Abstract:
A device and method for easily filling a syringe with one hand is disclosed. The device includes a flat hand for holding a medicine bottle, a syringe holder with a curved finger for holding a syringe, a mounted post for securing the device and a swivel arm mounted to the post which holds the flat hand, wherein the swivel arm allows the user to invert the flat hand and the medicine bottle secured therein, and easily draw medicine from the medicine bottle into the syringe with one hand.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not Applicable 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable 
   THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
   Not Applicable 
   INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
   Not Applicable 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a device and method for filling a syringe or hypodermic needle. More specifically, the invention allows for the filling of a syringe with one hand. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Many people receive liquid medicine by injection from a syringe or hypodermic needle. Use of a syringe or hypodermic needle to inject liquid medicine is well known in the medical arts. In many cases, people have to inject themselves, and some people have to inject themselves frequently, even multiple times per day. This is particularly true of diabetics, who have to give themselves frequent shots of insulin to maintain proper blood sugar levels. But it is also true of other people with other medical needs. 
   Use of syringes to inject medicine is well known in the art and is described here only to explain the use of the invention. Standard medicine bottles holding liquid medicine have a rubber membrane or Elastomeric seal at the top of the bottle, and medicine is removed from the bottle to inject into the patient by means of a syringe or hypodermic needle that is inserted into the medicine bottle through the Elastomeric seal. A syringe is made up of three parts: the barrel, the plunger and the needle. To remove liquid medicine with a syringe from a standard medicine bottle, the user will hold the bottle of medicine in one hand and the syringe in the other hand. The needle of the syringe will be stabbed into the top of the bottle through the Elastomeric seal, then the bottle and syringe are inverted, with the user holding the bottle in the palm of the hand while securing the syringe with the fingers of the same hand. The medicine is removed by pulling down on the plunger, away from the medicine bottle, with the other hand, which creates a vacuum inside the barrel of the syringe that pulls the medicine into the syringe. 
   Typically, the syringe is filled with more than the desired amount of medicine and the excess is squirted back into the medicine bottle by pushing the plunger. With the bottle inverted and the syringe held upright, any air will go to the top of the barrel of the syringe. This air is removed from the syringe by pressing the plunger. The process of filling a syringe can be easily mastered with two hands, but as can be appreciated, this process will be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to do with only one hand. 
   In many cases, the elderly and people with medical needs have limited mobility, limited dexterity, and limited use of hands or arms. This is particularly true of diabetics, who often have problems with manual dexterity as well as vision loss due to the effects of the disease, and occasionally lose use of an appendage due to the ravages of the disease. In some extreme cases arms and legs are amputated. But there are a variety of medical conditions, as well as birth defects and accidents that can limit the use of a hand or an arm. It is particularly difficult for a person with the use of only one hand or arm to prepare a hypodermic needle to inject themselves. 
   There is a need, therefore, for a device that allows a person to prepare and fill a syringe or prepare a hypodermic needle with the use of one hand. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a device and method for filling a syringe or hypodermic needle. The device includes a flat hand for holding a medicine bottle, a syringe holder with a curved finger for holding a syringe, a mounted post for securing the device and a swivel arm mounted to the post which holds the flat hand, wherein the swivel arm allows the user to invert the flat hand and the medicine bottle secured therein, and draw medicine from the medicine bottle into the syringe. 
   The invention also includes a base for setting the device on a horizontal surface, and a bottle recess with set screw within the flat hand for securing the medicine bottle into the flat hand. Additionally, the invention contains a hinge that allows the swivel arm to rotate on the post, and a spring plunger and series of detents to lock the swivel arm in place for securing the medicine bottle and in place for withdrawing the medicine from the bottle by means of a syringe. 
   These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an elevation view of the front of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a detailed plan view of the flat hand element of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a detailed elevation view of the flat hand element of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a detailed plan view of the flat hand with bottle and syringe. 
       FIG. 5  is a detailed elevation view of the syringe holder with bottle and syringe. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention and that the invention may be embodied in various and alternative forms. Therefore, specified structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limitations, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
     FIG. 1  is an elevation view of the front of the device. The invention comprises a base  10  having a top surface  12  and an underside  14 . In the preferred embodiment the base  10  is a flat plate that measures approximately five (5) inches by five and one half (5½) inches, and as can be seen in  FIG. 1  is substantially thinner than it is wide or deep. Aligned on the top surface  12  are a series of storage indents  13 . The storage indents  13  are small holes in the top surface  12  of the base  10  that are sized to fit the needle stopper of a standard syringe. A needle stopper is a protective collar around the sharp needle of the syringe. Attached to the underside  14  of the base  10  is a pad  15 . In the preferred embodiment, the pad  15  is made of “non-skid” rubberized matting material that prevents the device from sliding or moving when in use. In alternate embodiments the pad  15  can be of any type of material that would prevent slipping, including but not limited to rubber or soft plastics. In typical use the device will rest on a horizontal or nearly horizontal surface such as a table top or a counter top. The pad  15  prevents the device from moving, sliding or slipping while in use. 
   In the preferred embodiment the main components of the device, which include the base  10 , the post  20 , the swivel arm  40  and the flat hand  50 , are made of stainless steel. In alternate embodiments the main components of the device could be made of any suitably sturdy and durable material, including but not limited to metals, plastics, or composites. 
   In the preferred embodiment the base  10  is approximately rectangular in shape. The shape of the base  10  has no bearing on the function of the device and could be in any shape. In alternate embodiments the base  10  could be replaced by a clamp or other device to removably attach the post  20  directly to a table top, a counter top, or any suitable horizontal surface. In yet other embodiments, the post  20  can be mounted directly on a suitable surface by any conventional means such as bolting, welding, gluing, or other well known means of attachment. 
   In the preferred embodiment the base has a front edge. A post  20  is attached approximately in the center of the front edge of the base  10 . The post  20  extends upward, or approximately vertically, from the base  10 . The post  20  has a bottom end  22  and a top end  24 . In alternate embodiments the post  20  can be attached to any edge of the base  10 . The bottom end  22  of the post  20  is attached to the base  10 . The post  20  can be attached to the base  10  by any conventional means of attaching, such as bolting, welding or gluing. It is within the conception of the present invention that the post  20  and base  10  could be cast or molded from a single piece of material. In the preferred embodiment, the post  20  is made from a bar that is approximately one and one-half (1½) inch wide and a half (½) inch thick. The dimensions of the post  20  can vary substantially, as long as the post  20  is sufficiently rigid to support the swivel arm  40 . In the preferred embodiment the post is approximately six inches long, but the length of the post can vary depending upon a number of factors, including the length of the syringes used in the device, or the configuration of the device in use on a horizontal surface. 
   At the top end  24  of the post  20  a swivel arm  40  is attached by a hinge  30 . The swivel arm  40  has an elbow end  44  and a wrist end  46 , and is attached to the post  20  at the elbow end  44 . In the preferred embodiment, the hinge  30  is a screw mounted through the top end  24  of the post  20 , and through the elbow end  44  of the swivel arm  40 . The swivel arm  40  can rotate around the hinge  30 . In alternate embodiments, the hinge  30  can be any conventional rotatable attachment, including but not limited to, a bolt, pin, or axle. In the preferred embodiment, the swivel arm  40  is made of the same half (½) inch by one and one-half (1½) inch bar as the post  20 . In alternate embodiments the swivel arm  40  can be made from any suitably strong and durable material, including, but not limited to, metals, plastics, wood or wood based products. The only criteria is that the material be sufficiently strong and durable. In the preferred embodiment the swivel arm  40  is approximately four and one-half (4½) inches long, but the length can vary depending upon the size of the syringe in use. 
   There is a spring plunger  32  mounted at the top end  24  of the post  20 , near the hinge  30 . Spring plungers are well known in the art, and contain a ball, typically made of steel, held in place by means of a spring. There is a corresponding aligned detent  33  in the elbow end  44  of the swivel arm  40 , aligned so that the ball of the spring plunger  32  fits into the aligned detent  33 , so that the swivel arm  40  can be locked into place when aligned with the post  20 . In this configuration the swivel arm  40  extended directly upward from the post  20 . With slight pressure on the swivel arm  40 , the aligned detent  33  will slide off the spring plunger  32 . The swivel arm  40  will turn around the hinge  30 . When in use the swivel arm  40  will rotate outward and come to a rest when the askew detent  34  corresponds to the spring plunger  32 . 
   There is a flat hand  50  attached at the wrist end  46  of the swivel arm  40 . In the preferred embodiment, the flat hand  50  is made from the same material as the swivel arm  40 . The flat hand  50  extends from the swivel arm  40  at a right angle. In the preferred embodiment, the flat hand  50  is approximately one and three-quarters (1¾) inches long. In alternate embodiments the flat hand  50  can be sized to accommodate various size medicine bottles. In the preferred embodiment, the flat hand  50  is attached to the swivel arm  40  by welding. The flat hand  50  can be attached to the swivel arm  40  in any conventional manner, including, but not limited to, welding, bolting, or gluing. It is within the conception of the invention that the flat hand  50  can be made from the same piece of material as the swivel arm  40  that had been bent at ninety degrees at the end, or is cast of a single piece in this configuration. When the swivel arm  40  is extended vertically upward and locked into place on the post  20  by means of the spring plunger  32  and the aligned detent  33  the flat hand  50  is approximately horizontal. 
   As depicted in detail in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , there is a bottle recess  52  in the middle of the flat hand  50  that is designed to hold bottles of medicine. The invention is designed for use with conventional medicines, and these medicines typically come in bottles with diameters ranging from one-half (½) inch to approximately one and one-quarter (1¼) inches. In the preferred embodiment, the bottle recess  52  is bored out of the flat hand  50 . In alternate embodiments the bottle recess  52  could be created by molding the flat hand  50  with the bottle recess  52  integrated. In the preferred embodiment the recess  52  extends through the flat hand  50 . 
   There is a set screw  54  threaded from the edge of the flat hand  50  into the bottle recess  52  to hold bottles of medicine in place. There is a knob  56  at the end of the set screw  54  to allow a user to adjust the set screw  54  to secure the medicine bottle or bottle holder in to place within the recess  52 . 
   In an alternate embodiment there is also a bottle holder to hold smaller vials or bottles of medicine. The outside diameter of the bottle holder is approximately the same as the inside diameter of the bottle recess  52 , so that the bottle holder fits snugly into the bottle recess  52  and is held in place with the set screw  54 . The bottle holder is comprised of a holder base with a holder collar that fits securely over the holder base. Smaller vials or bottles of medicine can be placed in the holder base and secured by the holder collar. The bottle holder serves the additional function of protecting vials or small bottles of medicine from breaking or being damaged by the set screw  54 . It is within the conception of the invention that padding material, ranging from cotton wrap to plastics or rubberized materials, could also be used to secure the bottle of medicine within the bottle recess  52  and protect the bottle of medicine from the set screw  54 . 
   In the preferred embodiment, the bottle holder is made out of PVC material. The inner diameter of the bottle holder is just slightly larger than the outer diameter of a standard bottle of insulin, so that the bottle of insulin can be snuggly slipped into the bottle holder. In the preferred embodiment there is padding placed in the bottom of the bottle holder to protect the bottle of insulin. In alternate embodiments, the bottle holder and the bottle recess  52  can be sized to hold any size bottle of medicine. With appropriate sizing, and with the use of a padding material within the recess  52  and on the end of the set screw  54 , a bottle of medicine could conceivably by held within the recess  52  without the use of the bottle holder  60 . In yet another embodiment, the bottle recess  52  could be lined with a padding or protective material to protect and secure a medicine bottle. 
   As shown in detail in  FIG. 3 , there is a syringe holder  80  attached to the wrist end  46  of the swivel arm  40  adjacent to the flat hand  50 . In the preferred embodiment the syringe holder  80  is made from heavy gage wire, but it is conceivable that the syringe holder  80  could be made from any suitably material. The syringe holder  80  has an attachment end  82  and a curved finger  84 . 
   In the preferred embodiment, the attachment end  82  of the syringe holder  80  is welded to the wrist end  46  of the swivel arm  40  near the flat hand  50 . In alternate embodiments, the syringe holder  80  can be attached to the swivel arm  40  by any conventional means of attachment, including, but not limited to, welding, bolting or gluing. In another alternate embodiment, the syringe holder  80  can be attached to the swivel arm  40  by means of an attachment mount that would allow the syringe holder  80  to be adjusted in length to accommodate different size syringes. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the syringe holder  80  could be mounted in a hole sized to accommodate the attachment end  82  of the syringe holder  80 , and drilled into the wrist end  46  of the swivel arm  40 . Various holes would be drilled to allow the syringe holder  80  to accommodate different sized syringes. In this alternate embodiment, the attachment end  82  of the syringe holder  80  would have a right angle bend, allowing the attachment end  82  to be placed in one of the holes and the curved finger  84  to extend above the bottle recess  52 . There would also be a clip to securely hold the syringe holder  80  in place. 
