Dual-chamber injection system

Abstract: A needle connecting portion of a syringe which includes a drug accommodating chamber accommodating a first component is arranged opposite to a takeout port of a hermetically closed container which includes a container chamber accommodating a second component. The syringe is connected to the container through a connector so as to be movable in proximity mutually and adapted to be separable from the connector. There is provided a communication passage capable of communicating the drug accommodating chamber with the container chamber. The communication passage is cut off by a closure member arranged between both of the chambers. The syringe and the container chamber are moved in proximity to each other, thereby displacing the closure member so as to open the communication passage. An injector of the present invention is compact in shape but can retain sterility assuredly while being stored and mix both of the components accommodated therein surely through a simple operation just before administration. Further, it can prevent the piercingness of an injection needle from being damaged at the time of a mixing operation and easily remove a syringe after the mixing operation.

Description: The present invention relates to a dual-chamber type injector accommodating two components, an injection drug and its liquid solvent, each in a respective one of a syringe and a hermetically closed container such as a vial or the like. More specifically, it is directed to an injector being compact in shape but able to securely retain sterility while being stored and to mix both of the accommodated components surely through a simple operation just before administration. Further, the injector is unlikely to reduce the sharpness of an injection needle at the time of a mixing operation and the syringe can be removed simply after the mixing operation. Some of the drugs to be administered by injection change in quality with time if dissolved in a liquid solvent or the like. Therefore, generally a powder injection drug is stored in dry state and it is mixed with and dissolved in a liquid solvent just before administration. Ordinarily, the powder injection drug and its liquid solvent are hermetically packed, for example, in a respective one of a vial and an ampul separately from each other. When they are used for administration, first an injector sucks the dissolving liquid within the ampul and pours it into the vial to dissolve the powder injection drug therein and then sucks the dissolved drug again. However, these mixing and dissolving operations are troublesome. Besides, an injection needle pierces a vial's closure member contacting it with the air, so that it is not easy to keep the injection needle and the mixed injection drug sterile. In order to solve the above problems, there exists, for example, an injector previously proposed and disclosed in Japanese Patent Public Disclosure No. 5-31189 by the present Applicant as a dual-chamber type injector which incorporates two components and a syringe integrally thereinto so as to facilitate the mixing.operation in sterile state. The above-mentioned conventional dual-chamber type injector, for example, as shown in Fig. 19, inserts a syringe 83 accommodating a first powder component 81 slidably from an opening 87 provided at a rear end of an external cylinder 86 and hermetically seals a drug accommodating chamber 85 within the syringe 83 by embedding a front end of an injection needle 84 into a sealing member 88 provided at a front end of the external cylinder 86. And the external cylinder 86 supports a hermetically closed container 89 which includes a container chamber 96 accommodating a second liquid component 82. A closure member 91 attached to a takeout port 90 of the container 89 is intimately contacted with the sealing member 88 and a cover 92 is attached to the opening 87 at the rear end of the external cylinder 86 so as to airtightly cover the syringe 83. The cover 92 has a flange portion 93 formed with a loop of easily broken portion 94. With the foregoing dual-chamber type injector 80, when an external force is applied to a rear end of the cover 92, for example, by pushing the external cylinder 86 onto a desk from above, the easily broken portion 94 breaks. If it is further pushed, a piston 95 is pressed to increase the inner pressure of the drug accommodating chamber 85 and at the same time relatively move the syringe 83 while sliding it toward the container 89. Then the front end of the injection needle 84 pierces into the container chamber 96 through the sealing member 88 and the closure member 91, thereby allowing gas to flow from the drug accommodating chamber 85 into the container chamber 96 to result in increasing the pressure within the container chamber 96. Next, if the foregoing pushing force is cancelled, the increased pressure within the container chamber 96 retracts the piston 95 and flows the second liquid component 82 into the drug accommodating chamber 85 through the injection needle 84. The first powder component 81 is mixed with and dissolved in this flowed-in second component 82. Subsequently, excessive gas flowed into the syringe 83 is discharged by operating the piston 95 and then the syringe 83 is extracted from the external cylinder 86 to be used for drug administration. The conventional dual-chamber type injector has the following problems: (1) Since the hermetically closed container is arranged ahead of the injection needle attached to the front end of the syringe through the sealing member, the injector becomes large in its entire length and therefore bulky when stored; (2) A metal injection needle being fixed to the front end of the syringe, it is not easy to dispose of the metal injection needle separately from the other non-metallic portions after the injector is used; (3) The drug accommodating chamber is communicated with the container chamber through a passage within the injection needle. Accordingly, the drug or the like does not readily move and therefore requires much time for movement. In addition, the powder drug clogs the passage to interrupt the communication between the drug accommodating chamber and the container chamber to thereby cause a fear of failing to assuredly mix both components; (4) When mixing the components, the injection needle has to pierce through the sealing member and the closure member. This is likely to produce rubber dust or the like at the time of piercing and besides reduces the sharpness of the injection needle. This injection needle with its reduced sharpness cannot easily pierce the skin of a patient and additionally causes great pain to the patient; and (5) Although the syringe is dismantled from the connector after the mixing operation, at this time it is necessary to extract the injection needle axially from the sealing member or the closure member so as not to apply an excessive external force onto the injection needle and therefore careful operation is needed. EP-A-0 324 257 and US-A-5 569 209 disclose syringe assemblies in which a syringe chamber without a needle is connected to a container of liquid to be injected by a valve assembly. The valve assembly is opened by pushing the syringe toward the container so that the front end of the syringe, to which the needle will be attached, impinges on a part of the valve assembly, thereby opening it to admit the liquid, under gravity, into the syringe chamber. Once the force pushing the syringe is removed, the valve closes, stopping the flow of liquid. US-A-4 048 999 discloses a dual chamber syringe assembly according to the preamble of claim 1 in which the needle-receiving end of syringe