JP7484894B2 - Liquid collection tip - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid collection tip that can be attached and detached to the tip of a syringe (injector).

Enteral nutrition is known as a method for administering liquids containing nutrients and medicines to patients who are no longer able to take food orally. In enteral nutrition, a catheter is inserted from outside the body into the digestive tract (e.g., stomach) and left in the patient's body. Known catheters include a nasal catheter that is inserted through the patient's nose, and a PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) catheter that is inserted into a gastrostomy formed in the patient's abdomen.

The syringe injection method, which uses a syringe as an injector, is known as a method for administering liquid to a patient in enteral nutrition. In this method, liquid prepared in a wide-mouth container is drawn into a syringe, and the syringe is then connected to a catheter, and the liquid in the syringe is injected into the patient via the catheter.

Patent Document 1 (see especially Figures 5A, 5B, and 6 of Patent Document 1) describes a male connector provided at the upstream end of a catheter and a syringe used in a syringe injection method. The male connector has a male member and an outer tube surrounding the male member. The outer peripheral surface of the male member has a tapered surface (so-called male taper surface) whose outer diameter becomes smaller as it approaches the tip. A female thread is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube. Meanwhile, the tip of the syringe is a female connector that can be connected to this male connector. The female connector (tip) has a tubular portion with a hollow cylindrical shape. The inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion is a tapered surface (so-called female taper surface) whose inner diameter becomes larger as it approaches the tip. A male thread is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion. The tapered surface of the male connector and the tapered surface of the female connector fit together, and the female thread of the male connector and the male thread of the female connector are screwed together.

The syringe injection method has the following problems:

First, the tip of the syringe is very short. This makes it difficult to immerse only the tip in the liquid in the container and aspirate the liquid. It is common for not only the tip but also the barrel to be immersed in the liquid.

Secondly, when the tip is immersed in a liquid, the liquid adheres to the outer surface of the tip and the male thread on the outer surface. It is troublesome to wipe off the liquid that has adhered to the male thread (especially the valley), and it is difficult to completely wipe off and remove the liquid. When the tip with the liquid on the outer surface (or male thread) is connected to the male connector of the catheter, the liquid transfers to the female thread on the male connector. The liquid that has adhered to the male connector makes the male connector unsanitary. In addition, the solidified liquid that dries on the male connector firmly adheres to the male connector and prevents the male connector from being reconnected to the tip.

Thirdly, immediately after aspirating liquid, the tip of the syringe is filled with liquid up to the tip. When a male connector is connected to the tip in this state, the liquid spills out of the tip. The spilled liquid adheres to the female thread of the male connector, causing the same problems as above.

Patent document 2 describes a syringe in which a cylindrical liquid contact part is provided at the tip of the barrel via a break part. The tip is a female connector that is the same as the female connector in patent document 1. Only the liquid contact part is immersed in a liquid and the liquid is sucked into the syringe. Next, the break part is broken and the liquid contact part is removed. The tip is then connected to a male connector.

JP 2016-158656 A JP 2015-192729 A JP 2017-109075 A

By using the syringe of Patent Document 2, it is easy to aspirate liquid materials, and liquid materials do not adhere to the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the tube.

However, even if the liquid-contacting portion is removed, the liquid remains in the tip, so the third problem above is not solved. In addition, it is necessary to manufacture a new special barrel in which the liquid-contacting portion is provided at the tip via a broken portion. This increases the cost of the syringe. Furthermore, once the liquid-contacting portion is removed, the syringe cannot be reused.

The first object of the present invention is to facilitate the task of aspirating a liquid material into a syringe. The second object of the present invention is to prevent the liquid material from adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the syringe. The third object of the present invention is to prevent the liquid material from overflowing from the tip of the syringe when a male connector is connected to the tip of the syringe. The fourth object of the present invention is to make it possible to perform the syringe injection method at low cost using an existing syringe.

The liquid collection tip of the present invention is detachable from the tip of the barrel of a syringe. The liquid collection tip includes a male member provided at one end of the liquid collection tip, a nozzle provided at the other end of the liquid collection tip, a flow path penetrating the liquid collection tip along the longitudinal direction of the liquid collection tip so that the male member and the nozzle communicate with each other, an outer cylinder separated from the male member and surrounding the male member, and a gripping part protruding radially outward from the outer cylinder for gripping the liquid collection tip. The outer peripheral surface of the male member has a tapered surface whose outer diameter becomes smaller as it approaches the tip so as to fit into the tip of the syringe. The gripping part has an arm part protruding in the same direction as the nozzle while being separated radially from the nozzle . The liquid collection tip is used to immerse the tip of the nozzle in a liquid material and suck the liquid material into the barrel of the syringe through the flow path while the liquid collection tip is connected to the tip of the syringe.

