Double-sided needle assembly

Abstract: A double-sided needle assembly includes an insert needle (12) for inserting into vessel; an afflux needle (15) for supplying pharmaceutical liquid in an injector to the insert needle; and a luer member. The member connects the insert needle with the afflux needle through a space (17) defined between the ends of the needles in the member, and holds the insert and afflux needles to fit to the syringe of the injector under pressure. The confir­ mation of the insertion of the insert needle into the vessel is accomplished by the observing the space of the luer member.

Description: The present invention relates to a medical needle assembly, and more specifically, relates to a special double-sided needle assembly. Conventionally, in the case where an injector already filled with pharmaceutical liquid, so-called "pre-filled syringe", is used to administer the liquid into a human body, an example of an injector is shown in Fig. 1 and is constructed in such a way that a conventional type double-sided needle 1 is fitted to a syringe 4 with a stopper 3. In this type of the needle 1, a plunger (not shown) of the injector is drawn to observe back-flow of the blood, and based on the observation, an operator makes a decision whether or not the needle 1 has been inserted in the vessel of the body. However, the operator can not confirm until the blood comes into the syringe 4 of the injector through the needle 1. Fig. 2 shows a normal needle 5 which is also used for a syringe 7 of an injector in the case. The blood can be observed at a space 6 shown in Fig. 2 to be capable of performing a confirmation of the insertion of the needle 5. On the other hand, in a case where radiopharmaceutical including radioisotope is administered into a patient, in order to protect administering operators such as physicians, nurses from the radiation exposure thereof on administration, lead shield member 8 partially provided lead glass window 9 (referred to as "syringe shield" hereinafter) as shown in Fig. 3 is normally used. When the radiopharmaceutical in the pre-filled syringe is administered through the use of the syringe shield 8, the operators confirm the enter of blood through the glass window 9 thereof. However, it is very difficult to observe the inside of the syringe because of the yellowish color of the glass window 9, not colorless transparent color and the dark inside of the syringe. Therefore, it takes a long time to confirm the insertion of the needle, resulting in increment of the exposure of the operators. If in order to protect the operators from the exposure, the insertion is confirmed based on their feelings of the operators, the patients are unnecessarily subjected to expose in failure of the insertion. In order to resolve such disadvantages, firstly, a manner is devised in which the confirmation can be accomplished at the same portion as the space 6, as shown in Fig. 2, of a normal luer needle and outside the syringe. The idea is described hereinbelow. Two kinds of special needles shown in Figs. 4 and 5 (referred to as "double luer needle" hereinafter) are invented and then a manner for accomplishing the confirmation of the insertion of the needles into the vessel is invented in which disposable needles widely used can be used and the confirmation of blood can be accomplished at the luer member of each needle. However, in the needle shown in Fig. 4, since three parts, a luer cap 2, a double luer needle 10, and a disposable needle (not shown), are assembled with each other to form the luer member, the length of the needle portion thereof composed by the double luer needle 10 and the disposable needle is increased, resulting in difficulty in administering pharmaceutical liquid. On the other hand, in the needle shown in Fig. 5, it is difficult in technique to perform a firm engagement between a double luer needle 11 and a luer cap 2, and even though the engagement is performed, resulting in a very high cost and a lack of the practical use. US-A-3,848,579 discloses a blood-drawing device with an afflux and an insert needle connected to a transparent luer member which is divided by a valve thus forming two internal chambers into which the needles lead. The greatest diameter of the chambers is greater than the outer diameter of said needles. EP-A-0042088 discloses a needle assembly for use in preventing backflow of blood of a patient comprising a housing as a luer member with a chamber wherein an insert and an afflux needle are in fluid communication with said chamber. The chamber has a relatively large volume and in particular a diameter greater than the diameter of said needles in order to store blood collected from a patient and to delay blood from back-flowing through the afflux needle. The luer member has a complicated composed structure of a forward and a rearward end. It is the object of the invention to provide a double-sided needle assembly with a transparent liner member for a syringe for administrating a pharmaceutical liquid, which can be easily and safely handled and produced at a low cost. This object is achieved by the features of independent claims 1 and 4, respectively. By the above construction of the present invention, since the space for observing the back-flow of blood is arranged between the end of the insert needle and the end of the afflux needle in the luer member, the confirmation of the insertion of the insert needle into vessel can be conveniently accomplished through the space in the luer member. Then, in the case of administration of pharmaceutical liquid, the radiation exposure of the operators can be certainly reduced by the use of the needle assembly. Furthermore, the length of the needle portion composed by the insert needle and the afflux needle is as small as that of a conventional normal disposable needle. The needle assembly can be very compact in construction, and can, be fitted to a syringe of an injector by pushing only once. These and other objects and features of the present invention will become clear from the following description taken in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partially sectional view of an injector fitting a double-sided conventional needle to a pre-filled syringe; Fig. 2 is a partially sectional view of an injector fitting a normal needle to a normal syringe; Fig. 3 is a perspective outside view of a syringe shield; Figs. 4 and 5 are partially sectional views of injectors fitting improved double luer needles to pre-filled syringes, respectively; Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a double-sided needle assembly; Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the upper end of an afflux needle of the needle assembly shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a double-sided needle assembly of another embodiment in which small needles are fitted to both ends of a transparent cylinder; Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional views in the conditions where the needle assembly with the small needles is being inserted into and is fitted to a transparent luer; Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view of a luer member having a space partially defined therein and holes for adhering needles; and Fig. 12 is a sectional view of an injector in completion of the preparation for the use which has a double-sided needle assembly of another embodiment fitting needles to a pre-filled syringe. Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it is to be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the accompanying drawings. As shown in Fig. 6, the needle assembly includes an insert needle 12 for inserting into vessel; an afflux needle 15 for supplying pharmaceutical liquid from an injector (not shown) to the insert needle 12; and a transparent luer member 13. The luer member 13 connects the insert needle 12 with the afflux needle 15 through a space 17 defined in the luer member 13, and holds both needles 12 and 15 to fit to the syringe of the injector. Therefore, the luer member 13 has a tapered hole for fitting to the syringe at the lower portion thereof in Fig. 6. The luer member 13 has a lower hole for inserting the afflux needle 15, and an upper hole for inserting the insect needle 12. The luer member 13 preferably has a rib 16 for preventing the afflux needle 15 from easily slipping off from the luer member 13 after the insertion of the afflux needle 15 into the luer member 13. The afflux needle 15 is shown in Fig. 7 and manufactured separate from other parts. A cylinder 14 serving as a connecting member is fixed to the upper end of the afflux needle 15 in Fig. 6. The lower end of the insert needle 12 is fixedly inserted into the upper hole of the luer member 13 in Fig. 6. The cylinder 14 of the afflux needle 15 is fixedly inserted into the lower hole of the luer member 13. Then, the cylinder 14 is adhered to the luer member 13 to define the space 17 between the lower end of the insert needle 12 and the upper end of the afflux needle 15 in the luer member 13. If the luer member 13 can be fixedly connected with the cylinder 14, the adhesive and/or the rib 16 is unnecessary. The luer member 13 is fitted to the syringe of the injector. By the arrangement, the following advantages are obtained. Since the space 17 for observing the back-flow of the blood is arranged between the insert needle end and the afflux needle end in the transparent luer member 13, the confirmation of the insertion of the insert needle 12 into vessel can be conveniently performed through the space 17 of the luer member 13. Then, in administrating pharmaceutical liquid, the radiation exposure of the operators can be certainly reduced by the