is inserted into a passage through a stopper for a vial of powdered drug. The other end of the passage through the stopper is plugged by a plug. The syringe contains a solvent for the drug. Operation of the syringe plunger causes the plug to fall into the vial, admitting the solvent into the vial. The assembly is inverted, so that the vial is uppermost, so that the dissolved drug can be drawn back into the syringe chamber by withdrawal therefrom of the piston. During this operation, the plug may block the passage through the stopper, preventing the flow of liquid from the vial into the syringe chamber. The present invention has as its technical object to solve the foregoing problems and provide a dual-chamber type injector and a connector used therefor. The dual-chamber type injector is compact in shape but can retain sterility assuredly while being stored and mix both accommodated components surely through a simple operation just before administration. Further, the injector is unlikely to reduce the sharpness of an injection needle when conducting the mixing operation and the syringe can be easily removed after the mixing operation. According to the present invention there is provided a dual-chamber type injector assembly comprising a syringe including a drug accommodating chamber for accommodating a first component and having an injection needle connecting portion, the needle connecting portion being arranged opposite to a takeout port of a hermetically closed container including a container chamber for accommodating a second component, the syringe being connected and fixed to the container through a connector, at least the syringe being adapted to be separable from the connector; a communication passage for communicating the drug accommodating chamber with the container chamber, the communication passage including the interior of the needle connecting portion and the interior of the takeout port of the container and being cut off by a closure member hermetically sealing the takeout port of the container; and a piston disposed within the syringe, such that pushing the piston increases the inner pressure of the syringe, thereby displacing the closure member toward the container so as to open the communication passage, characterised in that at least one of the closure member and the interior of the takeout port are so configured that once the closure member has been displaced toward the container chamber to open the communication passage, the closure member cannot close the communication passage. In a preferred embodiment, the connector comprises a cylindrical body having a syringe fixing portion formed at one end, the needle connecting portion of the syringe being separably fixed to the syringe fixing portion; the cylindrical body having a container fixing portion formed at the other end, the takeout port of the hermetically closed container being fixed to the container fixing portion opposite an opening at a front end of the needle connecting portion; sealing members being arranged between the cylindrical body and the needle connecting portion as well as between the cylindrical body and the container, respectively to airtightly shield a space between the needle connecting portion and the takeout port from an external space. In another preferred embodiment, the connector comprises a cylindrical body having a syringe fixing portion formed at one end, the needle connecting portion of the syringe being fixed to the syringe fixing portion separably therefrom; the cylindrical body having a container fixing portion formed at the other end, the takeout port of the hermetically closed container being fixed to the container fixing portion opposite an opening at a front end of the needle connecting portion; a sealing member being arranged between the needle connecting portion and the container to airtightly shield a space between the needle connecting portion and the takeout port from an external space. Advantageously, the sealing member airtightly shields a wide range of the needle connecting portion from the external space to maintain sterility. On the other hand, after having performed the communication, the sealing member is preferably arranged at a portion near to an opening at a front end of a nozzle portion of the needle connecting portion so that the liquid does not splash nor leak out of the nozzle portion when it passes through the communication passage. An airtightly sealing member may be arranged at least outwards of an injection needle fixing threaded portion of the needle connecting portion and at the same time the communication passage may be liquid-tightly shielded from the external space at a portion near to the front opening of the nozzle portion. This arrangement can keep a wide range of the needle connecting portion sterile and prevent the liquid from splashing or leaking out of the nozzle portion. It suffices if the needle connecting portion is fixed to the syringe fixing portion separably. Therefore, this part of the assembly is not limited to a particular construction. For example, the syringe fixing portion may be provided with a threaded portion, into which the needle connecting portion may be screwed. Alternatively, the syringe fixing portion and the needle connecting portion are provided with a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion, respectively; the needle connecting portion may be fixed to the syringe fixing portion by engaging the first engaging portion with the second engaging portion. Preferably, the syringe fixing portion is fixed to the needle connecting portion so as not to move the cylindrical body and the needle connecting portion relative to each other, for example, by winding an adhesive tape over the connector and the syringe or attaching an annular engaging member able to prevent relative rotation, in order that the sealing member or members can maintain the protection from the external space securely while they are being stored or the like. The sealing members employed in the second and third aspects of the invention are satisfactory if they can hermetically seal the spaces between the cylindrical body and the needle connecting portion or the hermetically closed container. Each of them may be an annular rubber packing or constructed from an elastic structure formed by applying to at least one of the cylindrical body, needle connecting portion and hermetically closed container, a lining agent such as copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate and gelatinizing it. The closure member cuts off the communication passage provided between the drug accommodating chamber and the container chamber, so that the first component and the second component are each hermetically accommodated in a respective one of the drug accommodating chamber and the container chamber separately from each other. When the syringe piston is operated just before administration, the closure member is displaced to open the communication passage to thereby communicate the drug accommodating chamber with the container chamber through this communication passage with the result that the liquid component accommodated in one chamber moves to the other chamber and mixing of the components with each other occurs. At this time, the injection needle is not attached to the needle connecting portion of the syringe, so that the communication passage can be wide over its entire length to result in easy passage of the liquid component into the other chamber. After the thus mixed and dissolved two components have been accommodated in the drug accommodating chamber, the syringe is separated from the connector and the injection needle is attached to the