WO2015015345A1

WO2015015345A1 - Improved device for dispersing or collecting fluids having valves

Info

Publication number: WO2015015345A1
Application number: PCT/IB2014/063036
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gunasekar Vuppalapati; Eric W B Dias
Original assignee: Gunasekar Vuppalapati; Eric W B Dias
Priority date: 2013-08-02
Filing date: 2014-07-11
Publication date: 2015-02-05

Abstract

A improved device for dispersing or collecting fluids, comprising an elongated hollow rigid tube 210 comprising a hub 220 at one end, wherein the hub 220 is configured to be attached to an storage means for storing or collecting fluid, an sharp tip 230 diametrically opposite to the hub 220 of the hollow rigid tube 210, wherein the sharp tip 230 is capable of piercing tissue, wherein the tissue may be hard or soft; and the hollow rigid tube 210 comprises a plurality of openings 240 through which fluid may be dispersed or collected to the means for storing or collecting fluid.

Description

TITLE: "IMPROVED DEVICE FOR DISPERSING OR COLLECTING FLUIDS

HAVING VALVES"

FILED OF INVENTION

Embodiment of the present invention generally relates to an improved device used for effectively dispersing or delivering fluids to tissues or capable of receiving or used as a means for receiving or collecting fluids, and in particular for dispersing medicines to the human body and collecting fluids from the human body, wherein the improved device advantageously comprises a value that restricts the direction of flow of the fluid.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Currently, most medical devices for effective treatment of an aliment require medicines to be provided or administered in the form of injection, and such devices make use of injectable means having a needle. The needle is pierced into the tissue or matter allowing the medicine flows through an opening at the tip of a hollow rigid tube forming the needle into the tissue (which hereinafter include all forms of matter that can be pierced and injected with medicines, and wherein the tissue can include hard matter such a bone or soft matter such as muscle).

However a problem with devices that are used for injecting or collecting fluids to and from the human body is that the flow is unidirectional depending on the direction of force, which also includes gravitational and potential energy for this purpose. In the current syringes or other means used to administer fluids or collect fluids, the flow is bidirectional and can sometime cause unnecessary issues such as backward flow and also need the presence of an authorized person administering the fluids.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved device, which can be an improved needle or an improved syringe that ameliorates the deficiencies in the current system/devices.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention related to a device, in particular to a needle for injection fluids into a tissue in human or animal body or collecting fluids from the human or animal body efficiently and effectively or for an attachment to the needle, which can advantageously comprise the same mechanism.

Embodiments of the invention related to a device, comprising an elongated hollow rigid tube comprising a hub at one end, wherein the hub is configured to be attached to an storage means, wherein the storage means is configured for storing or collecting fluid, the elongated hollow rigid tube comprising an sharp tip diametrically opposite to the hub, wherein the sharp tip is capable of piercing matter; and the hollow rigid tube comprises a membrane, wherein the membrane is configured to allow unidirectional flow of the fluid OR a first end of the storage means attached to the hob of the elongated rigid tube comprises a membrane, wherein the membrane is configured to allow unidirectional flow of the fluid.

In a further embodiment, the membrane is a valve, and the valve is a non-returnable value allowing unidirectional flow of fluids. In yet a further embodiment, the hollow rigid tube comprises at least one of a metal or an alloy or hard material or a bio-degradable material configured to create a hollow rigid tube.

In a further embodiment, when a force is exerted on the storage means the fluid stored in the storage means is transmitted via the membrane into the matter preventing backflow of fluid into the storage means. In a further embodiment, when an opposite force or a reverse force is exerted on the storage means, fluid from the matter is transmitted via the membrane into the storage means preventing backflow of fluid into the matter from the storage means. In a further embodiment, the hollow rigid tube has a range from 7G to 36G, and the membrane can be included at the tip of the storage means attached to the needle.

For a better understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention, together with other and further features and advantages thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the scope of the claimed embodiments of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The one or more embodiments of the invention itself however, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary syringe in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a needle attached in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2B illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a syringe accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 2C illustrates an exemplary embodiment embodiment of a connector with a needle and hub in accordance with the present invention; and

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" (or the like) means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" or the like in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

The description now turns to the figures. The one or more embodiments of the invention may be understood by reference to the figures. The following description is intended only by way of example and simply illustrates one or more embodiments of the invention as claimed herein.

Embodiment of the present invention advantageously relates to an improved device, for example a needle used in a syringe, which can be used for effectively dispersing or delivering fluids to tissues, for example medicines in the form of an injection when the needle is attached to a syringe or any other means for dispersing the fluid, or capable of receiving or used as a means for receiving or collecting fluids from the human body, such as collecting blood samples etc.

For example, currently the most popular is a hypodermic needle, which is a hollow needle (hollow rigid tube) commonly used with a syringe to inject substances into the body or extract fluids from it as illustrated in Figure 1. A typical syringe 100 is illustrated in Figure. 1. The syringe has a needle 110, which is a hollow rigid tube, basically a bore that is sharp at one end with a holder or hub at the other end, which is capable of piercing tissue using the sharp end and then dispersing fluid into the tissue or collecting fluid from human or animal body through the opening at the sharp end of the needle 100. The needle has a holder or hub 120, which is attached to the body of the syringe 130. The body of the syringe 130 holds the fluid to be injected into the tissue, and in one embodiment acts as a storage for the fluid that need to be dispersed into the body (herein after referring to an human or animal or plant body) or collected from the body. It should be obvious to one skilled in the art that the syringe may be used in a number of other appliances such as application to glue to surface etc. The syringe includes a plunger 140, which when a force is exerted, adds a pressure on the fluid in the storage and the fluid then flows from the body of the syringe 130 through the needle 110 into the tissue. Similarly, when an opposite force is exerted, the syringe acts as a medium to collect fluid and store fluid, wherein liquid samples can be taken from the body or other living matter, for example taking blood from a vein in venipuncture. Large bore hypodermic intervention is especially useful in catastrophic blood loss or shock.

