HOLDING DEVICE FOR INJECTION DEVICE TUBES

Abstract

A holding device intended to hold injection-device tubes of the type including an upper flange at one end of a body and a lower flange at the opposite end of the body includes orifices each intended to accept one tube, each orifice being configured to allow the tube and each of its flanges to pass. The holding device further includes a holding means configured to hold the tube through the orifice via its upper flange, the holding means having at least one elastically deformable element. The at least one elastically deformable element includes a holding end situated in line with the orifice and configured to deform as the upper flange passes through the orifice, and to support the tube via the said flange when it is inserted in the orifice.

Claims

1. A holding device for holding tubes of an injection device including an upper flange at one end of a body and a lower flange at the opposite end of the body, the holding device comprising orifices, each of the orifices being configured to receive a tube, each of the orifices being configured to allow passage of the tube and each of the upper flange and the lower flange thereof, the holding device including holders, each of the holders being configured to hold one of the tubes through one of the orifices by the upper flange thereof, each of the holders having an elastically deformable element, said elastically deformable element including a holding end located in line with the one of the orifices, the holding end being configured to be deformed during the passage of the upper flange through the one of the orifices, and to support the tube by said upper flange when the tube is inserted into the one of the orifices.

2. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein each of the holders are configured to be at least partially in contact with the body of the tube when the tube is inserted into the one of the orifices.

3. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein the holders protrude upwards.

4. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein each of the holders forms a wall for each of the orifices, the walls protruding from the holding device.

5. The holding device according to claim 4, wherein each wall has a proximal end in contact with the holding device and a distal end forming the holding end located in line with each of the orifices, said holding end forming an opening configured to be deformed during the passage of the upper flange of the tube through one of the orifices and to support the tube by said upper flange when it is inserted into the one of the orifices.

6. The holding device according to claim 5, wherein a diameter of the opening is between 10 and 15 mm.

7. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable element has at least two legs.

8. The holding device according to claim 7, wherein the at least two legs form a wall.

9. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein each of the orifices is configured to be complementary to the upper flange.

10. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of each of the orifices is between 15 and 20 mm.

11. An assembly comprising: a holding device according to claim 1; and tubes for an injection device, each of the tubes including an upper flange at one end of a body and a lower flange at the opposite end of the body, each of the tubes being configured to be inserted into an orifice of the holding device.

12. A method for implementing a holding device according to claim 1, for holding tubes of a drug injection device, wherein a tube is inserted vertically into each of the orifices of the holding device.

13. The method for implementing a holding device according to claim 12, wherein each of the tubes is inserted vertically into each of the orifices from a bottom of the holding device.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0059] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0060] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective side view of a tube of a needleless injection device of the type including a flange at each end of a body according to the present disclosure;

[0061] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective top view of a tray with orifices according to the present disclosure, provided to receive tubes of FIG. 1;

[0062] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an orifice of the tray of FIG. 2;

[0063] FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the orifice of FIG. 3; and

[0064] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a detail of the tray of FIG. 2, with the tubes being inserted into the orifices.

[0065] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0067] The terms “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “top,” “bottom,” and the derivatives thereof refer to the position or the orientation of an element or a component, this position or this orientation being considered when the tray is in the use configuration.

[0068] FIG. 1 represents an injection device glass tube 2, including a cylindrical body 4 having a lower flange 6 at one end of the body 4 and an upper flange 8 at the opposite end of the cylindrical body 4, each forming an outer bead of revolution about a main axis of the body.

[0069] The upper flange 8 and lower flange 6 are circular.

[0070] The glass tube 2 can be used in particular by the injection device presented above and illustrated by FR-A1-3038232.

[0071] FIG. 2 illustrates a tray 10 of a rectangular shape.

[0072] In one form, the tray 10 is made by injection molding of a plastic material comprising liquid crystal polymers, called “LCP,” which are materials with high mechanical performance resistant to the dry heat cycle at 240° C., as well as to different chemical agents.

[0073] The tray 10 includes a flat plate 24 comprising, in the middle of two opposite sides, a notch 14 facilitating the manipulation of this tray.

[0074] The tray 10 includes eight identical rows, parallel to the sides including the notches 14, of seven circular orifices 12.

[0075] Each orifice 12 is provided to receive a glass tube 2 which is held vertically, by having the axis thereof perpendicular to this tray (FIG. 5).

[0076] As illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3, each orifice 12 includes six legs 22 protruding upwardly from the tray, forming a wall P for the orifice, openwork by spaces 13 between the legs 22.

[0077] In one form, the six legs 22 are oriented at 30°.

[0078] In variants which are not shown, the orifice includes three legs or four legs.

[0079] The presence of the six legs allows for better holding of the tubes

[0080] This openwork wall P is configured to hold a tube 2 through the orifice 12, by the upper flange 8 thereof, as will be described in more detail with regard to FIG. 5.

