WO2015186083A1

WO2015186083A1 - A covering structure for a syringe

Info

Publication number: WO2015186083A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/054211
Authority: WO
Inventors: Laura MONTECHIARO
Original assignee: Montechiaro Laura
Priority date: 2014-06-03
Filing date: 2015-06-03
Publication date: 2015-12-10

Abstract

The invention refers to a cover (1) for a syringe (100), said cover comprising: A channel (2) for the insertion of at least one part of the syringe (100) Into the cover (1) and of such a length as to cover at least the needle (101); A front opening (4) positioned in such a way as to allow the passage of the needle (101) outside of the cover (1); Said cover (1) being further configured in such a way that as to be sliding with respect to the syringe (100) so that, when the cover is made to slide on the syringe placed into the channel (2), the needle can exit through said front opening (4) outside of the cover (1).

Description

A COVERING STRUCTURE FOR A. SYRINGBJ

Technical field

The present invention refers to the technical field relative to medical instruments.

In particular, the invention refers to a covering system that allows to hide a syringe and, particularly, to hide from the view of the patient the presence of the needle .

Background art

It is known that in the pediatric field, both in medicine and odontology, a frequent problem that the doctor encounters consists in succeeding in making in a quick and correct way, at need, an injection.

The problem exists since the child, at the view of the needle, is often far from being collaborative and many times wriggles and starts to cry desperately, rendering the completion of the injection difficult..

Naturally, a child cannot be collaborative like an adult and therefore such a state of fear and anguish often creates such a state of panic so that it results impossible for the doctor to give the injection correctly, being constrained, .sometimes, to renounce to the operatio .

For example, in the case of dentists that work with children, the moment when it is needed to apply anesthesia is really problematic. The child, as soon as he sees the syringe with the needle and perceives the risk of an injection, starts to cry desperately and despite the presence of the parents it becomes really difficult to be successful in going further with the anesthesia and, consequently, with all the subsequent dental care (for example, the removal of a caries) . During an anesthesia it is necessary to hole different points of the gum in precise positions and, naturally, if the child cries, he moves his head and has his mouth closed, it is almost impossible to give the injection. In that sense, the visits are much longer than usual since it is necessary to find a way to calm down the young patient or even immobilize him and find the right time to continue with the injection. Further, the risk is that of creating a state of anguish and fear in the child towards p e^ determined professional medical figures.

Naturally, the problem is absolutely the same in all the other medical fields, and in each situation in which it is anyway necessary to make a puncture to a non-adult person, or anyway also to an adult, but in general impressionable to the view of the needle.

There exist some publications that refer to some coverings for syringes but these are structured and foreseen in order to retract into a safety casing a syringe with needle after its use in such a way as to block: it in such a position and avoid injuries from needles used or re-uses of the same.

For instance, there exists, for that purpose, the publication WO2009/O23893, in which a cover is described into which the syringe is inserted. The cover has a shoulder 113 on which an elastic tab 121 is engaged, in turn fixed to the syringe. The syringe is sliding into such a cover so, at completed injection, it can be retracted until the needle disappears into the cover and the elastic tab 121 climbs over the shoulder 113, blocking the syringe in position,

A similar system is, for instance, described also in the publication US2009/259193. Also in this case, a sort of cylindrical cover is foreseen into which the syringe can be retracted after use until the needle disappears. In this case, both the syringe and the cylindrical cover engage between them slidingly through a series of teeth in such a way that, one© the syringe has been retracted into the cylindrical cover, it remains blocked in position also thanks to a sort of ring of material that is formed and is put in contrast between syringe and cylinder.

In all said cases, the cover renders anyway visible the internal syringe, since the aim is only that of protection and not of hide. In that sense, though using such covers, the aims of the invention would not be reached.

Further, such apparatus are very complex because, they foresee blocking systems and^' restraints that fix the syringe in the retracted position at the end of its use and require, moreover, syringes that are not standard but rather studied specifically for the purpose. In that sense, blocking systems are foreseen between syringe (therefore applied on the external body of th syringe) and the cylindrical channel that would impede to make the syringe slide freely towards an operative position without a spill of liquid during the push on the piston of the syringe itself.

Disclosure of invention

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide a device that results to be capable of solving said' technical problems.

