Eastman-kodak Company

Sterling Winthrop Inc.

Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Sanofi Winthrop Inc.

John J Niedospial, Jr

Bruce R Muller

Christopher P McCormick

Roger G Covington

Mark A Stiehl

William A Bergstresser

Mark D Fraser

Christopher T Mattson

Russell J Butler

Evan P Carmichael

Linn C Hoover

Jeffrey Charles Robertson

Bradley S Bush

James E Hoyes

Michael T Mallon

Patricia D Fairman

Larry Sherman

David E Best

Even P Carmichael

Ronald B Vacek

Rafael DeJesus

This invention relates to a holder for use in combination with a pre-filled cartridge-needle unit, the holder comprising a hollow body sized for housing the cartridge-needle unit therein, and provision for allowing the body to move axially relative to the cartridge-needle unit. In one preferred embodiment, the distal end of the body is elliptical in cross section and the proximal end of the body is circular in cross section. In another preferred embodiment, the body comprises a pair of cam slots at the distal end and a pair or retaining slots at the proximal end, the slots being sized to accept a circumferential ring on the cartridge-needle unit and positioned to hold the cartridge-needle units in use and safe positions. The holder is easier to use and manufacture and reduces the susceptibility of health care workers to accidental needle strikes.

Holder for cartridge-needle unit

This invention relates to a holder for use in combination with a pre-filled cartridge-needle unit, the holder comprising a hollow body sized for housing the cartridge-needle unit therein, and means for permitting the body to move axially relative to the cartridge-needle unit. In one preferred embodiment, the distal end of the body is elliptical in cross section and the proximal end of the body is circular in cross section. In another preferred embodiment, the body comprises a pair of cam slots at the distal end and a pair or retaining slots at the proximal end, the slots being sized to accept a circumferential ring on the cartridge-needle unit and positioned to hold the cartridge-needle units in use and safe positions. The holder is easier to use and manufacture and reduces the susceptibility of health care workers to accidental needle strikes.

A coupling system for transferring fluids from a medicament-containing cartridge to an injection site comprises a fluid flow channel, a blunt cannula defining the distal end of the fluid flow channel, a needle cannula defining the proximal end of the fluid flow channel, and means for fixedly connecting the needle cannula to the blunt cannula.

Coupling system for safety cannula

This invention relates to a collar adapted for use in combination with activatable prefilled cartridge-need units and disposable holders. The collar is adapted to fit over the hub of the cartridge-needle unit and comprises a solid circumferential neck; a circumferential foot interrupted in at least one point having inside and outside arcuate surfaces, the outside surface having thereon a circumferentially outwardly extending ring and the inside surface having thereon at least one radially inwardly extending shelf; and at least one leg connecting the neck to the foot. The collar provides improved safety reliability and thus reduces the susceptibility of health care workers to accidents, e.g., accidental needle strikes. In addition, the collar can be easily and economically manufactured, e.g., by conventional precision injection molding techniques.

Collar and cartridge-needle unit assembly

In accordance with this invention, there is provided an elastomeric stopper for a medication container, the stopper being adapted to be pierced by a hypodermic needle or used in conjunction with standard luer nozzle fittings. In a preferred embodiment the stopper comprises an elastomeric plug adapted to make a friction fit in an opening of the medication container, the plug having an exterior surface, the exterior surface of the plug comprising a tear-away member formed integrally with the plug, the interior surface of the plug having a blocked passageway which opens away from the exterior surface of the plug and defines a conical taper, the passageway being blocked by the tear-away member. The tear-away member defines opposite faces of a thin diaphragm formed integrally with the plug, the diaphragm being of a thickness which permits the diaphragm to be ruptured by inserting a hypodermic needle therethrough. The stopper reduces the risk of particulate contamination associated with prior art stoppers adapted to be ruptured with a luer nozzle.