needle connecting portion. Subsequently, excess gas which has flowed into the syringe is expelled to complete the preparation for drug administration. As for the first and second components mentioned in the present invention, it is sufficient if at least either of them is liquid, and both may be liquid. In the case where only one of them is liquid, preferably the other has a formulation able to easily dissolve, such as powder, solid agent obtained by freeze drying or the like. The following examples can be listed as an injection drug comprising two components which can be administered by the dual-chamber type injector of the present invention, namely a bioactive substance: Bioactive peptide; anti-tumor agent; antibiotic; antipyretic agent; analgestic agent, anti-inflammatory agent; anti-tussive and expectorant agent; sedative; muscle relaxant; anti-epilepsy agent; anti-ulcer agent; anti-depression agent; anti-allergic agent; cardiac, arrhythmia therapeutic agent; vasodilator; antihypertensive and diuretic agent; diabetes therapeutic agent; anti-lipemia agent; anti-blood clotting agent; hemostatic; anti-tuberculosis agent; hormone agent; antinarcotic; bone resorption inhibitor; osteogenesis promoter; and blood-vessel-growth inhibitor. Needless to say, it is not limited to these ones. Further, the following ones can be listed as examples of the bioactive peptide: Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LH-RH) and its analogues; LH-RH agonist or LH-RH antagonist; insulin; erythropoietin; somatostatin derivatives; growth hormone; human growth hormone; prolactin; adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); ACTH derivatives (such as ebiratide), melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH); and thyroid hormone releasing hormone [expressed in a structural formula of (Pyr)Glu-His-Pro-NH 2 and sometimes abbreviated as 'TRH'], its salts and derivatives. Moreover, examples of the osteogenesis promoter are as follows: (2R,4S)-(-)-N-[4-(diethoxyphosphorylmethyl)phenyl]-1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-7,8-methylenedioxy-5-oxo-3-benzothiepine-2-carboxamide, its salts and derivatives. Each of the above-mentioned bioactive substances may be used as it is or as a pharmacologically acceptable salt. For example, in the case of a bioactive substance having a basic group such as amino group, its salt with an inorganic acid (e.g., hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid or the like) or an organic acid (e.g., carbonic acid, succinic acid or the like) is used. Further, in the case of a bioactive substance having an acid group such as carboxyl group, its salt with an inorganic base (e.g., natrium, potassium or the like alkaline metals) or an organic base (e.g., triethylamine or the like organic amines, arginine or the like basic amino acids) is used. However, the bioactive substances to be used for the dual-chamber type injector according to the present invention are preferably bioactive peptides and more preferably the LH-RH or its analogues. Leuprorelin or leuprorelin acetate is particularly preferable. The closure member of the syringe assembly of the present invention is satisfactory if at least its part is adapted to be able to open the communication passage when displaced. Generally, a rubber closure is used but it may be a sealing member in the shape of a film. Further, the closure member may be formed from a single closure member but may be composed of a first closure member hermetically sealing the drug accommodating chamber and a second closure member hermetically sealing the container chamber. In the latter case, each chamber can be hermetically sealed easily and independently. Besides, since the respective chambers are completely separated from each other by different closure members, even if the liquid component is sterilized with heated vapour, the moisture adsorbed to the closure member hermetically sealing this liquid component is unlikely to exert a bad influence on the other component such as powder. It is possible to use a separately prepared common injection needle as the injection needle to be attached to the front end of the syringe. Alternatively, an exclusive injection needle may be integrally packed into the dual-chamber type injector by putting it along the injector or accommodating it within the piston rod. Since the present invention is constructed as mentioned above, it produces the following effects. (A) A container chamber is arranged opposite to a syringe having a needle connecting portion with no injection needle attached thereto; no injection needle is positioned therebetween. Therefore, the injector can be reduced in length by the amount corresponding to the length of an injection needle and therefore the storing space can be made compact. The syringe and a hermetically closed container are simply fixed to a connector without constructing them so as to be slidable relative to the connector. Accordingly, it is possible to more downsize the connector and make the storing space more compact. (B) It is possible to hermetically accommodate respective components separately from each other reliably while storing them and therefore securely retain sterility. Particularly, the invention need not make the syringe and the hermetically closed container slidable relative to the connector. Consequently, it is possible to more securely retain the sterility between the needle connecting portion and a takeout port with such a simple construction that sealing members are arranged between a cylindrical body and the needle connecting portion and the hermetically closed container or between the needle connecting portion and the hermetically closed container. (C) Particularly, the invention makes it sufficient only to arrange sealing members between the needle connecting portion and the hermetically closed container. With such a simple construction, sterility can be maintained between the needle connecting portion and the takeout port reliably. (D) Just before administration, the closure member is displaced to open the communication passage by pushing the piston. This achieves mixing and dissolution of the components through a simple operation. There is no injection needle between the syringe and the container chamber and therefore the communication passage can be wide along its entire length. As a result, even if such a component as a powder drug invades the communication passage, clogging is unlikely to occur and the liquid component can smoothly move at the time of mixing. This ensures the mixing of the components. (E) Since the present invention does not use any injection needle when conducting the mixing operation, there is no likelihood that rubber dust or the like from a pierced closure member of the container chamber is produced when communicating, and besides the sharpness of the injection needle is not reduced. (F) The syringe is adapted to be separable from the connector and in addition no injection needle is attached to the needle connecting portion. Accordingly, the syringe can be easily removed from the connector or the hermetically closed container only by removing the fixing connection. (G) Being constructed so as to attach an injection needle to a front end of the syringe when administering, the present invention allows the easy separation of the injection needle from the syringe after it has been used and therefore allows ready discrimination of the metal injection needle from nonmetallic portions for disposal. The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partly broken perspective view showing a dual-chamber type injector and a connector used therefor of