[0081] The wall P is means for holding a tube.

[0082] Each leg 22 has a proximal end 16 in contact with the plate 24 of the tray 10 at the contour of the orifice 12, and a distal end called holding end 18, located perpendicular to the orifice 12.

[0083] Thus, each leg 22 is secured to the tray 10 and the holding end 18 is located on the path of the tube 2 when it is inserted through the orifice.

[0084] Each leg 22 is elastically deformable such that it is adapted to be deformed during the passage of the upper flange 8 from the proximal end 16 to the holding end 18, and to support the upper flange 8 when the tube 2 is inserted through the orifice 12, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0085] Thus, each leg is configured to be mechanically stressed by the upper flange 8 and to be deformed on the passage thereof.

[0086] The holding end 18 is configured to support the tube 2 by the upper flange 8 thereof when the mechanical stress is removed.

[0087] The holding ends 18 of each leg 22 of an orifice 12 define a holding surface located perpendicular to the orifice.

[0088] The holding surface forms an opening 20 (FIG. 4) located perpendicular to the orifice 12, configured to be deformed during the passage of the upper flange 8 and to support the tube 2 by the upper flange 8 thereof when it is inserted through the orifice 12, as represented in FIG. 5.

[0089] Moreover, each leg 22 has an obliquely upward proximal portion 26, starting from the proximal end 16 towards the inside of the orifice 12, and a vertically upward distal portion 28, starting from the proximal portion 26 towards the holding end 18.

[0090] Furthermore, the height of each leg 22 is comprised between 10 and 25 mm, in one form 18.5 mm, in order to provide for vertically holding the tubes 2 inserted into the orifices 12.

[0091] The height of the proximal portion 26 is comprised between 10 and 15 mm, in one form 13 mm, while the height of the distal portion 28 is comprised between 3 mm and 5 mm, in one form 4 mm.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 4, the diameter “d” of the opening 20 is 12.2 mm, while the diameter “D” of the orifice 12 is 16 mm.

[0093] Thus, the opening 20 is of a dimension smaller than the orifice 12.

[0094] Furthermore, the upper flange 8 has a diameter in the range of 14 mm. It is therefore of dimension complementary to the orifice 12 but of dimension greater than the opening 20.

[0095] FIG. 5 illustrates a portion of the tray 10 including tubes 2 which are inserted into orifices 12 as previously described, the tray 10 being adjusted into a standardized support 30 forming a contour, also called “Tub,” allowing a positioning in different apparatuses for processing glass tubes 2.

[0096] The tray 10 includes lumens 17 in the form of a “keyhole” which are used to grip the tray during its extraction from the standardized support 30.

[0097] Each orifice 12 is configured to pass a tube 2 and each of the flanges 6, 8 thereof.

[0098] The wall P of an orifice 12, formed by the legs 22, is configured to hold the tube 2 in the support position through the orifice 12.

[0099] Thus, each tube 2 is held vertically, the upper flange 8 resting on the holding end 18 of the legs 22.

[0100] The legs 22 are configured to be at least partially in contact with the body 4 of the tube 2 which is inserted into the orifice 12, which allows an additional holding of the tube.

[0101] It is the distal portion 28 of the legs 22 which is in contact with the body 4 of the tube 2 when it is inserted into an orifice 12.

[0102] The distal portion 28 is substantially adjusted around the body 4 of a glass tube 2.

[0103] For the insertion of a tube 2 into an orifice 12, the tube 2 is inserted vertically into the orifice 12, from the bottom of the tray 10.

[0104] When the tubes 2 have been inserted into the orifices 12 of the tray 10, the complete tray 10 is then bagged with the standardized support 30 thereof, and this bag is sealed to carry out a sterilization of the tubes.

[0105] Bags made of plastic material are made using a high density polyethylene, which can in particular be a material marketed under the registered trademark Tyvek™, allowing a reduced passage of humidity, a good heat conduction, a strong microbial barrier, and a high mechanical resistance, in particular for the resistance to perforations.

[0106] The final packaging is carried out according to the French standard NF ISO 11040-7, specifying the package of systems for delivering sterilized tubes ready to be filled.

[0107] After washing the tubes 2, a silicone coating is carried out, followed by a sterilization by a pyrogen reduction method comprising a dry-heat heating in order to obtain a strong reduction of endotoxins which are pyrogens.

[0108] In particular, a dry-heat heating cycle at 240° C. allows for simultaneously carrying out a crosslinking of the silicone, which subsequently inhibits release of this silicone into the drug after filling the glass tube 2, and during the end use of the injection device on the patient. In addition, this method avoids a sterilization with ethylene oxide which introduces toxic materials.

[0109] Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word “about” or “approximately” in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, material, manufacturing, and assembly tolerances, and testing capability.

[0110] As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean “at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.”

[0111] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.