GB2142306A

GB2142306A - A glass cutting or scoring device for opening phials

Info

Publication number: GB2142306A
Application number: GB08414214A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Oreste Epifani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-06-08
Filing date: 1984-06-04
Publication date: 1985-01-16
Also published as: JPS6045352A; FI842239A; ES279813Y; BE899846A; FR2547723A1; NL8401818A; DK279984A; LU85397A1; NO842271L; AU2918584A; SE8403061D0; PT78709B; GB8414214D0; ES279813U; IT8348444A0; SE8403061L; FI842239A0; DE3420831A1; DK279984D0; PT78709A

Abstract

A cutting device for opening of phials comprising an elongate body member (2) defining an internal channel (3) which is open-ended (4, 5). The channel (3) is also open along a longitudinal gap (6) and the device, in use, is located around the neck (11) of a phial (10). The body member (2) is deformable so that the shape of the channel (3) is altered. At one end (4) of the member (2) a cutting or scoring member (9) projects into the channel so as to score the surface of the neck (11) of the phials (10). A circumferential scoring of the neck (11) is effected by applying manual pressure to the exterior of the body member (2) whilst simultaneously rotating the phial (10) about its longitudinal axis. The removal of the head (11) of the phial (10) is effected by applying leverage on the device (1) with respect to the phial (10). The cutting/scoring member (9) may be eiter a wheel with a cutting edge located in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body member or a blade located in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Fig. 5) or a pair of blades disposed one on each of two semi cylindrical members hinged together along a common generator, (Fig. 6). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A glass cutting or scoring device The present invention relates to a cutting device and, more particularly, to a device for cutting and opening the neck of sealed phials containing pharmaceutical, or any other, com positions. Many pharmaceutical products are sold and kept in glass phials. This ensures that the product is maintained in an absolutely sterile environment and does not come into contact with the ambient atmosphere.

In hospitals or other medical treatment stations, there is a frequent necessity to open phials, sometimes in large quantities, because phials are not only used to contain medica ments. For example, some phials contain sol vents, such as distilled water, which are used for dissovling lyophilized or crystalline medica ments kept in other phials. Even in the do mestic practice, there is a frequent need for phials to be ooened for self-treatment by a patient.

The phials are often provided with a suitable small metallic saw or with devices having an abrasive edge which are used for scoring the neck of the phial. Such action weakens the glass and facilitates the breaking of the neck of the phial. Such cutting or scoring devices are not particularly efficient or easy to use. Thus, it is often difficult to operate the cutting device in such a manner that a score or cut line is continuously produced around the circumference of the neck of a phial.

In consequence, particularly in an emergency, an operator will often only score a small portion of the neck of the phial and will then attempt to snap the neck of the phial manually using considerable force. The break line obtained by such action is usually somewhat imperfect and is often jagged.

More importantly, it is obviously possible that small fragments of glass will drop into the phial. This, of course, makes the contents of the phial unusable because the medicament has been contaminated and, if it was used there would be the danger of injecting the patient with microscopic glass fragments as well as the medicament. It is also not a rare occurrence that a nurse or doctor will attempt to open the phial by force and smashes the neck of the phial, thereby injuring himself.

The above-mentioned dangers do not include the possibility of the operator wounding himself on the device used for cutting or scoring the neck of the phial.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide a device which can be used for cutting or scoring the necks of phials quickly, safely and in a simple manner and which ensures a continuous score line is produced around the entire circumference of the neck of the phial. Moreover, the invention seeks to provide a device which can be used by totally unskilled operators and which obviates the need for the hands of the operator to touch the neck of the phial. Furthermore, the inven tion seeks to provide a device which substantially eliminates all possibility of injury to the operator and of contamination of the product, thereby satisfying both safety and hygiene requirements. In a subsidiary aspect, the in vention seeks to provide a device in which the phial is moved with respect to the cutting or scoring device which is maintained in a fixed location.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for the opening of phials comprising an elongate body member defin ing an interior channel, the channel being open at each end of the member and also being open along a gap defined by two longitudinally extending edge members of the body member, the body member being capable of being placed around the head portion of a phial so that the neck of the phial is located in the channel, the body member being deformable by the effect of manual pressure applied to its external surface to cause a variation in the shape of the channel and a cutting or scoring member which projects into and is directed towards the channel being provided in one end region of the body member for scoring the surface of the neck of the phial.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cutting or scoring device in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 shows an end elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a sectional view taken along the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows the device of Figs. 1 to 3 applied to the neck of a phial; and Fig. 5 and 6 shows, respectively, perspective views of two further embodiments of a device in accordance with the present invention.

In the drawings, a device for opening phials in accordance with the present invention is generally referenced 1. The device comprises an elongate body portion 2 which has an internal channel 3 defined therein, the channel 3 extending along the length of the device 1 and being open-ended at the ends 4 and 5 of the device. The channel is defined by two longitudinal edges 7 and 8 which are rectilinear and which extend parallel to one another. The space between the edges 7 and 8 is referenced 6.

The body portion 2 may be deformed by the application of manual pressure to its external surface. This deformation causes the shape of the internal channel to alter in dependence upon whether the edges 7 and 8 are moved towards or away from one another.

At one end 4 of the device 1, a cutter or scoring member 9 is provided, which member projects into the channel 3. The member 9 cuts or scores the neck 11 of a phial 10 when the device 1 is placed around the head portion 12 of the phial 10.

The body member 2 in Figs. 1 to 5 is made from a resilient plastics material such as ny lon. The deformation of the device 1 by manual pressure is facilitated by the presence of two walls 1 3 which project radially from the channel 3 and lie externally thereof. The walls 1 3 are connected to the respective rectilinear edges 7 and 8. The deformation is also facilitated by the provision of recesses 1 4 and ribs 1 5 along the length of the body 2.

The cutting or scoring member is disposed substantially diametrically opposite the gap 6 defined between the edges 7 and 8. At the end 4 of the device at which the cutting or scoring member 9 is provided, two small projections 1 5 are provided in the edges 7 and 8. These projections face the interior of the channel 3 and extend substantially radially with respect to the channel. They maintain the neck 11 of the phial 10 pressed against the cutting member 9 when pressure is applied to the two walls 1 3 so as to cause the walls 1 3 to move towards one another.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the cutting or scoring member 9 is in the form of a wheel having a peripheral cutting edge disposed in a plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the channel 3.

The wheel is affixed to a projection 1 7 by means of a rivet 1 7 and thus projects into the channel 3. The device may be provided with a flat external wall surface 22 which may be written on or have written labels attached thereto.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the cutting or scoring member 9 is in the form of a knife blade which extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the channel. The blade is affixed to a wall surface defining the channel 3.

In Fig. 6, the body member 2 is formed of a pair of hollow semi-cylindrical members 1 9 and 20 which are hingedly connected together along a common generator A. In this case the cutting member 9 is formed by a pair of blades 21, each blade being substantially semi-circular and being fixed, respectively, to the members 1 9 and 20 at the ends 4 thereof. It should be noted that the embodiment of the device shown in Fig. 6 is particularly suitable for use if a cutting or scoring device is supplied for use with phials which are all of the same size and/or all contain the same medicament. The device can be, in such circumstances, merely fitted around the head of one of the phials, somewhat akin to a cap.

In all of the Figures, it can readily be seen that the device 1 is simply used by introducing the head 12 of the phial 10 to be opened through the open end 4 of the device until the region in which the cut should be executed is aligned with the cutting or scoring member 9.

The application of pressure on the device 1 presses the cutting or scoring member 9 against the glass neck of the phial. Relative rotation between the phial 10 and the device 1 is then effected to score the glass around the entire circumference of the neck. This rotation is indicated, in Fig. 4, by the larger arrow. By applying a small leverage force, in the direction of the smaller arrow in Fig. 4, whilst holding the main portion of the phial 10 stationary, the head portion of the phial may be broken off, such broken-off portion remaining within the channel 3.

The length of the device need not correspond to the length of the phial. It is merely necessary to ensure that the neck 11 of the phial 10 can be easily inserted into the channel 3. It will therefore be seen that the device 1 can readily be used on phials of almost any dimension. Moreover, because of its relatively simple construction, the device may be produced relatively cheaply.

Claims

1. A device for the opening of phials comprising an elongate body member defining an interior channel, the channel being open at each end of the member and also being open along a gap defined by two longitudinally extending edge members of the body member, the body member being capable of being placed around the head portion of a phial so that the neck of the phial is located in the channel, the body member being deformable by the effect of manual pressure applied to its external surface to cause a variation in the shape of the channel, and a cutting or scoring member which projects into and is directed towards the channel being provided in one end region of the body member for scoring the surface of the neck of the phial.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cutting or scoring member is disposed substantially diametrically opposite the gap defined by the two longitudinally extending edge members, radially directed projections being provided in the end regions of the longitudinal edges adjacent the cutting or scoring member, the projections causing the neck of the phial to be pressed against the cutting or scoring member when the manual pressure is applied to the body member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each longitudinal edge member has a wall member connected thereto or integral therewith, the wall members being radially outwardly directed with respect to the channel and being provided for facilitating the application of the manual pressure.

4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cutting or scoring member is in the form of a wheel having a peripheral cutting edge located in a plane perpendicular to the lonitudinal axis of the body member.

5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cutting or scoring member is in the form of a blade located in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body member.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the external surface of the body member remote from the gap between the two longitudinally extending edge portions is flat.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body member is formed from two hollow substantially semi-cylindrical members which are hingedly connected together along a common generator, the cutting or scoring member being formed by a pair of blades disposed one on each substantially semi-cylindrical member at the same ends thereof and located in a plane extending substantially perpendicular to the common generator.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the blades is substantially semi-cyldindrical.

9. A cutting device as claimed in claim 1 constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, Fig. 5 or Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.