US2342215A - Dispensing and sealing stopper - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 22, 1944. H. N. PERELSON DISPENSING AND SEALING STOPPER Filed Aug. 3. 1942 a JI. 1.

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l lNvsNfroR Patented Feb. 22, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENToFFIcE DISPENSING AND SEALING STOPPER I Harold N. Perelson, Huntington Park, Calif. Application August 3, 1942, Serial No. 453,479 4 Claims. (Cl. 215-38l This invention relates to Stoppers of the type shown in my application for U. S. Letters Patent Serial Number 358,057, filed September 24, 1940, now Patent No. 2,289,677, dated July 14, 1942, and entitled Rubber stopper.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing and sealing stopper for ampules and containers for sterile liquids wherein a hypodermic or similar syringe may be manipulated against the stopper tocause a hollow needle therein to establish communication between the syringe and the interior of the container for withdrawing the contents of the container, with provision in the stopper for sealing the needle and maintaining it sterile by its enclosure within the stopper upon withdrawal of the syringe from the stopper.

The stopper disclosed in my patent hereinbefore identified is 'equipped with a hollow needle the outer end of which protrudes at all times through the outer end of the stopper for affording a connection with a syringe, the inner end of the needle being enclosed in the stopper and adapted to penetrate the stopper and communicate with the interior of the container upon pushing the syringe and needle inwardly. While this arrangement maintains the inner end of the needle enclosed in the stopper and keeps it sterile, the outer end of the needle remains exposed and subject to contamination.

In the stopper of the present invention the inner end of the needle is disposed in the stopper for communication with the interior of the container while the outer end is normally enclosed in the stopper whereby both the needle and container contents are maintained sterile and sealed to the atmosphere. When the syringe ispushed inwardly against the outer end of the stopper,

that portion of the stopper is moved inwardly causing the normally enclosed outer end of the needle to penetrate a penetrable and self-closing membrane and directly enter, with a snug nt, the stem of the syringe whereby a sealed means of conjunction of the syringe and needle is effected. Upon withdrawing the syringe the selfclosing membrane is withdrawn from the needlev thereby leaving the outer end of the needle enclosed, sealed and protected against contamination within the stopper and constituting the main improvement of my invention.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, sizev and minor .details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Referring to the drawing: l

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional, part elevational, view showing a stopper embodying mv invention as when manipulated to provide for withdrawing the contents of the container into a syringe. Figure 2 is a sectional, part elevational, view similar to Figure 1 with the stopper in the sealed position assumed when the syringe is retracted but not detached from the stopper. y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the stopper in its normal needle-sealing and container-closing position as when the syringe isv removed.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the stopper.

Referring to the drawing more specifically, vA designates the stopper, B the container in the mouth of which the stopper is mounted, and C the stem of the syringe D by which the stopper is manipulated to cause the normally enclosed hollow needle E to penetrate, the sealing membrane F and extend into the stem C for withdrawing the contents of the container. At this point it should be noted that uponwithdrawing the syringe from the stopper the membrane F is removed from the needle E and then functions to enclose and seal that portion of the needle which makes connection with the stem C when 'pro'-v truded through the membrane F. This sealing arrangement protects the needle from contamination and maintains it sterile in an efficient manner not hereto accomplished in this art.

As here shown the stopper'A is made of a body of rubber, synthetic rubber of other suitable compressible and resilient material, in sections I and 2, the section I being the stopper portion proper with a ange 3 for overlying the rim 4 of the container. The section 2 of the body is formed like a flanged cap and telescopes the section I, there being a skirt-like bead 5 on the inner end of the section 2 for encompassing the rim 4 to hold said section inplace and the stopper assembled. The interior of the cap-like section 2 is counterbored to receive the flange 3 and define a shoulder 6 against which theouter rim of said flange is seated.

The outer end of the stopper; that is, the closed end of the cap-like section 2, constitutes a flexible wall 'l provided interiorly and exteriorly with corresponding annular grooves 8 defining a reduced web portion 9 permitting the enlarged center portion I 0 to be readily moved inwardly and outwardly without damaging the stopper.

The two sections ofthe stopper body define between them a chamber II and the inner section I is provided with an axial bore I2 leading therethrough from said chamber, in which bore a stop collar I3 fixed on the needle E, is snugly tted and held against movement. The inner end of the bore I2 is reduced forming a shoulder I 4 against which the collar I3 is seated to prevent it and the needle from being pushed inwardly. The inner end of the needle as here shown is normally protruded inwardly from the stopper and is at all times in communication with the interior of the container B.

The needle E as here provided extends outwardly from the bore I2 through the chamber I I so that its outer end is disposed in a needlereceiving and guiding bore I5 in the wall 1 and normally spaced from the thin penetrable selfclosing sealing membrane F which is a part of the wall 1 and separates the needle-receiving bore I5 from a syringe stem-receiving bore I6 in the wall 1, said bores I5 and I6 being co-axial and opening into the chamber II and on the outer surface o the wall I respectively.

The annular grooves 8 in wall 'I define the center portion Ill in the form of a socketed boss to receive the stem C of the syringe D. This formation also defines an annular bead Il at the upper end of the stopper to reinforce the stopper when the wall 1 is stretched inwardly as shown in Figure 1 and otherwise.

In the use of my stopper, the syringe stem C is inserted in the bore I6 in the wall 'l and the syringe is pushed inwardly until the wall 'I is stretched inwardly as shown in Figure 1, to the extent that the membrane F will encounter and be penetrated by the outer end of the needle E. When the needle penetrates this membrane it directly enters the bore of the stem C in a close or sealing t thus establishing communication between the syringe D and the interior of the container whereby the contents of the latter may be withdrawn upon appropriate manipulation of the syringe.

It should be noted that the boss-like portion I8 on the inner side of wall I in which portion the needle-receiving bore I5 is formed will enter an enlarged part I9 of the bore I2 as shown in Figure 1 while a shoulder 20 on said portion Iii will contact the lower section I as a stop to limit the inward movement of the wall 1.

Upon retracting the syringe D as shown in Figure 2 the walll is retracted so that membrane F is lifted from the needle (then held by the collar in bore I2) said wall then sealing the needle. Upon complete withdrawal of the syringe the stopper appears as shown in Figure 3 with' the needle enclosed therein and protected (as in Figure 2 also) from contamination. In this manner the needle is automatically sealed and the outer end of the needle enclosed and sealed as soon as the membrane F is withdrawn from the needle, thereby maintaining a sterile needle at all times.

I claim: l

1. In a dispensing and sealing stopper, a body of resilient compressible material adapted to be inserted into the mouth of a container to seal the same, a cap adapted to engage the perimeter of said body extended beyond the mouth of said container and therewith form a sealed chamber, said cap having a exible end wall and a syringe receiving bore therein opening on the outer face thereof for reception of the stem of a syringe and also provided with a needle-receiving bore opening into said chamber, a penetrable selfclosing membrane integral with said wall and separating said bores and a hollow needle the shank thereof iixed in said body and within said chamber the one end of said needle in communication with the interior of the container and having its outer end in the needle-receiving bore and normally spaced inwardly from said membrane in a position to penetrate said membrane and extend into the stem of the syringe in said syringe-receiving bore upon the pushing of said stem and said flexible wall inwardly, said wall being retracted from its inwardly pushed position upon withdrawal of the syringe thereby retracting the membrane from the needle whereby the needle and chamber become sealed,

2. In a dispensing and sealing stopper, a bodl7 adapted to close and seal the mouth of a container, a cap having a flexible end wall and providing a` rim adapted to engage said body and form therewith a sealed chamber, an outwardly opening syringe-receiving bore on said wall for receiving the stem of a syringe and a penetrable self-closing membrane closing the inner end of said bore relative to said chamber and a hollow needle the shank thereof xed in said body whereby the one end of said needle communi- Cates with the interior of the container and the other end is Xedly held in position to penetrate said membrane and extend into the stem of the syringe in said syringe-receiving bore upon the pushing of said stem and flexible wall inwardly, said wall being retracted from its inwardly pushed position upon withdrawal of the syringe thereby retracting said membrane from said needle whereby said needle andchamber become sealed. Y

3. In a dispensing and sealing stopper, a body member adapted to be inserted in the mouth of a container, an extension on said body adapted to prolong said body exterior of said container mouth, a hollow cap member comprising a flexible penetrable self-closing end wall and having a rim portion adapted to engage said body extension and form therewith a sealed chamber, a syringe-receiving bore in said wall adapted to receive the stern of a syringe, a hollow needle, means longitudinallyaiixing said needle in said body with the one end thereof in communication with the interior of said container and the other end normally disposed Within said chamber contiguous to said .wall and aligned with' said bore in a positionl to penetrate said wall and extend into the syringe stem in said syringe-receiving bore upon the pushing of said stem and ilexible wall inwardly, said wall being retracted from its inwardly pushed position upon withdrawal of the syringe thereby retracting the wall from the needle whereby the-needle and chamber become sealed.

4. In a device of the character described, a body adapted to close and seal the mouth of a container, a cap, means on said body and cap for securing each to the other to form a sealed chamber therebetween, a flexible end wall in said cap having an outwardly opening syringestem receiving bore therein the inner end of said bore closed by a penetrable self-closing membrane integral with said wall and a hollow needle xed in said body and having its one open end disposed exteriorly of said body and its other open end sealed within said chamber adjacent to said membrane for the purpose described.

HAROLD N. PERELSON.

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