Fluid sampling apparatus

Apparatus for sampling fluid from a puncturable conduit, the apparatus including an elongate housing including a conduit puncturing portion and a clamp, the conduit puncturing portion being adapted to receive therein the puncturable conduit, a needle mount mounted in the elongate housing, a needle adapted for flow of fluid therethrough, the needle being fixedly mounted in the needle mount so as to have portions extending outward of the needle mount in opposite directions, a first end of the needle being pointed and protruding into, but not beyond, the conduit puncturing portion, such that the conduit puncturing portion substantially prevents inadvertent engagement of a user's finger with the first end of the needle, and wherein the clamp is operative to clamp the puncturable conduit in the conduit puncturing portion, thereby forcing the puncturable conduit towards the first end of the needle and causing the first end to puncture the puncturable conduit.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to fluid sampling apparatus generally, and
 particularly to apparatus for sampling fluid from a puncturable conduit.
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 Various types of apparatus for sampling fluids are known. In particular,
 various types of blood sampling apparatus are known in the art. The
 following patent documents are believed to represent the state of the art:
 U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,877,465; 4,763,648; 4,920,970; 4,934,015; 4,981,140;
 5,002,066 & 5,084,034; European Patent Application 88906129.7 and PCT
 Published Patent Application WO 93/121821.
 Often when blood is drawn from a donor and collected in a blood bag, it is
 desired to test samples of the blood before use thereof. In general, a
 plurality of tubing segments, which are sausage-like tubing pieces
 typically about 10 cm long, are attached to the blood bag. In blood bank
 laboratory tests, each segment is cut open with scissors and the contents
 are squeezed into a test tube. This can be a rather messy process.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention seeks to provide improved and easy-to-use fluid
 sampling apparatus for use with puncturable conduits, which substantially
 overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
 There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
 present invention, apparatus for sampling fluid from a puncturable
 conduit, the apparatus including an elongate housing including a conduit
 puncturing portion and a clamp, the conduit puncturing portion being
 adapted to receive therein the puncturable conduit, a needle mount mounted
 in the elongate housing, a needle adapted for flow of fluid therethrough,
 the needle being fixedly mounted in the needle mount so as to have
 portions extending outward of the needle mount in opposite directions, a
 first end of the needle being pointed and protruding into, but not beyond,
 the conduit puncturing portion, such that the conduit puncturing portion
 substantially prevents inadvertent engagement of a user's finger with the
 first end of the needle, and a second end of the needle being in fluid
 communication with a fluid sampling tube, and wherein the clamp is
 operative to clamp the puncturable conduit in the conduit puncturing
 portion, thereby forcing the puncturable conduit towards the first end of
 the needle and causing the first end to puncture the puncturable conduit.
 Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
 invention, the second end of the needle protrudes into, but not beyond,
 the elongate housing, such that the elongate housing substantially
 prevents inadvertent engagement of a user's finger with the second end of
 the needle.
 Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
 the conduit puncturing portion includes a conduit interface element which
 is substantially shaped complementarily to an outer periphery of the
 conduit.
 The second end of the needle may be blunt. Alternatively, in accordance
 with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second end
 of the needle is pointed, and a puncturable resilient sheath is formed
 over the second end and onto at least a portion of the needle mount.
 Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
 invention, the needle mount is removably mounted in the elongate housing.
 Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
 the needle is adhesively mounted in the needle mount.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2A which illustrate apparatus 10 for
 sampling fluid from a puncturable conduit 12, constructed and operative in
 accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
 Apparatus 10 preferably includes an elongate housing 14, typically formed
 of plastic by injection molding. Housing 14 preferably comprises a
 generally circular cylindrical portion 16 and a neck portion 18 which are
 joined at a shoulder 20. Portion 16 is preferably longer and of larger
 radius than neck portion 18, portion 16 being intended for operative
 engagement with a sampling tube (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A).
 Neck portion 18 is preferably cylindrical in shape at a base 22 thereof and
 terminates in an outwardly extending conduit puncturing portion 24. As
 seen in FIGS. 1 and 2A, conduit puncturing portion 24 is adapted to
 receive therein conduit 12. Preferably hingedly attached to conduit
 puncturing portion 24 is a clamp 26. Clamp 26 preferably has an engagement
 cutout portion 28 formed therein and includes a relatively thin pivoting
 portion 30. By folding clamp 26 in the direction of an arrow 32 about
 pivoting portion 30, a flange 34, preferably located at an extreme end of
 conduit puncturing portion 24, snappingly engages with engagement cutout
 portion 28, as will be described further hereinbelow. Clamp 26 preferably
 further includes a conduit interface element 36 which is substantially
 shaped complementarily to the outer periphery of conduit 12.
 In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention there is
 provided a separately formed needle mount element 40, which is removably
 mounted in the elongate housing 14. Element 40 is seated against shoulder
 20 and is retained thereagainst by a plurality of inwardly protruding
 retaining tabs 42.
 Needle mount element 40 is preferably formed of plastic by injection
 molding and includes a planar portion 43 of a preferably truncated conical
 configuration, integrally formed with a pair of non-identical, hollow,
 male attachment portions 44 and 46, extending perpendicularly to planar
 portion 43 at the center of planar portion 43, which is apertured thereat.
 Preferably, male attachment portion 44 has an undercut 45.
 Accordingly, planar portion 43 together with attachment portions 44 and 46
 define an elongate channel through which extends a needle 48, having a
 roughened center section 50 and a first end 52 and a second end 54. Needle
 48 is preferably hollow and adapted for flow of fluid therethrough.
 Needle 48 is preferably fixedly frictionally and adhesively mounted in
 needle mount element 40 so as to have needle portions of differing lengths
 extending perpendicularly to planar portion 43 outward of the needle mount
 in opposite directions.
 An adhesive 56, such as U. V. adhesive, is preferably disposed about an
 outward edge of attachment portion 44 in such a manner so as to provide a
 smooth transition between the outer surface of needle 48 and the maximum
 diametrical dimension of attachment portion 44. This particular
 arrangement enables relatively easy sliding of the open end of a
 puncturable resilient sheath 58 over second end 54 into frictionally
 retained engagement with attachment member 44, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2A.
 Preferably, the open end of sheath 58 engages undercut 45 formed in
 attachment portion 44, for enhanced retention thereon.
 In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2A, both first 52 and second 54 ends of
 needle 48 are pointed. It is seen that first end 52 of needle 48 protrudes
 into, but not beyond, conduit puncturing portion 24, such that conduit
 puncturing portion 24 substantially prevents inadvertent engagement of a
 user's finger with first end 52. Furthermore, it is seen that second end
 54 of needle 48 protrudes into, but not beyond, an end 59 of elongate
 housing 14, such that elongate housing 14 substantially prevents
 inadvertent engagement of a user's finger with second end 54.
 Reference is now additionally made to FIGS. 2B and 2C. As described
 hereinabove, FIG. 2A illustrates conduit 12 placed in conduit puncturing
 portion 24 and prior to puncturing thereof By folding clamp 26 about
 pivoting portion 30 in the direction of arrow 32, as seen in FIG. 2B,
 conduit interface element 36 forces conduit 12 towards pointed first end
 52, thereby causing first end 52 to puncture conduit 12. A fluid 60, such
 as blood, then flows into needle 48. As seen in FIG. 2C, a sampling tube
 62 may then be pushed onto second end 54 for collecting fluid 60 therein.
 Preferably sampling tube 62 is substantially hermetically sealed by a seal
 64 which is punctured by second end 54 when engaging sampling tube 62 with
 needle 48.
 Apparatus 10 may be particularly useful in applications such as, for
 example, donation of blood. In such a case, conduit 12 would be a blood
 donor tube attached to a blood donor, and apparatus 10 would be used to
 collect blood in sampling tube 62.
 Reference is now made to FIG. 3 which illustrates apparatus 70 for sampling
 fluid, constructed and operative in accordance with another preferred
 embodiment of the present invention. Apparatus 70 is preferably
 substantially identical with apparatus 10 described hereinabove, with like
 numerals designating like elements. Apparatus 70 differs from apparatus 10
 in that a second end 72 of needle 48 is blunt and there is no sheath 58.
 As seen in FIG. 3, a tubing segment 74 may be placed in conduit puncturing
 portion 24. Apparatus 70 is preferably held upright. Upon closing clamp 26
 in the direction of arrow 32, segment 74 is punctured by first end 52 of
 needle 48. Segment 74 may then be manually squeezed to empty the contents
 of segment 74 into test tube 76 via second end 72.
 Apparatus 70 may be particularly useful in applications such as, for
 example, examining blood in a blood bank laboratory. After having
 collected blood from a donor, and before infusing into a recipient,
 apparatus 70 may be used to empty blood which was collected in tubing
 segment 74 into test tube 76 for examination and matching.
 It is appreciated that various features of the invention which are, for
 clarity, described in the contexts of separate embodiments may also be
 provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various
 features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context
 of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable
 subcombination.
 It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present
 invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described
 hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined only by
 the claims which follow: