Flexible continuous strip package for medical syringes

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention, as a whole, relates to a structure for packaging and handling a medical syringe. More specifically, the present invention relates to a structure having continuous flexible strips to keep a plurality of syringes in a preselected aligned state for packaging and handling purposes.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

Subcutaneous syringes are well known and come in a variety of forms. One challenge associated with all subcutaneous syringes is to properly and efficiently package and handle the syringe during the manufacturing and drug filling process.

【0003】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

Although various forms of packaging and handling techniques and machines have been developed or proposed, most of these tend to specialize in handling one particular type of syringe. In addition, most existing equipment tends to generate undesired costs or excessive amounts of waste that need to be discarded or recycled due to the overcomplexity of the machine. In addition, current packaging and handling methods are often labor intensive, which leads to additional costs in the manufacturing or packaging process.

【0004】

One solution developed by the assignee of the present invention involves connecting multiple syringes together by an integral web portion extending between the syringes. This solution is described in US Pat. No. 4,865,592, issued September 12, 1989. This solution is useful for keeping the syringe in a substantially parallel aligned state due to the packaging and prefilling process of the drug, but it is not without its disadvantages and drawbacks.

【0005】

In the arrangement described in US Pat. No. 4,865,592, the web portion extending between the syringes is integrally formed with the syringe itself and is made of the same material. This leads to unnecessary costs, as the plastic material used in the manufacture of such syringes is also used to connect the web parts. This creates unwanted waste and cannot minimize costs, as the web portion is later removed and discarded. In addition, the solid web portion limits the number of syringes that can be contained within a single package. Moreover, the arrangement of this US patent is unique in that it is only suitable for the specific type of syringe disclosed in the patent. In addition, this arrangement requires the use of an external tool or some device that separates the syringe when it needs to be used.

【0006】

During the manufacturing and drug filling process, placement of the syringe assembly is required to facilitate packaging and handling of the syringe. In addition, there is a need for such an arrangement that can be used with a variety of syringes, is economical and avoids the generation of unwanted waste materials. It is further desired to provide a reusable and easily functional arrangement under various packaging or handling conditions.

【0007】

The present invention challenges these needs while avoiding the disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art.

【0008】

[Means for solving problems]

Generally speaking, the present invention is flexible in connecting multiple syringes to each other and keeping them in a aligned state selected for efficient and easy handling during the packaging and filling process of the syringes. Syringe assembly with strips of. A syringe assembly designed according to the present invention comprises a plurality of syringes, each having an outer barrel portion at one end and a needle support portion at the second end thereof. The central axis extends along the center of the outer cylinder and the support portion of the needle. The syringe is preferably made of a substantially rigid plastic material. A support strip, preferably made of a substantially flexible material, engages a portion of each outer barrel portion, which keeps the syringe in a preselected relative alignment, in this case each. The central axis of the syringe is approximately parallel to the central axis of the other syringes. In addition, a preselected distance is maintained between the syringes along a single syringe assembly.

【0009】

The support strips of the present invention can take various forms. One embodiment comprises a single material strip with multiple outer cylinder receiving portions, in which the syringe outer cylinder is snap-fitted to these outer cylinder receiving portions and the desired alignment by the support strip. It is selectively kept in a state. In another embodiment, the support strip has two strips that snap into each other. These strips constrain the syringe barrel between the strips to keep the syringe in the desired alignment. The optimal embodiment comprises two strips that are anchored to each other while accepting the outer barrel portion of the syringe between the two strips. In this latter embodiment, these two strips can be held together by an adhesive, or these strips are a material that is heated or melted or fused together so that a support strip can be formed. Can be manufactured at.

【0010】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Various features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments.

