Cap unit and nesting syringe

Abstract

To provide a novel cap unit attached to a nozzle part of a syringe.SOLUTION: Provided is a cap unit (96) attached to a nozzle part (86) of a syringe (12), the cap unit (96) including: a lock collar (94) attached to the nozzle part (86) of the syringe (12); a cap (102) covering the nozzle part (86); and a cap holder (104) holding the cap (102) in a state of covering the nozzle part (86).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connecting device for connecting a vial and a syringe, and a drug preparation device using such a connecting device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a connecting device for connecting a vial and a syringe has been known for preparing a mixture by mixing a powder preparation or the like in a vial and a dissolution solution or the like in a syringe. For example, the applicant has disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5333850 (Patent Document 1) a connecting device for connecting a syringe and a vial. According to such a connecting device, after the internal space of the syringe and the internal space of the vial are made to communicate with each other and a powder preparation or the like in the vial is dissolved in a dissolution solution or the like in the syringe, the syringe removed from the connecting device can be used to administer a liquid drug to a patient.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the connecting device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a syringe holding member having an internal thread portion that screws into an external thread portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion of the syringe is adopted, and by engaging / disengaging these external thread portion and internal thread portion with each other, the syringe can be connected to or detached from the connecting device.

[0005] However, in the connecting device described as an example in Patent Document 1, in order to prevent the syringe from unintentionally detaching from the connecting device, a groove extending axially from the male and female threaded portions is provided, and a detachment prevention means that fits into the groove to prevent / allow relative rotation of the male and female threaded portions is integrally formed with the double-ended needle using a partial thread structure that can be screwed onto the male threaded portion. As a result, the shapes of the syringe and connecting device (syringe holding member) become relatively complex, and the shape and material of each component of the syringe and connecting device are restricted, which may make manufacturing difficult. Furthermore, there is a risk that a specific operation involving rotation will be required when detaching the syringe, making it difficult to respond to quick work.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a novel connecting device and a drug preparation device that incorporate at least one improvement that can enhance the practicality of the connecting device described in Patent Document 1. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The following describes preferred embodiments for understanding the present invention. However, each embodiment described below is illustrative and can be combined with others as appropriate. Furthermore, the multiple components described in each embodiment can be recognized and adopted as independently as possible, and can be combined with any component described in another embodiment as appropriate. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and various other embodiments can be realized.

[0008] A first embodiment is a connecting device comprising a syringe mounting portion to which a syringe having a nozzle portion with a lock collar is detachably mounted, a vial mounting portion to which a vial is mounted, and a double-ended needle for connecting the syringe and the vial, wherein a cap covering the nozzle portion of the syringe is assembled to a cap holder having an engagement portion for the lock collar, and a holding mechanism is provided for holding the engagement portion in an engaged state with the lock collar, and a release mechanism is provided for releasing the engagement between the engagement portion and the lock collar in the holding mechanism as the syringe and the vial move relatively closer to each other and are connected by the double-ended needle.

[0009] In this embodiment of the connecting device, the retaining mechanism holds the engaging portion of the cap holder engaged with the lock collar. This holds the syringe equipped with the lock collar connected to the connecting device, preventing the syringe from unintentionally falling off. Furthermore, as the syringe and vial are connected, the release mechanism releases the engagement between the engaging portion of the cap holder and the lock collar, thus preventing the syringe from detaching from the connecting device before the vial is connected.

[0010] Thus, in this embodiment of the connecting device, a cap holder that is assembled to the cap and engages with the lock collar is newly adopted, and a holding / releasing mechanism is provided that enables the engagement / disengagement of the cap holder with the lock collar in correspondence with the communication operation by the double-ended needle. As a result, the connection and disconnection of the syringe to the connecting device can be achieved without using special screw structures such as grooved screws or partial screws as described in the embodiment of Patent Document 1. Therefore, compared to the connecting device described in the embodiment of Patent Document 1, it is possible to simplify the structure of the connecting device and make it easier to manufacture, and also to improve the design freedom and material selection freedom of each component, including the lock collar of the syringe.

[0011] A second embodiment is a coupling device according to the first embodiment, wherein the syringe mounting portion holds the cap attached to the nozzle portion of the syringe, and a cap retention mechanism is provided to retain the cap separated from the nozzle portion when the syringe is detached from the syringe mounting portion.

[0012] In this embodiment of the connecting device, the cap remains inside the connecting device when the syringe is detached, eliminating the need to remove the cap from the syringe after detachment. Furthermore, since the user does not touch the cap after detaching the syringe, accidental contact with the drug or other substance contained in the syringe is avoided. The cap may be directly held in the syringe mounting portion of the connecting device by a cap retention mechanism, or a cap holder assembled to the cap may be held in the syringe mounting portion by a cap retention mechanism.

[0013] A third embodiment is a connecting device according to the first or second embodiment, wherein the engaging portion of the cap holder is configured to engage with the outer circumferential surface of the lock collar in an uneven manner, and the holding mechanism includes a deformation limiting portion disposed on the outer circumferential side of the engaging portion to limit the deformation of the engaging portion toward the outer circumferential side, thereby holding the engaging portion in an engaged state with the outer circumferential surface of the lock collar.

[0014] In this embodiment of the connecting device, the engagement between the engaging portion of the cap holder and the lock collar is achieved by a groove-and-groove engagement, and this groove-and-groove engagement is maintained by a deformation-limiting portion in the holding mechanism. This enables the realization of a relatively simple holding mechanism and more reliably improves the degree of freedom in shape and material.

[0015] A fourth embodiment is a coupling device according to the third embodiment, wherein the deformation limiting portion is provided integrally with the double-ended needle, and as the double-ended needle moves in a direction relative to the syringe and punctures the cap, the deformation limiting portion moves to a position where it disengages from the engaging portion of the cap holder attached to the syringe, thereby allowing the release mechanism to be established by allowing the engaging portion to deform toward the outer circumference and detach from the lock collar.

[0016] In the coupling device of this embodiment, the interlocking engagement can be released when the deformation-restricting portion disengages from the engagement position between the cap holder's engagement portion and the lock collar, allowing the release mechanism to be implemented with a relatively simple structure. Furthermore, since the deformation-restricting portion is integrally provided with the double-ended pin, the number of parts can be kept to a minimum, and the coupling device can be manufactured with a simpler structure.

[0017] A fifth aspect is a connecting device according to the fourth aspect, wherein a pushing force is applied to the double-ended needle by inserting the vial, and this pushing force causes the double-ended needle to move toward the syringe and puncture the cap.

[0018] In this embodiment of the connecting device, when a vial is inserted, the double-ended needle and deformation-limiting portion move toward the syringe side, releasing the interlocking engagement between the engaging portion of the cap holder and the lock collar, allowing the syringe to be detached from the connecting device. In other words, since the interlocking engagement between the engaging portion of the cap holder and the lock collar is released by the release mechanism upon insertion of the vial, there is no need to perform complex operations to release the interlocking engagement, and the release operation by the release mechanism can be easily performed.

[0019] The sixth embodiment is a connecting device according to any of the first to fifth embodiments, comprising a cylindrical housing member into which the syringe and the vial can be attached from each axial opening, the double-ended needle is assembled to the housing member so as to be movable in the axial direction, the opening side of the housing member into which the syringe can be attached is provided with a first locking mechanism that allows the insertion of the cap and the cap holder and prevents them from being removed, and the opening side of the housing member into which the vial can be attached is provided with a second locking mechanism that allows the insertion of the vial and prevents it from being removed.

