The present invention relates to a device for dispensing and applying with precision adhesive from a vial or ampoule with deformable walls and an adhesive dispensing kit that includes said applicator device.

In particular, the present invention refers to a device that can apply with precision an adhesive for medical use in cases such as the joining of biological tissue for closing wounds, the fixing of implants in surgical repair treatments, as a sealant of blood vessels and viscera to prevent seepage of the fluids they transport, or as a hemostatic.

Background of the invention

The principal use of medical adhesives for closing wounds is well-known. These adhesives are normally applied in the form of a fine continuous film over the edges of the wound previously brought together. The same adhesives can be used for fixing meshes in surgical treatments for hernia repair. In this case, the adhesive is applied by depositing a drop between the structure of the mesh and the biological tissue to which it must be fixed.

Medical adhesives are normally low-viscosity liquids with a high affinity for the tissue and which wet it very easily. Some of these adhesives are commercialised in vials or ampoules made of plastic material with walls that can be deformed to allow dispensing of the adhesive. The product of the Histoacryl® brand of the B.Braun group is one example of this type of adhesive commercialised in plastic vials or ampoules. The plastic material that constitute the ampoules or vials of the Histoacryl® brand have an appropriate thickness and density to help guarantee the product's stability and provide the walls of the container with the appropriate degree of flexibility and module to facilitate the controlled application of the film or drop by drop application of the adhesive through the discharge mouth of the container itself.

The plastic vials or ampoules such as those of the Histoacryl® brand are very suitable for external application with easy access on the part of the user. However, these same vials or ampoules are not very suitable for use in areas of difficult access in open surgery processes, given that the discharge mouth of the vial or ampoule does not have either the length, or the rigidity, or the spatial shape necessary for reaching the internal anatomical structures on which the adhesive needs to be applied, such as for example, in the fixing of a mesh during hernia repair surgery.

The state of the art is familiar with devices for applying medical adhesives, which present the advantage of facilitating the user's application of the adhesive.

Patent documents EP1633255, EP2269517 and EP1799609 describe some of these devices which present the particular feature of being based on breaking the glass walls of a vial or ampoule that is disposed in a housing having flexible walls. Once the vial or ampoule is broken, the compression of the flexible walls of the housing enables dispensing of the adhesive through a filter and a cannula. The device of patent document EP1799609 is especially appropriate for use in areas of difficult access in open surgery operations.

The devices of the aforesaid patents present the disadvantage of having to use filters to avoid exposing the patient to pieces of broken glass from the vial or ampoule. Another disadvantage presented by said devices lies in the fact that they are one-use only, since once the glass ampoule or vial has been broken and the adhesive supplied, the device is unusable for a new use.

Description of the invention

The object of the present invention is to resolve the disadvantages of the devices in the state of the art through the development of a device for applying adhesive and an adhesive dispensing kit that present the advantages described hereafter.

Pursuant to this objective, according to a first aspect, the present invention provides a device for applying adhesive from a vial or ampoule with deformable walls that comprises a body provided with a cavity for housing said vial or ampoule, a cannula to guide the discharge of adhesive from said vial or ampoule and means for actuating the walls of said vial or ampoule, said actuator means being capable of exerting a compression force on said vial or ampoule to dispense said adhesive. The device is characterised in that the body comprises an aperture that is configured to allow said vial or ampoule to be inserted in the aforesaid housing cavity, the cannula of said device including a joining portion associated to said body, said joining portion of the cannula being provided with means for coupling the discharge mouth of said vial or ampoule, said vial or ampoule being capable of being decoupled from said cannula and extracted from the aforesaid aperture to carry out a replacement.

Pursuant to the same objective, according to a second aspect, the present invention provides an adhesive dispensing kit characterised in that it comprises the claimed applicator device and a vial or ampoule of adhesive that contains, preferably, liquid adhesive for medical use for application in the joining of biological human or animal tissues, in the fixing of implants or as a hemostatic.

The device of the present invention presents the advantage of it being possible to introduce and extract the vial or ampoule through an aperture, and to couple or decouple it from the joining portion of the cannula, using the coupling means that the cannula is provided with. Thanks to this, the same device can be used with a plurality of vials or ampoules, which translates into a very significant financial saving in respect of other devices in the state of the art which are one- use only.

Another advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that it provides a sterile applicator device capable of being used with vials or ampoules having deformable walls, such as the vials or ampoules of the Histoacryl® brand of the B.Braun group. Thanks to this device, said vials or ampoules with deformable walls, which up until now were only used for external applications, can be used in internal surgery processes since the cannula of the device is much better suited than the discharge mouth of the vial or ampoule to allow greater depth of access to the internal anatomical structures through the performed incision. According to a preferred embodiment, said aperture for the insertion of the vial or ampoule is provided at one end of said body, the cannula of the device including a joining portion that can be coupled in a removably manner to said open end, said vial or ampoule being capable of being extracted through said open end together with the cannula, in order to carry out a replacement.

This embodiment presents the advantage that the open end is configured such that the vial can be extracted in a very convenient way upon removing the cannula, once use of the device has ended, allowing both the cannula and the vial to be replaced in a single operation.

Also, this embodiment makes it possible to provide a dispensing kit with a spare cannula that can be coupled to said body and two vials or ampoules of adhesive, in such a way that both the cannula and the vial can be replaced in the event of becoming unusable.

According to the same preferred embodiment, preferably said actuator means comprise a pair of actuator elements opposite each other with relative movement in respect of said body, said actuator elements being capable of exerting pressure on two opposite walls of said vial or ampoule, each of said actuator elements comprising a compression tooth of said vial or ampoule, the compression teeth of said actuator elements determining two pressure points opposite each other through which deformation of the walls of said vial is carried out. It has been observed that the pressure exerted locally on the aforesaid pressure points, due to their limited section, facilitates the pumping of the adhesive from the vial or ampoule as less effort is required to achieve the pressure of expulsion, guaranteeing in turn the supply of accurate doses of adhesive, which is especially appropriate when working with vials or ampoules that contain liquid adhesive for medical use.

Advantageously, said actuator means comprise a tightening pincer that is mounted on a support inside said body, the arms of said pincer configuring said pair of actuator elements, said support acting as a pivot support for said arms, the body of said device being provided with a pair of apertures through which the arms of said pincer emerge to be actuated, a portion of each one of said arms being disposed in correspondence with the cavity for housing said vial or ampoule.

This configuration is very practical to manufacture, at the same time as it provides an ergonomic design of the body which facilitates the manipulation of the device, in addition to the extraction and insertion of the vial or ampoule from the aforesaid housing cavity.

Again advantageously, the internal edge of the portion of each one of the arms of the tightening pincer comprises one of said compression teeth and an element that acts as a stop for said vial or ampoule, said elements that act as a stop facilitating the securing of said vial or ampoule when said compression teeth deform the walls of said vial or ampoule.

This detail once again contributes to ensuring the precise supply of the amount of liquid adhesive, given that while compression is carried out to pump the adhesive using the aforesaid teeth, said elements that act as a stop preventing the movement of the vial or ampoule.

Again advantageously, the housing cavity of said body comprises a support element for the base of said vial or ampoule and lateral guide tracks to guide the position of said vial or ampoule.

These details of the housing cavity help to fix the position of the vial or ampoule, facilitating control of the pumping of the adhesive.

According to the same preferred embodiment, the joining portion of the cannula comprises a wall for insertion in the opening of the end of said body, said insertion wall and the wall that defines the aperture of said end including mutual engaging means for safe coupling. Advantageously, the wall that defines the aperture of said end includes a longitudinal groove for the insertion of one projection of the cannula, the same wall of said end including a transversal groove associated to said longitudinal groove to allow the engaging of said projection upon turning the cannula in respect of said end. It is important to guarantee safe coupling of the cannula to the body of the device, given that, as already mentioned, the device is especially indicated for allowing access to internal anatomical structures in internal surgical processes where minimum risk must be guaranteed.

Advantageously, the coupling means of the discharge mouth of said vial or ampoule comprise a cavity in the joining portion of the cannula sized to allow adjustment of the discharge mouth of said vial or ampoule.

In this way, it is very easy to couple and decouple the vial or ampoule in the cannula. Again advantageously, the body of said device comprises two detachable body portions to allow access to the housing cavity of the vial.

Preferably, the free end of the cannula comprises a bend that configures a curve. The curved shape of the tip facilitates manoeuvrability between the different structures by increasing the angle of coverage of adhesive application due to its curved tip. Again preferably, the tip of the cannula presents a section of a lower size so that it can be cut.

In this way, if the tip of the cannula becomes blocked with adhesive during use, said tip can be cut so as to continue dispensing the adhesive.

Advantageously, said body comprises a side window situated in correspondence with the housing cavity of said vial or ampoule, said window making it possible to see the level of adhesive of the vial or ampoule.

In the present invention, cannula shall be understood to mean, preferably, a tube with a length of equal to or more than 5 cm to guide the discharge of adhesive from the vial or ampoule. Again preferably, said tube will be sterile and appropriate for supplying adhesive in surgery operations. Advantageously, said cannula will be transparent to carry out better dispensing.

