US2724383A - Combined mixing container structure and hypodermic syringe for segregated ingredients of hypodermically injectable preparations - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 22, 1955 M. L. LOCKHART COMBINED MIXING CONTAINER STRUCTURE AND HYPODERMIC SYRINGE FOR SEGREGATED INGREDIENTS OF HYPODERMICALLY INJECTABLE PREPARATIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1951 1 nil! II sllllll ilalllvu :lliiill' 1 iiuikl EVE L V- 55 M. L. LOCKHART COMBINED MIXING CONTAINER STRUCTURE AND HYPODERMIC SYRINGE FOR SEGREGATED INGREDIENTS OF HYPODERMICALLY INJECTABLE PREPARATIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1951 INVENTOR.

4 .[0 A A A/?Z' 15 ATTORNEYSI 2,724,383 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 United States Patent Ofiice COMBINED MIXING CUNTAINER STRUCTURE AND HYPODERMIC SYRINGE FOR SEGRE- GATED INGREDIENTS OF HYPODERMICALLY INJECTABLE PREPARATIONS 16 Claims. (Cl. 128--215) The present invention relates to mixing containers for storage of segregated ingredients of liquid preparations intended to be hypodermically injected and manipulatable to bring the segregated ingredients together for admixture and thereafter allowing direct hypodermic administration of mixture contents with use of a part of the device. Devices of the present invention constitute improvernents on those disclosed and claimed in my respective copending patent applications Mixing Container for Segregated Ingredients of Therapeutic Preparations, Serial No. 202,334, now Patent No. 2,636,493; and Single Dosage Disposable Hypodermic Syringe Ampules and Assemblies, Serial No. 202,333, now Patent No. 2,625,157; bothfiled December 22, 1950. t

A general object of the present invention is to provide such mixing container and hypodermic syringe devices, the parts of which are of simple construction, readily produced economically on a mass basis, and easily assembled together to form syringe barrel structures and associated compartments for segregated storage of components or lngredients of hypodermically injectable preparations, with intercommunication between compart- 1 ments seprately storing ingredients being readily permitted by simple manipulation of the cannula means which is to be employed in the hypodermic administration of mixture contents and of associated stiucture.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide such devices which are characterized by the provisionof the segregating or isolating compartments in the form of connecting or interfitting containers with associated cannula means so manipulatable simultaneously as to provide intercommunication between the compartments via the cannula means for effective transfer and intermixing of ingredients, and thereafter permitting in a simple manner employment of parts, including one of the compartment units and the cannula means, for effecting hypodermic injection of the resulting :mixture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such plurality of connectable or interfittable compartment units and the cannula means in a form which permits their separate supply in lots whereby a practitioner 1 may readily assemble a cannula means unit with any oneof a pair of compartment units separately housing certain ingredients of desired hypodermically injectable preparations without the employment of any special skill.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device, in the form of a pair of containers for separately housing ingredients to be mixed, with the con: tainers having hollow necks capable of being telescoped.

together and suitably sealed off at their bottomsby diaphragm means, such necks being adapted together to house a double-ended cannula which may be brought to puncture of both of the diaphragm means with telescope of the necks so as to permit transfer of liquid from one container to the other for effective admixture of' in- H gredients and with one container and the cannula being thereafter adapted to serve as a hypodermic syringe for hypodermic administration of mixture contents.

provide a plural-unit assembly wherein separate units effectively and segregatively house different ingredients while being capable of being brought together to an initial ready condition for protectively housing a cannula in a sterile state, and allowing efiicient maintenance of such segregative and protective characteristics during storage, transportation and distribution, the parts of the assembly being easily manipulated at will to a communicative condition for admixture of the segregated materials, and finally to an administering condition for hypodermic injection of admixture.

And another object of the invention is to provide structural embodiments of the device which are readily and economically constructed and permit simple and efiicient use and operation thereof.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the followa ing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective exploded view of the embodiment of the invention showing three parts thereof aligned for assembly, with the bottoms of the container being shown open, for reception of medicinal ingredients to be separately housed therein;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. l but with the elements brought together in a ready condition with the containers closed to house ingredients, such assembly being of a form in which the device may be distributed or carried for use.