The present invention has the following effects. First, it is possible to easily draw up a liquid material into a syringe. Second, it is possible to prevent the liquid material from adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the syringe. Third, it is possible to prevent the liquid material from overflowing from the tip when a male connector is connected to the tip of the syringe. Fourth, it is possible to perform the syringe injection method at low cost using an existing syringe. Fifth, it is possible to attach and detach the liquid collection tip to the syringe without touching the male member or nozzle with fingers. Sixth, it is possible to leave the liquid collection tip with the nozzle facing downward and the gripping portion hooked on the edge of a wide-mouthed container.

Fig. 1A is a perspective view of the liquid sampling tip according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the male member side. Fig. 1B is a perspective view of the liquid sampling tip according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the nozzle side. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid sampling tip according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3A is a perspective view of an example of a syringe used in syringe injection, and Figure 3B is a cross-sectional view of the syringe of Figure 3A. Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the liquid collection tip of the present embodiment 1 attached to a syringe, and Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 4A. Fig. 5A is a perspective view of a male connector provided at the upstream end of a catheter placed in a patient, and Fig. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane including line 5B-5B of the male connector in Fig. 5A. Fig. 6A is a perspective view showing a state in which a syringe is connected to a male connector, and Fig. 6B is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 6A. Fig. 7A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion 7A of Fig. 4B, and Fig. 7B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the nozzle of the syringe and its vicinity. Fig. 8A is a perspective view showing a state in which the liquid sampling tip according to the first embodiment of the present invention is hooked on the edge of a wide-mouthed container, and Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 8A. Fig. 9A is a perspective view of the liquid sampling tip according to the second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the male member side. Fig. 9B is a perspective view of the liquid sampling tip according to the second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the nozzle side. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid sampling tip according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid sampling tip according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

In the above-described liquid sampling tip of the present invention, the gripping portion may further include an extension portion extending radially outward. The extension portion may be provided with the arm portion. According to this aspect, the liquid sampling tip can be stably gripped by the gripping portion.

The liquid collection tip may be two-fold symmetrical about the axis of the liquid collection tip. According to this aspect, the liquid collection tip can be easily and stably held by the holding portion.

The liquid collection tip of the present invention may further include an outer cylinder that is spaced apart from and surrounds the male member. This aspect is advantageous for keeping the male member clean.

The liquid collection tip of the present invention does not have to be provided with a female thread that screws into the male thread provided on the tip of the tube. This aspect makes it possible to slip-connect the liquid collection tip to the syringe. This is advantageous for easily and quickly attaching and detaching the liquid collection tip to the syringe.

The arm portion may be a first arm portion. The gripping portion may further include a second arm portion that protrudes in the same direction as the male member while being spaced radially away from the male member. The first arm portion and the second arm portion may be continuous along the longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip. According to this aspect, the liquid sampling tip can be more stably gripped by the gripping portion.

The inner surface defining the flow path within the male member may be flared so that the inner diameter of the flow path increases toward the tip of the male member. According to this aspect, first, moldability is improved when the liquid collection tip is manufactured by resin molding, and second, the connectability of the liquid collection tip to a syringe having a double-cylinder tip is improved.

The present invention will be described in detail below while showing preferred embodiments. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Each figure referred to in the following description shows a simplified view of the main components constituting the embodiment of the present invention for the convenience of explanation. Therefore, the present invention may include any components not shown in the following figures. Furthermore, within the scope of the present invention, each component shown in the following figures may be modified or omitted. In the drawings cited in the description of each embodiment, components corresponding to components shown in the drawings cited in the preceding embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those given in the drawings of the preceding embodiment. For such components, duplicated explanations are omitted, and the explanations of the preceding embodiment should be taken into consideration as appropriate.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the liquid collection chip 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the male member 10 side. FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the liquid collection chip 1 as viewed from the nozzle 20 side. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid collection chip 1. The liquid collection chip 1 has a male member 10 at one end and a nozzle 20 at the other end. The male member 10 and the nozzle 20 are arranged coaxially. For convenience of the following description, the male member 10 side is referred to as the "upper" side of the liquid collection chip 1, and the nozzle 20 side is referred to as the "lower" side of the liquid collection chip 1. However, "upper" and "lower" do not mean the orientation of the liquid collection chip 1 when in use. The direction along the axis 1a (i.e., the axis of the liquid collection chip 1) common to the male member 10 and the nozzle 20 (see FIG. 2) is referred to as the "longitudinal direction" of the liquid collection chip 1. The direction along the straight line perpendicular to the axis 1a of the liquid collection chip 1 is referred to as the "radial direction". In the radial direction, the side closer to the axis 1a is referred to as the "inner" side, and the side farther from the axis 1a is referred to as the "outer" side. The liquid sampling tip 1 is two-fold symmetric with respect to its axis 1a (that is, when the liquid sampling tip 1 is rotated 180 degrees around the axis 1a, it overlaps with its original shape).

