GB1575551A

GB1575551A - Container with a sealed outflow channel

Info

Publication number: GB1575551A
Application number: GB16538/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Koninklijke Emballage Industrie Van Leer BV
Current assignee: Greif International Holding BV
Priority date: 1976-04-21
Filing date: 1977-04-21
Publication date: 1980-09-24
Also published as: IL51931A; DE2717524A1; BR7702512A; AU512043B2; JPS52152379A; NL7604220A; DK174077A; CA1113046A; SE428424B; FR2348710A1; IL51931A0; LU77141A1; SE7704546L; FR2348710B1; ZA772414B; BE853799A; AU2430377A

Description

(54) CONTAINER WITH A SEALED OUTFLOW CHANNEL (71) We, KONINKLIJKE EMBALLAGE INDUSTRIE VAN LEER B.V., a Dutch Corporate Body, of Amsterdamseweg 206, Amstelveen, the Netherlands, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a container having an outlet channel and a seal for the channel, which seal can be used only once.

Such containers are known in many forms in which the seal has to be broken in order to permit the substance in the container to flow out. The breaking or fragmenting of the seal may have disadvantageous consequences, since particles of the seal may remain in the contents of the container and may affect the intended use of the contents.

This is a particular problem when the container comprises a substance suitable for medical applications, since in this case particles of the seal can be transported into this substance. In particular, when a needle is connected to the container, which needle has to be injected into the body of a patient, and when the seal comprises a rubber membrane which has to be penetrated by the needle, particulate matter of the membrane may be transported into the body of the patient.

The rubber membrane may be in a hypodermic syringe intended to be used only once and lies between the needle and the contents. However, the rubber membrane may also form the seal of an ampoule or glass cartridge in which the medicine is contained. The membrane has to be penetrated by the needle of a normal hypodermic syringe in order to permit the contents to be sucked through the needle into the hypodermic syringe.

Apart from the abovementioned problem of contamination of the contents of the container with small particles of the pricked seal, the seal usually consisting of rubber, there is also the problem that the seal has to be matched to the contents of the container. With hypodermic syringes and other objects having containers of a very small volume, this means that each seal should have a small dimension and should have a composition matched to the contents.

Therefore these seals are very expensive.

Strictly speaking, rubber is not really suit; able as the seal material for a hypodermic syringe or an ampoule. However, what has been said above in relation to rubber also applies to many other substances, which are all less suitable than rubber.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a container having an out-- flow channel and a seal for the channel, which seal can only be used once, wherein the seal comprises a wire which fits in" a sealing manner in at least part of the channel and which protrudes from both ends of said channel, the wire being arranged for withdrawal from the channel to break the seal.

The channel may be a bore or hole of a cap or plug sealing the container into which bore the wire is inserted. For example an ampoule may be sealed by 'means of the plug formed of inert material. By pulling out the wire from the bore of the plug a clean channel is created, through which the needle of a hypodermic syringe can be inserted so as to remove the contents from the container.

The container may be provided with an outflow channel through a tube or hollow needle, in which case the wire preferably runs through the tube or needle, protrudes from the ends of the tube or needle, and at the end of the tube or needle turned towards the contents of the container,' fits in a body formed around the wire and said end. The body then separates the contents of the container from the bore of the tube or needle, and by pulling out the wire running through the body' and consequently pulling the wire out also from the tube or needle, a through-going connection is created.

Preferably this seal so formed is used with a container for a hypodermic syringe. In order to protect the sterilised needle, the latter can be provided with a protection cover or cap pushed over it. The cover preferably has a non-removable connection, such as a welding connection, with the wire.

Upon the removal of the protective cap, the wire will be pulled out of the sealing body, so that the hypodermic needle is ready for immediate use.

The principle of the wire press fitting in the channel of a body which is formed around it and thereby constituting a seal, can also be used for a container having two compartments in which various substances are contained, such as for example a hypodermic needle with two compartments or chamber, containing respective components or'substances which only upon the injection may be combined with each other.

The wire is preferably left in a press fit in a wall of the container separating the two compartments in the container. If the wire is removed then it will be pulled out of the separating wall so that a connection between the two compartments is established. By pressing or operating a piston the substance can be conveyed from one compartment through the connecting bore into the other compartment and furthermore can be drained away through the tube or needle if the available wire therein is also removed. The partition wall may be displaceable and may, for example, be in the form of a secondary piston which is sufficiently fixed in the wall of the container to remain in its place when the wire is pulled out, yet which can be moved with a main piston as the contents of one of the compartments are conveyed through the created opening into the other compartment and whereby both compartments from the remaining compartment have to be moved.

The wall in the form of the secondary piston then moves with the main piston.

The sealing can be effected by inserting the wire through a body of thermoplastic synthetic material, which by heating is brought into such a softened state to permit the insertion, after which the synthetic material is - permitted to shrink around the wire'. - This is particularly suitable when the wire is formed of metal. However, it is also -conceivable to use this method with a wire of synthetic material, which with the aid of a needle is pricked through the softened body of synthetic material, which body upon cooling will shrink and will effect a press fit around the wire.

However, it is also possible to insert the wire through the hollow needle and to place the needle with one end and the wire end -protruding from said needle end, in a casting mould, whereby only said ends project into the mould cavity of the casting mould, after which a thermoplastic synthetic material is cast around these ends. This for example may be effected by means of injection moulding. Also in this case the moulded body will shrink around the wire and constitute a press fit, which assures a good sealing.

Preferably the wire consists of a synthetic material, the melting of which is higher than of the body in which the wire fits.

Several embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a hypodermic syringe including a container having a hypodermic needle, partly in elevation and partly in section, Figure 2 schematically shows another form of hypodermic syringe, Figure 3 shows a section through a portion of a casting mould used to form part of the syringe of Figure 1, Figure 4 shows a cartridge, partly in section, and Figure 5 is a sectional view of another form of hypodermic syringe.

Figure 1 shows a container 1 similar to that described in the British Patent 1,503,585.

To this container I a hypodermic needle 2 is fastened, which is surrounded by a protective cover 3 and through which a wire 4 runs. The forward end S of the wire is permanently attached to the cover 3.

It is evident that instead of the indicated container 1 any other suitable container may be used.

The rear end 6 of the needle 2 is held in a body of synthetic material comprising a front portion 7 which supports the protective cover or cap 3, a flange 8 resting against the container 1, and a conical portion 9 which is clamped into a complementary bore 10 of a flange 11 of the container 1. The flange 11 is provided with a channel 12 which connects the bore 10 with the contents of the container 1. The conical portion 9 is formed both around the rear end 6 of the needle and around the rear end 13 of the wire, by which the opening of the needle at the end 6 is completely closed. It will be seen that the wire forms a seal with the body of synthetic material.

When the cover 3 is' removed by pulling it to the right as seen in Figure 1, the wire 5 is pulled out of the body 7, 8, 9 of synthetic material, so that at 13 a channel is opened which communicates the contents of the container 1 to the outside.

Figure 2 shows a hypodermic needle of a more conventional type having a cylindrical housing 14, on the conical end 15 of which a needle holder 16 with a needle 17 is clamped. A protective cover 18 is placed around the needle, in which cover, in the same manner as indicated in Figure 1, a wire 19 is fixed. The wire 19 runs through the needle 17, and preferably is fixed in the cover 18, as with the end 5 of wire 4 of Figure 1. The wire 19 runs through a secondary piston 20 which acts as a separation wall forming two compartments 22, 23 in the cylindrical housing 14. A main control piston 21 is provided.

If the wire 19 is removed, a channel is created in the piston 20 so that the contents of the compartment 22 are permitted to enter the compartment 23, which contents, after being mixed with the substance available in the compartment 23, can be conveyed in a mixed form through the needle 17 to the outside.

Figure 3 shows a mould for forming the assembly shown in Figure 1 comprising the body 7, 8, 9, needle 2 and wire 4. The mould comprises two parts 24 and 25, each of which is also divided by a plane perpendicular to the plane of the drawing and through the axis of the mould cavity 26. The mould cavity 26 has the shape of the body 7, 8, 9 indicated in -Figure 1. The needle 2 is placed in the mould part 25, in which needle the wire 4 is already inserted, the ends of the wire being supported in the clamps 27, 28.

The clamp 28 consists of a set of grippers, which are fastened in a conical body 29 placed in the mould part 24. By injection of a thermoplastic synthetic material in the mould cavity 26, a body is formed which surrounds both the end of the needle 2 and the end of the wire protruding from it. The seal thus obtained can be combined with a suitable container, for example as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a capsule or cartridge 30, which in its neck is provided with a plug 31.

The plug 31 is retained by a metal clamping edge 32 which is bent around the edge of the plug 31 and around the neck of the cartridge 30. The plug has a bore 33 in which a wire or needle 34 is inserted.

Figure 5 shows a hypodermic syringe for two components of the type as indicated in Figure 2, in which however two different wires are used.

Some medicines have to be dissolved before use. Up to now it was customary to use two ampoules therefore, of which one was filled with a powder to be dissolved and the other of which was filled with a solvent liquid. A rubber membrane then has to be penetrated twice with the needle of the hypodermic syringe in order first to suck in the liquid into the syringe, and subsequently to bring the sucked up liquid into the powder, and thereafter to bring the dissolved powder back into the syringe.

The embodiment indicated in Figure 5 comprises a container 40 having a left or rear end wall 41, in which a holder 42 of the needle 43 is placed. The outlet to the needle is sealed with a wire 44 in the manner described above.

A piston 45 is placed in the container 40, which is divided by the piston into two compartments 46, 47. Compartment 46 contains powder and compartment 47 contains a solvent liquid. The piston is integral with a piston rod 48 which has a hollow portion 49.