Fig. 3 is a partial axial sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged axial section, with the parts broken away, of the structure shown in Fig. 3 and indicating the relative positions of parts in the ready condition just as telescope of one container neck within the other begins as an initial step of operating the device to the communicative condition for admixture of housed ingredients;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing progressive tive condition and indicating in dot-dash lines applica tion of pressure to elastic walls of the liquid-housing container to transfer the liquid to the other container; Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are elevational views: to a smaller scale and with parts in section of thedevice shown in Figs. 1 to 7 .incL, indicating the preferred orientation thereof after manipulation of parts to the communicative? condition, and showing step-by-step a preferred manipulative procedure for transferring the liquid from one compartment through the cannula bore to the other, there to be admixed with another ingredient, such as medicinal solids in powder or pill form; 3

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of one container with the cannula mounted in its neck, which may serve as a 3 hypodermic syringe for hypodermic administration of mixture contents, after removal from the assembly of Fig. of the container unit in which the liquid had been originally housed, and thus the administering condition of the device;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the hypodermic syringe structure shown in Fig. 11 and indicating application of pressure to the elastic walls thereof for ejection of mix? ture contents as in the hypodermic administration or injection of such contents;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged axial section, with parts broken away, of a modified form of the structure of the hollow neck of one container in which the cannula mount is slidably received;

Fig. 14 is an axial section, with parts broken away, of complementary telescoped necks showing modified structures thereof for facilitating venting of entrapped air;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 15-,15 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is an axial section, with parts broken away, of a modified form of the structure shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 17 is an axial section similar to Fig. 3 of another modification;

Fig. 18 is an axial section to an enlarged scale, with parts broken away, of a further modified form of the device of, the present invention; and

Fig. 19 is a side view to a reduced scale, and with parts in section, of a connecting sleeve and cannula subassembly of the Fig. 18 structure housed in protective end caps for supply as a unit separate from the complementary containers;

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals identify similar parts throughout, it will be seen that an embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 12 incl. may comprise a collapsible wall container 20, preferably in the form of a collapsible tube, having relatively thin, highly flexible elastic side walls and, for

this purpose, preferably made of an elastic plastic material, such as a polyethylene composition. Desirably, the composition employed is transparent, at least to a degree permitting inspection of container contents and covered parts. A further advantage of using one of the polyethylene compositions resides in the fact that they are readily molded to desired shapes, with the molded products being shatterproof, moisture-proof, and effectively fluid-tight. Thus, such collapsible tube containers will not permit leakage of contained liquids, even under appreciable internal pressure, and are substantially inert tomedicinal and therapeutic preparations and in redients thereof intended to be stored therein and administered therefrom. Also, bodies thereof, even of substantial thickness, are readily pierceable by a needle with thematerial at the margin of a needle-pierced perforation haying the inherent characteristic effectively of gripping the exterior of the needle to there form a substa-ntially .fiuidtight seal. Of course, other suitable materials having the proper characteristics to answer the demands .of a particular use or desired functioning of a certainstmct-ural embodiment within the scope of the invention may be employed in the practice thereof.

As best shown in Fig. 3, one side of the collapsible wall container 20, i. e., one end 21 of the elastic plastic tube, is closed by a needle-pierceable portion or diaphragm 22 preferably in the form of a flexible membrane, and when made as an integral part of the elastic plastic container has'certain elasticity. A head 23 is mounted upon end 21 of container 20, preferably in the form of a hollow neck having a socket, desirably in the form of a cylindrical bore 24, extending longitudinally or axially thereof, closed at its inner end or bottom by diaphragm 22. The outer end 25 of thehollow neck '23 constitutes an abutment for cooperative association with certain stop means, as explained hereinafter. As will be seen from Figs. 1,2 and 3, the container preferably is molded integrally with the neck 23 and diaphragm 22 and has its bottom end 26 open to receive therein a charge of an ingredient of a therapeutic preparation or composition, such as a dosage of medicinal liquid to be hypodermically administered. In the Figs. 1 to 12 incl. embodiment such ingredient preferably may comprise a body 27 of solids in particulate or pill form with which a liquid ingredient is to be admixed. After the body of ingredient 27 is loaded into the compartment provided by the interior of collapsible tube 20, the bottom end 26 of the latter may be securely closed by pinching opposite edges together and heat sealing, as at 28 in Figs. 2 and 3.

