MXPA99004354A - Universal plug - Google Patents

Abstract

A universal plug which can be used to close various size containers such as those used in health care for collecting and handling human blood, fluids, and the like. The universal plug comprises a plurality of stepped posts (1, 2, 3) each of which comprises at least one ring (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15) for sealing the internal surface of the container. The lowermost ring further comprising a chamber for easy insertion into the container.

Description

UNIVERSAL PLUG FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a universal cap which can be used to close sample containers of different diameters such as those used in the clinical area to collect and handle human blood samples and the like. This plug is also adapted to be used with an automated device to cover and uncover that allows the automated processing of said containers.

AREA OF THE INVENTION The analysis of samples obtained from patients has become a highly automated procedure in terms of aspirating an aliquot of the specimen and subjecting it to an analytical procedure. Substantially rapid advances in automation have taken place in the transportation of sample specimens to these analytical devices. But little has been done to automate the preparation of specimens for introduction into transport mechanisms or to open them once they are lined up. This is particularly true with respect to covering or removing the lid of the containers or bottles of the specimen, and recapping that orifice once the specimen inside the container has been sampled and processed. The cover is necessary so that the specimens are not contaminated, so that the loss of sample is avoided or so that the regulations or laws that require that these specimens are available for future reference are fulfilled. The specimens can be sampled by removing the existing cap which allows the technician free access. Good laboratory practices or regulations determine that a new clean cap should be used to recap the specimen. The containers of the specimen can vary in diameter and require a selection of different lids to close them again. A universal cap (or cap) can provide a fast and cost-effective method of supplying the capped specimen containers stored and processed within the laboratory. Therefore, what is needed to automate even more the handling of samples is a device to cover / uncover and a compatible universal plug that can be manipulated by this machine. The necessary cover / uncover device can be found in the co-pending application of E.U.A. Serial No. 60/001, 379, filed July 24, 1995. This invention provides a universal cap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a universal plug which can be used with sample containers of any size with a diameter of 10 mm to 15 mm. The universal plug assigns a set of rings to a specific range of diameters. There are 3 sets of rings located on each empty rod. Each set of rings comprises a zone that will accommodate a subset of the full range of diameters. The geometrical relationships between the external diameter of the ring and the external diameter of the rod controls the required insertion force and the seal between the lid and the container to prevent spills when tilting it. The vertical separation between the rings and between each ring zone provides stability to the cap in the container. The length of the rod determines the depth of insertion for each zone. A ring can also provide tapered or chamfered guide edges to locate and facilitate insertion. The fluted cover provides an easy grip for automated removal, with robot or manual, of the cap. The flat internal surface is used to assist in the automated insertion, with robots or cap manual. A ventilation hole in the cap allows the pressure during insertion to be released and allows controlled ventilation for temperature changes. The thickness of the material balances manufacturing costs with the force required for insertion or sealing or clamping. The overall design provides easy removal or insertion, prevents damage to the container, allows handling by humans or automated or robotic devices, prevents spills and limits dehydration or contamination of the sample.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described only by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows a top view of the plug, facing inwardly of the open center of the device. Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The design of this universal cap has been designed to allow it to fit securely in containers or bottles that are normally used to extract or process medical specimens. This design works particularly well in containers that have a smooth inner hole. It can be used in any type of container to extract blood samples normally available to the medical profession. These containers have internal diameters that vary in size from 10 mm to 15 mm. An example is the ubiquitous pre-evacuated blood collection containers that have a smooth internal bore and that are capped with a soft rubber stopper that can be penetrated by a needle. Such containers can be obtained commercially. The most commonly available container is the "Vacutainer ™" sold by Becton Dickinson. These containers, which normally have three sizes, are uncovered and the specimen is sampled or processed using some means. After an aliquot of the sample is removed, the container must be capped to prevent contamination from its surroundings or to prevent sample loss if the container is pushed or dropped. The original rubber stopper can be reused, but this is rarely done. Good laboratory practices or regulations or guidelines dictate discarding the cap once it is removed from the container. This helps avoid cross-contamination of samples if the wrong plug is placed in another container. It also reduces the risk of someone or something coming into contact with the plug and being contaminated by any residue it may carry. This universal plug provides a means for covering said sample containers. This can be used in all containers currently available. In this way, the sample specimens are isolated and the evaporation is reduced or avoided. It is not intended that the samples be sent with these plugs. This is because the plug was designed with a hole to release the pressure so that air can escape while the lid is inserted into the container. The pressure generated from the compression of the air in the container could require a substantial effort to seat the plug or to push the plug out of the container. This could make it difficult to process containers quickly and it may be possible that the pressure needed to seat an unventilated plug would break the glass wall of the container.

