is conical.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Vascular Medicine (AREA)
  • Anesthesiology (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Diabetes (AREA)
  • Hematology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Infusion, Injection, And Reservoir Apparatuses (AREA)

Description

Jan. 3, 1961 JONES 2,966,986
PACKAGED STERILE HYPODERMIC NEEDLES Filed Jan. 14. 1959 3 INVENTOR.
ATTOP/VE) 2,966,986 Patented Jan. 3, 196.1
PACKAGED STERILE HYPODERMIC NEEDLES David D. Jones, Weston, Conn., assignor to Extruded Plastics, Incorporated, Norwalk, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Jan. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 786,800
8 Claims. (Cl. 206-631) This invention relates to a new article of manufacture, more particularly to a packaged hypodermic needle.
The use of presterilized single-use hypodermic needles has become increasingly popular in the medical profession in recent years. Packaged hypodermic needles which have been sterilized and protected from subsequent contamination and which are inexpensive enough to be discarded after a single use are finding widespread acceptance among busy physicians and in hospitals. They have the advantages that they need not be sterilized by the physician or nurse prior to use, they can be made into many diiferent sizes for use with a single syringe and need not be cleaned after use. Obviously these packaged hypodermic needles should be as inexpensive as possible. An object of the present invention is to provide a packaged and sterilized single-use hypodermic needle of low cost. Other objects will appear hereinafter.
An understanding of the present invention may be obtained from the drawing, Figure 1 of which is an elevational view of a hypodermic needle packaged in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2 is an elevational view with a part cut away of the packaged needle with cap removed. Figure 3 is a top view of the article taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of Figure 3 of the part of the article illustrated in Figure 2.
Referring again to Figure l, the new article of manufacture of the present invention comprises a container 1 made of a suitable plastic material such as cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, or other extrudable plastic material. Preferably the body of the container should be made of a transparent material to facilitate identification of the needle. The body of the container 1 is preferably made from an extruded tube of the plastic material about 0.005 to 0.010 inch in wall thickness. This body section is characterized by having one end sealed 2 which may be accomplished by crimping one end of the tube and using acetone or some other solvent for the plastic as a cement. If desired, the tube may be closed with a cap or plug of the same or some other material and suitably sealed with cement or heat. The open end of the container is closed with a plastic cap 3 which is readily formed by a molding process or by drawing from a sheet of the plastic material in known manner.
The open end of the tube is formed by turning in a section of the tube by pressing the tube against a heated turning fixture which softens the end of the tube and turns the section inward as is indicated in the drawing.
The hypodermic needle assembly consists essentially of a hollow needle portion 7 suitably sharpened at one end 8 and fitted into a body 9 which may be made either of metal or some suitable moldable plastic material. Frequently the body portion or shank of the hypodermic needle is made of a plastic material which will not stand steam sterilization, thus discouraging use of the needle a second time.
The hypodermic needle shown in the drawings is of the well-known Luer-Lok type which is so designed as to fit into the end of the barrel of a syringe. The shank of the particular hypodermic needle shown in the drawings is slightly tapered to help secure a tighter fit in the top of the container. It will be understood, of course, that hypodermic needles having straight shanks may be used. The slight taper of the shank tends to cause the plastic material of the body of the container to coldflow when firmly inserted so that the turned-in portion assumes the appearance of a truncated cone as indicated by the drawings in which the innermost section 5 has a slightly smaller diameter than the opening at 6.
The top 10 of the shank in which the needle is molded is provided with lugs 11 and 12 which are formed to fit in screw threads of the syringe barrel. In operation, the cap 3 is removed and the uncovered end of the shank is fitted into the screws of the syringe and the syringe is turned with the lugs 11 and 12 following the screw threads until the plastic fitment is locked securely in place. The hypodermic needle may then be withdrawn from the tube and is ready for use. An advantage of the invention is that the light plastic body 1 may be left on the shank to protect the needle until it is to be used.