In particular, it is the aim of the present invention to provide a device for a syringe that is capable of hiding the syringe, and above all the presence of the needle, in such a way that the patient does not perceive the risk of an imminent injection. These and other aims are therefore reached with the present cover for a syringe, as per claim 1.

Such a cover comprises:

- A channel (2) for the insertion of at least one part of the syringe (100) into the cover (1) and a front opening ( ) .

- The cover (1) is further configured in such a way that the coupling between syringe (100) and cover (1) is sliding .

In such a manner, when a push action is carried out on the syringe placed into the channel (2), for example by pushing with the thumb on the guide rod of the small piston (exactly like in a normal injection operation) and contextually blocking the entire cover between the other fingers of the hand (generally between index and middle finger) , the syringe can slide along the channel, making the needle exit at least in part through the front opening (4) outside of the cover (1) .

Before exerting such a pressure, therefore, the needle and part of the syringe are hidden into such a cover, which is in a non transparent material.

The patient, not seeing the needle, will not have a panic reaction and will not recognize the syringe in s6, above all if the patient is a child.

The approach to the point of holing takes place without a panic reaction of the patient, allowing the doctor to operate with calm and with a collaborative patient .

At the moment of giving the injection, such a pressure can be exerted, when the cover is put in proximity of the point in which to give the injection.

At the moment when such a pressure will be exerted, the needle exits and the doctor can proceed to sting with the needle to inject the liquid. At that point, even if the patient tends to move perceiving the pain of. the needle that penetrates, a few seconds will be enough to complete the injection.

Advantageously, a back opening {6) is foreseen, through which the syringe can be inserted slidingly into the channel (2 ) .

Advantageously, the length of the channel (2) can be such as to hold inside the needle (101) of the syringe (100) and at least a part of the body (102) of the syringe .

Advantageously, a surface (5) can be. foreseen, arranged to serve as support for the fingertips of a us e r during an injection phase.

Advantageously, a stop (5) can be foreseen, for limiting to a pre-determtned length (G) the sliding stroke of the syringe into the channel.

Advantageously, one or more external decorations can be foreseen.

Advantageously, such a cover can be at choice single- use or auto-clavable .

It is also described here a combination of a cover (1) in a non transparent material for a syringe (1.00) and a syringe (100), said cover comprising:

- A channel (2) for the insertion of at least one part of the syringe (100) into the cover (1);

- A front opening (4);

- Said cover (1) being further configured in such a way that the coupling between cover (1) and syringe

(100) is sliding so that, when a push action is - β - carried out on the syringe placed into the channel (2) , it slides along the channel, making the needle exit at least in part through said front opening (4) outside of the cover (1) .

Advantageously, said cover (1) foresees a stop (5) collaborating with the shape of the syringe in such a way as to limit to a pre-determined length (G) the sliding stroke of the syringe into the channel so that, once reached said stop, the needle is at least in part outside of the cover.

Brief description of drawings

Further features and advantages of the present device, according to the invention, will result clearer with the description that follows of some of its embodiments, made to illustrate but not to limit, with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 shows schematically a syringe 100 as per the known art;

- Figure 2 shows, in a lateral view, a schematization of the cover 1 as per the invention,*

- Figure 3 shows a section of the cover of figure 2;

- Figure 4 shows a front view always of the cover 1 to highlight the front opening 5 of passage of the needle;

- Figures from 5 to 7 show an exemplification sequence of use through a longitudinal section of the cover coupled with the syringe;

- Figures from 8 to 10 represent the same said sequence, in a lateral view in which the fingers of the user and decorative elements placed on the cover are highlighted for being attractive for the children.

Description of some preferred embodiments

Figure 1 represents a syringe 100 in accordance with the known art. The syringe foresees a needle 101 which is axially holed to allow the exit of the medical liquid or the sucking thereof. The body 102 of the syringe is generally cylindrical and hollow inside in such a way as to form a chamber 106 of containment for a liquid.

The needle couples, generally in a removable manner, at a front end of the cylindrical body 102 in correspondence of an open one to allow the flow of the liquid from the chamber 106 towards the outside through the needle.