In the forward end of the hollow portion 49 of the piston rod 48 and piston 45 is a sealing body 50 of synthetic material, which is locked in the hollow portion. The body 50 has an axial bore 51, in which a wire 52 is inserted, and a transverse bore 53 forming a connection with a transverse bore 54 of the piston rod 48.

A valve 55 permits a forward flow to the left side but prevents a flow to the right side.

A movable bush 56 is slidable to seal the bore 54.

In use the wire 52 is pulled to the right until the rod 57 meets a stop at 58. The wire has then left the bore 51. When the piston is then moved to the right, the liquid from the space 47 will flow through the bores 54, 53 and 51 and along the valve 55 into the space 46. The liquid can then be used to dissolve the available powder 59. When the piston is moved completely to the right end wall the bush 56 is moved over the openings 54 and will seal them. When the piston is now moved to the left, a back flow of the obtained medicine solution is not possible as a result of the closing of valve 55 and of the openings 54. After removal of the wire 44 from the needle 43 the latter can be used in a normal manner.

The seal body may be made from polyethene or polypropylene, while the wire may consist of a stretched nylon wire. A very advantageous combination is obtained when the seal body consists of a plug of polyamide, for example nylon, having therein a wire of Teflon. The wire may alternatively be a glass fibre covered with Teflon. The wire has to be monofilament.

Other materials are possible, such as generally polyolefins, polyamides and polyesters.

The above-described embodiments include a container having a seal to be used only once which seal ensures that no particles of the seal may be mixed with the contents of the container. The container is cheap and materials can be used which are inert in high degree to the contents of the container.

The protrusion of the massif wire at both ends permits one end of the wire to be gripped in order to be pulled out, the other end moving through the channel until the channel is open when the wire is removed.

Only two things can happen to the seal when it is desired to remove the wire. When the wire is pulled out completely, a clean channel is then available, in which no par ticles of the wire remain, so that no particles come into contact with the contents of the container. If the wire should break during pulling-out and a remnant should remain in the channel, then the channel remains obstructed. However, the risk of this occuring can be obviated by the correct choice of material.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A container having an outflow channel and a seal for the channel, which seal can only be used once, wherein the seal comprises a wire which fits in a sealing manner in at least part of the channel and which protrudes from both ends of said chanh-el, the wire being arranged for, withdrawal from the ch nnel-to break the seal.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein the wire is inserted in a bore of a cap or plug which is permanently affixed to the container.

3. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein the outflow channel comprises a sealing body and the bore of a tube or a hollow needle and wherein the wire runs freely through the tube or needle, protrudes from the outwardly directed end of the tube or needle and at the other end of the tube or needle adjacent the contents of the container fits in a sealing manner in and protrudes from said sealing body formed around the wire and said end of the tube or needle.

4. A container according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the wire fits in a body of thermoplastic synthetic material.

5. A container according to claim 4, wherein the wire consists of a synthetic material, the melting point of which is higher than the material of the body in which the wire fits.

6. A container according to claim 3, or claim 4 or 5, as appendant to claim 3, wherein the needle is a hypodermic needle.

7. A container according to claim 6, wherein the needle is surrounded by a protective cap the end of which cap has a nonremovable connection with the wire.

'8. A container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the wire is clamped in a wall of the container, which wall separates two compartments in the container.

9. 'A container according to claim 8, wherein' the wall in the container is displace- able 10. A container constructed and arranged subst ntially as herein described with reference to Figure 1, or Figure 2, or Figure 4, or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of manufacturing a seal for a container according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the step of inserting the wire through a body of thermoplastic synthetic material, which has been heated to soften the material to permit the insertion, after which the synthetic material is permitted to crimp around the wire.

12. A method of manufacturing a seal for a container according to claim 3, or any of claims 4 to 9 as appendant to claim 3, comprising the steps of inserting the wire through the hollow needle, placing the needle in a casting mould so that one end of the needle and one end of the wire projecting from the needle is in the mould cavity of the casting mould, and moulding a thermoplastic synthetic material around the said end of the needle and wire.

13. A method of manufacturing a seal, substantially as herein described.

14. A seal for a container obtained by the method according to any of claims 11 to 13.

15. A seal constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1, or Figure 2, or Figure 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. ticles of the wire remain, so that no particles come into contact with the contents of the container. If the wire should break during pulling-out and a remnant should remain in the channel, then the channel remains obstructed. However, the risk of this occuring can be obviated by the correct choice of material. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A container having an outflow channel and a seal for the channel, which seal can only be used once, wherein the seal comprises a wire which fits in a sealing manner in at least part of the channel and which protrudes from both ends of said chanh-el, the wire being arranged for, withdrawal from the chånnel-to break the seal.

'

8. A container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the wire is clamped in a wall of the container, which wall separates two compartments in the container.

9. 'A container according to claim 8, wherein' the wall in the container is displace- able

10. A container constructed and arranged subståntially as herein described with reference to Figure 1, or Figure 2, or Figure 4, or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of manufacturing a seal, substantially as herein described.