[0020] In this embodiment of the connecting device, since the housing member is provided with a first locking mechanism and a second locking mechanism, the housing member can hold the syringe and vial, with the cap and cap holder attached, in an assembled state.

[0021] The seventh embodiment is a drug preparation device in which a syringe detachably attached to the syringe mounting portion is combined with a connecting device described in any of the first to sixth embodiments, wherein the syringe comprises a syringe body and a lock collar which is a separate part from the syringe body and is fixedly attached to the nozzle portion of the syringe body.

[0022] In this embodiment of the drug preparation device, the syringe body and the lock collar are separate parts, which allows for improved design flexibility for the syringe body and lock collar, for example. Therefore, it is possible to use glass for the syringe body and a synthetic resin lock collar, and it is also possible to use conventionally available glass syringes with relatively simple shapes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connecting device and a drug preparation device that have been improved in at least one way, such as simplifying the structure, compared to the connecting device described in Patent Document 1, thereby improving practicality.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing a device for preparing a drug as one embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Front view of the device for preparing a drug shown in FIG. 1 [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2 [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3 [Figure 5] Longitudinal cross-sectional perspective view of the pipetting needle unit constituting the device for preparing a drug shown in FIG. 1 [Figure 6] Exploded perspective view of the pipetting needle unit shown in FIG. 5 [Figure 7] Exploded perspective view of the pipetting needle unit shown in FIG. 5 from another direction [Figure 8] Exploded perspective view of the cap unit constituting the device for preparing a drug shown in FIG. 1 [Figure 9] Perspective view showing the nested syringe constituting the device for preparing a drug shown in FIG. 1 [Figure 10] Enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the cap holder constituting the cap unit shown in FIG. 8 [Figure 11] Longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the state in which a vial is attached to the device for preparing a drug shown in FIG. 1, corresponding to FIG. 3 [Figure 12] Cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11 [Figure 13] Longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the state in which the syringe and the vial are in communication in the device for preparing a drug shown in FIG. 11, corresponding to FIG. 3 [Figure 14] Cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13 [Figure 15] Longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the state in which the syringe with a lock collar is detached from the device for preparing a drug shown in FIG. 13, corresponding to FIG. 3 [Figure 16] Cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 15 [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0026] Figures 1-4 show a connecting device 10 as one embodiment of the present invention. This connecting device 10 connects a syringe 12 containing a dissolving solution, etc., to a vial 14 containing a powdered formulation, etc. Figures 1-4 show a drug preparation device 16 with the syringe 12 attached to the connecting device 10 in its initial state before the vial 14 is attached. In the following description, the axial direction refers to the direction of the needle axis of the transfer needle 22 provided on the connecting device 10 (described later), and the central axis of the substantially cylindrical housing member 24 that houses the transfer needle 22 (described later), which is the vertical direction in Figure 2. Furthermore, although the vertical direction refers to the vertical direction in Figure 2, the actual direction of use of the connecting device 10 is not limited to the vertical direction, etc.

[0027] More specifically, the connecting device 10 includes a syringe mounting section 18 into which a syringe 12 is detachably attached, a vial mounting section 20 into which a vial 14 is attached, and a transfer needle 22 which is a double-ended needle that connects the syringe 12 and the vial 14. The connecting device 10 includes a substantially cylindrical housing member 24 that houses the transfer needle 22 inside. One axial opening side of the housing member 24 (upper opening 25a side) is the syringe mounting section 18 into which the syringe 12 can be attached, and the other axial opening side of the housing member 24 (lower opening 25b side) is the vial mounting section 20 into which the vial 14 can be attached.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5-7, the housing member 24 is integrally molded from synthetic resin and has a roughly stepped cylindrical shape. The lower side is a large-diameter cylindrical portion 26 with a larger diameter than the upper side, and the upper side is a small-diameter cylindrical portion 28 with a smaller diameter than the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26. In this embodiment, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26 is roughly cylindrical, while the small-diameter cylindrical portion 28 has a cylindrical circumferential wall that bulges outward on both radial sides (both left and right sides in Figure 3). That is, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 28 has bulging portions 30, 30 that bulge outward on both opposing radial sides, and the inner and outer diameter dimensions of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 28 are partially enlarged at the locations where the bulging portions 30, 30 are formed. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 26 and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 28 are connected by an annular wall portion 32. In this embodiment, the annular wall portion 32 is slightly inclined downward as it approaches the outer circumference. The size and shape of the housing member 24 can be appropriately changed depending on the vial 14 to which it is fitted.

[0029] The inner circumference of the annular wall portion 32 is provided with a pair of first elastic pieces 34, 34 and a pair of second elastic pieces 36, 36, each projecting downward and facing each other radially. The opposing directions of the first elastic pieces 34, 34 and the opposing directions of the second elastic pieces 36, 36 are different from each other, and in this embodiment, the opposing directions of the first elastic pieces 34, 34 and the opposing directions of the second elastic pieces 36, 36 are mutually orthogonal. That is, in this embodiment, the first elastic pieces 34, 34 face each other in the left-right direction in Figure 3, and the second elastic pieces 36, 36 face each other in the left-right direction in Figure 4. Note that there may be three or more first elastic pieces and second elastic pieces, and they may be provided at approximately equal intervals, for example, spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction.

[0030] The protruding tip portions (lower end portions) of the first elastic pieces 34, 34 are provided with locking claws 38, 38 that protrude inward. Also, as shown in Figure 4, in the initial state before the vial 14 is mounted in the drug preparation device 16, the second elastic pieces 36, 36 are inclined inward as they are lower down. These first elastic pieces 34, 34 and second elastic pieces 36, 36 have a certain degree of circumferential and vertical dimensions, and in this embodiment, they extend to around the vertical center of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26. Furthermore, the first elastic pieces 34, 34 and second elastic pieces 36, 36 are relatively thin-walled and are elastically deformable in the radial direction (left-right direction in Figure 3 and left-right direction in Figure 4).

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, circumferential ribs 40 extending in the circumferential direction are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26. In this embodiment, two circumferential ribs 40, 40 are provided spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, with one circumferential rib 40 provided at the lower end (lower opening 25b) of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26 and the other circumferential rib 40 provided at a position spaced upward from the lower end of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26. These circumferential ribs 40, 40 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26 over substantially the entire circumference in the circumferential direction, but they may be provided only partially in the circumferential direction.

[0032] Furthermore, multiple axial ribs 42 extending in the axial direction (vertical direction) are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26, and in this embodiment, they are provided along substantially the entire vertical length of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26. In this embodiment, the axial ribs 42 are provided between the first elastic piece 34 and the second elastic piece 36 in the circumferential direction, and four axial ribs 42 are provided in the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26. The number of axial ribs 42 is not limited to four, but it is preferable to provide multiple ribs. The cross-sectional shape of the circumferential ribs 40 and axial ribs 42 is not limited, but in this embodiment, it is a substantially V-shaped cross-section that narrows towards the inner circumference.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, an inner wall portion 43 is provided on the inner circumference side of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 28. In the peripheral wall portions other than the bulging portions 30, 30, this inner wall portion 43 is formed as a convex portion that protrudes from the inner surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 28 and extends in the circumferential direction, while in the peripheral wall portions of the bulging portions 30, 30, it is formed as an inner peripheral wall portion that is radially separated inward from the inner surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 28 and extends in the circumferential direction.

