US2836320A - Sterile ampule package - Google Patents

Description

May 27, 1958 R. H. CARROLL STERILE AMPULE PACKAGE Filed Sept. 13, 1956 FIGE) FIG.4

INVENTOR RICHARD H. CARROLL ATTORNEY hit 15 2,836,320 sTEnrLE AMPULE PACKAGE Richard H. Carroll, Old Chatham,-N. Y., assignor to Sterling'Di-ng Inc, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 13, 1956, Serial No. 609,673"

6 Claims. (Cl. 215-6) under sterile conditions in the hospital operating room.

Where ampules are used under these conditions, the

surgeon whose gloved hands have been sterilized has to handle the ampule by grasping it in his gloved hand and obviously if the outside surfaces of the'ampule are not sterile, this leavesa chance of contamination.

The present invention includes the provision of a sterile ampule package comprising the sealed glass container or ampule which is placed in a second, larger glass container or vial, the latter being provided with a rubber or similar plug having means thereon for engaging and holding the top of the ampule which may be slender and lends itself to being held, handled, and located by means of a cavity within the plug.

By this means the sterile ampule is located and held within the vial by means of the plug and the plug in turn seals the vial maintaining the same sterile.

The invention also provides a hermetically sealed ampule contained and held within a hermetically sealed container or vial permitting the delivery to the operating room of an ampule which is sterile on both the inside and outside thereof.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a sterile ampule package as above described, includ ing the provision of water in the vial so that when the entire unit is heated in an autoclave, the water will vaporize and the outside of the ampule will thus be steam sterilized within the vial; and the provision of a metallic or other seal engaging the rubber plug above described and securing the same in hermetically sealed relation to the mouth of the vial at the lip thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in elevation showing the invention, the seal being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation showing the plug and the outer container;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the assembled ampule, vial, and stopper;

Pig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the seal; and

Fig. 6 is a view of the plug looking in the direction of arrow 6 in Fig. 2.

in carrying out the present invention there is provided an outer container or vial, generally indicated by the numeral 10. This vial may be made of glass or any other suitable material and is preferably cylindrical and provided with a mouth having a lip 12 providing an annular shoulder 14 and a reduced neck 16. A shaped wad of cotton 18 may be provided in this vial so that when the ampule generally indicated at 29 is inserted in the vial, it may be centered and cushioned by the wad 18.

States Patent 2,835,320 Patented May 27, 1958 need not be further described, but it is commonly made of glass and is completely hermetically sealed so that the contents are maintained in original sterile condition. These ampules are provided with slender necks such as 22 and-these may be broken off when the contents are to be used. The narrow waists of the ampules maybe provided with score lines if desired.

There will be seen in Figs. l and 3 that with the ampule 20 in position in the vial 10 the slender neck 22 is uppermost and extends into the neck 16 of the vial.

A rubber or the like plug is generally indicated at 24 and is'bes't'shown" in Fig. 2 andFig. 31 Thisplug is closed at one end as at 26, but is provided with 'a narrow cylindrical hollow interior 28, which is open at the other end of the plug to re'c'eiveand' hold the nar row neck 22 of the ampule.

of different lengths as well as providing a convenient finger'hold. The plug is also provided with an outstanding circular flange 30, having a fiat lower surface or shoulder 32, the same being annular for tight disposi tion against the lip 12 of the vial'10. The plug at its open end may be beveled olf at 34 in order to slip into the mouth of the vial more easily.

When the ampule has thus been positioned and so held, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the seal illustrated in Fig. 5 and indicated by the numeral 36 is placed overthe sides of the flange 30 and lip 12 and under the shoulder 14 as illustrated at 38 to provide a hermetic seal for the vial. With the water in the vial, the device, now complete, may be heated and the water vaporized so as to steam sterilize the outside of the ampule.