【0011】

FIG. 1 shows a syringe assembly 20 in which a plurality of syringes 22 are kept in a aligned state of choice with respect to each other. Each of the syringes 22 comprises an outer barrel portion 24 extending from the first end 26 along the main portion of the syringe 22. A flange 29 provided at the end of the outer barrel portion 24 facilitates the use of the syringe 22 during the normal subcutaneous injection process. The needle support portion 28 is located near the second end 30 of the syringe 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the needle cover 32 is located in place on the outside of the needle of the subcutaneous syringe. The central axis 34 extends through the center of the outer cylinder portion 24 and the needle support portion 28.

【0012】

The syringe 22 is kept in a preselected alignment state by the support strip 40, including the preference that the central axis 34 of the syringe 22 is substantially parallel. The support strip 40 is preferably made of a substantially flexible material. The support strip 40 is preferably arranged in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the axis 34 of the syringe 22. The support strip 40 engages the outer barrel portion 24 of the syringe 22 in a manner described in more detail below. The support strip 40 has a width W sufficient to selectively keep the syringe 22 in a suitable relative alignment state.

【0013】

The support strip 40 designed according to the present invention can take various forms. FIG. 2 shows the support strip 40 of FIG. 1 in more detail. The support strip 40 includes a plurality of outer cylinder receiving portions 42 and a plurality of connecting portions 44 extending between the outer cylinder receiving portions 42. It is preferred that each outer barrel portion 24 of the syringe 22 be snap-fitted and accepted within the receiving portion 42 of the corresponding outer barrel. The inner surface of the receiving portion 42 of the outer cylinder preferably has ends 46, 48, which support the syringe 22 on the strip 40 until the syringe is selectively removed for use. Engage with the outer cylinder portion 24 in such a way as to keep it in place. The embodiment of FIG. 2 comprises an outer cylinder receiving portion 42 that surrounds more than half of the outer cylinder portion 24, with ends 46, 48 positioned effectively to keep the syringe 22 on the support strip 40. It is preferable to do so.

【0014】

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the support strip 40, represented by reference numeral 40'. In this embodiment, the support strip 40'includes a first strip 50 and a second strip 52. Each of these strips 50, 52 is preferably made of the same material, which is substantially flexible. A suitable material for this embodiment is plastic.

【0015】

The first strip 50 includes a plurality of connecting portions 54 extending between the outer cylinder receiving portions 56. These connecting portions 54 preferably have a plurality of snap-on projections 58 extending from the inner surface of the first strip 50. The second strip 52 preferably has a plurality of corresponding interconnect portions 60 extending between the outer cylinder receiving portions 62. The inner surface of the connecting portion 60 preferably has a stop 64 that engages the corresponding protrusion 58 from the first strip 50. In this way, the first strip 50 is snap-fitted to the second strip 52, and the outer barrel portion 24 of the syringe 22 is optionally received within the outer barrel receiving portions 56, 62.

【0016】

The embodiment of FIG. 3 has the advantage that it can be used with a wide variety of syringes 22 and can be made of a large number of suitable materials. Also, the embodiment of FIG. 3 more or less reliably connects the support strip 40'and the syringe 22 as compared to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2.

【0017】

The embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 3 have the advantage of being reusable and allowing any particular syringe 22 to be selectively removed or replaced from the syringe assembly 20.

【0018】

FIG. 4 illustrates an optimal embodiment of the support strip 40 . FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic of the assembly arrangement for manufacturing the syringe assembly 20. Multiple syringes 22. Under the control of a computer (not shown), it is supported on a movable support member 70 that preferably moves in the direction of arrow 72. The syringe 22 moves relative to a pair of reels 74, 76. One reel 74 supports a roll of material 78, which is the first strip of support strip 40 . Similarly, the second reel 76 supports the roll 80, which is the second strip of the support strip 40 ". The preferred material for the first strip 78 and the second strip 80 is plastic, but foil or It is also possible to use a variety of materials such as other substantially flexible materials.