The hollow neck 23 is adapted to receive therein and, if desired, carry a cannula 24 which carries a laterallyprojecting means 30 fixed thereto, preferably in the form of a hub body, with the cannula preferably being supportablein the bore 24 by means of the hub body 30.

he cannula-supporting body 30 may, as is best seenin Figs. 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7, comprise a cylindrical slug with a cylindrical side surface 31, smooth if desired, although as indicated in Fig. 16, such cylindrical surface may be knurled or milled. The cylindrical cannula-supporting body or slug 30 is of such diameter as to be slidable in the bore 24 with some frictional resistance to tend to hold it in any position of adjustment. As shown, the cannula 29 preferably is in the form of a double-ended hypodermic needle with its inward or diaphragm-piercing end 32 projecting a relatively short distance inwardly of the inner side or end 33 of the needle-supporting body 30, and with its major portion or outward injective'end 34 extending outwardly of the outer side or end 35 of its support body.

As indicated in Fig. 3, normally the support body 30 is to be mounted at a certain point in the bore 24 so that the cannula inner end 32 extends toward but short of or is spaced outwardly of the diaphragm 22 to avoid puncture of the latter. It is temporarily held in such position preferably by making the support body 30 slightly oversize, or, i. e., of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the bore 24, so that it will be slidable therein but can be frictionally held in any desired position. By employing elastic plastic composition from which to form the container body and its head or neck 23, the walls of the hollow neck will have some elasticity so as to permit the desired sliding action of the support body 30 therein, especially when the latter is made of substantially rigid material, such as metallic composition, as may be preferred. Flexibility of the neck 23 may be limited to a small degree by making the walls thereof relatively thick while assuring relatively high flexibility in the container side walls by making them relatively thin, characteristic of such plastic compositions due to their unique moduli of rigidity.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 12 incL, a second or complementary container 36 is provided for housing the other ingredient of the therapeutic preparation and may, as therein shown, be in the form of another elastic plastic collapsible tube somewhat similar to tube 20 except for certain head or neck structure thereof. Accordingly, its head end 21 is also closed by a needle-pierceable diaphragm 22 preferably made as an integral part of the body of that container. Since head or neck 37 of tube 36 is intended to constitute certain sleeve means for connecting the contaniers together, preferably it is in the form of an elongated cylindrical member having an axial bore 38 terminating at closing diaphragm 22 and freely receivable of the outward injective needle end 34 The connecting sleeve means comprising neck 37 has its axial bore 38 counterbored at its outer end to provide a cylindrical socket 39, from the inner or bottom end of which preferably with a relatively close fit, and the cylindrical recess 40 is adapted to receive therein the outer end 25 of that other container neck, as is indicated in Figs. 3 to 7 incl., with the bottom of the recess serving as a stop for abutment end 25 of neck 23 to limit telescope of the latter therein, while the piston post 41 servesto push the needle-supporting body 30 forward or down into neck bore 24 to bring the inward needle end 32 to puncture of diaphragm 22 of the first container 20. The length of bore.38 from abutment end 42 of piston post 41 to its bottom closing diaphragm 22 is, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7, appreciably shorter than the outward end 34 of the cannula 29, so that the latter will pierce through that diaphragm to bring the cannula bore 43 (indicated in Fig. 4) intocornmunication with the compartment provided by the interior of collapsible tube 36 and with the preparation ingredient housedtherein, preferably in the form of a body 44 of liquid, such as distilled water, when the solids are housed in the other container 20.

3 In use of the combined storing and mixing hypodermic syringe device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 12.incl., the threepart assembly comprising complementary containers 20 and 36and cannula sub-assembly 29, with the latter protectively housed within the telescoped necks 23 and 37 when the assembly is in the ready" condition shown in Figs; 2 and 3, may be desirably employed for effective distribution of the ingredients of a single hypodermic dosage. The physician, technician or user may select one such ready assembly and manipulate it in the simple following manner to mix the ingredients of theliquid preparation and then administer them hypodermically. Containers 20 and 36 are pushed toward each other so that their necks telescope together in the direction of the arrows 45, 45 indicated in Figs. 3,5 and 6. This will cause the outer end 25 of neck 23 to slide into recess 40 until the outward injective needle end 34 piercesthrough diaphragm 22 of liquid-containing container 36, as indicated in Fig. ,6. This isassured by virtue of the fair amount of frictional resistance of needle-supporting body 30 to slide forward in neck bore 24. Thus, the needle bore 43 is first brought into communication with the body 44 of liquid ingredient in container 36, with the outer abutment end 42 of piston post 41 approaching to contact with the outer end35 of the needle-supporting body 30. Thereafter, with further telescope of the necks 23 and 37, piston post 41 pushes needle-supporting body 30forward or down into neck bore 24 to puncture of diaphragm22 of container 20 by the inward needle end 32, as shown in Fig. 7. This is the communicative condition of the device. Further, telescope of the necks is prevented by abutment of the outer end 25 of neck23 against the stop provided by the bottom of cylindrical recess 40.