   As depicted in  FIG. 3 , the syringe holder  80  extends upward from the flat hand  50  when the flat hand  50  and swivel arm  40  are locked into place on the post  20 . The end of the syringe holder  80  is bent into a curved finger  84  that extends over the bottle recess  52 . The curved finger  84  is aligned approximately over the center of the bottle recess  54 . As depicted in  FIG. 4 , the curved finger  84  can be curved from the front edge  16  of the base  10  back towards the center of the base  10 . 
   In the preferred embodiment, the syringe holder  80  is approximately five inches long to accommodate standard small sized (100 cc) insulin syringes. In alternate embodiments the syringe holder  80  would be sized to accommodate any standard sized syringe or hypodermic needle. 
   The invention is designed to allow a user to fill a syringe with one hand. To use the invention, a medicine bottle  200  is placed in the bottle recess  52  and secured by means of the set screw  54 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In an alternate embodiment, the medicine bottle is placed in the protective bottle holder, and the bottle holder is placed in the bottle recess  52  of the flat hand  50 , and locked into place by means of the set screw  54 . 
   The user can make ready a number of syringes  100  by placing them on the base  10  by inserting the needle stopper into the storage indents  13  of the base  10 . One syringe  100  can be prepared by removing the needle stopper from the needle  130  of the syringe  100 . The needle  130  is then stabbed into the Elastomeric seal  210  at the top of the medicine bottle  200 . In this configuration, the syringe  100  will be extending upward approximately vertically, and the plunger  120  can be placed inside the curved finger  84  of the syringe holder  80  as depicted in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
   The swivel arm  40  is then swiveled outward and down as depicted in  FIG. 6 . As can be seen from this configuration, the curved finger  84  will hold the syringe  100  in place. This will nearly invert the flat hand  50 , placing the medicine bottle  200  nearly upside down. The flat hand  50  will come to rest when the askew detent  34  locks into place on the spring plunger  32 . This will place the curved finger  84  of the syringe holder  80  outward from the post  20  and base  10 . The curved finger  84  will be holding the plunger  120 , which will hold the syringe  100  in place. 
   In the preferred method of use of the invention, the base  10  is place at or near the edge of a horizontal surface such as a table or counter top. This will allow the flat hand to be extended past the edge of the surface, allowing the user easy access to the syringe  100 . The user can then pull down on the plunger  120  with one hand in the same manner as a user with two hands would do. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the barrel  110  of the syringe  100  has a lip, and the curved finger  84  will hold the lip and prevent the syringe  100  from pulling out of the bottle. The user can then pull down on the plunger  120 , thus creating a vacuum within the barrel  110  of the syringe  100 , and sucking medicine out of the medicine bottle  200  and into the syringe  100 . The user will fill the syringe  100  with more than the desired amount of medicine, then push the plunger  120  in, removing air and excess medicine from the barrel  110  of the syringe. The swivel arm  40  will then be swung back up and locked into position, and the full syringe is then ready for use. The process can be repeated if the user wants to fill more than one syringe for later use. 
   It is within the conception of the invention that the swivel arm  40  could be sufficiently short so that the user could place the base  10  of the invention anywhere on a flat surface, and have room to pull down on the plunger  120  of the syringe  100 . It is also within the conception of the invention that the flat hand  50  could be rotatably mounted directly to the post  20 , forgoing the swivel arm  40  completely. 
   The present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and attain both the ends and the advantages mentioned, as well as other benefits inherent therein. While the present invention has been depicted, described, and is defined by reference to particular embodiments of the invention, such reference does not imply a limitation to the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The depicted and described embodiments of the invention are exemplary only, and are not exhaustive of the scope of the invention. Consequently, the present invention is intended to be limited only be the spirit and scope of the claims, giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects.