GB2091229A

GB2091229A - Fitments for containers from which liquid is intended to be withdrawn by a hollow needle or tube

Info

Publication number: GB2091229A
Application number: GB8137094A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SEVEN HOLDINGS Ltd
Current assignee: SEVEN HOLDINGS Ltd
Priority date: 1980-12-19
Filing date: 1981-12-09
Publication date: 1982-07-28
Also published as: ES270939Y; NL8105724A; IT8125695A0; IT1169286B; CA1184155A; FR2496603A1; ZA818753B; GB2091229B; AU7865881A; ES270939U; DE3149504A1

Abstract

A container 2 provided with a self-sealing closure member 4, through which a needle may be inserted to withdraw liquid 3 from the container 2, is fitted with a sterilizing cap 1. The space within the upper region of the cap 1 is divided into compartments 20, 21, each containing a sterilizing substance. A needle can be caused to penetrate a weakened region of the cap 1 and to pass through one of the compartments prior to penetrating the closure member 4 and being introduced into the liquid 3 within the container 2. After the needle has been passed through one of the compartments a number of times, it may be passed through another of the compartments which contains fresh sterilizing substance. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fitments for containers from which liquid is intended to be withdrawn by a hollow needle or tube This invention relates to fitments for containers from which liquid is intended to be writhdrawn by a hollow needle or tube. The liquid may be an injection liquid for use in injecting humans, animals, fruit or vegetables.

Farmers have for many years given routine oral drenches of anthelminthics to suppress the effects of intestinal and other parasitic worms in cattle, sheep and pigs. However these drenches only become effective after a relatively long period. Although it has recently become possible to achieve the same effect in a much shorter space of time by injecting the animal, there has been a reluctance by farmers to use the new method. This is because it is not usual to sterilize the site of injection either before or after injection, and the same needle is generally used for injecting a large number of animals without sterilizing the needle between each injection. In addition, where the dose is withdrawn directly from an injection liquid container by inserting the needle into the container, the unsterilized needle may contaminate the remainder of the injection liquid in the container.Thus there is a significant chance of the site of injection becoming infected leading to an abscess. Also, especially with sheep, there are several routine injections given to stop various clostridial complications and each time the animal is injected it increases the risk of rejection of the carcass for human consumption due to abscesses.

It is known in the field of human medicine to provide an injection liquid container with a self-sealing closure member through which the needle may be passed to withdraw a dose from the container. On withdrawal of the needle the closure member will self-seal and thereby prevent contamination of the injection liquid directly from the enviroment. However some contamination of the liquid on insertion of the neddle into the container is virtually inevitable.

It is an object of this invention to provide a fitment for an injection liquid container which serves to automatically sterilize the needle as a dose is withdrawn from the container. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a filament which serves to prevent contamination of the liquid in the container by the needle.

According to the invention there is provided a fitment for a container from which liquid is intended to be withdrawn by inserting a hollow needle or tube into the container, characterised in that the fitment includes sterilizing means and is adapted to be fitted to the container in such manner that the needle or tube passes through the sterilizing means, and is thereby sterilized, on being inserted into the container to withdraw liquid therefrom.

Preferably the fitment is in the form of a cap for fitting to a suitably shaped portion of the container through which the needle or tube is intended to be inserted. Where the liquid is to be withdrawn by a needle, the cap may be fitted over a closure member of the container. Thus, if the closure member is of the conventional self-sealing type, the needle may pass through the closure member after passing through the cap and the closure member will automatically seal the container again on withdrawal of the needle. The cap may be provided with an inwardly extending lip for engaging under a shoulder on the container.

The fitment may be divided into a plurality of compartments separated by one or more partitions, each compartment containing sterilizing means. This enables the sterilizing means in a second compartment to be used for sterilizing the needle or tube when the sterilizing means in a first compartment has become contaminated. Preferably a plurality of partitions extend radially outwardly from a common axis and are equiangularly distrubuted.

The invention also provides a liquid container fitted with such a fitment, the fitment preferably being fitted over a self-sealing closure member of the container.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, an embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section through an injection liquid bottle fitted with a cap in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the cap, taken along the line Il-Il in Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a view of the cap from above.

The sterilizing cap 1 is shown fitted to a collapsible plastics bottle 2 containing injection liquid 3 and provided with a self-sealing closure member 4 of a known type. The closure member 4 comprises a rubber selfsealing element 5 and a metal ring 6 which operates with an annular flange 7 provided on the bottle 2 to clamp the closure member 4 on to the bottle 2.

The cap 1 is made of plastics material and comprises a circular top wall 8 and a cylindrical side wall 9 extending downwardly therefrom. The space within the upper region of the cap 1 is divided into three compartments 20, 21 and 22 by means of three equiangularly extending partitions 10, 11 and 1 2 as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. Each of the compartments contains sterilizing means (not shown) such as a sponge impregnated with sterilizing liquid, for example. Alternatively each compartment may contain a sterilizing powder or a sterilizing gel.