The male member 10 has a hollow cylindrical shape. The outer peripheral surface 12 of the male member 10 is a tapered surface (so-called male taper surface) in which the outer diameter decreases as it approaches the tip of the male member 10. The male member 10 is surrounded by an outer tube 15. The outer tube 15 has a hollow, approximately cylindrical shape that is coaxial with the male member 10. The outer tube 15 faces the tapered surface 12 of the male member 10 and is radially spaced from the male member 10 (particularly the tapered surface 12). The male member 10 and the outer tube 15 are connected via a bottom plate 14 that protrudes in a flange-like shape from the base end of the male member 10 along the radial direction.

The male member 10 (particularly the tapered surface 12) may have the same configuration as the male member of the male connector of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 used for enteral nutrition. The tapered surface 12 has the same outer diameter and taper angle as the tapered surface 912 provided on the male member 910 of the male connector 900 (see Figures 5A and 5B) described later. The inner peripheral surface 15a of the outer tube 15 is a cylindrical surface coaxial with the male member 10, and its inner diameter is the same as or larger than the root diameter of the female thread 916 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 915 of the male connector 900. For example, the male member 10 and the outer tube 15 may be the same as the male member 910 of the male connector 900 and the outer tube 915 from which the female thread 916 is omitted.

The nozzle 20 has an elongated hollow cylindrical shape. The outer peripheral surface 22 of the nozzle 20 is a tapered surface (male tapered surface) whose outer diameter decreases as it approaches the tip of the nozzle 20. However, the shape of the outer peripheral surface 22 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a cylindrical surface whose outer diameter is constant in the longitudinal direction.

As shown in Figure 2, a flow path 17 penetrates the liquid sampling tip 1 along the axis 1a of the liquid sampling tip 1 (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip 1) and opens at the tip of the male member 10 and the tip of the nozzle 20. The male member 10 and the nozzle 20 are in communication with each other via the flow path 17.

A pair of gripping parts 30 protrude radially outward from the outer tube 15. The gripping part 30 includes an extension part 33 extending radially outward, and an arm part 31 extending from the tip (outer end) of the extension part 33 toward the same side as the nozzle 20 (i.e., downward). The extension part 33 extends almost along the radial direction, and the arm part 31 extends approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the liquid collection chip 1. The extension part 33 and the arm part 31 are connected at approximately right angles, and when viewed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the liquid collection chip 1, the gripping part 30 has an approximately "L" shape (or hook shape) as a whole. The arm part 31 is radially spaced from the nozzle 20 and protrudes downward. The outer surface of the arm part 31 (the surface facing the opposite side to the male member 10 and the nozzle 20) is a flat surface that is approximately perpendicular to the radial direction, and constitutes the gripping surface 30a of the gripping part 30.

The material of the liquid collection tip 1 is not limited, but is preferably a material that has shape retention, and more preferably a hard material (rigid material) that has mechanical strength (rigidity) that does not substantially deform due to external forces. For example, resin materials such as polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polyacetal (POM), polystyrene, polyamide, polyethylene, rigid polyvinyl chloride, and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) can be used, and among them, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene, polycarbonate (PC), and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) are preferred. The liquid collection tip 1 can be manufactured as a single part by injection molding or the like using the above resin materials.

The liquid collection tip 1 is used when enteral nutrition is performed by the syringe injection method. An example of a syringe used in the syringe injection method is shown in Figures 3A and 3B. This syringe 60 comprises a barrel (outer cylinder) 61 and a plunger 68. The barrel 61 has a hollow cylindrical shape, is open at one end (upper end), and has a nozzle (nozzle) 63 at the other end (lower end). The plunger 68 is inserted removably into the opening at the upper end of the barrel 61.

The tip 63 has the same configuration as the female connector of Patent Document 1 described above, which is used in the syringe injection method. The tip 63 has a cylindrical tubular portion (female luer) 70. The inner peripheral surface 72 of the tubular portion 70 is a tapered surface (female tapered surface) whose inner diameter increases as it approaches the tip of the tubular portion 70. A male thread (spiral protrusion) 76 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 70. Between the liquid storage portion 62 of the barrel 61 and the tip 63, a small diameter portion 65 having an inner diameter smaller than these is formed. Here, the liquid storage portion 62 is the portion of the barrel 61 into which the plunger 68 is inserted and removed, and is also a portion capable of storing liquid. The small diameter portion 65 prevents the plunger 68 inserted into the liquid storage portion 62 from entering the tip 63. A gasket 69 is attached to the tip of the plunger 68. The gasket 69 slides on the inner peripheral surface of the barrel 61 in the longitudinal direction of the barrel 61 while forming a liquid-tight seal between itself and the inner peripheral surface of the barrel 61 .

The syringe injection method using the collection tip 1 and syringe 60 is roughly performed as follows.

First, a liquid to be administered to a patient is prepared in a wide-mouth container (see wide-mouth container 80 in FIG. 8A described below). For example, the liquid may contain an enteral nutrient and a thickener. Empty syringes 60 and collection tips 1 in the number corresponding to the amount of liquid to be administered to the patient are prepared.