Stopper for medication container

A film spool comprises a spool core provided with a coaxial opening adapted to receive a rotational driver rotatable alternatively in film winding and unwinding directions to similarly rotate the spool core. The spool core includes first and second torque transmission devices. The first torque transmission devices projects into the core opening to be located in the way of the rotational driver, when the driver is rotated inside the core opening in the film unwinding direction, for making the driver rotate the spool core in the film unwinding direction responsive to the driver applying an unwinding turning force to the first torque transmission devices, and is capable of being deformed out of the way of the driver, when the unwinding turning force the driver applies to the first torque transmission devices exceeds a maximum force greater than required to rotate the spool core in the film unwinding direction, for allowing the driver to freely rotate inside the core opening in the film unwinding direction. The second torque transmission devices projects into the core opening to be located in the way of the rotational driver, when the driver is rotated inside the core opening in the film winding direction, for making the driver rotate the spool core in the winding direction responsive to the driver applying a winding turning force to the second torque transmission devices.

Torque transmission clutch for film spool

A film cassette comprises a cassette shell, a spool core supported inside the cassette shell for rotation in an unwinding direction to advance a filmstrip coiled about the spool core out of the cassette shell and in a winding direction to draw the filmstrip into the cassette shell, at least one flange coaxially coupled with the spool core to prevent the filmstrip from uncoiling about the spool core and to permit the flange and the spool core to be rotated relative to each other in the unwinding and winding directions, and cooperating means located on the spool core and the flange for fixing the flange and the spool core to each other to make the flange rotate with the spool core in the unwinding direction but releasing the flange to permit it and the spool core to be rotated relative to each other in the winding direction. According to the invention, stop means are connected to the cassette shell, and the flange has engageable means for being engaged by the stop means when the flange is rotated with the spool core in the winding direction to prevent the flange from further rotating in that direction, whereby the flange will impose a frictional drag on the filmstrip as the filmstrip is wound onto the spool core to cause the filmstrip to be wound tightly to the spool core.

Film cassette

A spool to film attachment comprises a filmstrip having an engagement hole formed in a rear end of the filmstrip proximate a rearmost film edge and a spool having an engagement projection adapted to be received in the film hole. The projection has a pointed side oriented to face the rearmost film edge from within the film hole, when the projection is received in the film hole, to be able to tear at a predetermined point through a relatively narrow section of the filmstrip between the film hole and the rearmost film edge in response to pulling the rear end of the filmstrip away from the projection.

Spool to film attachment

In a film cassette, a spool is supported for rotation in an unwinding direction inside a cassette shell, a convoluted film roll whose outermost convolution is a film leader is coiled in the unwinding direction about the spool and a film stripper is located substantially adjacent a passageway to the exterior of the shell to be received between a leading edge portion of the film leader and a next-inward convolution of the film roll responsive to rotation of the spool in the unwinding direction to divert the leading edge portion to between a pair of light-trapping pads spaced opposite each other in the passageway. According to the invention, one of the light-trapping pads is located closer to the stripper than the other of the pads and has a cut-out. The stripper is arranged in the cut-out to substantially ensure the leading edge portion of the film leader will be advanced over the one pad before the leading edge portion can be advanced farther than the stripper when the spool is rotated in the unwinding direction.

Film cassette with cooperating stripper and light-lock

In a film cassette, a spool is supported for rotation in an unwinding direction inside a cassette shell, a convoluted film roll whose outermost convolution is a film leader is coiled in the unwinding direction about the spool, and a film stripper is located substantially adjacent a passageway to the exterior of the shell to be received between a leading edge portion of the film leader and a next-inward convolution of the film roll responsive to rotation of the spool in the unwinding direction to divert the leading edge portion to between a pair of light-trapping pads spaced opposite each other in the passageway. According to the invention, one of the light-trapping pads is located substantially in abutment with the stripper and the other of the pads is spaced from the stripper to generally ensure the leading edge portion of the film leader will be advanced over the one pad before the leading edge portion can be advanced over the other pad when the spool is rotated in the unwinding direction.