In general, the design of the plug is that of stepped and hollow multiple rods. Each rod has multiple thin flexible rings, each with a smaller diameter than the previous one. The rod with the largest diameter has an additional thick ring used to hold the plug by manual operation or automatic or robotic means. Thin rings are inserted into the container to prevent spillage of the contents. Multiple rings are supplied in each rod for the stability of the inserted plug, a better seal and ease of insertion. The first rod has the largest diameter. It is essentially round. The inner surface is smooth. The upper part of the rod has a thicker external ring joined by multiple gussets forming a net to support an external grooved surface, thus forming a lid. The grooves allow a better grip for an automatic or robotic human fastening means. Below the fluted lid is a set of thin rings. These rings They are inserted into the larger diameter container. The container is seated against the lower surface of the fluted lid. The second rod has a diameter of medium size. It is essentially round. The inner surface is smooth. A set of medium-sized rings are used to supply the sealing of a container when it is inserted in medium-sized containers. The lower part of the stem has an internal lid that gives this rod the appearance of a cup. This cover surface has a ventilation hole to release excess pressure. The last ring of the rod of diameter m. { The large front seat provides a seat for the upper part of medium sized containers. The third rod has the smallest diameter. It is essentially round. The inner surface is smooth. A set of small-sized rings are used to supply sealing of a container when inserted into small-sized containers. The last ring of the set is smaller and has a chamfer to locate the plug in a small container. The last ring of the diameter rod of medium size previous provides a seat for the top of the containers of small size. In your preferred mode, that cap is designed to fit any opening of any container whose internal diameter (ID) is between 10 mm and 15 mm and the neck forming the opening has essentially parallel walls. These measurements refer to the average Di of the neck opening. In some containers, the neck mouth slightly curves in the highest portion of the opening; the term smooth is sometimes used to describe this type of rounding. In some containers the top edge of the neck can be spread outward slightly like a funnel. If this form of embudo is very pronounced, it will probably result in the cap to settle less firmly and in the extreme case that no settlement is obtained. If the funnel is inverted in the neck, the plug should settle easily and be retained.