4A and 4B, the liquid sampling tip 1 is attached to the nozzle 63 of the syringe 60. The operator can attach the liquid sampling tip 1 to the syringe 60 by holding the liquid sampling tip 1 with the fingers at the gripping portion 30 (grip surface 30a) with one hand and grasping the barrel 61 with the other hand.

Figure 7A shows an enlarged view of part 7A in Figure 4B. The male member 10 of the liquid collection tip 1 is inserted into the barrel tip 63 (tubular portion 70) of the syringe 60. The barrel tip 63 is inserted into the gap between the male member 10 of the liquid collection tip 1 and the outer tube 15. The tapered surface 12 (see Figures 1A and 2) of the male member 10 and the tapered surface 72 (see Figures 3A and 3B) of the barrel tip 63 have the same diameter and taper angle. Therefore, the tapered surface 12 and the tapered surface 72 are in close contact with each other, and the male member 10 and the barrel tip 63 are liquid-tightly connected. The flow path 17 of the liquid collection tip 1 and the liquid storage portion 62 of the syringe 60 are connected to each other.

Next, with the liquid collection tip 1 connected to the syringe 60 as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the tip of the nozzle 20 is immersed in the liquid in the wide-mouth container. The plunger 68 is operated to aspirate the liquid into the barrel 61.

Next, the liquid sampling tip 1 is removed from the syringe 60. The operator can remove the liquid sampling tip 1 from the syringe 60 by holding the liquid sampling tip 1 with the fingers at the gripping portion 30 (gripping surface 30a) with one hand and grasping the barrel 61 with the other hand.

The liquid collection tip 1 is connected to another empty syringe 60, and the liquid is aspirated into the syringe 60 via the liquid collection tip 1 in the same manner as above. Thereafter, the liquid collection tips 1 are successively replaced with new syringes 60 in the same manner, and all of the syringes 60 are filled with the liquid.

Next, the syringe 60 is connected to a catheter placed in the patient. Figure 5A is a perspective view of a male connector 900 provided at the upstream end of a catheter (in this example, a nasal catheter) 950. Figure 5B is a cross-sectional view of the male connector 900 in Figure 5A taken along a plane including line 5B-5B.

The male connector 900 has a connector body 901 on one side to which the syringe 60 is connected, and a base end 902 on the other side to which the upstream end of the catheter 950 is connected.

The connector body 901 has a male member 910 and an outer tube 915. A flow path 917 along the axis (not shown) of the male connector 900 penetrates the male connector 900. The male member 910 has a hollow tubular shape in which the flow path 917 is formed. The outer peripheral surface 912 of the male member 910 is a tapered surface (so-called male taper surface) whose outer diameter becomes smaller as it approaches the tip of the male member 910. The outer tube 915 has a hollow cylindrical shape and surrounds the male member 910 coaxially with the male member 910. A female screw 916 is formed on the inner peripheral surface (the surface facing the male member 910) of the outer tube 915. The connector body 901 is the same as the male connector of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 used for enteral nutrition.

The base end 902 has a hollow cylindrical shape and is arranged coaxially with the male member 910. The upstream end of a flexible catheter 950 is inserted into and fixed to the base end 902. The male member 910 and the catheter 950 are in communication with each other via a flow path 917. The catheter 950 is inserted into the patient through the patient's nose, and its downstream end (not shown) reaches the patient's stomach.

There are no restrictions on the material of the male connector 900, but it is preferable that the material be a hard material that has a degree of mechanical strength (rigidity) that is not substantially deformed by external forces. For example, resin materials such as polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyacetal (POM), polystyrene, polyamide, polyethylene, and hard polyvinyl chloride can be used. The male connector 900 can be manufactured as a single component by injection molding or the like using the above resin materials.

As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the tip 63 of the syringe 60 is connected to the connector body 901 of the male connector 900. The male member 910 of the male connector 900 is inserted into the tip 63 (tubular portion 70) of the syringe 60, and the male thread 76 of the syringe 60 is screwed into the female thread 916 of the male connector 900. The tapered surface 912 (see Figures 5A and 5B) of the male member 910 and the tapered surface 72 (see Figures 3A and 3B) of the tip 63 have the same diameter and taper angle. Therefore, the tapered surface 912 and the tapered surface 72 are in close contact with each other, and the male member 910 and the tip 63 are liquid-tightly connected. The female thread 916 and the male thread 76 that are screwed together form a locking mechanism for locking the connection state between the male connector 900 and the syringe 60. A connection method that uses a screw is generally called a "screw lock connection". The liquid storage section 62 of the syringe 60, the flow path 917 of the male connector 900, and the catheter 950 are in communication with each other in this order.

With the tip 63 of the syringe 60 connected to the male connector 900 as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the plunger 68 is operated to administer the liquid in the syringe 60 to the patient via the male connector 900 and the catheter 950.

Thereafter, the syringe 60 is separated from the male connector 900, another syringe 60 filled with a liquid is connected to the male connector 900, and the liquid in the syringe 60 is administered to the patient in the same manner as above. Thereafter, the syringes 60 are replaced in sequence in the same manner until the liquid in all of the syringes 60 is administered to the patient.

As is clear from the above, the liquid collection tip 1 of this embodiment 1 is connected to the nozzle 63 of the syringe 60 when aspirating a liquid into the syringe 60 (see Figures 4A and 4B).

The liquid collection tip 1 is provided with a long and thin nozzle 20. When the liquid in the wide-mouth container is aspirated into the syringe 60, only the tip of the nozzle 20 and its vicinity are immersed in the liquid. Unlike the first embodiment, when the liquid collection tip 1 is not used and the liquid is aspirated into the syringe 60 by immersing the tip 63 (see FIG. 3A) in the liquid, there is a high possibility that not only the tip 63 but also the barrel 61 will be immersed in the liquid. It is extremely difficult to aspirate the liquid into the syringe 60 by immersing only the short tip 63 in the liquid. In contrast, in the first embodiment, since the nozzle 20 is long, even if the liquid collection tip 1 is displaced up and down when the plunger 68 is operated to aspirate the liquid, the gripping portion 30 and the barrel 61 will not be immersed in the liquid. By using the liquid collection tip 1, even an unskilled person can easily aspirate the liquid into the syringe 60.

The liquid collection tip 1 has a male member 10 that can be fitted into the tip 63 (tubular portion 70) of the syringe 60. The male member 10 has a tapered surface 12. The tapered surface 12 is preferably the same as the tapered surface 912 provided on the male member 910 of the male connector 900 used in enteral nutrition. Therefore, the tapered surface 12 of the male member 10 is liquid-tightly connected to the tapered surface 72 of the tip 63 of the syringe 60 (see FIG. 7A). The liquid flowing through the flow path 17 does not leak out to the outside world through between the male member 10 and the tip 63. In the process of aspirating the liquid into the syringe 60, the liquid does not adhere to the outer circumferential surface of the tip 63 (including the male thread 76). Unlike the present embodiment 1, when the tip 63 (see FIG. 3A) is immersed in a liquid and the liquid is aspirated into the syringe 60 without using the liquid collection tip 1, the liquid adheres to the outer circumferential surface of the tip 63 and the male thread 76. Therefore, before connecting the tip 63 to the male connector 900, it is necessary to wipe off the liquid adhered to the outer circumferential surface of the tip 63 (including the male thread 76). If the tip 63 is connected to the male connector 900 with the liquid adhered to the outer circumferential surface of the tip 63, the liquid transfers to the female thread 916 of the male connector 900. This may cause the male connector 900 to be in an unsanitary state or may prevent the male connector 900 from being reconnected to the syringe 60. In contrast, in the present embodiment 1, the liquid does not adhere to the outer circumferential surface of the tip 63. Therefore, the liquid does not adhere to the female thread 916 of the male connector 900.

As shown in FIG. 7A, when the liquid is aspirated into the syringe 60 using the liquid collection tip 1, the liquid (indicated by a number of dots in FIG. 7A) is filled from the flow path 17 to the liquid storage section 62 of the syringe 60. The liquid collection tip 1 is then removed from the syringe 60. The liquid in the flow path 17 is separated from the syringe 60 together with the liquid collection tip 1. After the liquid collection tip 1 is removed, almost no liquid remains in the tip 63 (tubular section 70). Unlike the first embodiment, when the tip 63 is immersed in the liquid and the liquid is aspirated into the syringe 60 without using the liquid collection tip 1, the tip 63 (tubular section 70) is filled with the liquid (indicated by a number of dots in FIG. 7B) up to its tip as shown in FIG. When the male connector 900 is connected to the tip 63 in this state (see FIG. 6B), the male member 910 pushes the liquid in the tip 63 out of the tip 63. The liquid overflows from the cylindrical tip 63 and adheres to the female thread 916 of the male connector 900. In contrast, in the first embodiment, almost no liquid remains in the cylindrical tip 63 after the liquid sampling tip 1 is removed. Therefore, when the male connector 900 is subsequently connected to the cylindrical tip 63 (see FIGS. 6A and 6B ), almost no liquid overflows from the cylindrical tip 63. There is no problem of the liquid adhering to the female thread 916 of the male connector 900, etc.

The liquid collection tip 1 of the present embodiment 1 can be repeatedly connected and disconnected to a syringe 60 having a female connector provided at the tip 63. The syringe 60 is a general-purpose product that is generally used to perform the syringe injection method. In order to implement the present embodiment 1, it is not necessary to make any design changes to the existing syringe 60. Even when performing the syringe injection method using multiple syringes 60, one liquid collection tip 1 can be sequentially replaced with multiple syringes 60. Unlike the syringe of Patent Document 2, the syringe 60 in the present embodiment 1 is reusable. Therefore, in the present embodiment 1, the syringe injection method can be performed at low cost using the existing syringe 60.

The liquid collection tip 1 does not have a female screw 916 (see Figures 5A and 5B) that the male connector 900 has. The liquid collection tip 1 and the syringe 60 are connected by taper fitting between the male member 10 and the cylindrical tip 63 (see Figure 7A). This connection method is generally called a "slip connection". The liquid collection tip 1 can be attached and detached to the syringe 60 more easily and quickly than the male connector 900 can be attached and detached to the syringe 60. When a single liquid collection tip 1 is used to sequentially fill multiple syringes 60 with liquid as described above, a series of operations can be performed efficiently and in a short time. Although the connection strength of the slip connection is lower than that of the screw lock connection, the liquid collection tip 1 is connected to the syringe 60 only when the liquid is aspirated into the syringe 60. In normal use of the liquid collection tip 1, positive pressure is not applied to the flow path 17 of the liquid collection tip 1, so there is substantially no inconvenience even if the connection between the liquid collection tip 1 and the syringe 60 is a slip connection with a relatively low connection strength.

The liquid collection tip 1 has a pair of gripping parts 30. The liquid collection tip 1 is two-fold symmetrical with respect to the axis 1a. Therefore, the pair of gripping parts 30 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis 1a. The gripping part 30 (grip surface 30a) can be easily and stably gripped in a direction perpendicular to the axis 1a with two fingers (e.g., thumb and index finger) of one hand. In this way, the liquid collection tip 1 can be gripped with the gripping part 30 and the liquid collection tip 1 can be attached and detached to the syringe 60. There is a low possibility that the fingers will touch the male member 10 or the nozzle 20 when attaching and detaching the liquid collection tip 1. This has the following advantages. First, there is a low possibility that the male member 10 or the nozzle 20 will be contaminated. Second, there is a low possibility that the fingers will come into contact with the liquid attached to the liquid collection tip 1 and become dirty when removing the liquid collection tip 1 from the syringe 60.

The extension portion 33 constituting the gripping portion 30 extends along the radial direction. The direction of the force applied by the fingers to the gripping surface 30a is approximately the same as the direction of the gripping portion 30. Therefore, it is difficult for the gripping surface 30a to tilt due to a bending moment being applied to the extension portion 33. This is advantageous for stably gripping the liquid collection tip 1.

The gripping part 30 has an arm part 31 that protrudes downward while being spaced apart from the nozzle 20 in the radial direction (see Figs. 1A, 1B, and 2). Therefore, as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, the liquid collection tip 1 can be left with the nozzle 20 facing downward and the gripping part 30 hooked on the edge 81 of the wide-mouthed container 80. For example, the liquid collection tip 1 before being connected to the syringe 60 may be hooked on the wide-mouthed container 80 as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B. This is advantageous in ensuring the cleanliness of the liquid collection tip 1 compared to placing the liquid collection tip 1 on an unsanitary table or the like. In addition, the used liquid collection tip 1 after filling the syringe 60 with the liquid may be hooked on the wide-mouthed container 80 in which the liquid is prepared as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B. Unlike Figs. 8A and 8B, if the used liquid collection tip 1 is left on the table, the liquid remaining in the liquid collection tip 1 will flow out and soil the table. This can be prevented in Figs. 8A and 8B. The liquid collection tip 1 is disposed inside the wide-mouthed container 80, and the tip of the nozzle 20 is in contact with the inner surface 82 of the wide-mouthed container 80. Most of the liquid remaining in the outer peripheral surface 22 of the nozzle 20 and the flow path 17 descends by gravity and flows from the nozzle 20 to the inner surface 82 of the wide-mouthed container 80. Even if the liquid collection tip 1 is left in the state of Figures 8A and 8B for a while, there is almost no liquid that dries and adheres to the liquid collection tip 1. After that, the liquid collection tip 1 can be easily washed thoroughly. Even if the liquid collection tip 1 is reused, the syringe injection method can always be performed using a clean liquid collection tip 1.

The outer cylinder 15 surrounds the male member 10. This reduces the possibility that the operator's fingers or the like will come into contact with the male member 10 (e.g., its tapered surface 12) when handling the liquid collection tip 1. If the male member 10 becomes contaminated with bacteria, the male connector 900 may become contaminated via the tip 63 of the syringe 60, and the patient may eventually develop an infection. The outer cylinder 15 is advantageous in keeping the male member 10 clean and preventing such an occurrence.

In addition, the outer tube 15 may be omitted, as in embodiment 2 described below.

(Embodiment 2)
Fig. 9A is a perspective view of the liquid sampling tip 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the male member 10 side. Fig. 9B is a perspective view of the liquid sampling tip 2, as viewed from the nozzle 20 side. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid sampling tip 2.