[0034] Furthermore, in the inner wall portion 43, the inner circumferential wall-like portions located on the inner circumference side of each of the bulging portions 30, 30 are elastic locking pieces 44, 44 that extend downward. The protruding base portions (upper portions of the inner wall portion 43) 45a, 45a of these elastic locking pieces 44, 44 are substantially flat and spread in the vertical direction, while the protruding tip portions (lower portions of the inner wall portion 43) 45b, 45b of the elastic locking pieces 44, 44 are inclined inward in the opposing direction. The protruding tip portions 45b, 45b of these elastic locking pieces 44, 44 are elastically deformable in the opposing direction (left-right direction in Figure 3).

[0035] The transfer needle 22 housed in the housing member 24 is held by a needle holding member 46 that is assembled to the housing member 24 so as to be movable in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the transfer needle 22 and the needle holding member 46 are integrally formed from synthetic resin.

[0036] The double-ended transfer needle 22 extends straight in the vertical direction and has an upper projection 48 that protrudes toward the syringe 12 and a lower projection 50 that protrudes toward the vial 14. The ends of these upper projection 48 and lower projection 50 are sharp. As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the transfer needle 22 is hollow, and in this embodiment, the opening on the syringe 12 side is formed like a tapered blade surface at the upper end of the upper projection 48, while the opening on the vial 14 side is formed on the conical outer surface of the lower end of the lower projection 50, but the specific shape is not limited. In particular, in this embodiment, the upper projection 48 has a tapered portion 51 in the lower part where the outer diameter gradually increases toward the lower part. As will be described later, when the upward projection 48 of the transfer needle 22 is inserted into the occluded portion 116 of the cap 102, the tapered portion 51 comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the cap 102, thereby ensuring airtightness between the transfer needle 22 and the cap 102.

[0037] Furthermore, the needle holding member 46 has an annular bottom wall portion 52 that protrudes outward from the central part of the transfer needle 22 in the vertical direction, and a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall portion 54 protrudes downward from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 52. In other words, the upward protrusion portion 48 and the downward protrusion portion 50 of the transfer needle 22 protrude from the central part of the bottom wall portion 52 on both the vertical and horizontal sides.

[0038] A pair of arms 56, 56 are provided projecting upward from the radially intermediate portion of the bottom wall 52, facing each other in the radial direction (left-right direction in Figure 3). Deformation limiting portions 58, 58 are provided at the protruding tips (upper ends) of both arms 56, 56, projecting inward in the opposing direction to restrict the deformation of the elastic engagement portions 126, 126 of the cap holder 104 (described later) toward the outer circumference. The arms 56, 56 are each curved along the circumferential direction of the bottom wall 52, and the inner surfaces of the deformation limiting portions 58, 58 in the opposing direction are not curved but are substantially flat.

[0039] Furthermore, through holes 60, 60 are formed on the outer circumference of the arms 56, 56 in the bottom wall portion 52, penetrating the bottom wall portion 52 in the vertical direction. These through holes 60, 60 each have a certain width dimension (radial dimension of the bottom wall portion 52) and a length dimension (circumferential dimension of the bottom wall portion 52). In addition, an annular fitting projection 62 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 52, between the transfer needle 22 and the arms 56 in the radial direction.

[0040] Furthermore, on both sides (both left and right sides in Figure 4) of the peripheral wall portion 54 and the bottom wall portion 52 in a direction perpendicular to the opposing directions of both arm portions 56, 56, accommodating regions 64, 64 are formed that open outward and upward over a predetermined circumferential region. The bottom walls 66, 66 of these accommodating regions 64, 64 are located on the inner circumferential side of the peripheral wall portion 54, and the upper portions of the bottom walls 66, 66 and the bottom wall portion 52 penetrate in the thickness direction. As a result, the accommodating regions 64, 64 are open upward. The circumferential sides of the upper end portion of the bottom wall 66 are contact portions 68, 68 that abut against the second elastic piece 36 of the housing member 24 in the initial state before the vial 14 is installed.

[0041] Furthermore, an elastic contact piece 70 is provided between the contact portions 68, 68 in the circumferential direction, projecting upward with a gap in the circumferential direction from the contact portions 68, 68. This elastic contact piece 70 protrudes above the contact portions 68, 68 at the upper end of the bottom wall 66 and is elastically deformable in the thickness direction (radial direction of the bottom wall portion 52). The protruding base portion (lower portion) of the elastic contact piece 70 is inclined inward towards the circumferential direction as it goes upward, while the protruding tip portion (upper portion) protrudes straight upward. As a result, as shown in Figure 4, in the initial state before the vial 14 is installed, the second elastic piece 36 of the housing member 24 abuts against the contact portions 68, 68 on the bottom wall 66 in a substantially vertical direction, and the protruding tip portion of the elastic contact piece 70 located between the circumferential contact portions 68, 68 abuts against the second elastic piece 36 of the housing member 24 from the inner circumferential side, or is positioned slightly separated from it on the inner circumferential side.

[0042] Furthermore, an outer peripheral projection 72 is provided at the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 54, projecting outward and extending in the circumferential direction. This outer peripheral projection 72 is provided over substantially the entire circumference in the circumferential direction, and when the housing member 24 and the needle holding member 46 are assembled, as described later, it can engage with the circumferential rib 40 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26 of the housing member 24, while the outer peripheral surface of the portion of the peripheral wall portion 54 above the outer peripheral projection 72 does not substantially contact the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26. In addition, the vertical dimension of the outer peripheral projection 72 is sufficiently small, so that even when the outer peripheral projection 72 and the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26 are in contact, the friction caused by the contact between them is sufficiently reduced, allowing the needle holding member 46 to move relative to the housing member 24.

[0043] Furthermore, axial grooves 74 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 54 at positions corresponding in the circumferential direction to the axial ribs 42 of the housing member 24. Therefore, in this embodiment, four axial grooves 74 are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 54. The cross-sectional shape of these axial grooves 74 is substantially equal to that of the axial ribs 42 of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 26 of the housing member 24, and the axial grooves 74 are formed over substantially the entire vertical length of the peripheral wall portion 54. As a result, when assembling the housing member 24 and the needle holding member 46, which will be described later, the axial ribs 42 can fit into the axial grooves 74, allowing the needle holding member 46 to move axially along the axial ribs 42, while preventing the needle holding member 46 from rotating relative to the housing member 24.

[0044] Furthermore, on the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 54, axial ribs 76 are provided at positions corresponding in the circumferential direction to the axial grooves 74 on the outer circumferential surface. That is, in this embodiment, four axial ribs 76 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 54. These axial ribs 76 are provided over substantially the entire axial length of the peripheral wall portion 54. The axial ribs 76 protrude inward from the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 54, and the inner circumferential surface of the axial ribs 76 is located substantially equal to the inner circumferential surface of the bottom wall portion 66 in the radial direction of the bottom wall portion 52. As a result, when inserting the vial 14 from the lower opening 78 of the peripheral wall portion 54 (needle holding member 46), as will be described later, the ring-shaped member 148 located on the outer circumferential side of the vial 14, as will be described later, comes into contact with the inner circumferential surfaces of the bottom wall 66 and the axial ribs 76, so that the vial 14 is inserted into the needle holding member 46 (drug preparation device 16) from below without tilting.