In a film cassette, a pair of flanges are coaxially arranged along a spool core to normally radially confine a filmstrip coiled about the spool core to prevent the filmstrip from uncoiling against an interior curved wall of the cassette shell. When the spool core is rotated to unwind the filmstrip, a stripper is received between a leading film section and the next-inward convolution of the filmstrip to induce the leading section to flex the flanges farther apart to escape the confinement of the flanges and be thrust through a lighttight passageway to the exterior of the cassette shell. According to the invention, several film supporting ribs severely limit the extent to which the leading film section will be uncoiled from between the flanges to assure the leading section maintains sufficient longitudinal rigidity to facilitate its being thrust through the lighttight passageway.

In a film cassette, a spool core is supported within a cassette shell for rotation in an unwinding direction to automatically thrust a leading end of a filmstrip coiled about the spool core to the exterior of the shell. A pair of flanges are arranged in coaxially spaced relation along the spool core to radially confine the filmstrip. The flanges are sufficiently flexible to permit the filmstrip to flex the flanges farther apart to escape the confinement of the flanges when the spool core is rotated in the unwinding direction. According to the invention, a relatively short longitudinal section of the filmstrip proximate a trailing end of the filmstrip attached to the spool core is sufficiently tapered to permit it to extend between the flanges without having to flex the flanges farther apart. This construction permits the spool core and the flanges to be placed in the cassette shell during assembly of the film cassette, with the flanges in a normal-relaxed rather than flexed condition, and for the filmstrip then to be wound easily about the spool core.

In a film cassette, a spool core is supported for rotation in an unwinding direction to thrust a leader section of a filmstrip coiled about the spool core through a film passageway to the exterior of the cassette. A pair of flanges are arranged in spaced relation along the spool core to overlie opposite longitudinal edges of the filmstrip to radially confine the filmstrip. The flanges are adapted to permit the longitudinal film edges to force the flanges farther apart to allow the filmstrip to escape the confinement of the flanges to permit the leader section to the thrust outside the cassette. According to the invention, the leader section is relieved to permit its forward edge to be thrust clear of a light-trapping means in the film passageway before the longitudinal film edges begin to force the flanges apart, whereby when the spool core is rotated in the unwinding direction any resistance the light-trapping means and the flanges present to film movement is more easily overcome.

In a film cassette, a spool core is supported for rotation in an unwinding direction to thrust a leader section of a film roll coiled about the spool core to the exterior of the cassette and in a winding direction to return the leader to the interior of the cassette. A pair of flanges are arranged in spaced relation along the spool core to radially confine the leader. The flanges are adapted to be flexed apart to permit the leader to readily escape the confinement of the flanges when the spool core is rotated in the unwinding direction. According to the invention, the leader has respective edge portions for flexing the flanges apart in succession when the spool core is rotated in the unwinding direction, whereby the leader can more easily overcome any resistance the flanges may present to movement of the leader outwardly of the flanges.

A film cassette is disclosed wherein a film roll whose outermost convolution comprises a film leader is coiled about a spool rotatable within the cassette shell, a pair of flexible flanges are coaxially arranged on the spool to radially confine the film leader within respective skirted peripheries of the flanges to prevent the leader from substantially contacting an interior wall of the cassette shell, and a film stripper projecting from the interior wall is received between a leading end of the film leader and the next-inward convolution of the film roll to free successive sections of the leader from the flanges by inducing the leader to flex the flanges away from one another at their skirted peripheries responsive to rotation of the spool in a film unwinding direction. A film flattening member projects from the interior wall of the cassette shell in the vicinity of the film stripper and a light-trapping passageway to the exterior of the shell to support successive sections of the film leader substantially flat as those sections are freed from the flanges, to facilitate initial and subsequent movement of the leader into the passageway.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

John J Niedospial, Jr