【0019】

The first strip 78 and the second strip 80 are preferably joined together at a portion extending between the syringe barrels. At least one inner surface of the first strip 78 or the second strip 80 can contain an adhesive useful for joining these two strips together at an intermediate portion. Alternatively, an adhesive may be applied on this inner surface (ie, the surface facing the syringe barrel and facing the other strip during the assembly process). This adhesive can be a heat-sensitive adhesive or a tactile adhesive. Yet another alternative is a first strip 78 and a second strip made of a plastic material that can be easily melted together in such a way that the plastic materials are joined together without substantial deformation. Includes using 80.

【0020】

Each of the pair of movable members 82 has an inner surface 84. The inner surface 84 actively engages the first strip 78 and the second strip 80 as the movable member 82 moves inward and outward with respect to the row of syringes 22, as indicated by arrow 86. To do. The contour of the inner surface 84 preferably has recesses 88, 90 that nestly accept the outer cylinder 22 of the syringe as the movable member 82 moves inward. With the movable member 82 moving sufficiently inward, the first strip 78 is brought into contact with the second strip 80 and at the same time around the outer barrel portion of the syringe between the two movable members 82. The first and second strips wrap. In one embodiment where the first strip 78 is joined to the second strip 80 using a tactile adhesive, the movable members 82 are brought closer to each other so that the first and second strips are in contact with each other. It is sufficient to secure the syringe 22 to the desired alignment state supported by the support strip 40 .

【0021】

In one embodiment in which a thermal adhesive is used, the inner surface 84 of the movable member 82 comprises an appropriately heated surface or heating element that allows the adhesive to act and properly bond, and the syringe 22 is selected. It can be supported by a consistent state. Similarly, in an embodiment in which the materials heated to form a support strip 40 are fused or melted together, the inner surface 84 attaches the first strip 78 and the second strip 80 as desired. Contains a suitable heating surface or heating element to connect to.

【0022】

As can be seen from the figure in FIG. 4, each time the movable member 82 moves inward enough distance to join the first strip to the second strip, the four syringes 22 move inward to the first strip 78. And the second strip 80. Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the support strip is preferably located near the first end 26 of the syringe 22. Placing the support strip around the syringe barrel portion 24 is particularly advantageous in providing a more secure bond. The outer barrel portion 24 typically has a larger diameter than the needle support portion 28, thus providing a more stable surface for connecting the syringe 22 to the support strip. Further, providing a joint around the outer cylinder portion reduces the risk of damaging the needle support portion 28 of the syringe 22.

【0023】

Under most circumstances, the syringe 22 is preferably removed from the support strip without the use of any external tool. When the syringe 22 needs to be removed from the assembly 20, in embodiments where the support strips include two strips glued together (ie, first strip 78 and second strip 80), these supports. The strips are easily divided into first and second strips. This action is similar to the case where the first strip 50 and the second strip 52 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 are separated. The difference between these two separations is that the first and second strips glued together cannot in most cases be reattached to each other by hand.

【0024】

In the embodiment in which both the first strip 78 and the second strip 80 are effectively fused or melted, a plurality of notches or holes 96 are provided in the intermediate portion extending between the outer cylinders of the syringe. Is preferable. The notch or hole portion 96 facilitates the easy removal of a selected number of syringes from the assembly without the use of external tools. The notch 96 is preferably formed by forming suitable protrusions on the inner surface 84 of the movable member 82 during the assembly process, and these protrusions form the notch or hole portion 96 on the support strip 40 during the assembly process. Forming. Alternatively, the first strip 78 and the second strip 80 can be pre-knurled or perforated on reels 74, 76, respectively.

【0025】

In embodiments, the support strip 40 "is anchored around the outer barrel portion 24 in such a way that the outer barrel receiving portion of the support strip remains on the syringe even after the syringe has been removed from the assembly. The material of the support strip is preferably transparent so that all markings on the outer barrel of the syringe can be seen through the support strip.

【0026】

Once the syringe assembly 20 is completed, it has the advantage that it can be used immediately in the prefilling process. For example, a high speed linear drug filling device can easily accept the assembly 20 of a plurality of syringes 22. Further, the fact that the syringes 22 are in a preselected relative alignment state makes them well suited to be provided in a prefilled state in a prefiller. Further, the syringe 22 can be sterilized in large quantities after being assembled in the syringe assembly 20.

【0027】

Another advantage of the assembly 20 is that it immediately helps to package a large number of syringes 22 for transportation or handling. FIG. 5 shows a method of nesting the first syringe assembly 100 together with the second syringe assembly 102. The syringe assembly 100 is combined with the syringe assembly 102. In other words, the syringes of one assembly are located in the intermediate space between the syringes of the other assembly.

【0028】

FIG. 6 shows one preferred orientation of the two assemblies 100, 102 within the packaging 104. The continuous and flexible support strip allows multiple syringes to be placed within the packaging 104 in a folded pattern. The folded pattern 106 of FIG. 6 is preferably substantially S-shaped. This allows for easy packaging that minimizes the amount of bulky packaging material that needs to be used when handling a large number of syringes 22. The stable alignment of the syringe provided by the support strip 40 leads to protection of the syringe in most environments and a reduction in the amount of packaging material required. In addition, the continuous support strip facilitates continuous removal of the selected number of syringes 22 from the packaging without disturbing the overall placement of the syringes.

【0029】

The most suitable alignment of the first assembly 100 and the second assembly 102 of the syringe 22 is shown in FIG. In this arrangement, the needle support portion 28 of one assembly is aligned with the outer barrel portion 24 of the other syringe assembly. In other words, the first end 26 of each syringe 22 in the assembly 100 is adjacent to the second end 30 of each syringe 22 in the second assembly 102. Such an arrangement maximizes the packaging density and allows the placement of a large number of syringes within any given packaging.

【0030】

The use of a variety of materials that are substantially flexible with respect to the support strips of the present invention makes the strips usable and applicable to a wide variety of syringe types. Moreover, the arrangement of the present invention allows easy access to a selected number of syringes without the need to use an external tool or device to remove the syringes from the assembly. Moreover, when the syringe assembly is designed according to the present invention, relatively inexpensive materials can be used to form the support strips and the amount of wasted material is minimized.

【0031】

The above description is not a limiting property, but merely an example. This discloses the present preferred embodiment of the present invention. Of course, modifications and improvements of the disclosed embodiments that do not deviate from the scope and spirit of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of legal protection granted to the present invention can only be determined by examining the scope of claims.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is the schematic of the syringe assembly designed according to this invention.

[Figure 2]

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing selected details of the embodiment of FIG.

[Fig. 3]

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a second embodiment of a support strip designed according to the present invention.

[Fig. 4]

It is the schematic of the assembly process which shows the 3rd Embodiment of the support strip designed according to this invention.

[Fig. 5]

It is a schematic diagram which shows the arrangement of one or more syringe assemblies designed according to this invention.

[Fig. 6]

It is a figure which shows the packaging method of a plurality of syringe assemblies designed according to this invention.

[Fig. 7]

It is a figure which shows another packaging method which can be used with this invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 syringe assembly 22 syringe 24 Outer cylinder part 26 First end 28 Needle support 29 Flange 30 Second end 32 Needle cover 34 Central axis 40, 40', 40 support strip 42 Outer cylinder receiving part 44 Connection part 46, 48 End 50 First strip 52 Second strip 54 Connection 56, 62 Outer cylinder receiving part 58 Snap type protrusion 60 Interconnect 64 Snap closure 70 Movable support member 72 Direction of movement of syringe 22 74 First reel 76 Second reel 78, 80 rolls 82 Movable members 84 Inner surface 86 Direction of movement of inner surface 84 88, 90 Recesses 96 Notches or holes 100 First syringe assembly 102 Second syringe assembly 104 Package 106 Folded pattern