a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a broken perspective view showing the neighbourhood of a needle connecting portion of the first embodiment; Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the injector of the first embodiment during the process of a mixing operation; Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a syringe of the first embodiment after the mixing operation; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an annular engaging member; Fig. 6 illustrates a first modification of the first embodiment and is an enlarged sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a takeout port; Fig.7 illustrates a second modification of the first embodiment and is a sectional view showing the vicinity of an injection needle ready for drug administration; Fig. 8 is a broken perspective view showing the neighbourhood of a connector of a second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 9 is a sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a takeout port of a hermetically closed container of the second embodiment; Fig. 10 is a partly enlarged view showing a second closure member of the second embodiment; Fig. 11 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention and corresponds to Fig. 8; Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing a modification of a second closure member of the third embodiment; Fig. 13 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a fourth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view of the neighbourhood of a connector; Fig. 14 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a fifth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a connector; Fig. 15 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a sixth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a connector; Fig. 16 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a seventh embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a connector; Fig. 17 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of an eighth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a takeout port of a hermetically closed container; Fig. 18 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a ninth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a connector;and Fig. 19 illustrates prior art and is a sectional view of the injector while being stored. Figs. 1 to 4 show a dual-chamber type injector and a connector used therefor of a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1 is a partly broken perspective view of the injector while being stored. Fig. 2 is a broken perspective view of the neighbourhood of a needle connecting portion. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the injector during the mixing operation. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a syringe after the mixing operation. This embodiment forms, between a piston 2 hermetically sealing the rear end of the interior of a syringe 1 and a first closure member 7a hermetically sealing the front end thereof, a drug accommodating chamber 3 which accommodates a powder drug 11, the first component, as shown in Fig. 1. The syringe 1 is connected and fixed to a hermetically closed container part 5 of a vial through a connector 13. The container 5 accommodates a liquid solvent 12, the second component, with its takeout port 6 hermetically sealed by a second closure member 7b. Although a piston rod 17 is preliminarily screwed into the piston 2, it may be removed from the piston 2 while the injector is being stored and may be packed together with the syringe 1 and a separately prepared injection needle (not shown) in one set. The connector 13 comprises a cylindrical body 40 having a syringe fixing portion 41 at one end and a container fixing portion 42 formed at the other end. The syringe 1 is separably fixed to the connector 13 by engaging an externally threaded portion 43 formed on the syringe fixing portion 41 with an internally threaded portion 4a for fixing an injection needle formed in a needle connecting portion 4. The container 5 is fixed to the connector 13 with the takeout port 6 opposed to an opening 4b at the front end of the needle connecting portion 4 by forcibly fitting the neck portion of the takeout port 6 into the container fixing portion 42. The cylindrical body 40 is integrally formed with sealing members s1 and s2 provided by gelatinizing lining agents at a position where the front end of the needle connecting portion 4 butts against the cylindrical body 40 and at a position where the neighborhood of the takeout port 6 of the container 5 butts against the cylindrical body 40, respectively. The space between the needle connecting portion 4 and the takeout port 6 is airtightly shielded from the external space by fixing the syringe 1 and the container 5 to the connector 13. Needless to say, with the connector of the present invention, either of the sealing members may employ an annular rubber packing or other like sealing member instead of the lining agent. The syringe 1 is adapted to be separable from the connector 13 by rotating it relatively to the latter. However, while storing it or the like, in order to maintain the above airtightness securely, an adhesive tape 38 is wound over an outer surface of the connector 13 as well ason the outer surface of the needle connecting portion 4 so that the syringe 1 does not rotate unintentionally. The adhesive tape 38 is provided with perforations and therefore broken along the perforations by rotating the syringe 1 relatively to the connector 13. Accordingly, it is easily confirmed whether or not an opening operation has been conducted. The connector 13 is provided in its outer peripheral surface with a number of concaved grooves for secure holding when rotating the syringe 1. As shown in Fig. 1, formed between the drug accommodating chamber 3 and the container chamber 5a is a communication passage 14 including the interior of the needle connecting portion 4 and the interior of the takeout port 6 of the container 5. There is formed in the needle connecting portion 4 a communication chamber 32 having an inner diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of the first closure member 7a. The communication passage 14 is adapted to open when the first closure member 7a moves into the interior of the communication chamber 32. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 2 , the communication chamber 32 has an inner surface provided with vertical grooves 33 and projections 34 so as to secure a communication space around the first closure member 7a when entered thereinto. However, providing that either of the vertical groove 33 and the projection 34 is sufficient to secure the communication space, either of them, for example, the projection 34, may be omitted. Further, the first closure member 7a is provided with communication grooves 35 in the peripheral edge of each of its upper and lower surfaces. In addition, projections 36 are provided on its upper and lower surfaces. Accordingly, even if the first closure member 7a moves to an upper portion or a lower portion of the communication chamber 32, it is unlikely to block the communication passage 14. On the other hand, the container chamber 5a within the container 5 is provided with an annular inward projection 44 at a position spaced a little further than a length of the second closure member 7b from the takeout port 6, as shown in Fig. 1. The annular projection 44 prevents the second closure member 7b when pushed into the container chamber 5a from freely moving within the container chamber 5a. The second closure member 7b is also provided with communication grooves 35 in its upper and lower surfaces so that it