In this plug, two or more flexible rings are used to come into contact with the inner surface of the neck. This provides a means to seat the stopper and prevent the loss of contents if the container will come to buckle. As the cap is inserted into the container, the rings will deflect upward and adhere to the interior of the container sealing it effectively. A minimum of three seals is required to prevent spills of content. Each ring provides a seal and the last seal is supplied by the last ring in the next larger diameter area. Another preferred feature of this plug is the low insertion force required to seat the plug. An insertion force of about 4.53 kg or less, measured as a downward force, is preferred. This force of 4.53 kg will allow to cover easily by automatic robotic or manual means. The insertion force is controlled in several ways. One way is through the geometric relationship between the outer diameter of the ring and the internal diameter of the rod. This is the depth of the ring. The preferred depth ranges from 0.9 mm to 1.4 mm. A second means of affecting the insertion force is through the selection of material. A mixed material, rubber or plastic can be chosen. A third means of affecting the insertion force is through the thickness of the fins. The thickness of the fins is chosen together with the selection of the material and the requirements of a flexible device. The plug can be solid, with the exception of the ventilation hole; or one or more of the offspring may be solid and the others may be elaborated with an empty center; or everyone can have an empty center. An empty center structure is preferred. The empty center plugs will have at least one solid bridge placed in one or more rods so that the plug is rigid enough to support the insertion force. A solid bridge with a ventilation hole can be placed in the shoulder between the small and medium rods. If a rod is constructed with an empty center, the wall thickness will be variable. The wall thickness can vary from 0.25 mm to 0.8 mm. The total height of the plug can range between 7.6 mm and 25.4 mm. For the containers of medical specimens illustrating this invention, the plugs should be about 12.7 mm long. The height of a given rod can vary independently of the other rods. A preferred height is around 5mm for containers of medical specimens. For other containers, the total height of the cap and the height of each rod can be varied to suit the requirements of the neck and the opening of a given container. The rings will be made of a deformable material which can be the same as that of the rods or a more flexible material. Because injection molding is the most cost-effective method of manufacturing these plugs, the device is expected to be of that material. The rings will be relatively thin as much as necessary to be flexible, but not so thin that they can tear or have little or no structural integrity. The rings should be placed on the rod so that they do not come into contact with other rings during insertion or during complete deformation. Ventilation is achieved by making a small, non-sealing hole which allows the pressure to flow from the inside out and from the outside inward. This hole is made of such dimensions that prevent the medical samples from draining or that the humidity penetrates. This have an approximate diameter of 0.05 mm.

DISCUSSION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is a top view of a hollow plug. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the center of the cap. The three offshoots are identified as (1), (2) and (3). The stem more internal (3) is the ring with smaller diameter and has such dimensions that fit the small diameter tubes. The medium rod (2) has a ring diameter of medium size and is made with dimensions such as to fit the tubes with intermediate diameter interval. The outermost rod (1) has a size such that it fits the tubes whose diameter size is larger and incorporates the external fluted surface (4) for fastening. The outermost rod (1) in conjunction with the outer grooved surface has a honeycomb appearance. The ribs (5) of the honeycomb provide stability and strength to the plug during removal and insertion. The rod (3) has an upper surface (6) comprising a cup-shaped aspect as shown in Figure 2. The upper surface has a vent (7) to release the pressure coming from the tube. The rod (1) has two rings (9) and (10). The bottom of the splined ring (8) forms a seal on the upper part of the tube inserted on the rings (9) and (10). The rings (9) and (10) have similar diameters. The rod (2) has two rings (11) and (12). The bottom of the ring (10) forms a seal on the upper part of the tube inserted on the rings (11) and (12). The rings (11) and (12) have a similar diameter. The rod (3) has 3 rings (13), (14) and (15). The bottom of the ring (12) forms a seal on the upper part of the tube inserted in the rings (13), (14) and (15). The rings (13), (14) and (15) have similar diameters. The ring (15) has a chamfer (16) to provide easy insertion of the plug into the tube.

Claims (2)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. A plug that can be used to close a container wherein said container has an opening that includes a neck of uniform diameter and an internal diameter of about 10 mm to about 15 mm, said plug comprising three rods of different diameters constructed in a stepped form characterized in that the two narrowest rods each have at least two deformable rings, and each of the two narrower rods has an outer diameter adapted to a unique and specific range of internal diameters of container necks, and characterized also because said rings have an outer diameter close to that of the larger proximal rod. 2.- A universal plug which can be used with any container of any size which has an opening that includes a neck of uniform diameter and an external diameter of around 10 mm to about 15 mm that includes a series of empty rods further characterized in that: a) the first rod which is essentially circular and having a fluted exterior and a shoulder which is essentially perpendicular to the vertical axis of the rod; b) a second rod essentially parallel to the vertical axis of the plug and inserted into the first rod and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the first rod, one or more deformable rings of integral construction with that of the rod, and further characterized in that the lower ring is integral with the shoulder of that rod; c) a third rod essentially parallel to the vertical axis of the plug and inserted in the second rod and having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the second rod, one or more deformable rings of integral construction with that of the rod, and further characterized in that the lower ring supplies the location of the rod in the container; and a cover with a ventilation hole placed near the shoulder between the third and fourth rods.