Severing by tearing or breaking – Breaking or tearing apparatus – Plural breakers
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-20
2001-07-10
Rada, Rinaldi I. (Department: 3724)
Severing by tearing or breaking
Breaking or tearing apparatus
Plural breakers
C225S103000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257474
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ampoule openers. More specifically, the invention is a hand tool for safely opening pharmaceutical containing ampoules.
2. Description of Related Art
Injectable medications and other liquid pharmaceuticals are increasingly being packaged in ampoules (also known as ampules or ampuls). The typical ampoule has a cylindrical body, a substantially conical tip, and a narrow neck joining the tip to the body. The tip is hermetically sealed after the ampoule is filled. Ampoules hold an individual dose of a medication and help to prevent errors by health care workers, such as under- or over-dosing. The ampoule also assures sterility of the medication, since it is used for only one patient.
Most ampoules today are pre-scored around the neck by the manufacturer. Ordinarily the ampoule is opened by holding the body in one hand and snapping the tip off the body with the other hand. Pre-scored ampoules have several disadvantages. Pre-scored ampoules are not given a deep, narrow score, as such scoring would make the ampoule too delicate to withstand shipping and handling. Ampoules with deep, narrow scores are also difficult to manufacture. The glass at the bottom of a deep, narrow score tends to remeld slightly if more than a few minutes passes between scoring and breaking. The result is that pre-scored ampoules by their nature are difficult to break.
Due to these problems, the broken edges of a pre-scored ampoule tend to be jagged and/or sharp. Glass chips often fly off in various directions when the ampoule is broken. Care must be taken to snap the ampoule neck away from the eyes. Glass chips may also fall into the medication.
Flying glass chips are an obvious danger to health workers and patients. Since the glass chips are small and transparent, they can be difficult to locate and remove from bedding, clothing, and the like. Such chips can cause uncomfortable cuts and scratches, even hours later.
Many health care workers protect themselves by wrapping an ampoule to be opened in a paper towel. Unfortunately, the paper towel makes it awkward to see and manipulate the ampoule. Wrapping and unwrapping the ampoule takes time. Injuries are still possible. Since the small tip cannot be seen and is difficult to feel through the paper, it is easily dropped and may be difficult to find and dispose of properly. The opened ampoule may also be dropped or spilled.
Gloves, such as latex examination gloves, may be worn to protect the hands. However, the broken edges of an ampoule are sharp enough to cut through standard gloves. Injury is still possible.
Glass chips in the medication typically fall to the bottom of the ampoule. The last drop or two of the medication therefore cannot be used. For a typical 1 mL or 2 mL ampoule, as much as one-eighth to one-quarter of the medication may have to be discarded due to glass chips. Since the ampoule contains an individually measured dose, often another ampoule must be opened to make up the difference. This provides a second opportunity for injury due to broken glass. Most of the contents of the second ampoule is discarded, which wastes expensive medication. The benefits of having a pre-measured, individual ampoule dose are lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,956 to V. J. Yeskett discloses an ampoule cutter having a cylindrical body portion with an elongated opening in the side. A file is secured parallel to the opening. After the ampoule is nicked on the file, the tip is inserted through an opening in one of the ends of the body portion. Bending the body of the ampoule breaks the tip, which then falls through a funnel-shaped opening into a receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,503,517 to Sirica teaches a U-shaped ampoule neck cutter having a pair of jaws. One jaw has a V-shaped cutting edge to score the neck of an ampoule when the cutter is twisted. The cutting element may be sintered carbide, hard steel, carbaloy, tungsten carbide, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,515,020 to M. E. Scott discloses an ampoule opener having a soft spring which engages the sharp point of an angular bort with the glass. The spring limits the cutting pressure that can be applied. The tip of the ampoule is then placed in a breaker hole to break the glass.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,679 to Shields discloses an ampoule opener having a head holder. The head holder has a hole with a cylindrical opening at one end for receiving at least part of the head of the ampoule. An annular flexible jacket extends from the end of the head holder. The outlet of the head holder is connected to a vacuum source, so that the particles formed by snapping the ampoule are inspired into the vacuum source.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,817 to Parker teaches a device for opening ampoules having a hollow cylindrical body. The peripheral wall has slits forming two halves which can flex relatively apart or together at an open end for entry or ejection respectively of an ampoule head. The slits extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. The body has an inwardly-directed annular bead for breaking the neck. A cutter protrudes from the bead for cutting the neck. A plunger is provided to eject broken ampoule heads.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,139 to Chen discloses an ampoule cutter having a pair of half-cylindrical shells in which an ampoule is inserted.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an ampoule opener for opening a glass ampoule. The ampoule opener has a transparent, cylindrical container removably attached to a cylindrical metal base. A rubber flap member is attached to the inner edge of the base. The flap member is divided into flaps by one or more slits. A pair of scoring assemblies are attached to the middle portion of the base. Each scoring assembly has a blade attached to a spring and a finger grip. The top of the ampoule to be opened is inserted through the flap member so that the blades align with the ampoule neck. The finger grips are compressed to engage the blades with the ampoule, and the ampoule is rotated to score the neck. The finger grips are then released, and the flaps hold the ampoule while the neck is snapped. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a transparent shield may be attached to the bottom of the base to help protect the user from glass chips. The ampoule top is secured by the rubber flaps, where it will be pushed into the container when the next ampoule is inserted into the flap member. The container is large enough to hold several ampoule tops.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an ampoule opener having a transparent container, an annular base, a rubber flap member, and two scoring assemblies.
It is another object of the invention to provide an ampoule opener in which the ampoule can be scored and broken in a single location.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an ampoule opener having rubber flaps to secure the ampoule while the neck is scored and snapped.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an ampoule opener having a container which will hold several ampoule tops.
Another object of the invention is to provide an ampoule opener which will score an ampoule neck cleanly and secure the ampoule to break easily without jagged edges and with few or no glass chips.
Another object of the invention is to prevent injuries to health care workers and patients.
A further object of the invention is to avoid waste of medication and to save time for health care workers
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 291489 (1987-08-01), Dudnyk
patent: 2359644 (1944-10-01), Hoey
patent: 2488956 (1949-11-01)
Coulter Jeffrey B.
Jones Don R.
Flores-Saánchez Omar
Litman Richard C.
Rada Rinaldi I.
LandOfFree
Ampoule opener does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Ampoule opener, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ampoule opener will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2459446