does not hinder communication after the communication passage 14 has been opened. Both of the components 11 and 12 are mixed with each other in the dual-chamber type injector (S) by pushing the piston 2 with the piston rod 17. More specifically, when pushed, the piston 2 increases the inner pressure of the syringe 1 to move the first closure member 7a toward the container 5 until it reaches the communication chamber 32. If the piston 2 is further pushed, gas within the syringe 1 flows out of the front end of the needle connecting portion 4 through the outer peripheral space around the first closure member 7a within the communication chamber 32. Since the space between the needle connecting portion 4 and the takeout port 6 is airtightly shielded from the external space, the pressure of the gas flowed out of the needle connecting portion 4 pushes the second closure member 7b hermetically sealing the takeout port 6, into the container chamber 5a to open the communication passage 14. Next, as shown in Fig. 3, with the hermetically closed container 5 arranged upward, the piston 2 is pulled back by reducing its pushing force, thereby allowing the dissolving liquid solvent 12 within the container chamber 5a to pass through the outer peripheral space around the second closure member 7b, the interior of the takeout port 6, the interior of the needle connecting portion 4 and the outer peripheral space of the first closure member 7a in order and then flow into the drug accommodating chamber 3. The powder drug 11 is mixed with and dissolved in the dissolving liquid 12 to prepare a liquid injection. Thereafter, the syringe 1 is rotated to break the adhesive tape 38 along the perforations 39 and removed from the connector 13. Then, as shown in Fig. 4, a separately prepared injection needle 10 is attached to the needle connecting portion 4, thereby completing the preparation for drug administration. As the means for preventing the unintentional relative rotation between the syringe 1 and the connector 13, other suitable means can be employed instead of the above-mentioned adhesive tape. For example, a cylindrical shrink film or an annular engaging means 45 as shown in Fig. 5 may be used. The annular engaging member 45 is composed of two semicylindrical bodies 47, 47 connected to each other by a hinge 46. These semicylindrical bodies 47, 47 are adjusted to form a cylindrical body having an inner diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the needle connecting portion or the connector by engaging their free ends 48, 48 with each other. The annular engaging member 45 is provided on its inner surface with a number of projections 49, which are adapted to engage with the grooves formed in the outer surfaces of the respective of the needle connecting portion and the connector. Either of the first and second embodiments arranges the first and second closure members 7a and 7b between the drug accommodating chamber 3 and the container chamber 5a and hermetically seals both the chambers 3 and 5a by them independently. Accordingly, for example, even if the container 5 accommodating the solvent 12 is sterilized with heated vapour, the moisture adsorbed onto the second closure member 7b is unlikely to have an adverse effect on the powder drug 11 within the drug accommodating chamber 3. However, according to the present invention, if there is no need to consider the moisture adsorbed onto the closure member such as when both components are liquid, only one closure member need be arranged between the drug accommodating chamber and the container chamber. In the foregoing embodiments, explanation was made of the case in which the container chamber accommodates a liquid component and the drug accommodating chamber accommodates a solid component. However, needless to say, according to the present invention, the drug accommodating chamber may accommodate a liquid component and the container chamber may accommodate a solid or liquid component. Fig 6. illustrates a first modification of the first embodiment and is an enlarged sectional view showing the neighborhood of the takeout port of the hermetically closed container. This first modification provides a sealing projection 50 and a posture retaining projection 51 on the outer surface of the second closure member 7b. The second closure member 7b is also provided with a communication hole 52 communicating its outer surface with a portion between both the projections 50 and 51. When opening the communication passage 14, the pressure of fluid flowed out of the needle connecting portion 4 pushes the second closure member 7b into the container chamber 5a to result in moving the sealing projection 50 away from the inner surface of the takeout port 6 and opening the communication passage 14. With the communication passage 14 opened, the posture retaining projection 51 is still supported by the inner surface of the takeout port 6, so that the second closure member 7b does not move freely within the container chamber 5a Further, the sealing projection 50 being formed slantingly around the second closure member 7b as shown in Fig. 6, even if the second closure member 7b slightly moves toward the needle connecting portion 4 when returning the liquid from the container camber 5a into the syringe 1, the sealing projection 50 does not enter the takeout port 6 in its entirety and therefore does not hinder the communication after the communication passage has been opened. The dual-chamber type injector according to the present invention may have a larger inner diameter of the needle connecting portion 4 like a second modification of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 7 to more smoothly move the liquid component or more securely prevent the powder component from clogging the communication passage so as to mix both components more easily. In the case where the inner diameter of the needle connecting portion 4 is enlarged as above, it is preferable to construct a hub 22 so that the rear end 37 of an injection needle 10 projects into the needle connecting portion 4 as shown in Fig. 7 in order to reduce the amount of injection liquid residual within the needle connecting portion 4 when administering the drug. Figs. 8 to 10 show a second embodiment of the invention. Fig. 8 is a broken perspective view of the neighbourhood of a connector. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the neighbourhood of a takeout port of a hermetically closed container. Fig. 10 is a partly enlarged view of a second closure member. This second embodiment brings an O-ring (s1) attached to the inner surface of a connector 13 into butting contact with the outer surface of a nozzle portion 4c of a needle connecting portion 4. The nozzle portion 4c is tapered in its outer surface, so that the O-ring s1 securely seals a space between the connector 13 and the needle connecting portion 4 by screwing the needle connecting portion 4 into a threaded portion 43 of a syringe fixing portion 41. The cylindrical body 40 of the connector 13 has an inner surface provided with a first engaging portion 53 comprising an annular groove and the needle connecting portion 4 has an outer surface provided with a second engaging portion 54 comprising an annular projection. Both the engaging portions 53 and 54 engage with each other at the end of the foregoing screw-thread engagement to prevent unintentional loosening of the fixing connection between the syringe 1 and the connector 13. This construction for preventing loosening may be formed from an engaging portion comprising a concaved portion provided in a thread ridge and a convex portion provided on a thread groove in the vicinity of a terminal end of the threaded portion in a pair. From the aspect of preventing loosening, it is sufficient to engage both of the engaging portions 53 and 54 with each other and therefore the adhesive tape used in the first embodiment may be omitted. However, in order to easily confirm that the opening operation has been conducted, an adhesive tape 38 is wound over the syringe 1 and the connector 13 as in the first embodiment. Providing that the syringe can be fixed to the connector assuredly only through engaging both of the engaging portions 53 and 54 with each other, the threaded portion 43 of the syringe fixing portion 41 may be omitted. On the other hand, a rubber closure 8 is disposed in a takeout port 6 of a hermetically closed container 5 and is provided at its mid portion with a through hole 9, in which a second closure member 7b made of a material being relatively hard but having a smooth surface such as hard plastic, ceramic, glass or the like is arranged slidably so as to hermetically seal the takeout port 6. A flange portion of the rubber closure 8 also serves as a sealing member s2 for sealing the space between the container 5 and the connector 13. The through hole 9 has an inner surface provided with an annular groove 55 and vertical grooves 56 on the side nearer to the container chamber 5a than to the second closure member 7b. Thus when the second closure member 7b moves toward the container chamber 5a, the container chamber is in communication with the communication passage 14 through the grooves 55 and 56. More specifically, the pressure of fluid flowed out of the front end of the needle connecting portion 4 pushes the second closure member 7b into the container chamber 5a. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the through hole 9 is provided on its side nearer to the container 5 with a closure member accommodating space 63 longer than the second closure member 7b. The pushed second closure member 7b invades the space 63. When communication grooves 35 formed at the outer end of the second closure member are in communication with the annular groove 55 formed in the inner surface of the space 63, the fluid passes through the communication grooves 35, annular groove 55 and vertical grooves 56 and then flows into the container chamber 5a. Accordingly, the pushing force applied on the second closure member 7b by the fluid rapidly decreases. However, at this time the second closure member 7b has mostly invaded the closure member accommodating space 63 and therefore is completely pushed thereinto by a restitutive force of the surrounding rubber closure 8. Provided at an end of the closure member accommodating space 63 are engaging projections 62, which prevent the second closure member 7b invaded into the space 63 from entering the container chamber 5a. When flowing the second component 12 in the container chamber 5a into. the syringe 1 after having communicated the communication passage 14 with the container chamber 5a, the second closure member 7b tends to move toward the syringe 1 upon receipt of the liquid pressure. However, as shown in Fig. 10, the portion of the through hole 9 where the second closure member 7b was originally attached has been narrowed because the second closure member 7b came out. Therefore, there is no probability that the second closure member 7b returns to the original position. Should the second closure member 7b be pushed back toward the outer end side of the closure member accommodating space 63, the communication grooves 35 being formed at the ends of the second closure member 7b, communication between the container chamber 5a and the communication passage 14 can be secured through the communication grooves 35, annular groove 55 and vertical grooves 56. A container fixing portion 42 of the connector 13 is extended to a position where it contacts a barrel portion of the container 5 and provided on its periphery with a plurality of slits 57 so as to be able to diametrically enlarge. Consequently, it can securely fix the container 5 by the screwing of a fastening ring 58. The fastening ring 58 may be attached by striking instead of screwing. The first closure member 7a and the other elements are the same as those of the first embodiment and also the communicating operation or the like is conducted substantially in the same manner, explanation for which is therefore omitted. Fig. 11 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention and is a broken perspective view showing the neighbourhood of a connector. This third embodiment provides an externally threaded portion 4d on the outer surface of the needle connecting portion 4 and fixes the syringe 1 to the connector 13 by engaging the threaded portion 4d with an internally threaded portion 43 formed in the syringe fixing portion 41 of the connector 13. Further, an O-ring s1 is arranged in butting contact with the periphery of the opening 4b at a front end of the needle connecting portion 4 to thereby reduce greatly the amount of the liquid residual between the communication passage 14 and the O-ring s1, a sealing member and prevent the liquid from splashing and leaking out to the periphery of the nozzle portion 4c. This third embodiment accommodates within the container chamber 5a of the hermetically closed container 5 a solid agent 12 obtained by freeze drying or the like as the second component unlike the foregoing embodiments and therefore accommodates within a drug accommodating chamber 3 of the syringe 1 a liquid solvent 11 as the first component. However, needless to say, this third embodiment may also accommodate a liquid component within the container chamber 5a like the above-mentioned respective embodiments. Attached to the takeout port 6 of the container 5 is a plastic member 59 for supporting the second closure member 7b. The second closure member 7b is attached slidably movably within the supporting member 59 to hermetically seal the takeout port 6. An annular rubber packing s2 is arranged between the supporting member 59 and a flange portion of the takeout port 6 and an O-ring s3 is positioned between the supporting member 59 and the connector 13, thereby airtightly shielding the space between the takeout port 6 and the needle connecting portion 4 from the external space. The second closure member 7b has a peripheral surface provided with a vertical groove 60, which is sealed by fitting itself onto a projection 61 formed on an inner surface of the supporting member 59. When the second closure member 7b is pushed into the container chamber 5a to be displaced, the vertical groove 60 is separated from the projection 61 and communicates the container chamber 5a with the communication passage 14. Provided at the inner end of the supporting member 59 are engaging projections 62 to prevent the second closure member 7b from moving freely within the container chamber 5a. Further, for example, like a modification of the second closure member as shown in Fig. 12, the second closure member 7b has an inner end provided with inclined surfaces, which butt against the engaging projections 62 to rotate the second closure member 7b when the second closure member 7b is pushed in and thereby position the vertical groove 60 offset with respect to the projection 61 in a peripheral direction. As such, it is preferable to construct the second closure member 7b so that the projection 61 is unlikely to block the vertical groove 60 when the liquid drug goes from the container chamber 5a to the drug accommodating chamber 3. Fig. 13 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a fourth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view of the neighbourhood of a connector. This fourth embodiment provides on a syringe fixing portion 41 of a connector 13 the same sealing member s1 obtained by gelatinizing a lining agent as that of the first embodiment at a position where the injection needle fixing threaded portion 4a of a needle connecting portion 4 butts at its front end against the syringe fixing portion 41. The takeout port 6 of the hermetically closed container 5 is hermetically sealed by the same rubber closure 8 having a second closure member 7b arranged in a through hole 9 provided at its mid portion as that of the second embodiment. Additionally, the fourth embodiment is identical to the second embodiment in that the flange portion of this rubber closure 8 also serves as a sealing member s2 between the container 5 and the connector 13. This fourth embodiment brings the peripheral edge of an opening 4b at the front end of the needle connecting portion 4 into butting contact with the rubber closure 8, thereby liquid-tightly sealing the communication passage 14 from the external space, unlike the second embodiment. Accordingly, the sealing member s1 keeps a space between the threaded portion 4a and a nozzle portion 4c of the needle connecting portion 4 sterile until the syringe 1 is separated from the connector 13. Besides, the rubber closure 8 inhibits a liquid solvent 12 or the like from leaking out of the communication passage 14. As shown in Fig. 13, the through hole 9 formed at the mid portion of the rubber closure 8 is provided on its side nearer to the syringe 1 than to the second closure member 7b, namely on an outer side of a container chamber 5a, with an annular projection 64. This annular projection 64 prevents the second closure member 7b from jumping out of the through hole 9 before the container 5 is connected and fixed to the syringe 1 through the connector 13. Fig. 14 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a fifth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view of the neighbourhood of a connector. In the first to fourth embodiments, a needle connecting portion having an injection needle fixing threaded portion was described. In this fifth embodiment, the needle connecting portion 4 has no injection needle fixing threaded portion. A syringe 1 has the connector 13 fixed thereto by screwing it onto a threaded portion 4d formed on the outer surface of the needle connecting portion 4 and airtightly shields the interior of the nozzle portion 4c from the external space by bringing a rubber packing s1 disposed on a syringe fixing portion 41 into butting contact with the periphery of the nozzle portion 4c of the needle connecting portion 4. The container fixing portion 42 of the connector 13 is provided with a pushing projection 65 so as to securely hold the flange portion of the rubber closure 8 serving as a sealing member s2. The other construction is the same as that of the fourth embodiment and accordingly explanation thereof is omitted. Fig. 15 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a sixth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a connector. This sixth embodiment employs an 0-ring s1 instead of the rubber packing of the fifth embodiment and airtightly shields the communication passage 14 with an outer surface of the nozzle portion 4c from the external space. The other construction is the same as that of the fifth embodiment and accordingly explanation thereof is omitted. Fig. 16 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a seventh embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view of the neighbourhood of a connector. This seventh embodiment connects and fixes the syringe 1 to the hermetically closed container 5 through the connector 13 like the first to sixth embodiments. More specifically the connector 13 comprises a cylindrical body 40 provided with a syringe fixing portion 41 and a container fixing portion 42. The needle connecting portion 4 of the syringe 1 is separably fixed to the syringe fixing portion 41 and the takeout port 6 of the container 5 is secured to the container fixing portion 42 oppositely to the opening 4b at the front end of the needle connecting portion 4. The takeout port 6 is hermetically sealed by the same rubber closure 8 having a second closure member 7b arranged in a through hole 9 provided at its mid portion as that of the second embodiment. This seventh embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the flange portion of this rubber closure 8 serves as a sealing member s4 between the needle connecting portion 4 and the container 5. More specifically, when the connector 13 is screwed and fixed onto the threaded portion 4d formed on the outer surface of the needle connecting portion 4, the injection needle fixing threaded portion 4a is pushed at its front end to the sealing member s4, the flange portion of the rubber closure 8, to thereby airtightly shield the space between the needle connecting portion 4 inward of the threaded portion 4a and the takeout port 6 from the external space. The cylindrical body 40 of the connector 13 has an inner surface provided with an annular supporting projection 66, which assuredly pushes the sealing member s4, the flange portion of the rubber closure 8, onto the takeout port 6 of the container 5 and can support the front end of the needle connecting portion 4 stably. The front end of the nozzle portion 4c of the needle connecting portion 4 projects into the through hole 9 formed in the rubber closure 8 to liquid-tightly shield the peripheral edge of the opening 4b at its front end from the external space and thereby prevent leakage of the liquid solvent 12 or the like. The other construction is the same as that of the second or fourth embodiment and accordingly explanation thereof is omitted. Fig. 17 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of an eighth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a takeout port of a hermetically closed container. This eighth embodiment hermetically seals the takeout port 6 only by the second closure member 7b instead of the rubber closure with the second closure member as in the seventh embodiment. Like the first embodiment, it provides an annular inward projection 44 in a container chamber 5a of the container 5 so as to confine the movement of the second closure member 7b pushed into the container chamber 5a. The takeout port 6 has on its periphery an annular rubber packing s4, which is securely pushed to the periphery of the takeout port 6 by the connector 13. When the needle connecting portion 4 is connected and fixed to the container 5, the injection needle fixing threaded portion 4a is pushed at its front end to the rubber packing s4 to thereby airtightly shield the space between the needle connecting portion 4 inward of the threaded portion 4a and the takeout port 6 from the external space. The other construction is the same as that of the seventh embodiment. Fig. 18 illustrates a dual-chamber type injector of a ninth embodiment of the invention and is a vertical sectional view showing the neighbourhood of a connector. In the ninth embodiment, the needle connecting portion 4 has no injection needle fixing threaded portion, unlike the seventh embodiment. Therefore, the rubber closure 8 attached to the takeout port 6 of the hermetically closed container 5 is provided with an annular sealing portion s4 extending therefrom. The nozzle portion 4c of the needle connecting portion 4 is projected into the sealing portion s4 to thereby airtightly shield the space between the needle connecting portion 4 and the takeout port 6 from the external space. The other construction is the same as that of the seventh embodiment.

Claims: A dual-chamber type injector assembly comprising: a syringe (1) including a drug accommodating chamber (3) for accommodating a first component (11) and having an injection needle connecting portion (4), the needle connecting portion (4) being arranged opposite to a takeout port (6) of a hermetically closed container (5) including a container chamber (5a) for accommodating a second component (12), the syringe (1) being connected and fixed to the container (5) through a connector (13), at least the syringe (1) being adapted to be separable from the connector (13); a communication passage (14) for communicating the drug accommodating chamber (3) with the container chamber (5a), the communication passage (14) including the interior of the needle connecting portion (4) and the interior of the takeout port (6) of the container (5) and being cut off by a closure member (7b) hermetically sealing the takeout port (6)of the container (5); and a piston (2) disposed within the syringe (1), such that pushing the piston (2) increases the inner pressure of the syringe (1), thereby displacing the closure member (7b) toward the container (5) so as to open the communication passage (14), characterised in that at least one of the closure member (7b) and the interior of the takeout port (6) are so configured that once the closure member (7b) has been displaced toward the container chamber (5a) to open the communication passage (14), the closure member (7b) cannot close the communication passage (14). A dual-chamber type injector assembly according to claim 1 wherein the takeout port (6) has a closure member supporting member (59) attached thereto and the closure member (7b) is supported by the supporting member so as to be slidably moveable therein. A dual-chamber type injector assembly according to claim 1, wherein a rubber closure (8) is disposed in the takeout port (6) of the hermetically closed container (5), the rubber closure (8) being provided with a through hole (9) in which the closure member (7b) is arranged so as to be slidably movable. A dual-chamber type injector assembly according to claim 1 or 3 wherein the closure member (7b) has communication grooves (35) in its upper and lower surfaces which maintain communication along the communication passage (14) between the container chamber (5a) and the drug accommodating chamber (3) after the closure member (7b) has been displaced toward the container chamber (5a) to open the communication passage (14) whatever the subsequent position of the closure member (7b). A dual-chamber type injector assembly according to claim 3 wherein the closure member (7b) comprises an end surface having communication grooves (35) therein and the through hole (9) has an inner surface provided with an annular groove (55) and vertical grooves (56) between the container chamber (5a) and the closure member (7b). A dual-chamber type syringe assembly according to claim 3 or 5 wherein the said through hole (9) includes in the region of the hole proximate the container chamber (5a) a closure member accommodating space (63) the length of which is greater than the length of the closure member (7b). A dual-chamber type injector assembly according to claim 6 when dependent from claim 5 wherein the inner surface of the said space (63) is provided with the said annular groove (55) and the said vertical grooves (56). A dual-chamber type injector assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the connector (13) comprises a cylindrical body (40) having a syringe fixing portion (41) formed at one end, the needle connecting portion (4) of the syringe (1) being separably fixed to the syringe fixing portion (41) therefrom; the cylindrical body (40) having a container fixing portion (42) formed at the other end, the takeout port (6) of the hermetically closed container (5) being fixed to the container fixing portion (42) opposite an opening (4b) at a front end of the needle connecting portion (4); sealing members (s1, s2, s3) being arranged between the cylindrical body (40) and the needle connecting portion (4) as well as between the cylindrical body (40) and the container (5), respectively to airtightly shield a space between the needle connecting portion (4) and the takeout port (6) from an external space. A dual-chamber type injector assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the connector (13) comprises a cylindrical body (40) having a syringe fixing portion (41) formed at one end, the needle connecting portion (4) of the syringe (1) being fixed to the syringe fixing portion (41) separably therefrom; the cylindrical body (40) having a container fixing portion (42) formed at the other end, the takeout port (6) of the hermetically closed container (5) being fixed to the container fixing portion (42) opposite an opening (4b) at a front end of the needle connecting portion (4); a sealing member (s4) being arranged between the needle connecting portion (4) and the container (5) to airtightly shield a space between the needle connecting portion (4) and the takeout port (6) from an external space.

Inventors: MORIMOTO SHUJI, OKOCHI KAZUHIRO, TANAKA NOBUYOSHI, WAKAMATSU KOTARO, MORIMOTO, SHUJI, OKOCHI, KAZUHIRO, TANAKA, NOBUYOSHI, WAKAMATSU, KOTARO
Applicants: TAKEDA CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES LTD, TAKEDA CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A61J1
IPC codes: A61J1, A61M5