[0045] Furthermore, at the lower end of the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 54, an inner circumferential projection 80 is provided between adjacent axial ribs 76, 76 in the circumferential direction, projecting inward. A total of four inner circumferential projections 80 are provided on both sides of the arms 56, 56 of the needle holding member 46 in the opposing direction (both sides in the left-right direction in Figure 3) and on both sides of the elastic contact pieces 70, 70 in the opposing direction (both sides in the left-right direction in Figure 4). In particular, the inner circumferential projections 80, 80 provided on both sides in the left-right direction in Figure 4 are formed continuously with respect to the bottom walls 66, 66 of the accommodating regions 64, 64. Furthermore, the lower surfaces of the axial ribs 76 and the inner circumferential protrusions 80, which are spaced approximately equally apart in the circumferential direction, are inclined upward towards the inner circumference. As will be described later, when the vial 14 is inserted into the needle holding member 46 (drug preparation device 16) from below, the vial 14 is guided to the center of the transfer needle unit 82, which will be described later, so that the central axis of the vial 14 and the needle axis of the transfer needle 22 are aligned with each other.

[0046] In this embodiment, the transfer needle unit 82 is constructed by assembling the housing member 24 and the needle holding member 46 together. Specifically, the needle holding member 46 is inserted through the lower opening 25b of the housing member 24, and the arms 56, 56 of the needle holding member 46 are inserted into the bulging portions 30, 30 and elastic locking pieces 44, 44 in the small diameter cylindrical portion 28 of the housing member 24. In the initial state before the vial 14 is attached, the deformation limiting portions 58, 58 provided on the arms 56, 56 are located above the elastic locking pieces 44, 44 of the housing member 24. In addition, the first elastic pieces 34, 34 of the housing member 24 are inserted from above into the insertion holes 60, 60 of the needle holding member 46, and the locking claws 38, 38 are located below the bottom wall portion 52. Furthermore, the axial rib 42 of the housing member 24 is inserted into the axial groove 74 of the needle holding member 46.

[0047] Furthermore, the second elastic pieces 36, 36 of the housing member 24 are inserted from above into the housing areas 64, 64 of the needle holding member 46, and the upper end surfaces of the contact portions 68, 68 abut against the protruding tips of the second elastic pieces 36 in approximately the vertical direction, while the protruding tip portion of the elastic contact piece 70 abuts against or is slightly separated from the inner circumferential surface of the second elastic piece 36. This prevents the needle holding member 46 from moving upward relative to the housing member 24. Moreover, the outer peripheral projection 72 of the needle holding member 46 overcomes the circumferential rib 40 in the lower opening 25b of the housing member 24 and engages with the circumferential rib 40 from above. This prevents the needle holding member 46 from moving downward relative to the housing member 24. As a result, in the initial state before the vial 14 is installed, the needle holding member 46 is assembled in a state where it is positioned vertically relative to the housing member 24.

[0048] In the drug preparation device 16 of this embodiment, a syringe 12 is assembled from the upper opening 25a of the transfer needle unit 82. The syringe 12 of this embodiment is composed of a syringe body 88 having a nozzle portion 86 at its tip (lower end) and a synthetic resin lock collar 94 provided on the nozzle portion 86. The material of the syringe body 88 is not limited, but in this embodiment it is made of glass. Then, by assembling the cap unit 96 shown in Figure 8 etc. to the syringe body 88, the nest syringe 97 shown in Figure 9 is constructed.

[0049] The syringe body 88 is equipped with a barrel portion 98, and a nozzle portion 86 is provided at the tip (lower end) of the barrel portion 98, with smaller outer and inner diameters than the barrel portion 98. As shown in Figure 4, an annular recess 100 opening outwards is formed at the base end portion (upper end portion) of the nozzle portion 86. As a result, the outer diameter of the nozzle portion 86 at the location where the annular recess 100 is formed is smaller than the outer diameter of the portion adjacent to the annular recess 100 in the vertical direction. The outer diameter of the nozzle portion 86 gradually decreases from the base end to the tip.

[0050] As shown in Figure 8, the cap unit 96 is composed of a lock collar 94, a cap 102 that covers the nozzle portion 86 of the syringe 12, and a synthetic resin cap holder 104 that holds the cap 102.

[0051] The lock collar 94 is generally cylindrical in shape and has a circumferential wall 106. A locking portion 108 protruding inward is provided at one axial opening (upper opening) of the circumferential wall 106. In this embodiment, six locking portions 108 are provided on the circumference, spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction and at approximately equal intervals. Furthermore, a groove 110 is formed in the axial middle portion of the outer circumferential surface of the circumferential wall 106, opening outward and extending in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the groove 110 is formed over substantially the entire circumference in the circumferential direction and is a substantially annular groove 110. In particular, in this embodiment, the annular groove 110 is provided on the other axial side (downward side) of the circumferential wall 106. In addition, an internal thread 112 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall 106.

[0052] The cap 102 is generally cylindrical and made of an elastic material such as rubber. The cap 102 has a circumferential wall 114, the inner diameter of which gradually decreases from one axial side (up) to the other axial side (down). The maximum inner diameter of the circumferential wall 114 (inner diameter at the upper end) is smaller than the outer diameter of the tip of the nozzle portion 86. The opening on the other axial side of the circumferential wall 114 is closed by a closing portion 116 which is integrally formed with the circumferential wall 114 and extends perpendicular to the axis. The thickness of the closing portion 116 (vertical dimension) is set to be relatively small. On the other axial side of the circumferential wall 114, there is a thickened portion 117 which has a larger outer diameter and is thicker than the side on the axial side.

[0053] As shown in Figure 10, the cap holder 104 has a roughly stepped cylindrical shape, with one side in the axial direction being a large diameter portion 118 and the other side in the axial direction being a small diameter portion 120. That is, an annular stepped portion 122 extending perpendicular to the axis is formed in the axial middle portion of the cap holder 104, and the large diameter portion 118 and the small diameter portion 120 are connected by the stepped portion 122. The large diameter portion 118 and the small diameter portion 120 have substantially the same external shape, and are shaped as if both sides in one radial direction of the cylinder (both sides in the left and right directions in Figure 3) have been partially cut off. As a result, in the large diameter portion 118 and the small diameter portion 120, both sides in the left and right directions in Figure 3 are flat surfaces extending in the vertical direction, while both sides in the left and right directions in Figure 4 are curved surfaces.

[0054] Furthermore, at the boundary between the flat surface and the curved surface in the large-diameter portion 118, a slit 124 is formed that extends from the lower end in the axial direction for a certain length and penetrates through the thickness direction of the large-diameter portion 118. In the portion of the peripheral wall of the large-diameter portion 118 where a flat surface is formed, the space between the two slits 124, 124 in the circumferential direction forms an elastic engaging portion 126 that can be elastically deformed in the thickness direction (left-right direction in Figure 3) of the peripheral wall of the large-diameter portion 118. The elastic engaging portion 126 has a certain length dimension (vertical dimension) and width dimension (circumferential dimension between the two slits 124, 124). In the middle portion of the length direction on the inner surface of this elastic engaging portion 126, an engaging projection 128 that protrudes toward the inner circumference is provided, and at the lower end of the elastic engaging portion 126, an engaging claw portion 130 is formed that protrudes inward in the opposing direction (left-right direction in Figure 3) as it goes downward.