Hypodermic needle fitments of the type just described are not new. However, it has been necessary in other packaged hypodermic needles of the type described herein to employ a more complicated and expensive construction. The package itself has been molded of polyethylene or similar moldable plastic material. To prevent the hypodermic needle fitment from turning as the syringe is screwed on to the end of the fitment, it has been necessary to provide channels in the plastic fitment and corresponding locking lugs in the polyethylene body, or the reverse, to prevent the needle fitment from turning as it is being fastened to the body of the syringe. The necessity of such complicated construction is avoided by the present invention. A very important feature of the new article of the present invention is the fact that the thin wall construction as is illustrated particularly in Figure 4 is readily deformed by pressure of the thumb and forefinger as it is being held as the body of the syringe is attached; and this slight pressure carried through to the inner walls of the body of the tube makes it possible for the operator of the device to prevent any slippage Whatever, and a tight fit of the needle in the syringe is insured. The wedge-like action that is obtained when using a hypodermic needle with a tapered shank as is illustrated in the drawings also tends to give a better fit in the package making it less likely for the needle to turn as it is being screwed into the syringe and at the same time making it easier to be withdrawn.
The hypodermic neede and the package may be separately sterilized prior to assembly or the article may be sterilized after it has been assembled with either gaseous or liquid sterilizing agents. Apparently certain sterilizing gases such as ethylene oxide are able to penetrate the cellulosic body and effect the sterilization of the contents even though completely sealed.
Ordinarily it is not necessary to seal the cap 3 in place; but under some circumstances it may be desirable to seal the cap with a plastic band or some low temperature melting film-forming plastic material which can be readily stripped from the cap when the cap is to be removed.
I claim:
1. An article of the character described comprising a tubular container of flexible thin-wall construction sealed at one end and having an open end, a section of the tubular body turned in to provide a seat for the shank of a hypodermic needle at said open end, a hypodermic needle and its supporting shank disposed in said seat,
lugs on said shank extending outward from the opening in the end of said tubular body and being adapted to engage screw threads in the body of a syringe, and a tightly fitting cap covering the said assembly, the Walls of the open end of the container body being sufliciently thin so as to be deformed by light pressure to thereby hold the shank of said needle assembly firmly in position and prevent rotation as the lugs thereof are being turned into the syringe.
2. A packaged hypodermic needle in accordance with claim 1 in which the thin-wall construction of the tubular container is transparent.
3. A packaged hypodermic needle in accordance with claim 1 in which the thin-wall construction of the tubular container is 0.005 to 0.01 inch in thickness.
4. A packaged hypodermic needle in accordance with claim 1 in which the thin-wall construction of the tubular container is a cellulose ester.
5. A packaged hypodermic needle in accordance With claim 1 in which the thin-wall construction of the tubular container is cellulose acetate butyrate.
6. A packaged hypodermic needle in accordance with claim 1 in which the thin-wall construction of the tubular container is cellulose propionate.
7. A packaged hypodermic needle in accordance with claim 1 in which the thin-wall construction of the tubular container is cellulose acetate.
8. A packaged hypodermic needle in accordance with claim 1 in which the turned-in section of the tubular body is in the form of a truncated cone and the shank of the hypodermic needle is conical.
References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,389,659 Hollowood Sept. 6, 1921 2,492,326 Scotti Dec. 27, 1949 2,555,863 Slaughter June 5, 1951 2,619,228 Long Nov. 25, 1952 2,720,969 Kendall Oct. 18, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 43,048 France Nov. 7, 1933 (Addition to No. 630,454) 85,137 Sweden Dec. 24, 1935
US786800A 1959-01-14 1959-01-14 Packaged sterile hypodermic needles Expired - Lifetime US2966986A (en)