A piston 103 is assembled slidingly into the channel that forms the chamber 106 and is controlled to slide in a direction or in the opposite direction through a pressure surface 105 that is connected to the piston 103 by means of a stem 104.

Pushing with a finger on the surface 105 (generally the thumb), while index and middle finger rest on the surface 107 and/or retain the body 102, a pressure is easily created so that the piston 103 slides forward towards the needle, therefore reducing progressively the space of the chamber 106 and obliging the liquid contained to exit outside through the needle.

Having said that, as anticipated in the preamble of technical problem, the view of the needle 101 can generate panic in the patient, rendering the completion of the injection difficult.

To that aim, a cover 1 is foreseen, represented in a lateral view in figure 2 and in section in figure 3,

Naturally, the shape with which it is represented is not at all limiting and, as it will be clear from the present description below, it can be realized in multiple different shapes.

The description that follows is not to be intended in a strictly limiting sense to the shapes described.

The cover 1, as schematized in section of figure 3, forms a channel 2 into which the syringe 200 can be inserted slidingly.

In particular, the channel has an access opening 6 that allows the insertion of the syringe 100 into the channel .

On the opposite side, as shown also in the front view of figure 4 _r an opening 4 is foreseen whose size and relative position is selected in such a way as to allow the needle to exit through it at least in part when the syringe slides into the channel.

The channel is therefore such that the syringe 100 can be inserted slidingly into the channel in such a way that, during the advancement into the channel, the needle 101 intercepts the front opening 4, being able to exit through, at least in part.

The cover can foresee an annular widening 5 that forms a support surface for the fingers that facilitate the operation of injection, exactly like the surfaces 107 of a traditional syringe.

Naturally, the sizes of the cover, for example of the channel 2, opening 4 and opening 6, can be varied at will and standardized on the basis of the standard sizes of the syringes that are usable and put in the market.

The realization material can be any, for example auto-clavable (that is sterilizabl ) materials.

Moreover, it is possible to arrange decorative designs on the external part of the cover in order to render it more attractive to children and therefore be able to calm them down more during the injection.

As shown in section of figure 3 and in the sequences of the figures from 5 to 7, the channel 2 is smooth and free from elements that can interfere with the sliding of the syringe, causing its eventual block. The diameter is such that the cylindrical body of the syringe slides freely and with a pre-determined gap into the relative cylindrical channel 2- This allows, as clarified in the description of use, to quickly bring the syringe in use position.

Having described the structural elements of the invention, we now pass, foe greater clarity, onto a description of use.

Starting, for instance, from the syringe 100 of figure 1, once arranged with the medical liquid inside the chamber 106, it is possible to insert slidingly the syringe into the channel 2 through the opening 6 (see section of figure 3) in such a way as to arrive in the embodiment represented in figure 5.

In such an embodiment of figure 5, the needle 101 is placed totally inside the channel 2 and has opposite it the opening 4 through which it will be able to exit at least in part, ·

In this embodiment, therefore, the needle and a good part of the syringe are hidden by the external cover and therefore it is much more difficult foe a child to perceive a situation of risk.

The doctor can, for instance, pretend and hide the object like a simple light bulb to verify and see better determined areas.

As per figure 6, at the moment when it is necessary to give the injection, it is enough to make the external cover slide on the syringe, or the syringe slides inside the channel 2, causing the needle to exit through the front opening 4.

To do this, the cover represented in the figures has a shape similar to the syringe itself in the sense that it foresees the pressure surfaces 5 on which the operator rests the fingertips of thumb and middle finger, while the thumb presses on the surface 105 of the syringe. In this way, looking in sequence the figure 5 and the figure 6, such a pressure action that is commonly made on a syringe during the injection obliges it in that case to translate inside the channel in the direction of the arrow of _. igure 5 until the surface 107 of the syringe reaches the stop in contact with the surface 5 (see figure 6) .

Naturally, the measures of length of the channel 2 are selected in such a way that in the position of figure 6 the needle exits from the opening 4 of a quantity enough to give an injection.

Once the position of figure 6 is reached, the pressure on the piston causes its normal advancement and therefore the exit of the liquid in a normal way (see figure 7 } .

The possibility of sliding of the syringe i the channel is obtained by selecting such a diameter of the channel that a certain pressure on the surface 105 of the syringe generates its sliding in the channel without causing an exit of the liquid and therefore an advancement of the piston.