[0055] In this embodiment, the engaging projection 128 is also formed on the inner surface of the curved surface portion (both left and right sides in Figure 4) of the circumferential wall of the large-diameter portion 118. However, the engaging projection 128 formed on the inner surface of the circumferential wall of the large-diameter portion 118 differs in size and shape from the engaging projection 128 formed on the inner surface of the elastic engaging portion 126. Specifically, the engaging projection 128 formed on the inner surface of the elastic engaging portion 126 has a relatively large protrusion height and is formed with a substantially constant cross-sectional shape (protrusion height) in the circumferential direction along the arc-shaped curved inner surface of the elastic engaging portion 126. In contrast, the engaging projection 128 formed on the inner surface of the circumferential wall of the large-diameter portion 118 has a slightly smaller maximum protrusion height, and the apex of the projection extends linearly in the tangential direction of the circumferential wall rather than along the inner surface of the circumferential wall, thus keeping the protruding volume small.

[0056] Furthermore, in the peripheral wall of the small-diameter portion 120, a substantially rectangular through-window 132 is formed in the lower part of the portion where flat surfaces are formed on both radial sides (both left and right sides in Figure 3), penetrating the small-diameter portion 120 in the thickness direction. The inner diameter of this small-diameter portion 120 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the thick-walled portion 117 of the cap 102, so that when the cap 102 and the cap holder 104 are assembled, the thick-walled portion 117 is compressed inward and press-fitted. In addition, the vertical dimension of the through-window 132 is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the vertical dimension of the thick-walled portion 117, so that, as shown in Figure 3, when the cap 102 and the cap holder 104 are assembled, the thick-walled portion 117 partially returns to its original shape and enters the through-window 132. For example, the vertical dimension of the through-window 132 may be made slightly smaller than the vertical dimension of the thickened portion 117, so that the thickened portion 117 that extends into the through-window 132 is compressed vertically by the inner surface of the through-window 132.

[0057] Furthermore, a bottom plate portion 134 that extends perpendicular to the axis is provided at the lower end of the small diameter portion 120, and a through hole that penetrates vertically is formed in the center of the bottom plate portion 134. This through hole constitutes the lower opening 136 of the cap holder 104.

[0058] The order in which these lock collars 94, cap 102, and cap holder 104 are assembled is not limited, but for example, the cap 102 is inserted from the upper opening (upper opening of the large diameter portion 118) 138 of the cap holder 104. As described above, the thick-walled portion 117 of the cap 102 is pressed into the small diameter portion 120 of the cap holder 104, and the thick-walled portion 117 partially fits into the through window 132, thereby positioning the cap 102 in the vertical direction relative to the cap holder 104.

[0059] Subsequently, the lock collar 94 is inserted through the upper opening 138 of the cap holder 104. At this time, the lower end of the lock collar 94 pushes the engaging protrusions 128, 128 of the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 outward, and as the lower end of the lock collar 94 overcomes the engaging protrusions 128, 128, the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 return to their original shape and deform, causing the groove 110 of the lock collar 94 to engage with the engaging protrusions 128, 128 of the cap holder 104. This restricts the insertion of the lock collar 94 into the cap holder 104. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the lower end of the peripheral wall 106 of the lock collar 94 abuts against the engaging claws 130, 130 of the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the lower end of the lock collar 94 can also be brought into contact with the engaging claws 130, 130 and the stepped portion 122 of the elastic engaging portions 126, 126, thereby limiting further insertion of the lock collar 94 into the cap holder 104.

[0060] The vertical positioning of the cap 102 and the cap holder 104 may be achieved, for example, by assembling the lock collar 94 to the cap holder 104, that is, the peripheral wall 114 of the cap 102 may be sandwiched between the locking portion 108 of the lock collar 94 and the bottom plate portion 134 of the cap holder 104 in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the lock collar 94 and the cap 102 may be assembled by inserting the upper end of the peripheral wall 114 of the cap 102 into the peripheral wall 106 of the lock collar 94, for example, the upper end of the peripheral wall 114 of the cap 102 may be supported by the threads of the female screw 112 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 106 of the lock collar 94. The assembled lock collar 94 and cap 102 may then be inserted through the upper opening 138 of the cap holder 104 to assemble the lock collar 94, cap 102, and cap holder 104.

[0061] As described above, the nozzle portion 86 of the syringe 12 is inserted into the assembled cap unit 96 from above, and the locking portion 108 of the lock collar 94 is locked into the annular recess 100 provided in the nozzle portion 86, thereby assembling the cap unit 96 to the syringe body 88 and forming the nest syringe 97. In this way, the lock collar 94, which is a separate part from the syringe body 88, is fixedly attached to the nozzle portion 86 of the syringe body 88. Furthermore, since the outer diameter of the nozzle portion 86 of the syringe body 88 is larger than the inner diameter of the cap 102 of the cap unit 96, the nozzle portion 86 is inserted into the cap 102 in a press-fit state, and the opening on the tip side (nozzle portion 86 side) of the syringe body 88 is liquid-tightly sealed by the cap 102.

[0062] Then, the cap unit 96 of the nest syringe 97 is inserted and assembled through the upper opening 25a of the transfer needle unit 82. Prior to the insertion of the cap unit 96 into the transfer needle unit 82, the syringe body 88 is filled with a dissolving solution for drug preparation, and the opening on the proximal end of the syringe body 88 is liquid-tightly sealed by the gasket 140. In this assembly of the transfer needle unit 82 and the nest syringe 97, the drug preparation device 16 of this embodiment is constructed by attaching the plunger 141 to the gasket 140 by screwing it in, etc.

[0063] When inserting the cap unit 96 into the transfer needle unit 82, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 28 of the housing member 24, which does not have a bulging portion 30 and is curved in an arc shape, and the curved surface of the large-diameter portion 118 of the cap holder 104 are superimposed radially in the outer and inner directions during insertion. This allows the insertion operation to be performed while understanding the circumferential orientation of the transfer needle unit 82 and the cap unit 96.

[0064] Here, the distance between the protruding tip portions 45b, 45b of the elastic locking pieces 44, 44 of the housing member 24 (the left-right dimension in Figure 3) is smaller than the width dimension of the bottom plate portion 134 of the cap holder 104 (the left-right dimension in Figure 3). As the cap unit 96 is inserted into the transfer needle unit 82, the protruding tip portions 45b, 45b of the elastic locking pieces 44, 44 are elastically deformed toward the outer circumference (outward in the left-right direction in Figure 3).

[0065] Then, the protruding tip portions 45b, 45b elastically return to their original shape as they move over the base plate portion 134, and the protruding tip portions 45b, 45b of the elastic locking pieces 44, 44 are inserted into the through windows 132, 132 of the cap holder 104. As a result, the base plate portion 134 is positioned below the protruding tip portions 45b, 45b of the elastic locking pieces 44, 44, and the protruding tip portions 45b, 45b and the base plate portion 134 come into contact with each other, preventing the cap unit 96 (syringe 12) from moving upward relative to the transfer needle unit 82. When the protruding tip portions 45b, 45b are inserted into the through windows 132, 132, the outer circumferential surface of the elastic engagement portion 126 and the outer circumferential surface of the elastic locking piece 44 are at approximately equal radial positions and are substantially continuous in the vertical direction.

[0066] In other words, in the housing member 24 of this embodiment, a first locking mechanism 142 is provided on the opening side (upper opening 25a side) where the syringe 12 can be attached, which allows the insertion of the cap 102 and the cap holder 104 and prevents them from coming off. In short, as shown in Figure 3, the protruding tip portions 45b, 45b of the elastic locking pieces 44, 44 in the housing member 24 elastically deform toward the outer circumference, allowing the insertion of the cap 102 and the cap holder 104, and preventing them from coming off by contacting the bottom plate portion 134 of the cap holder 104. Thus, the first locking mechanism 142 is configured to include the protruding tip portions 45b, 45b of the elastic locking pieces 44, 44. In other words, in this embodiment, the cap 102 is held in place at the syringe mounting portion 18 of the housing member 24 by the cap holder 104 and the first locking mechanism 142 (protruding tip portions 45b, 45b) attached to the nozzle portion 86 of the syringe 12.

[0067] Furthermore, in the direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the elastic locking piece 44 (the left-right direction in Figure 4), the inner wall portion 43 of the housing member 24 and the stepped portion 122 of the cap holder 104 are superimposed in the vertical direction and in contact with each other. This restricts further insertion of the cap unit 96 (syringe 12) into the transfer needle unit 82, that is, it prevents the cap unit 96 from moving downward relative to the transfer needle unit 82. As a result, the transfer needle unit 82 and the cap unit 96 (syringe 12) are positioned relative to each other in the vertical direction.

[0068] In the assembled state of the transfer needle unit 82 and the cap unit 96, the deformation limiting portions 58, 58 provided on the arms 56, 56 of the needle holding member 46 are located on the outer circumference of the engagement portion between the cap holder 104 and the lock collar 94, that is, the engagement portion between the engagement projection 128 and the groove 110. Since the walls constituting the bulging portions 30, 30 of the small diameter cylindrical portion 28 of the housing member 24 are located on the outer circumference of the arms 56, 56, deformation of the arms 56, 56 toward the outer circumference is prevented, and consequently, deformation of the elastic engagement portions 126, 126 of the cap holder 104 toward the outer circumference is also prevented. As a result, the engagement between the engagement projection 128 and the groove 110 is maintained, and the cap unit 96 (syringe 12) is prevented from detaching from the transfer needle unit 82. In other words, the connecting device 10 (drug preparation device 16) of this embodiment is provided with a holding mechanism 143 (see Figure 3) that holds the elastic engaging parts 126, 126 (engaging protrusions 128, 128) as engaging parts in an engaged state with the groove 110 of the lock collar 94. In particular, in this embodiment, the holding mechanism 143 is configured to include deformation limiting parts 58, 58 that are arranged on the outer circumference side of the elastic engaging parts 126, 126 and limit the deformation of the elastic engaging parts 126, 126 toward the outer circumference, thereby holding the elastic engaging parts 126, 126 in an engaged state with the outer surface (groove 110) of the lock collar 94.

[0069] A vial 14 is fitted into the vial mounting section 20 at the lower opening 25b of the drug preparation device 16 as described above. In this embodiment, the vial 14 comprises a bottle-shaped vial body 144, a lid member 146 made of an elastic material such as rubber that seals the opening of the vial body 144, and a ring-shaped member 148 that crimps and fixes the vial body 144 and the lid member 146 from the outer circumference. The vial body 144 is provided with a constricted portion 149 at a position separated downward from the upper end, and the lid member 146 is liquid-tightly attached to the vial body 144 by overlapping the lower end of the ring-shaped member 148 with the constricted portion 149. In addition, a thin-walled portion 150 is provided in the center of the lid member 146, which is thinner than the other parts. A powder formulation for drug preparation is placed in the vial 14 before the opening is sealed by the lid member 146.

[0070] To attach the vial 14 to the drug preparation device 16, first, the vial 14 is brought close to the lower opening 25b of the drug preparation device 16. At the lower opening 25b of the drug preparation device 16, the lower surfaces of the axial rib 76 and the inner circumferential projection 80 of the needle holding member 46 are inclined upward as they move toward the inner circumference. As a result, the vial 14 is guided to the center of the needle holding member 46 by these axial rib 76 and inner circumferential projection 80, and the downward projection 50 of the transfer needle 22 and the thin-walled portion 150 of the lid member 146 of the vial 14 are aligned vertically. Then, by further pushing and inserting the vial 14 into the drug preparation device 16, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the downward projection 50 of the transfer needle 22 punctures the thin-walled portion 150 and penetrates the thin-walled portion 150.

[0071] When inserting the vial 14 into the drug preparation device 16 and puncturing the thin-walled portion 150 of the downward projection 50 of the transfer needle 22, the contact portions 68, 68 of the second elastic piece 36 of the housing member 24 and the contact portions 68, 68 of the bottom wall 66 of the needle holding member 46 are abutted in a substantially vertical direction. This prevents the needle holding member 46 from moving upward relative to the housing member 24, allowing the downward projection 50 of the transfer needle 22 to stably puncture the thin-walled portion 150 of the lid member 146.

[0072] Then, the vial 14 is inserted all the way into the drug preparation device 16 (connecting device 10), that is, inserted until the ring-shaped member 148 or lid member 146, which is the upper end of the vial 14, abuts against the bottom wall portion 52 of the needle holding member 46. As shown in Figure 12, the ring-shaped member 148 located on the outer circumference of the vial 14 pushes the protruding tip portion of the elastic contact piece 70 on the needle holding member 46 and the second elastic piece 36 of the housing member 24 outward (both left and right sides in Figure 12), thereby releasing the contact between the second elastic piece 36 and the contact portions 68, 68. As a result, the needle holding member 46 becomes movable upward relative to the housing member 24.

[0073] With the needle holding member 46 movable upward relative to the housing member 24, the vial 14 is further pushed and inserted into the drug preparation device 16 (connecting device 10), thereby applying a pushing force to the needle holding member 46 having the transfer needle 22. As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the vial 14 and the needle holding member 46 are moved upward relative to the housing member 24. As a result, the transfer needle 22 moves toward the syringe 12, and the upward projection 48 of the transfer needle 22 punctures the occlusion portion 116 of the cap 102 covering the nozzle portion 86 of the syringe 12, penetrating the occlusion portion 116. This connects the internal space of the syringe 12 and the internal space of the vial 14 via the transfer needle 22. In other words, in this embodiment, the connecting device 10 that connects the syringe 12, which is fixedly equipped with a lock collar 94, to the vial 14, is composed of a transfer needle unit 82 (housing member 24 and needle holding member 46) and a cap unit 96 consisting of a cap 102 and a cap holder 104. When the upward projection 48 is punctured into the occlusion 116, the tapered portion 51 provided at the lower part of the upward projection 48 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the cap 102, thereby creating an airtight seal between the transfer needle 22 and the cap 102.

[0074] Then, with the syringe 12 and vial 14 connected, the plunger 141 is pushed towards the tip (downward), injecting the diluent from the syringe 12 into the vial 14. This mixes and dissolves the powder formulation in the vial 14 with the diluent, thus preparing the drug. After preparing the drug, the drug preparation device 16 is inverted and the plunger 141 is pulled towards the user's hand (downward), causing the drug in the vial 14 to be transferred into the syringe 12.

[0075] In this configuration, as shown in Figure 13, when the vial 14 is inserted into the transfer needle unit 82 and the syringe 12 and vial 14 are connected, the deformation limiting portion 58 of the needle holding member 46 is positioned above the outer circumference of the engagement portion between the cap holder 104 and the lock collar 94, i.e., the engagement portion between the engaging protrusions 128, 128 and the groove 110. This allows for elastic deformation of the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 toward the outer circumference, and the engagement between the engaging protrusions 128, 128 and the groove 110 is released as the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 undergo elastic deformation toward the outer circumference.

[0076] Furthermore, since the lock collar 94 is fixedly attached to the syringe body 88, when the syringe body 88 is pulled out from the transfer needle unit 82, the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 elastically deform outward, releasing the engagement between the engaging protrusions 128, 128 and the groove 110, and as shown in Figures 15 and 16, the lock collar 94 is pulled out from the transfer needle unit 82 together with the syringe body 88. In particular, since both the lower inner surface of the groove 110 and the lower surface of the engaging protrusions 128, 128 are inclined outward as they go downward, the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 are easily deformed outward along these inclinations.

[0077] In other words, the connecting device 10 (drug preparation device 16) of this embodiment is provided with a release mechanism 152 (see Figure 13) that releases the engagement between the elastic engagement parts 126, 126 (engagement projections 128, 128) of the holding mechanism 143 and the groove 110 of the lock collar 94 as the syringe 12 and the vial 14 are moved relatively closer together and connected by the transfer needle 22. In particular, in this embodiment, as the transfer needle 22 (needle holding member 46) is moved toward the syringe 12 and punctures the cap 102, the deformation limiting parts 58, 58 of the cap holder 104 attached to the syringe 12 move to a position where they are disengaged from the elastic engagement parts 126, 126, thereby allowing the release mechanism 152 to be established by allowing the deformation of the elastic engagement parts 126, 126 toward the outer circumference and detachment of the lock collar 94 from the groove 110.

[0078] In addition, the engaging protrusions 128, 128 and the grooves 110 are also engaged in the left-right direction in Figure 14. However, as mentioned above, the protruding volume of these engaging protrusions 128, 128 is smaller than that of the engaging protrusions 128, 128 formed on the inner circumferential surface of the elastic engaging portions 126, 126, and the engaging force with the grooves 110 is smaller. Therefore, the engagement with the grooves 110 can be forcibly released by withdrawing the syringe body 88 from the transfer needle unit 82. However, the engaging protrusions 128 formed on both the left-right sides (inner surface of the circumferential wall of the large-diameter portion 118) in Figure 14 are provided as needed to adjust the engaging force between the lock collar 94 and the grooves 110, and are not necessarily required.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, when the vial 14 is inserted into the transfer needle unit 82 and the syringe 12 and the vial 14 are connected, the locking claw 38 of the first elastic piece 34 of the housing member 24 is engaged with and locked into the constricted portion 149 of the vial body 144, and the inner circumferential projection 80 of the needle holding member 46 is in contact with the first elastic piece 34 from the outer circumferential side. As a result, even if an external force is applied to the vial 14 in the direction of removal (downward), deformation of the first elastic piece 34 toward the outer circumferential side is prevented, and the locking of the first elastic piece 34 (locking claw 38) to the vial body 144 is maintained.

[0080] In particular, as the needle holding member 46 moves upward from the housing member 24, the outer peripheral projection 72 of the needle holding member 46 is positioned above the lower end (lower opening 25b) of the housing member 24 and is locked in place. This prevents the needle holding member 46 from moving downward (moving away from the housing member 24), and stably maintains contact between the inner peripheral projection 80 and the first elastic piece 34 from the outer peripheral side. As a result, the vial 14 is prevented from coming out of the drug preparation device 16 (transfer needle unit 82).

[0081] In other words, in the housing member 24 of this embodiment, a second locking mechanism 154 is provided on the opening side (lower opening 25b side) into which the vial 14 can be inserted, which allows the insertion of the vial 14 and prevents its removal. In short, as shown in Figure 12, the insertion of the vial 14 is permitted by the elastic deformation of the second elastic piece 36 of the housing member 24 toward the outer circumference. Also, as shown in Figure 13, the removal of the vial 14 is prevented by the locking of the first elastic piece 34 onto the constricted portion 149 of the vial 14. Thus, the second locking mechanism 154 is composed of the first elastic piece 34 and the second elastic piece 36.

[0082] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the syringe 12 removed from the transfer needle unit 82 is equipped with a lock collar 94 having an internal thread 112 on its inner circumference. This allows it to be connected to a Luer lock connector (not shown) or the like, which has a male thread that engages with the internal thread 112. Through this Luer lock connector or the like, the drug contained in the syringe 12 can be administered into the patient's body.

[0083] As described above, the connecting device 10 of this embodiment is provided with a holding mechanism 143 that holds the engaging portion (elastic engaging portion 126, 126) of the cap holder 104 in an engaged state with the lock collar 94. This holding mechanism 143 is composed of deformation limiting portions 58, 58, and by limiting the elastic deformation of the elastic engaging portion 126, 126 toward the outer circumference, the deformation limiting portions 58, 58 maintain the interlocking engagement between the elastic engaging portion 126, 126 (engaging projections 128, 128) and the recessed groove 110 of the lock collar 94.

[0084] Furthermore, the connecting device 10 is provided with a release mechanism 152 that releases the retention mechanism 143 from the interlocking engagement between the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 and the grooves 110 of the lock collar 94. In this release mechanism 152, as the vial 14 is inserted into the connecting device 10, the deformation limiting portions 58, 58 move to a position away from the elastic engaging portions 126, 126, allowing elastic deformation of the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 toward the outer circumference, thereby releasing the interlocking engagement between the elastic engaging portions 126, 126 (engaging protrusions 128, 128) and the grooves 110 of the lock collar 94.

[0085] In short, since the connection and disconnection of the syringe 12 and the connecting device 10 are achieved by these holding mechanisms 143 and release mechanisms 152, it is not necessary to provide a special screw structure such as that in Patent Document 1, and the structure of the connecting device 10 and syringe 12 can be simplified. As a result, the design freedom of the shape of the connecting device 10 and syringe 12 can be improved, as can the freedom of material selection.

[0086] Furthermore, the housing member 24 is provided with a first locking mechanism 142 that allows the insertion of the cap 102 and cap holder 104 and prevents them from coming loose, as well as a second locking mechanism 154 that allows the insertion of the vial 14 and prevents it from coming loose. This prevents the cap 102 and cap holder 104 and the vial 14 from unintentionally falling out of the connecting device 10 (housing member 24). Also, when the nest syringe 97 is assembled to the connecting device 10 to form the drug preparation device 16, the cap 102 and cap holder 104 are fixed to the housing member 24 and their detachment is prevented, so the syringe 12 can be removed with the lock collar 94 attached by pulling out the syringe body 88. In other words, when the syringe 12 is pulled out from the connecting device 10, the cap 102 and cap holder 104, which are prevented from coming loose by the first locking mechanism 142, remain inside the housing member 24.

[0087] In other words, in this embodiment, when the syringe 12 is detached from the syringe mounting section 18, the cap 102 separated from the nozzle section 86 of the syringe 12 is retained in the syringe mounting section 18 by the first locking mechanism 142 via the cap holder 104. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cap retention mechanism is configured by the first locking mechanism 142 to hold the cap 102 in the attached state to the nozzle section 86 when the syringe 12 is attached to the syringe mounting section 18, and to hold the cap 102 separated from the nozzle section 86 in the syringe mounting section 18 when the syringe 12 is detached from the syringe mounting section 18. The holding and retention of the cap 102 is achieved by the cap retention mechanism (first locking mechanism 142) via the cap holder 104. This eliminates the need to remove the cap 102 from the syringe 12 when connecting the syringe 12 to a Luer lock connector or the like after it has been withdrawn. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the user from accidentally coming into contact with the cap 102, which may have medication or other substances attached to it, after withdrawing the syringe 12.