When the device is used in the hospital operating room, the hermetically sealed outside container or vial 10 may be opened by removing the tab 40 formed by the score lines 42 on seal 36 and the sterile ampule is then easily removed and used without the risk of contaminating the operating surgeon in any way. The plug itself acts as a handle, and the ampule may be easily broken at the reduced portion thereof.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A sterile ampule package comprising an outer container, a glass ampule positioned within the outer container, said ampule comprising a medicament holding portion and a long narrow neck, said portions and neck being separated by a narrow waist for breaking the ampule for access to the contents thereof, and a plug sealing the outer container, said plug being provided with a recess to receive, engage, and hold a portion of the ampule in predetermined position within the outer container, a flange on said plug and a lip on said outer container, said flange and said lip being in contact and a disposable seal encompassing the flange and lip and holding the same together, hermetically sealing the outer container.

2. A sterile ampule package comprising an outer container having a closed and an open end, a lip surrounding the open end, a glass ampule within the container, said ampule including a long narrow hollow neck, a plug for closing the outer container and holding and engaging the ampule, an extension on said plug provided with a hollow, central elongated chamber receiving the narrow neck of the ampule, said chamber being otherwise closed so that the outer container is completely closed with the plug inserted in position at the open end of the contain- The plug is preferably elongated, as shown, and will accommodate ampule ends er, said extension being located exteriorly of the con- 'tainer, and the elongated chamber opening into the latter below the lip.

3. A sterile ampule package comprising an outer container-having a closed and an open end, a lip surrounding the open end, a rigid ampule within the container, said ampule including a long narrow neck, a plug for closing the outer container and holding and engaging the ampule, an extension on said plug provided with a hollow,

' central elongated chamber receiving the neck of the ampule, said chamber being otherwise closed so that the outer-container is completely closed with the plug inserted in position at the open end of the container, said extension being located exteriorly of the container, anda flange on the plug sealed to the lip of the container, said plug having a' portion extending into the neck of the outer container, said hollow chamber" having an opening at the end ofsaid extension to receive the neck of the ampule.

' 4. A sterile ampule package comprisingan outer container having a closed and an open end, a lip surrounding the open end, an ampule within the'container, a plug for closing the outer container and holding and engaging the ampule, an extension on said plug provided with a hollow, central elongated chamber receiving the neck of the ampule, said chamber being otherwise closed so that a the outer container is completely closed with the plug inserted in position at the open end of the container, said extension being located exteriorly of the container, and

, means in said outer container positioning and cushioning the ampule, said means being arranged at the closed end of the outer container. 7

5. A sterile ampule package comprising an outer container having a closed and an open end, a lip surrounding the open end, an ampule within the container, a plug",

for closing the outer container and holding and engaging the ampule, an extension on said plug provided with a hollow, central elongated chamber receiving the neck of the ampule, said chamber being otherwise closed so that the outer container is completely closed with the plug inserted in position at the open end of the container, said extension being located exteriorly of the container, and means in said outer container positioning and cushioning the ampule, said means being arranged at the closed end of the outer container, said means including a compressible shaped wad for engaging the ampule.

pule, said chamber being otherwise closed so that the outer container is completely closed with the plug inserted in position at the open end of the container, said extension being located exteriorly of the, container, and a sterilizing medium in the outer container..

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 1,002,293 McGrann Sept. 5, 1911 2,438,906 Elsaset al. Apr. 6, 1948- 2,4'Z9,l31 Pari Aug. 16, 1949 2,653,609 Smith Sept. 29, 1953 2,694,641 Atwood et al. Nov. 16,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CGRRECTION Patent Noc 2,836,320 May 27; 1958 Richard I L, Carroll It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of. the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read an corrected "belowo Column 3, line "7, for "long narrow neck" read long narrow hollow neck e Signed and sealed. this 19th day of August 19580 (SEAL) Attest:

KARL MINE ROBERT c. WATSON Atteeting Officer C'onmisaionar of Patents

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