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Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3107784A (en) * 1960-09-08 1963-10-22 Abbott Lab Polypropylene film package
US3270743A (en) * 1963-05-29 1966-09-06 Leeming Miles Pharmaccuticals Hypodermic injection syringe
US3380489A (en) * 1965-08-26 1968-04-30 Pharmaseal Lab Medical container with closure
US3434587A (en) * 1966-06-21 1969-03-25 Becton Dickinson Co Package for syringe
US3459189A (en) * 1965-07-28 1969-08-05 Brunswick Corp Trocar catheter
US3704529A (en) * 1970-07-13 1972-12-05 Forrest J Cioppa Training and instruction device for performing cricothyroidotomy
US5007535A (en) * 1988-09-26 1991-04-16 Hammerlit Gmbh Syringe tray
WO2001019431A1 (en) * 1999-09-15 2001-03-22 Abbott Laboratories Cartridge assembly packaging
US20120037655A1 (en) * 2010-08-16 2012-02-16 Becton, Dickinson And Company Pen Needle Dispensing Apparatus
US9943641B2 (en) 2013-03-14 2018-04-17 Becton, Dickinson And Company Package for medical product

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1389659A (en) * 1919-10-03 1921-09-06 Mathew J Hollowood Receptacle for bacterial cultures
FR630454A (en) * 1926-05-29 1927-12-03 Pomeon Et Cie Sarl A Safety packaging for pharmaceutical ampoules or similar articles
FR43048E (en) * 1933-02-15 1934-01-25 Pomeon Et Cie A Safety packaging for pharmaceutical ampoules or similar articles
US2492326A (en) * 1946-11-21 1949-12-27 Vesta E Scotti Douche syringe and container assembly
US2555863A (en) * 1947-09-23 1951-06-05 Charles E Slaughter Ampoule package
US2619228A (en) * 1947-04-30 1952-11-25 James W Long Hypodermic needle package
US2720969A (en) * 1953-12-10 1955-10-18 Becton Dickinson Co Package and mounting for hypodermic syringe assembly

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1389659A (en) * 1919-10-03 1921-09-06 Mathew J Hollowood Receptacle for bacterial cultures
FR630454A (en) * 1926-05-29 1927-12-03 Pomeon Et Cie Sarl A Safety packaging for pharmaceutical ampoules or similar articles
FR43048E (en) * 1933-02-15 1934-01-25 Pomeon Et Cie A Safety packaging for pharmaceutical ampoules or similar articles
US2492326A (en) * 1946-11-21 1949-12-27 Vesta E Scotti Douche syringe and container assembly
US2619228A (en) * 1947-04-30 1952-11-25 James W Long Hypodermic needle package
US2555863A (en) * 1947-09-23 1951-06-05 Charles E Slaughter Ampoule package
US2720969A (en) * 1953-12-10 1955-10-18 Becton Dickinson Co Package and mounting for hypodermic syringe assembly

Cited By (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3107784A (en) * 1960-09-08 1963-10-22 Abbott Lab Polypropylene film package
US3270743A (en) * 1963-05-29 1966-09-06 Leeming Miles Pharmaccuticals Hypodermic injection syringe
US3459189A (en) * 1965-07-28 1969-08-05 Brunswick Corp Trocar catheter
US3380489A (en) * 1965-08-26 1968-04-30 Pharmaseal Lab Medical container with closure
US3434587A (en) * 1966-06-21 1969-03-25 Becton Dickinson Co Package for syringe
US3704529A (en) * 1970-07-13 1972-12-05 Forrest J Cioppa Training and instruction device for performing cricothyroidotomy
US5007535A (en) * 1988-09-26 1991-04-16 Hammerlit Gmbh Syringe tray
WO2001019431A1 (en) * 1999-09-15 2001-03-22 Abbott Laboratories Cartridge assembly packaging
US20120037655A1 (en) * 2010-08-16 2012-02-16 Becton, Dickinson And Company Pen Needle Dispensing Apparatus
JP2012040386A (en) * 2010-08-16 2012-03-01 Becton Dickinson & Co Pen needle dispensing apparatus
US9186452B2 (en) * 2010-08-16 2015-11-17 Becton, Dickinson And Company Pen needle dispensing apparatus
US20160051771A1 (en) * 2010-08-16 2016-02-25 Becton, Dickinson And Company Pen Needle Dispensing Apparatus
US20160051772A1 (en) * 2010-08-16 2016-02-25 Becton, Dickinson And Company Pen Needle Dispensing Apparatus
US9468712B2 (en) * 2010-08-16 2016-10-18 Becton, Dickinson And Company Pen needle dispensing apparatus
US9775944B2 (en) * 2010-08-16 2017-10-03 Becton, Dickinson And Company Pen needle dispensing apparatus
US9943641B2 (en) 2013-03-14 2018-04-17 Becton, Dickinson And Company Package for medical product
US10589017B2 (en) 2013-03-14 2020-03-17 Becton, Dickinson And Company Package for medical product

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