[0088] A drug preparation device 16, which is constructed by combining a syringe 12 with such a connecting device 10, can also exhibit the above effects. In particular, in the drug preparation device 16 of this embodiment, since the syringe body 88 and the lock collar 94 are separate parts, the shape of the syringe body 88 can be made simpler, and for example, the syringe body 88 can be made of glass. Alternatively, a commercially available glass syringe body can be used as the syringe body 88 for the drug preparation device 16.

[0089] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited by its specific description.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the holding mechanism 143 was configured to include deformation limiting parts 58, 58 that limit the elastic deformation of the engaging parts (elastic engaging parts 126, 126) toward the outer circumference, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the outer surface of the lock collar may be provided with an axial groove that opens downward and extends axially, and a circumferential groove that extends circumferentially from the upper end of the axial groove, and the engaging part provided on the cap holder may be inserted from the lower opening of the axial groove, and the lock collar may be rotated relative to the cap holder with the engaging part positioned at the upper end of the axial groove to insert the engaging part into the circumferential groove, thereby causing the engaging part of the cap holder and the lock collar to engage with each other. Furthermore, for example, in the initial state, the circumferential and axial movement of the engaging part in the groove may be restricted by a movement limiting part provided on the arm of the needle holding member, thereby maintaining the engaged state, and the movement of the needle holding member accompanying the insertion of the vial may release the restriction on the movement of the engaging part in the groove, thereby releasing the engagement between the engaging part of the cap holder and the lock collar. In other words, the release of the engagement between the engaging portion of the cap holder and the lock collar is not limited to a manner in which the engaging portion elastically deforms toward the outer circumference, but may also be achieved by the engaging portion moving in the vertical or circumferential direction. In such cases, for example, a holding mechanism is configured to maintain the engaged state, including a movement-restricting portion provided at the protruding tip of the arm portion of the needle-holding member, and a release mechanism is configured to release the engagement state held by the holding mechanism as the movement-restricting portion moves. Furthermore, when the cap holder and the lock collar are rotated relative to each other, it is preferable to rotate the syringe and the cap holder relative to each other with the lock collar fixed to the syringe, and in this case, it is preferable that the lock collar is fixed to the syringe body so as not to rotate.

[0091] Furthermore, the recess (groove 110) of the lock collar 94 and the protrusion (engaging protrusion 128) provided on the elastic engaging portion 126 may be arranged in opposite directions, or the lock collar may have a protrusion and the elastic engaging piece may have a recess. These recesses and / or protrusions do not need to be provided over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction; it is sufficient that the recesses and protrusions are provided at least at mutually corresponding positions in the circumferential direction.

[0092] Furthermore, although the syringe body 88 was made of glass in the above embodiment, the syringe body may be made of synthetic resin. Also, although the syringe body 88 and the lock collar 94 were separate parts in the above embodiment, for example, the syringe body and the lock collar may be formed as a single molded product made of synthetic resin.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the needle holding member 46 and the double-ended needle (transfer needle 22) were formed as an integrally molded product of synthetic resin, but they may be formed separately and then fixed together, or formed by insert molding or multi-color molding. In that case, the double-ended needle may be formed of, for example, metal.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the engaging projection 128 of the elastic engaging portion 126 engaged with the outer circumferential surface (groove 110) of the lock collar 94, and the deformation limiting portion 58 contacted the outer circumferential side of the engaging portion, thereby preventing the lock collar 94 from coming off the cap holder 104. However, if the deformation limiting portion restricts the deformation of the engaging portion toward the outer circumferential side and the engagement is not released, the position of the engaging portion is not limited to the outer circumferential surface of the lock collar, but may be, for example, the upper end of the peripheral wall of the lock collar. In that case, the engaging portion may be claw-shaped or hook-shaped to engage with the upper end of the peripheral wall of the lock collar.

[0095] Furthermore, the drug preparation device according to the present invention only needs to have a configuration in which a syringe body equipped with a lock collar is combined with a connecting device, and for example, the embodiment shown in Figure 9 above can also be the drug preparation device according to the present invention. With such an embodiment of the drug preparation device, it is possible to inject any liquid into the syringe body and then use or provide it by attaching a separately prepared gasket or a gasket with a plunger. In addition, when providing the device, the connecting device and the syringe body equipped with a lock collar may be provided in a separate state. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 10 Connecting device 12 syringes 14 vials 16. Devices for drug preparation 18 Syringe attachment area 20 vial mounting section 22 Transfer needle (double-ended needle) 24 Housing components 25a Upper opening 25b Lower opening 26 Large diameter cylindrical section 28 Small diameter cylinder part 30 Bulge 32 Annular wall section 34 First Elastic Piece 36. Second elastic piece 38 Locking claws 40 circumferential ribs 42 Axial ribs 43 Inner wall 44 Elastic locking piece 45a Protruding base end part 45b Protruding tip part 46 Needle holding member 48 Upper protrusion 50 Downward protrusion 51 Tapered section 52 Bottom wall section 54 Peripheral wall section 56 Arm 58 Deformation limiting section 60 Through hole 62 Fitting projection 64 Containment Area 66 Bottom wall 68 Contact part 70 Elastic contact piece 72 Outer peripheral projection 74 Axial groove 76 Axial ribs 78 Lower opening 80 Inner peripheral protrusion 82. Transfer needle unit 86 Nozzle section 88 Syringe body 94 Rock Color 96 Cap Unit 97 Nest Syringe 98 Barrel section 100 Annular recess 102 Cap 104 Cap Holder 106 Peripheral wall 108 Locking part 110 groove 112 Female thread 114 Peripheral wall 116 Occlusion 117 Thick wall part 118 Large diameter section 120 Small diameter section 122 Stepped section 124 slits 126 Elastic engagement portion (engagement portion) 128 Engagement protrusion 130 Engaging claw portion 132 Through-window 134 Bottom plate part 136 Lower opening 138 Upper opening 140 Gasket 141 Plunger 142 First locking mechanism (cap retention mechanism) 143 Retention mechanism 144 vial body 146 Lid member 148 Ring-shaped member 149 Constriction 150 Thin-walled section 152 Release mechanism 154 Second locking mechanism

Claims

1. A cap unit that connects a syringe and a vial by being attached to the nozzle portion of the syringe, with a double-ended needle movably incorporated into it, and a vial mounting portion provided on one opening side of a cylindrical housing member, and being attached to the other opening side of the housing member, A lock collar fixed to the nozzle portion of the syringe, A cap that is attached to the nozzle portion from the tip side and covers the opening of the nozzle portion, A cylindrical cap holder that is positioned axially relative to the lock collar, thereby holding the cap in a covering state over the nozzle portion, including, The cap is provided with a thick-walled section with an enlarged outer diameter. The cap holder is provided with a bottom plate portion that overlaps the outer circumference of the tip surface of the cap, and a through-window that penetrates the peripheral wall of the cap holder. A cap unit in which the thickened portion of the cap fits into the through-window of the cap holder, thereby positioning the cap axially relative to the cap holder.

2. The cap unit according to claim 1, wherein the cap holder has an engaging portion that engages with the lock collar in the axial direction.

3. A nesting syringe comprising a cap unit according to claim 1 or 2, attached to the nozzle portion of a glass syringe.

Images