Furthermore the cap 1 is attached to the bottle 2 by an inwardly extending annular lip 1 3 at the bottom of the side wall 9 which lip 1 3 engages underneath the ring 6 of the closure member 4. The lip 1 3 may be formed after the cap 1 has been fitted over the closure member 4, for example by means of a heat treatment. Alternatively the lip 1 3 may be preformed, and the side wall 9 of the cap 1 may be deformable to enable the lip 1 3 to fit over the closure member 4 and to snap in under the ring 6. In addition the lip 1 3 may be provided with a ramp surface to enable it to fit over the closure member 4 more easily.

A circular rubber seal 1 7 is provided between the bottoms of the partitions 10, 11 and 1 2 and the top of the closure member 4.

In order to withdraw a dose of injection liquid 3 from the bottle 2, the needle of an injection gun may be caused to penetrate one of three weakened regions 14, 1 5 and 1 6 (see Fig. 3) of the top wall 8 of the cap 1 and to pass through one of the components 20, 21 and 22 containing a sterilizing substance.

The needle is then caused to penetrate the seal 1 7 and the self-sealing element 5 prior to being introduced into the liquid 3 within the bottle 2. After the appropriate dose has been taken up, the needle may be withdrawn and the bottle 2 will be automatically resealed by the self-sealing element 5 thus preventing contamination of the liquid 3 remaining within the bottle 2 from the enviroment. During the process of introducing the needle into, and withdrawing the needle from, the bottle 2, the needle is coated with sterilizing substance.

This coating sterilizes the needle prior to injection as well as the site of injection due to some of the sterilizing substance coating the needle being transferred to the site of injection. Also the needle is sterilized as it is actually introduced into the bottle 2 and this prevents contamination of the liquid 3 by the needle.

When the compartment 20, 21 or 22 in the cap 1 through which the needle has passed has become contaminated after a number of dosed have been withdrawn or due to a considerable period of time having elapsed since the first dose was taken, a subsequent dose may be taken by causing the needle to penetrate a further one of the weakened regions 14, 1 5 and 1 6 and to pass through a further compartment 20, 21 or 22 containing fresh sterilizing substance. Similarly the sterilizing substance in the third compartment 20, 21 or 22 may be used to sterilize the needle when the other two compartments have become contaminated.

Whilst the form of the invention described above with reference to the drawing is intended primarily for fitting to containers filled with injection liquid which is to be withdrawn therefrom by a hollow needle prior to perform ing an injection with the needle, it should be understood that a similar sterilizing cap, but provided with only one compartment containing sterilizing substance, may be fitted to a container for a liquid, such as glucose, which is to be introduced directly into a patient's blood supply. In use, a needle at one end of a flexible tube is automatically sterilized by the cap as it is inserted into the container, and a further needle at the other end of the flexible tube is inserted into the patient's arm. The sterilizing cap may also be used in other applications where a liquid is to be withdrawn from a container by a hollow needle.

Furthermore a modified form of sterilizing cap may be used in applications where liquid is to be withdrawn from a container by a thin tube. In this case the container will not generally be provided with a self-sealing closure member, but will be directly sealed by the sterilizing cap. Furthermore, instead of having one or more weakened regions, the top wall of the cap will have one or more portions which may be easily removed so as to enable the tube to be inserted into the container by way of the sterilizing cap. As with the needle the tube will be automatically sterilized as it passes through the cap and will not therefore contaminate the liquid within the container.

Whilst the word "sterilizing" is used in this specification in the sense of killing microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses, it should be understood that it is not essential that all micro-organisms are killed that is to say that the needle or tube is rendered absolutely sterile.

Claims

1. A fitment for a container from which liquid is intended to be withdrawn by inserting a hollow needle or tube into the container, the fitment including sterilizing means and being adapted to be fitted to the container in such manner that the needle or tube passes through the sterilizing means, and is thereby sterilized, on being inserted into the container to withdraw liquid therefrom.

2. A fitment according to claim 1, wherein the fitment is in the form of a cap for fitting to a suitably shaped portion of the container through which the needle or tube is intended to be inserted.

3. A fitment according to claim 2, wherein the cap has an inwardly extending lip for engaging under a shoulder on the container.

4. A fitment according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the fitment has one or more weakened regions which may be penetrated by the hollow needle on insertion of the needle into the container.

5. A fitment according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the fitment has one or more portions which may be removed to enable a needle or tube to be inserted into the container.

6. A fitment according to any preceding claim, wherein a plurality of compartments separated by one or more partitions are disposed within the fitment, and each compartment contains sterilizing means.

7. A fitment according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of partitions extend radially outwardly from a common axis and are equiangularly distributed.

8. A fitment according to any preceding claim, wherein the sterilizing means comprises a sterilizing gel or powder, or absorbent material impregnated with sterilizing fluid.

9. A liquid container provided with a fitment according to any preceding claim.

10. A liquid container according to claim 9, wherein the container has an opening which is closed off by a closure member and the fitment over the closure member.

11. A liquid container according to claim 10, wherein the closure member is self-sealing.

1 2. A fitment for a container from which liquid is intended to be withdrawn by inserting a hollow needle or tube into the container, the fitment being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

1 3. A liquid container from which liquid is intended to be withdrawn by inserting a hollow needle or tube into the container, the container being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.