The gripping portion 230 of the liquid sampling tip 2 includes an expansion portion 233 extending radially outward, a first arm portion 231 extending from the tip (outer end) of the expansion portion 233 toward the same side as the nozzle 20 (i.e., downward), and a second arm portion 232 extending from the tip (outer end) of the expansion portion 233 toward the same side as the male member 10 (i.e., upward). The expansion portion 233 extends approximately along the radial direction, and the arm portions 231 and 232 extend approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip 2. The first arm portion 231 and the second arm portion 232 are smoothly continuous along the longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip 2. The gripping portion 230 can also be said to be the gripping portion 30 of embodiment 1 to which the second arm portion 232 has been added. The extension section 233 and the arm sections 231, 232 are connected at approximately right angles, and when viewed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip 2, the gripping section 230 has an approximately "T" shape as a whole. The first arm section 231 is spaced radially from the nozzle 20 and protrudes downward. The second arm section 232 is spaced radially from the male member 10 and protrudes upward. The outer surface of the first arm section 231 and the outer surface of the second arm section 232 are flat surfaces that are approximately perpendicular to the radial direction, and these are continuous to form the gripping surface 230a of the gripping section 230.

As in embodiment 1, the liquid collection tip 2 is also used when performing enteral nutrition by syringe injection method.

As in the first embodiment, the liquid sampling tip 2 can be attached to and detached from the syringe 60 by holding the gripping portion 230 (grip surface 230a) with the fingers. The downward projection length of the first arm 231 and the upward projection length of the second arm 232 relative to the extension portion 233 are approximately the same. The point of action of the force applied by the fingers to the gripping surface 230a approximately coincides with the position of the extension portion 233 in the vertical direction. For this reason, it is unlikely that the gripping surface 230a will tilt due to the application of a bending moment to the extension portion 233. The gripping portion 230 of this embodiment 2 is advantageous for stably holding the liquid sampling tip 2.

In this embodiment 2, the outer tube 15 (see Figures 1A, 1B, and 2) that the liquid collection tip 1 of embodiment 1 has is not provided. The expansion part 233 protrudes radially outward from a position between the male member 10 and the nozzle 20 (or from the base end of the male member 10 or the base end of the nozzle 20). In this embodiment 2, since the second arm part 232 faces the male member 10 in the radial direction, even if the outer tube 15 is not provided, the possibility that the operator's fingers or the like will touch the male member 10 (e.g., its tapered surface 12) when handling the liquid collection tip 2 is low. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the cleanliness of the male member 10.

The liquid collection tip 2 may be provided with an outer tube surrounding the male member 10, similar to the outer tube 15 of embodiment 1. The outer tube may be provided, for example, on the upper surface of the extension portion 233 (the surface facing the same side as the male member 10) so as to protrude upward. Alternatively, an outer tube 15 may be provided as in embodiment 1, and the extension portion 233 may be provided on the outer tube 15.

This embodiment 2 is the same as embodiment 1 except for the above. The description of embodiment 1 applies to this embodiment 2.

(Embodiment 3)
11 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid sampling tip 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. A flare shape (or a female tapered surface or a conical surface) 18 is provided on the inner surface defining the flow path 17 in the male member 10 so that the inner diameter of the flow path 17 increases toward the tip of the male member 10. The flare shape 18 extends in the longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip 3 from the tip of the male member 10 over a region of a predetermined length (preferably a region equal to or shorter than the length of the male member 10).

The flare shape 18 has the following advantages:

First, when the liquid collection tip 3 is manufactured by resin molding, moldability is improved. That is, the flare shape 18 reduces the radial thickness of the male member 10, improving the molding accuracy of the tapered surface 12 of the male member 10. Furthermore, the flare shape 18 improves the release property of the liquid collection tip 3 from a mold.

Secondly, the connection to a syringe having a double-tube structure is improved. It is known to perform the syringe injection method using a syringe having a double-tube structure (see, for example, Patent Document 3). Although not shown, the double-tube structured tip further includes a tubular portion as an inner tube arranged so as to be surrounded by the tubular portion 70 and coaxially with the tubular portion 70, in addition to the tubular portion 70 (see FIG. 3B) as an outer tube. The double-tube structured tip is configured to be detachable from the male connector 900. The liquid collection tip 3 is also detachable from the double-tube structured tip. When the liquid collection tip 3 is connected to this tip, the male member 10 is inserted between the tubular portion (outer tube) and the tubular portion (inner tube) of the tip, and the tubular portion (inner tube) is inserted into the male member 10. During the connection process, the flare shape 18 guides the tubular portion into the male member 10. For this reason, the liquid collection tip 3 is easily connected to a tip having a double-tube structure. The flare 18 may be configured to form a liquid-tight seal with the outer circumferential surface of the tubular portion.

In order to effectively utilize the above advantages, it is preferable that the inner diameter (opening diameter) D of the flow passage 17 (or the flare shape 18) at the tip of the male member 10 is 2.45 mm or more, and more preferably 2.85 mm or more. There is no upper limit to the inner diameter D, but it is preferable that it is 4.027 mm or less in order to prevent unintended erroneous connection with a female connector.

The present embodiment 3 is the same as the embodiment 1 except for the above. The description of the embodiment 1 applies to the present embodiment 3. The liquid collection tip 3 of the present embodiment 3 can also be attached and detached to the nozzle 63 of the syringe 60 (see Figures 3A and 3B). In this case, as in the embodiment 1, the tapered surface 12 and the tapered surface 72 are in close contact with each other, and the male member 910 and the nozzle 63 are liquid-tightly connected. The liquid collection tip 2 of the embodiment 2 may be provided with the flare shape 18 of the present embodiment 3.

The above embodiments 1 to 3 are merely examples. The present invention is not limited to embodiments 1 to 3 and can be modified as appropriate.

The shape of the gripping part is not limited to the first to third embodiments and can be changed as appropriate. The extension part does not need to extend along the radial direction, and may be inclined toward the lower side (the nozzle 20 side) or the upper side (the male member 10 side) as it moves away from the axis 1a of the liquid sampling tip. The arm part also does not need to extend parallel to the longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip, and may be inclined toward the radially outward or radially inward as it moves away from the extension part. The extension part and the arm part do not need to be connected at approximately right angles, and may be smoothly connected in an arc shape so that the two cannot be clearly distinguished. In order to reinforce the gripping part, a rib extending from the extension part to the arm part may be provided. When the liquid sampling tip has an outer tube 15, the extension part constituting the gripping part may be spaced downward from the outer tube 15. A plurality of arms may share the extension part. For example, a plurality of arm parts may protrude from a single gripping part that is a disc or a cylinder (or a cylindrical body) coaxial with the axis 1a.

Since the gripping parts are used to grip the liquid sampling tip in the radial direction, it is preferable to have at least one pair of gripping parts. The liquid sampling tip of the present invention may have two pairs of gripping parts in a roughly cross shape when viewed along the longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip.

The liquid collection tip of the present invention may have a female thread that screws into the male thread (helical protrusion) 76 provided on the cylindrical tip 63 of the syringe 60. For example, the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 15 may be provided with a female thread that is the same as the female thread 916 (see Figures 5A and 5B) provided on the male connector 900. In this case, the liquid collection tip is screw-locked to the syringe.

In the above embodiment 3, it has been described that the liquid collection tip 3 is detachable from the tip of the double-tube structure. The liquid collection tip of the present invention may be configured to be detachable from the tip of the double-tube structure, regardless of whether or not the flare shape 18 is provided.

The syringe injection method using the liquid collection tip of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Only one syringe 60 may be used, and the liquid collection tip and the male connector 900 may be alternately connected to the syringe 60 to repeatedly draw liquid into the syringe 60 and inject the liquid into the patient. Since the liquid collection tip can be repeatedly attached and detached to the syringe 60, unlike the syringe of Patent Document 2 described above, the same syringe 60 can be used to repeatedly draw and inject liquid.

The present invention can be used in a wide range of applications in the medical field, including but not limited to, and can be particularly used when enteral nutrition is performed using a syringe injection method. The catheter to which the syringe is connected may be a nasal catheter, a PEG catheter, or the like.

1, 2, 3 Liquid collection tip 10 Male member 12 Tapered surface of male member 15 Outer cylinder 17 Flow path 18 Flare shape 20 Nozzle 30, 230 Grip portion 31 Arm portion 231 First arm portion 232 Second arm portion 33, 233 Extension portion 60 Syringe 61 Barrel 63 Cylindrical tip 76 Female screw

Claims (7)

A liquid collection tip that can be attached to the tip of a barrel of a syringe,
The liquid collection tip comprises:
A male member provided at one end of the liquid collection tip;
A nozzle provided at the other end of the liquid collection tip;
a flow path penetrating the liquid sampling tip along a longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip so that the male member and the nozzle are in communication;
an outer cylinder spaced apart from and surrounding the male member;
a gripping portion protruding radially outward from the outer cylinder for gripping the liquid sampling tip,
an outer circumferential surface of the male member has a tapered surface whose outer diameter decreases toward the tip so as to fit into the cylindrical tip of the syringe;
The gripping portion includes an arm portion that projects in the same direction as the nozzle while being spaced apart in a radial direction from the nozzle ,
The liquid collection tip is characterized in that, with the liquid collection tip connected to the nozzle of the syringe, the tip of the nozzle is immersed in a liquid and the liquid is sucked into the barrel of the syringe through the flow path. The liquid sampling tip according to claim 1 , wherein the gripping portion is configured so that the nozzle can be directed downward and the gripping portion can be hooked onto an edge of a container. The liquid sampling tip according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the gripping portion further comprises an extension portion extending radially outward, the arm portion being provided at a tip of the extension portion. The liquid sampling tip according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the liquid sampling tip is two-fold symmetric with respect to an axis of the liquid sampling tip. The liquid sampling tip according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the tip is not provided with a female thread that screws into the male thread provided on the cylindrical tip. the arm portion is a first arm portion,
The gripping portion further includes a second arm portion protruding in the same direction as the male member while being spaced apart in the radial direction from the male member,
The liquid sampling tip according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the first arm portion and the second arm portion are continuous along a longitudinal direction of the liquid sampling tip. The liquid sampling tip according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein an inner surface defining the flow path within the male member is flared so that an inner diameter of the flow path increases toward the tip of the male member.

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