The operator then preferably holds the device in a somewhat upright position with the liquid-containing collapsible tube 36 uppermost, as indicated in Fig. 7. By lateral application of inward pressure to the side Walls of the collapsible tube 36 in the direction of thearrows 46, 46, as shown in Fig. 7, such as by squeezing, the cubic capacity of the liquid-containing tube 36 is reduced, as indicated by dot-dash lines, and a quantity of the liquid is forced Clown through cannula bore 43 into the solidscon taining collapsible tube 20, as indicated by the dot-. dash arrows 47, 47. This is permitted by virtue of the fact that the compartment provided by the interior of collapsible tube 20 contains both body 27 of the solids and an appreciable head 48 of gaseous medium, such as sterile air, which, of course, is compressible. After suchtransfer of a quantity of the liquid 44 from the uppermost container 36 to the lowermost container 20 and at a time when the pressure built up in tube 20 by addition thereto of a quantity of the liquid tends to check flow of the latter, relief of lateral pressure applied to the side walls of tube 36 will permit them to spring out substantially to theirformer positions, indicated in full lines in Fig. 7,

by virtue of the elasticity of the material from which the tube is formed. This will create a partial vacuum in top tube 36, and the differential in pressure in the two tubes will cause air to pass up through the needle bore 43 into the top tube.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate subsequent steps of transfer of additional quantities of liquid from the toptube 36 to the bottom tube 20 until the desired quantity of liquid for admixture with the solids is attained. As indicated in Fig. 8, re-application of lateral pressure to the sides of tube 36 in the direction of arrows46, 46 will again cause a quantity of the remaining portion of liquid 44 (now superposed by a head of air 50 which was transferred from bottom tube 20) again to be forced down through the needle bore 43 to spray into tube 20, as indicated at 47. It will thus be understood that by such repeated procedure substantially all of the liquid 44 may be transferred from tube 36 to tube 20. Such liquid transfer may be speeded by an alternating application of such lateral pressure first to the side walls of top tube 36 to force a quantity of liquid down therefrom into bottom tube 20 and then to the side walls of the bottom tubein the direction of the arrows 51, 51 to speed reverse travel of air from the bottom tube to the top tube. The quantity of transferred liquid in bottom tube 20 is indicated at 5 2 in Fig. 9, in which the solids have begun to dissolve. Fig. 10 illustrates the next step of alternate squeezing which may transfer the final quantity of liquid 44 down into tube 20. Thereafter, the assembly, which now is characterized by collection of a major portion or almost all of the liquid 44 in the solids-containing tube 20,may be shaken longitudinally to assure thorough admixture of the ingredients within the tube 20 compartment.

The device of Figs. 1 tof12 incl. is then brought to the administering condition by withdrawal of the now substantially empty tube 36, with the neck 23 being slid out of the connecting sleeve means provided by the neck struc ture 37. This will produce the hypodermic syringe structure shown in Fig. ll, with the needle 29 and its supporting body 30 remaining in bore 24 of neck 23 substantially at the position indicated in Fig. 7, and with the.

sible tube 20 in the direction of the arrows 53,53 shown in Fig. 12 so as to eject therefrom the contained therapeutic preparation. Incidentally, in order to facilitate ready identification of the collapsible tubes for the preferred orientation indicated in Figs. 5 to 10 incl, during transfer of liquid contents of one tube to the other, tube 26, which is to serve as the hypodermic ampule, may carry anidentification mark, such as H, as indicated at 54, to contrast with the arrow 49 on tube 36.

