SYRINGE

Abstract

The invention provides a syringe for use in an ophthalmic injection. The syringe comprises a body, a stopper and a plunger. The body comprises an outlet at an outlet end and the stopper is arranged within the body such that a front surface of the stopper and the body define a variable volume chamber from which a fluid can be expelled though the outlet. The plunger comprises a plunger contact surface at a first end and a rod extends between the plunger contact surface and a rear portion. The plunger contact surface is arranged to contact the stopper but not couple thereto, such that the plunger can be used to force the stopper towards the outlet end of the body, reducing the volume of the variable volume chamber, but not to move the stopper away from the outlet end.

Claims

148. (canceled)

49. A method of terminally sterilizing a packaged, small volume syringe, the method comprising: sealing a small volume syringe inside a package to form a packaged, small volume syringe, wherein the small volume syringe includes: a body; a stopper, wherein: the body includes an outlet at an outlet end and the stopper is arranged within the body such that a front surface of the stopper and the body define a variable volume chamber from which a fluid can be expelled through the outlet, the stopper includes at least a front circumferential rib and a rear circumferential rib which are separated in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the body by a distance of at least 3 mm to define a sterility zone extending from the front circumferential rib to the rear circumferential rib, and the syringe is dimensioned to have a nominal maximum fill volume between 0.25 ml and 0.75 ml; the syringe is filled with a medicament solution; and a plunger configured to force the stopper towards the outlet end of the body to dispense the medicament solution, wherein the plunger comprises a plunger contact surface at a first end and a rod extending between the plunger contact surface and a rear portion, the plunger contact surface is arranged to contact the stopper but does not couple thereto, such that the plunger can be used to force the stopper towards the outlet end of the body, thereby reducing the volume of the variable volume chamber, but does not to move the stopper away from the outlet end; subjecting the packaged, small volume syringe to a terminal sterilization process that include changing the pressure within the variable volume chamber or changing the pressure outside the variable volume chamber, wherein: a bubble within the medicament changes in volume during the terminal sterilization process causing the plunger to move away from the outlet end by a distance that is less than the length of the sterility zone.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the nominal maximum fill volume is between about 0.4 ml and about 0.6 ml.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the nominal maximum fill volume is about 0.5 ml.

52. The method of claim 49, which has a body length between 45 mm and 50 mm and a fill volume between 0.1 ml and 0.3 ml.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein the body has an internal diameter between about 4.5 mm and about 4.8 mm.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein the body has a length between 45 mm and 70 mm; and the body has an internal diameter between 3 mm and 6 mm.

55. The method of claim 49, wherein the syringe is filled with between 0.1 ml and 0.3 ml of the medicament solution.

56. The method of claim 49, wherein the stopper further comprises one or more circumferential ribs arranged between the front circumferential rib and the rear circumferential rib.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the stopper comprises three circumferential ribs.

58. the method of claim 49, wherein the rod includes at least one rod shoulder and the syringe includes a backstop arranged at a rear portion of the body, the backstop including a backstop shoulder to cooperate with and contact the rod shoulder to prevent movement of the plunger away from the outlet end to a distance less than the length of the sterility zone, wherein when the plunger contact surface is in contact with the stopper the backstop shoulder and the rod shoulder are not in contact with one another.

59. the method of claim 49, wherein the front circumferential rib and the rear circumferential rib are separated in a direction along the first axis of by at least 3.5 mm.

60. the method of claim 49, wherein the front circumferential rib and the rear circumferential rib are separated in a direction along the first axis of by at least 3.75 mm.

61. The method of claim 49, wherein the small volume syringe is substantially silicone free or wherein the body is made out of plastic or glass.

62. The method of claim 49, wherein the medicament solution comprises an active ingredient suitable for ophthalmic injection.

63. The method of claim 49, wherein the medicament solution comprises a VEGF antagonist.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the VEGF antagonist is an anti-VEGF antibody.

65. The method of claim 63, wherein the VEGF antagonist is bevacizumab.

66. The method of claim 63, wherein the VEGF antagonist is ranibizumab.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein ranibizumab is in a dosage volume of 0.05 or 0.03 ml of a 10 mg/ml injectable medicament solution.

68. The method of claim 63, wherein the VEGF antagonist is aflibercept.

Description

[0038] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in which:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a syringe;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a top down view of a syringe;

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a view of a plunger;

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a cross section though a plunger;

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a stopper; and

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of the assembly process.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a view from a side of a syringe 1 comprising a body 2, plunger 4, backstop 6 and a sealing device 8.

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a cross section through the syringe 1 of FIG. 1 from above. The syringe 1 is suitable for use in an ophthalmic injection. The syringe 1 comprises a body 2, a stopper 10 and a plunger 4. The syringe 1 extends along a first axis A. The body 2 comprises an outlet 12 at an outlet end 14 and the stopper 10 is arranged within the body 2 such that a front surface 16 of the stopper 10 and the body 2 define a variable volume chamber 18. The variable volume chamber 18 contains an injectable medicament 20 comprising ranibizumab. The injectable fluid 20 can be expelled though the outlet 12 by movement of the stopper 10 towards the outlet end 14 thereby reducing the volume of the variable volume chamber 18. The plunger 4 comprises a plunger contact surface 22 at a first end 24 and a rod 26 extending between the plunger contact surface 22 and a rear portion 25. The plunger contact surface 22 is arranged to contact the stopper 10 but not couple thereto, such that the plunger 4 can be used to move the stopper 10 towards the outlet end 14 of the body 2. Such movement reduces the volume of the variable volume chamber 18 and causes fluid therein to be expelled though the outlet. However, since the plunger 4 is not coupled to the stopper 10 it is not possible to use the plunger 4 to move the stopper 10 away from the outlet end 14.