use of the double-sided needle assembly. Furthermore, the length of the needle portion composed by the insert needle 12 and the afflux needle 15 is as small as that of a conventional normal disposable needle and also the double-sided needle assembly can be very compact in construction. The double-sided needle assembly can be fitted to the syringe of the injector by press of one time for completion of the preparation of the use. In a first embodiment according to the present invention, as shown in Fig. 8, an insert needle 12 is previously connected with an afflux needle 15 through a transparent cylinder 18 to be integral with each other so that the space 17 can be defined between the needles 12 and 15 in the cylinder 18. Then, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, this small double-sided needle parts are inserted into and adhered to a transparent luer 22, with the result that the similar needle assembly can be manufactured as the needle assembly of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the luer member 21 is composed by the cylinder 18 and the luer 22. It is possible that the small double-sided needle parts shown in Fig. 8 are inserted into the pre-filled syringe type luer cap 2 in Fig. 1 to obtain the same advantage as the embodiments. Furthermore, an shown in Fig. 11, the space 17 is previously formed in a transparent luer member 23 by one-piece molding. Thereafter, the insert needle 12 is inserted into an upper hole 23a thereof and the afflux needle 15 is inserted into a lower hole 23b thereof, with the result that a double-sided needle assembly of a second embodiment can be manufactured. Moreover, the luer members 13, 21, and 23 and the cylinder 14 can be made of plastic material such as polypropylene or polystyrene. Between the insert needle 12 and the luer 13 and between the afflux needle 15 and the luer 13, adhesives widely used in normal disposable needles can be employed. Between the plastic parts, adhesives used in normal plastic adhesion can be employed, but more preferably, both are adhered by ultrasonic welding in order to avoid adverse effect to pharmaceutical liquid to the utmost. The size and length of the space 17 for observing the blood in the luer members 13, 21, and 23 is not limited to the above-described one, and can be modified within the scope of the present invention. The use of the special double-sided needle assembly will be described in employing the needle assembly shown in Fig. 6. The needle assembly is inserted into the pre-filled syringe type luer cap 2 in Fig. 1 under pressure and a piston member 20 is attached to a rubber plunger 19 to be inserted into the syringe 4, resulting in completion of the preparation of the use.

Claims: A double-sided needle assembly comprising: an insert needle (12) for inserting into vessel; an afflux needle (15) for supplying pharmaceutical liquid in a syringe of an injector to said insert needle (12); characterized in that said insert needle (12) is connected with said afflux needle (15) only by means of a transparent one-piece cylinder (18) to be integrated with each other so that a space (17) is defined between said needles (12, 15) in said cylinder (18). A double-sided needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a luer member (21) is arranged on the afflux needle (15) spaced apart from said cylinder (18). A double-sided needle assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a luer member (21) holds the cylinder (18) therein and said luer member (21) is transparent. A double-sided needle assembly comprising: an insert needle (12) for inserting into vessel; an afflux needle (15) for supplying pharmaceutical liquid in a syringe of an injector to said insert needle (12); and a transparent luer member (23) connecting said insert needle (12) with said afflux needle (15) through a space (17) defined between an end of said insert needle (12) and an end of said afflux needle (15) in said luer member (23), and holding said insert and afflux needles (12, 15) to fit to the syringe, characterized in that the greatest inner diameter of said space (17) is smaller than each of the outer diameters of the needles (12, 15), and said luer member (23) is formed by one-piece moulding. A double-sided needle assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said luer member (21, 23) is made of plastic material. A double-sided needle assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said insert needle (12) and/or said afflux needle (15) are fixed to the respective other part by ultrasonic welding.

Inventors: IINUMA MITSUHISA, MATSUSHIMA HIROAKI, TOBIKI HISAO, YAMADA HIDEO, IINUMA, MITSUHISA, MATSUSHIMA, HIROAKI, TOBIKI, HISAO, YAMADA, HIDEO
Applicants: NIHON MEDIPHYSICS CO LTD, NIHON-MEDI PHYSICS CO., LTD.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A61M5
IPC codes: A61M5