It is to be understood that, within the scope of the invention, the collapsible tubes 20 and 36 housing the different ingredients of therapeutic preparations and the needle unit 29 need not, if desired, be distributed in the assembled ready condition proposed in Figs. 2 and 3. A supply of solids-containing tubes 20 may be maintained separately from a supply of liquid-containingt'ubes 36, with a single needle unit 29 intended to be used successively with a matched or complementary pair thereof. Of course, in such case, the needle unit 29 will require withdrawal from the emptied hypodermic syringe ampule 20,

proper sterilization and reinsertion in the neck of another loaded collapsible tube 20, followed by telescope of the sleeve means 37 of a selected loaded tube 36 over the ampule tube neck 23.

assess;

Qperation and usage of the embodiment-of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 12 inclusive, has indicated a tendency for air entrapped within the telescoped necks of the conrie'cted complementary containers to give some slight resistance to further telescoping motion. This, however, has beenfound to be of a degree which does notprevent proper communicative and admixing operations since, due to the elasticity of the material from which the collapsible tubes are preferably formed, sufficient air will bleed out between juxtaposed surfaces of the telescoping neck portions as to permit eventual puncture of both diaphragms by the needle ends. Such tendency may be reduced, if desired, by providing venting ways along such juxtaposed surfaces. Such venting ways may be provided by forming longitudinal ribs on either the exterior cylindrical side of the tube neck 23, or the outer wall of the cylindrical recess 40 opposed thereto, The latter structural arrangement, shown in Figs 3 to 7 inclusive, will be most readily understood by reference to Fig. 4 wherein are shown a plurality of longitudinally-extending ribs 55-55 made integral with the sleeve structure 37 and provided on the outer wall of recess 40. That recess wall preferably is of such slightly oversize diameter with respect to the outer diameter of neck 23 as to be spaced from the latter by those ribs to provide intervening venting or relief Ways while the ribs snugly engage neck 23 for guidance during telescopic movement of the necksr l Further, it may be found to be desirable to have the needle bore 43 brought to communication first with the compartment in which the solids are housed before PUHC'. turefof the liquid-containing compartment diaphragm so that no liquid will tend to flow or leak into the space within the telescoped necks. Of course, such leakage is resisted by any air pressure developed in that space and proper operation has been found to be obtainable even thoughthe liquid-containing compartment diaphragm is punctured before the solids-containing compartment diaphragm is punctured. If such preceding puncture of the solids-containing compartment diaphragm is desired, the locations ofthe bodies of solids and liquid, respectively 27 and 44, may be reversed in the Fig. 3 structure, and,

in-such event, the liquid will first be transferred from the ampule tube 2 to the other tube 36 for admixture in the latter, and then the admixture contents of tube 36 will be transferred in reverse direction back to ampule tube 20 by manipulations similar to those proposed in Figs. 7 tolO inclusive.

Such a reversed location of the bodies of ingredients (27 and 44) is graphically illustrated in Fig. 13 wherein ampule "tube 20 is shown to contain the liquid body 44. i

. body or, slug may abut temporarily to resist inward sliding of the slug until such time as the outward end 34 of the needle has pierced through the other diaphragm.-

By virtue of the elasticity of the material from which the walls of tube 20 and its neck 23 are formed, the latter eventually will swell sufiiciently and the nibs or teats 56-56 may distort to a degree which will permit needleasupporting body 30 to be slid inward or down into neek bore 24 by the piston means or post 41 substantially to the position indicated in dot-dash lines at 57 in Fig. 13, with inward needle end 32 pierced through diaphragm 22 as indicated in dot-dash lines at 58 in Fig. 13.

If one should needlessly have any concern regarding properv venting or a necessity for relief of pressure of air trapped within the telescoping necks, and particularly th re rd o t ishlmar e r pped: ah d f e tl -r mmage; sdr 3 h a at ur e. sta er ditional venting ways. provided by rib structure similar to that indicated in Fig. 4. As indicated in Figs. 14, and

15, the outer cylindrical wall of recess 40 of container neck or sleeve means 37 may be provided with a plurality of the longitudinal ribs 55-55; and, in similar fashion, the wall of bore 24 in neck 23 of the other container maybe provided with a plurality of similar longitudinally-extending ribs 155-155. It should be apparent that with the neck bore 24 of aninner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of needle-supporting body or slug 30, and with the use of ribs 155-1 55 having their crowns adapted snugly to engage the cylindrical surface 31 of that slug, the parts will operate similarly to the action described above in connection with the Figs. 1 to 12 embodiment. Venting ways effectively will be provided past the needle-supporting body and from out of the space between necks 23 and 37 by way of the space intervening the ribbed wall bore 24 and the inner wall of recess 40 (i. e., outer surface of piston post 41) between ribs 155-155; through recess 40; and finally to atmosphere from recess 40 back out between the space opposed outer cylindrical surface of neck 23 and the outer cylindrical wall of recess 40 in between the ribs -55. If desired, such inner rib structure may be formed on the cylindrical surface defining the inner wall. of recess 40 (i. e., the exterior surface of piston post 41) rather than on the cylindrical Wall of neck bore 24, and. in such case, if venting past the needle-supporting body 30 is desired, its cylindrical surface 31 may be milled or grooved, as shown in Fig. 16. I

As indicated in Fig. 16, a further modified form of the invention may comprise an ampule collapsible tube container 20 similar to that proposed in Figs. 1 to 12 incl., with itsneck 23 having a bore 24 slidably receivable of a needle-supporting body or slug 130. The cylindrical side surface of needle-supporting slug 130 preferably is fluted, milled, or provided with grooves 59-59, which, of course, will permit free passage of gases or trapped air from in front of the leading side 33 to the rear side 35 of that slug. The neck structure of the companion container 136 may be considerably simplified by forming it (as indi! cated at 123) as an elongated structure somewhat similar to neck23 with its external cylindrical surface provided, if desired, with a plurality of longitudinallyaextending small ribs 255-255 so as to relieve air pressure from within the telescoping necks. Preferably the parts of the embodiment shown in Fig. 16 are so dimensioned relative to each other as to assure a fair lapping of the telescoped necks prior to engagement of the outer piston end 142 of neck 123 against the rear face 35 of slug 130 so that, if desired, the three parts may be supplied in the preliminarily assembled or ready condition, as proposed in Figs. 3 and 16.

Fig. 17 indicates that, if desired, an embodiment of the present invention may employ as one of the containers a rigid wall structure, such as a glass vial or bottle 236. The bottle 236 may have an externally-threaded neck 60 to the end of which is fitted a needle-pierceable diaphragm 122, such as a rubber membrane, held in place by an internally-threaded ring or centrally-apertured threaded cap 61. Such glass vial structure will be recognized as similar to a well-known type of bottle in which liquid hypodermic preparations are frequently supplied to, physicians and technicians. However, bottle 236 pref-. erably will be of such size as to accommodate body 44v of liquid ingredient substantially in the quantity supplied in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 12 incl., and a small head 62 of sterile gas or air. means 137 may be formed similar to the neck 37 of the Figs. 1 to 12 embodiment, except that its base at the. bottom of its axial bore 38 is formed as a socketed enlarge ment 63, with the axial socket 64 therein adapted snugly to, receive the bottle cap 61. Thus, the connecting sleeve. 1 m be u ces v mp oy d wit a ura it ttl s .36; nd. hy n er ie am le c nt iner 20-,

It w l; e und r q a n e. ope at n t the i 1. ev c esc Q q la b e tubs mpule The connecting sleeve 24 into the connecting sleeve recess 40 will cause the outward injective end 34of the needle 29 to pierce through the bottle-closing membrane, or diaphragm 122, and then the piston post 41, to push the needlesupporting body 30 down in neck bore 24 so that the other needle end 32 pierces through collapsible tube diaphragm 22. Transferof liquid from the. bottle 236 to the compartment provided by elastic collapsible tube may then beetfected by holding the bottle uppermost and squeezing the Walls of the depending collapsible tube to force some air from the latter up through theneedle bore into the bottle. This is permitted by means of the compressibility of the gas head 62 in the bottle.. Upon release of the elastic flexible walls of collapsible ampule tube 20 a differential in pressure in the two compartments is provided by the partial vacuum created in tube 20 and the elevated pressure in the bottle 236 due to compression of gas in the latterupon the addition thereto of a quantity from the collapsible tube. Such differential in pressure will cause transfer of a quantity of the liquid 44 in the bottle down through the needle into the collapsible tube compartment. This pumping action may be repeated until transfer of the desired or substantially all of the .body of liquid 44 is effected. Of course, thereafter the ingredient solids 27 housed in tube 20 are thoroughly admixed with the liquid in the col: lapsible ampule tube compartment; and with removal of.

thesleeve 137 from the tube neck 23, there will be produced a hypodermic syringe device similar to that of Figs. 1 to 12 incl., to be used in a like manner.

As proposed in Fig. 18, both of the containers which are to house different ingredients of a liquid preparation and to.be connected for transfer of a liquid ingredient from one to the other, may be of like structure, such as similar to elastic collapsibletube 20, soas to simplify cost of molds and molding operations. This may be accomplished in a simple manner by using therewith a connecting sleeve means in the form of a tubular member 65 with one end 66 adapted to be telescoped into bore 24 of one neck 23, and with the other, preferably similar, end 67 adapted to telescope within the other neck bore 24. The end 67 of tubular member 65 provides a piston abutment 142 adapted to be brought to contact with the rearside 35 of needle-supporting body or slug 30 so as to force the inward end 32 of needle 29 through the adjacent diaphragm 22. The tubular member 65'has a through bore 238 to receive therethrough outer injective end 34 ofneedle 29 so that that end may be pierced through the other diaphragm 22. i

The tubular member 65 of the Fig. 18 structure is provided externally, preferably medially or midway between its opposed ends, with suitable abutment means to be engaged by both of the outer ends 25, of the collapsible tube necks 23, 23. Preferably such abutment means may comprise a circumferential flange 68, as indicated in Fig. 18 and as more clearly shown in Fig. 19. Such abutment flange 68 is desirable to limit telescope of piston providing end 67 down into one of the neck bores 24 so as to avoid jamming the needle-supporting body against the adjacent diaphragm with attendant danger of rupture thereof. Also abutment flange 68 serves to limit telescope of the other tubular member end 66 in the other neck bore 24 so that the forward piston abutment 142 will drive the needle-supporting body 30 forward in the neck bore in which it is located.

As indicated in Fig. 19, the needle unit 29 including its supporting body 30', and the connecting sleeve means or tubular member 65 of the Fig. 18 embodiment, may be supplied together as a sub-assembly to be successively used with paired collapsible tube units containing the different ingredients. For such purpose, the sub-assembly may be in a simple manner housed under sterile conditions within two similar capsules 69, 69 which respectively telescope over the ends 66 and 67 of the tubular member to abutment of the opposite sides of the circumambient midfiange 65, as shown.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. i l

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combined storing, mixing and hypodermic syringe device comprising, in combination, means providing separated compartments for segregated storage of separate ingredients of an injectable liquid solution to be administered hypodermically, said compartments being defined by wall means opposed portions of which are needlepierceable and spaced with reception therebetween of a double-ended cannula means for transfer via the bore of the latter of liquid from one compartment to the other for admixture of the ingredients and with one ofsaid compartments being adapted thereafter to serve as a hypodermic syringe ampule, at least a portion of said ampule compartment wall means being movable to vary the volumetric capacity of this compartment to facilitate transfer of liquid from one compartment to the other in the admixing of the ingredients and for expulsion of admixture contents in the hypodermic administration of the latter, a double-ended cannula means interposed between said opposed needle-pierceable wall portions and having a through bore with each of its ends being pierceable of one of said needle-pierceable wall portions to bring said compartments into communication through said bore for mixing the ingredients in one of the latter and with one of the ends of the cannula means thereafter being withdrawable from the wall portion of the compartment other than the ampule compartment in uncovered condition hypodermically to deliver the admixture contents of the volume-variable ampule compartment, said cannula means carrying affixed thereto between its ends laterally-projecting means, and telescopic sleeve means having parts mounted to said compartments in surrounding relation to said needle-pierceable portions thereof, said telescopic sleeve means being in extended telescopic condition and effectively housing said interposed double-ended cannula means and its laterally-projecting means, one of said sleeve means parts having abutment means to engage said laterally-projecting means and to thrust one end of said cannula means through one of said needle-pierceable portions during foreshortening telescope of said parts together.

2. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 1 characterized by the formation of at least a portion of the walls of said ampulecompartment from elastic material to permit decrease and increase of volumetric capacityby squeezing and release.

3. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 1 characterized by provision of said compartments as separable containers each having an elongated hollow neck with one telescopically received in the other hollow neck serving as the telescopic sleeve means which cooperatively houses said cannula.

4. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim3 characterized by the closure of the bottom of said necks by puncturable diaphragms, said cannula being a doubleended hollow needle having a through bore with its opposite ends adapted to be thrust through the opposed diaphragms when said necks are telescoped further together.

5. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 4 characterized by the provision of said laterally-projecting means as needle-supporting means slidably mounted in one of said necks to hold said needle substantially axially therein in an adjusted position, said abutment means being on the other of said necks to slide said needle-supporting means forward in the first neck to adjusted position with the needle end in that first neck pierced through its diaphragm upon such further telescope of said necks together.

6. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 5 characterized by such relative location of said abutment means, the relative lengths of said necks and of the permitted relative foreshortening telescope travel thereof, and the lengths of said needle ends on opposite sides of said needle-supporting means as permits upon foreshortening telescope of said necks first one needle end to be thrust through the diaphragm of the neck having said abutmer t means and then push of said needle-supporting means forward into the other first neck by said abutment means with eventual thrust through the other first neck diaphragm by the other end of said needle.

7. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 6 characterized by the provision of the container upon which said first neck is formed with movable wall means to permit decrease in volumetric capacity thereof to permit expulsion of contents while serving as a hypodermic ampule.

8. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 7 characterized by the formation of said ampule container from elastic material for deforming and recovering fiexure with attendant variation in the volumetric capacity to assist transfer of liquid frorn one container to the other and to permit squeezing hypodermic expulsion.

9. A combined storing, mixing and hypodermic syringe device comprising, in combination, an elastic collapsible tube housing an ingredient of hypodermicallyinjectable liquid composition and having an elongated hollow neck with its bore sealed ofi in the vicinity of the bottom thereof by a needle-pierceable diaphragm, a douhie-ended hypodermic needle appreciably longer than said neck bore and having a through bore, a needle-supporting body slidably receivable in said neck bore with said needle extending through said body to provide one needle end on one side for puncture of said diaphragm and the other end of said needle on the other side to project from said neck for hypodermic use, a container for housing another ingredient of the composition having a needlepierceable diaphragm for closing the same, connecting sleeve means having a needle-receiving bore with one end of the latter closable by said container diaphragm and the other end adapted to telescope with said tube neck, and piston means carried by said sleeve means. to be pushed forward in said tube-neck to advance saidneedlesupporting body in said neck bore to puncture of said tube diaphragm by one needle end with the other needle end projecting through said sleeve means. to puncture of sa c n ne iap r gm.

10. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 9 characterized by the provision of at least one longitudinally-extending way in at least one of the juxtaposed faces of said telescoping structures to vent entrapped air.

11. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 9 characterized by the provision of said container as another elastic collapsible tube having said sleeve means formed as an integral neck thereof.

12. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 9 characterized by the provision of said sleeve and piston means as an elongated member having an axial bore and provided in one end with a coaxial cylindrical recess axially receivable of the outer end of said tube neck and defining an inner concentric tubular element terminating short of that end of said member to serve as said piston means.

13. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in'claim 9 characterized by the provision of said sleeve and piston means as a separate sleeve unit having a socket in one end receivable in a fluid-tight manner of an end of said container which is closed by its diaphragm, permitting repeated use With a plurality of said containers and said tubes.

14. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 9 characterized by the provision of said container as a substantial duplicate of said elastic collapsible tube with said connecting sleeve means in the form of a separate elongated cylindrical tubular member having either of its ends slidably receivable in either of the tube neck bores with an end of said member serving as the piston means.

15. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 14 characterized by the provision of means on the exterior of said connecting tubular member substantially at its middle to serve as a common abutment for the outer ends of both of the tube necks to limit telescope in the latter, with the sum of the axial lengths of one end of said tubular member from the abutment means outward and of said needle-supporting body being within the limits provided on the one hand by the depth of either neck bore and on the other hand by the sum of the depth of one neck bore and the thickness of its neck-closing diaphragm minus at least the length of the needle end to its bore mouth on the inward side of said needle-supporting body.

16. The hypodermic syringe device as defined in claim 15 characterized by the provision of said connecting tubular member as a cylindrical tube of a length appreciably less than the needle end on the outward side of said needle-supporting body with said abutment means in the form of a medial circumferential exterior flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,718,593 Smith June 25, 1929 1,967,439 Heineman July 24, 1934 2,193,322 Lozier et a1. Mar. 12, 1940 2,340,102 Barr Jan. 25, 1944 2,567,001 Watson Sept. 4, 195.1 2,584,397 Pitrnan Feb. 5, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 950,588 France Mar. 28, 1949

Images