[0047] The backstop 6 is attached to the body 2 by coupling to a terminal flange 28 of the body 2. The backstop 6 includes sandwich portion 30 which is adapted to substantially sandwich at least some of the terminal flange 28 of the body 2. The backstop 6 is adapted to be coupled to the body 2 from the side by leaving one side of the backstop 6 open so that the backstop 6 can be fitted to the syringe 2.

[0048] The body 2 defines a substantially cylindrical bore 36 which has a bore radius. The rod 26 comprises a rod shoulder 32 directed away from the outlet end 14. The rod shoulder 32 extends to a rod shoulder radius from the first axis A which is such that it slightly less than the bore radius so that the shoulder fits within the bore 36. The backstop 6 includes a backstop shoulder 34 directed towards the outlet end 14. The shoulders 32,34 are configured to cooperate to substantially prevent movement of the rod 26 away from the outlet end 14 when the backstop shoulder 34 and rod shoulder 32 are in contact. The backstop shoulder 34 extends from outside the bore radius to a radius less than the rod shoulder radius so that the rod shoulder 32 cannot pass the backstop shoulder 34 by moving along the first axis A. In this case the rod shoulder 32 is substantially disc, or ring, shaped and the backstop shoulder 34 includes an arc around a rear end 38 of the body 2.

[0049] The backstop 6 also includes two finger projections 40 which extend in opposite directions away from the body 2 substantially perpendicular to the first axis A to facilitate manual handling of the syringe 1 during use.

[0050] In this example the syringe comprises a 0.5 ml body 2, that is a body with a notional maximum fill volume of about 0.5 ml, filled with between about 0.1 and 0.3 ml of an injectable medicament 20 comprising a 10 mg/ml injectable solution comprising ranibizumab. The syringe body 2 has an internal diameter of about between about 4.5 mm and 4.8 mm, a length of between about 45 mm and 50 mm.

[0051] The plunger 4 and stopper 10 will be described in more detail with reference to later figures.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the plunger 4 of FIG. 1 showing the plunger contact surface 22 at the first end 24 of the plunger 4. The rod 26 extends from the first end 24 to the rear portion 25. The rear portion 25 includes a disc shaped flange 42 to facilitate user handling of the device. The flange 42 provides a larger surface area for contact by the user than a bare end of the rod 26.

[0053] The rod 26 comprises ribs 44 which extend along the rod 26, the ribs forming a cross-form cross section for the rod 26 as shown in more detail in subsequent figures. The rod 26 comprises a disc shaped portion 46, the disc shaped portion 46 extending radially beyond the ribs 44 and also forming the rod shoulder 32.

[0054] The ribs 44 may be substantially solid, or may include gaps 48. The disc portion 46 may be solid, or may include gaps 50. Gaps 48,50 may be used to facilitate gas flow within the body 2 if necessary for sterilization, or other, purposes.

[0055] FIG. 4 shows a cross section though a syringe body 2 and rod 26. The rod 26 includes four longitudinal ribs 44 and the angle between the ribs is 90°.

[0056] FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of a stopper 10 showing a conical shaped front surface 16 and three circumferential ribs 52,54,56 around a substantially cylindrical body 58. The axial gap between the first rib 52 and the last rib 56 is about 3 mm. The rear surface 60 of the stopper 10 includes a substantially central recess 62. The central recess 62 includes an initial bore 64 having a first diameter. The initial bore 64 leading from the rear surface 60 into the stopper 10 to an inner recess 66 having a second diameter, the second diameter being larger than the first diameter.

[0057] FIG. 6 shows a flow chart for the assembly of a syringe 1. In Step 1 a prefilled body 2 is provided. The prefilled body comprises a body 2 filled with an injectable medicament 20 comprising ranibizumab, although other medicaments could be used in addition or instead, or a placebo solution could be used. A stopper 10 is arranged in the body 2 to form a variable volume chamber 18 and the outlet 12 is sealed with a sealing device 8.

[0058] In Step 2 a plunger 4 is arranged in the body 2. In one embodiment the plunger 4 is dropped into the body 2. This may be by gravity alone, or the plunger may be placed into the body 2 using a machine or human and the body then oriented so that the plunger 4 falls into the body 2 until the plunger contact surface 22 makes contact with the stopper 10.

[0059] In Step 3 a backstop 6 is coupled to the terminal flange 28 of the body. The backstop 6 and rod being arranged such that the rod shoulder 32 is located between the outlet end of the body and the backstop shoulder 34.

[0060] In Step 4 the syringe is sealed into a package and in Step 5 the package and its contents is sterilised in a terminal sterilisation process. The terminal sterilisation process may use known process such as an Ethylene Oxide or a Hydrogen Peroxide sterilisation process.

[0061] It should be understood that the invention has been described above by way of example only and that modifications in detail can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.