In that sense, the expert in the field will be able to selectively foresee at will variable sises in such a way as to adjust at will the level of reciprocal friction and therefore of sliding between the two parts.

Moreover, for that reason and as shown in the figures, there are no blocking components between channel 2 and surface of the syringe.

The invention described here can, for example, be used by coupling to a normal single-use syringe a cover that can be of the re-usable type, therefore auto- clavabl .

Nothing would impede to produce and commercialize a syringe di per se already coupled to its own cover and, for instance, both being single-use or auto-clavable (for example, the syringes for dental anesthesia which are auto-clavable) .

The covers, naturally, are realized with materials which are not transparent to impede to see the internal content .

The same sequence of figure from 5 to 7 is also shown in the lateral view represented by figures from 8 to 10. It is clearly seen, in such a use sequence, that the syringe ready for use is hidden into the cover (figure 8) , At the moment when it is necessary to give an injection, the doctor approaches the assembly of figure 8 to the point of holing. At that moment, a pressure on the syringe, as per figure 9, causes the advancement of the syringe into the cover until stop, position in which the needle exists from the front opening.

At that moment, as per figure 10, the pressure that is exerted on the syringe causes the normal exit of liquid through the needle.

Claims

1. A cover (1) for a syringe (100), said cover comprising :

A channel (2) for the insertion of at least one part of the syringe (100) into the cover (1);

A front opening ( 4 ) ;

Said cover (1) being further configured in such a way that the coupling between cover (1) and syringe can result to be sliding so that, when a push action is carried out on the syringe placed into the channel (2) , it can slide along the channel, making the needle, initially hidden into the cover, exit at least in part through said front opening (4) outside of the cover (1);

CharaatarizQcJ in that said cover is of a non transparent material.

2. A cover (1), as per claim 1, wherein a back opening (6) is foreseen, through which the syringe can be inserted slidingly into the channel (2) .

3. A cover (1), as per claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of the channel (2) is such as to hold inside the needle (101) of the syringe (100) and at least a part of the body (102) of the syringe.

4. A cover- (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein a surface (5) is foreseen, arranged to serve as support for the fingertips of a user during an injection phase.

5. A cover (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein a stop (5) is foreseen, for limiting to a pre-determined length (G) the sliding stroke of the syringe into the channel. ·

6. A cover (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein one or more external decorations are foreseen.

7. A cover (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, charaatorized in that it is at choice of single use or autoclavable .

8. A cover (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the internal diameter of the channel (2) is such that the syringe couples with a predetermined degree of freedom to .slide,

9. A cover (1), as per claim 8, wherein the internal diameter of the channel (2) is such that the syringe couple3 with a pre-determined degree of freedom to slide so that the syringe can be made to advance along the channel (2) pushing on the pressure surface (105) of the syringe without causing the advancement of the piston (103).

10. A cover (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the internal diameter of the channel (2) is smooth. ,

11. The combination of a cover (1) for a syringe (100) and a syringe (100), said cover comprising:

A channel (2) for the insertion of at least a part of the syringe (100) into the cover (1); A front opening (4);

Said cover (1) being further configured in such a way that the coupling between syringe (100) and cover (1) is sliding so that, when a push action is carried out on the syringe placed into the channel (2), it slides along the channel, making the needle, initially hidden into the cover, exit at least in part through said front opening (4) outside the cover (1) ;

Character zed in that said cover is of a non transparent material.

12. The combination, as per claim 10,. wherein the cover (1) foresees a stop (5) collaborating with the shape of the syringe in such a way as to limit to a predetermined length (G) the sliding of the syringe into the channel so that, once reached said stop, the needle is at least in part outside of the cover.

13. The combination, as per claim 10 or 11, wherein the channel (2) is smooth and the external surface of the syringe is smooth in such a way that there are no contrast elements that impede or slow down the reciprocal sliding.

14. The combination, as per one or more of the preceding claims from 11 to 13, wherein the internal diameter of the channel (2) is such that the syringe couples with a pre-determined degree of freedom to slide so that the syringe can be made to advance along the channel (2) pushing on the pressure surface (105) of the syringe without causing the advancement of the piston (103) .