A hypodermic needle as shown in Figure. 2 is used for rapid delivery of liquids, or when the injected substance cannot be ingested, either because it would not be absorbed (as with insulin), or because it would harm the liver. There are many possible routes for an injection. The hypodermic needle also serves an important role in research environments where sterile conditions are required. The hypodermic needle significantly reduces contamination during inoculation of a sterile substrate (biology). The hypodermic needle reduces contamination for two reasons: First, its surface is extremely smooth, which prevents airborne pathogens from becoming trapped between irregularities on the needle's surface, which would subsequently be transferred into our media (i.e. agar) as contaminants; second, the needle's surface is extremely sharp, which significantly reduces the diameter of the hole remaining after puncturing the membrane, which consequently prevents microbes larger than this hole from contaminating the substrate.

Reference is now made to Figure 2, which illustrates an exemplary embodiment 200 of an improved device for dispersing and collecting fluids to a body, but not limiting to the definition of the body. The exemplary embodiment 200 illustrates an right hollow tube 210, having a hub 220 at one end that is advantageously coupled to a storage device 250, which is capable of holding fluid, dispersing and collecting fluids in the storage 250 depending on the direction of exertion of force on the storage 250. Diametrically opposite the hub 220, the rigid hollow tube comprises a sharp end 230, which is capable of piercing tissue in the body. The rigid hollow tube 210 includes a membrane 240, which is a non returnable valve and can be inserted anywhere between the sharp tip 230 and the hub 220. The membrane acts as a valve and allows flow of fluid in a single direction only. In one embodiment the hub 220 may be made of the same material as the needle (hollow rigid tube) or can be made from other materials such as glass, plastic any metal or an alloy or a bio-degradable material and it should be obvious to one skilled in the art that any material in the form of metals or non-metals can be used to make the hub 220, which is attached to the hollow rigid tube 210 at one end.

In a further embodiment, considering a storage means 250, in specific a syringe, one end of the syringe is such that it fits into the hub 220, and the other end may comprise a plunger (not show in the figure). The storage means may store fluids, which when the plunger is pushed or an external force is exerted, the fluid flows from the storage means 250 into the needle and then into the matter (human or animal tissue for example). In another embodiment, when a reverse force is exerted on the plunger, for example is pulled in the opposite direction, fluid flows from the human/animal body into the storage 250 via the needle.

The advantage of the membrane 240 here is that when the fluid flows from the storage means into the needle and from the needle into the matter, the membrane prevents the fluid flow in the opposite direction therefore ensuring proper delivery of the fluid.

The diametrically opposite end of the right hollow tube that has the hub 220, has a sharp end 230 which is capable of piercing any tissue or even run smoothly over a surface or a crack on a surface.

In one embodiment the hollow rigid tube 210 may be made from a metal or an alloy or any other hard material that is capable of penetrating tissue and remaining stable. For example materials such as stainless steel, nickel, tungsten, carbon etc., may be used to make the hollow rigid tube 210.

When force is exerted on the storage 250 to push the fluid, the fluid gushes through the membrane 240 into the tissue thereby having greater penetration, thereby having an effective usage of the medicine inserted into the body. On the other hand, when there is a pull force exerted, fluid from the body can reach the storage 250 via the membrane 240, thereby preventing backflow. The thickness or diameter of the needle (hollow rigid tube) can vary in the range from 7 G to 36 G.

Reference is now made to Figure 2B, which illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a syringe, The tip of the syringe (storage means) 270 fits into the hub of the needle 220. In one embodiment, the sip of the storage means may comprise the membrane 240. Figure 2C illustrates another embodiment of a tube which has a needle at one end and a connector at the other end which can for example be coupled with a collection unit, for example to collect blood. The membrane 240 can be placed anywhere along the length of the tube, but the membrane 240 being placed proximate to the needle provides a distinct advantage.

In one embodiment the needle can be attached to a device and run through a crack in a wall, dispersing a glue that can fix the crack. In another device the needle can be used to run along a frame to disperse glue and fix glass. Therefore the applicability of such a needle is far more than the use limited only to medicinal purpose.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising", when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the one or more embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to one or more embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

A device 200 comprising

an elongated hollow rigid tube 210 comprising a hub 220 at one end, wherein the hub 220 is configured to be attached to an storage means 250, wherein the storage means 250 is configured for storing or collecting fluid;

the elongated hollow rigid tube 210 comprising an sharp tip 230 diametrically opposite to the hub 220, wherein the sharp tip 230 is capable of piercing matter; and

the hollow rigid tube 210 OR a first end 270 of the storage means 250 attached to the hob 220 of the elongated rigid tube 210 comprises a membrane 240, wherein the membrane is configured to allow unidirectional flow of the fluid.

The device as claimed in claims 1, wherein the membrane 240 is a valve.

The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow rigid tube 210 comprises at least one of a metal or an alloy or hard material or a bio-degradable material configured to create a hollow rigid tube 210.

The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the valve is a non-returnable value allowing unidirectional flow of fluids.

The device as claimed in claim 4, where a force is exerted on the storage means 250, the fluid stored in the storage means is transmitted via the membrane 240 into the matter preventing backflow of fluid into the storage means 250.

The device as claimed in claim 4, where a reverse force is exerted on the storage means 250, fluid from the matter is transmitted via the membrane 240 into the storage means 250 preventing backflow of fluid into the matter from the storage means 250.

The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow rigid tube 210 has a range from 7G to 36G. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane 240 can be included at the tip of the storage means 250 attached to the needle.