In the present invention, a vial or ampoule with deformable walls shall be understood to mean, preferably, a vial or ampoule provided with walls whose material, advantageously plastic, possess a degree of flexibility and module suitable for facilitating the controlled application of the adhesive, preferably, in the form of a film or drop by drop, through the discharge mouth of said vial or ampoule, by exerting a force of pressure on said vial or ampoule.

Brief description of the drawings

For a better understanding of what has been described a set of drawings is attached which, schematically and only by way of a non-limiting example, represent a practical case of embodiment. In said drawings, figure 1 shows a view in perspective of an embodiment of the device of the present invention in a position of use. figure 2 shows a side view of a portion of the body of the device of figure 1 and of the tightening pincer that acts on the walls of the vial or ampoule. figure 3 shows a longitudinal section of the cannula of the device of figure 1 . figure 4 shows a view in perspective of the inside of the device of figure 1 in which the position of the vial inside the housing cavity can be appreciated. figures 5 to 8 show a plurality of schematic views representing the sequence of steps to insert and extract the vial or ampoule from the device. figure 9 represents an adhesive dispensing kit that includes the device of figure 1 , two cannulas and two vials or ampoules of adhesive.

Description of a preferred embodiment

Next is a description of a preferred embodiment of the device for applying adhesive of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 shows an external view in perspective of an embodiment of the device 1 which comprises a body 2 with a substantially cylindrical shape that is provided with a housing cavity for a vial or ampoule with deformable walls, a cannula 3 or tube of approximately 7 cm to guide the discharge of adhesive from said vial or ampoule, and actuator means on the walls of said vial or ampoule that are configured by a tightening pincer 4.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the aforesaid pincer 4 mounted on a support 5 of the inside of the body 2. This pincer 4 presents two opposite arms 6 which act as actuator elements of the walls of the vial or ampoule. These arms 6 emerge from a pair of apertures 7 of the body so that they can be actuated by the user. The arms 6 can move in respect of the support 5, which acts as a pivot, to exert a force of compression on the walls of the vial or ampoule and dispense the adhesive.

In the same figure 2 the housing cavity 8 of the vial or ampoule can be appreciated inside the body 2. This cavity 8 includes a supporting element 9 for the base of the vial or ampoule, in addition to a pair of lateral guide tracks 10 to guide the position of said vial or ampoule. In the described embodiment, the body 2 is made up of two detachable portions, which define at their ends 2a an aperture 1 1 through which the vial or ampoule can be inserted and extracted. In the aforesaid aperture 1 1 a joining portion 3a of the cannula 3 is coupled in a detachable manner which guides the discharge of adhesive. Figure 3 shows a section of said joining portion 3a of the cannula 3 and of a conduit 12 of the same cannula 3 for evacuation of the adhesive.

As shown in figure 3, the section of conduit 12 gradually decreases towards the tip of the cannula 3 to facilitate cutting of the cannula 3 in the event of blockage during use. The free end of the conduit 12 comprises a bend 13 that configures a curve in the tip of the cannula 3 to facilitate manoeuvrability of the device 1 , while the opposite end of the same conduit 12 comprises an extension that defines a cavity 12a inside portion 3a to allow adjustment of the discharge mouth of the vial or ampoule.

To ensure safe coupling of the cannula 3 in the body 2, joining portion 3a of the cannula 3 presents an insertion wall 14 with a pair of projections 15 to engage in grooves 16a, 16b of the walls that define the aperture 1 1 of the body 2. In figure 2 one of said grooves 16b can be appreciated which runs transversally in the wall of a portion of the body 2 to allow engaging of the projection 15 when the cannula 3 is turned in respect of said body 2. In reference again to the pincer 4 shown in figure 2, it can be seen that a portion of the arms 6 of said pincer 4 is disposed in correspondence with the housing cavity 8 of the vial or ampoule. The internal edge of the portion of each one of the arms 6 includes a compression tooth 17 and an element 18 that acts as a stop for the vial or ampoule. As mentioned in the description of the invention, the compression teeth 17 of the arms 6 determine two opposite pressure points through which deformation of the walls of the vial or ampoule is achieved, while the elements 18 that act as a stop determine two securing points that prevent the movement of the vial or ampoule while compression is carried out for pumping of the adhesive. Thanks to this, the supply of liquid is carried out in a very precise manner.

Figure 4 shows a view in perspective of the inside of the device 1 with a vial or ampoule 19 of adhesive disposed in the position of use. In the embodiment described, the vial or ampoule 19 contains liquid adhesive for medical use, preferably, a polymerisable adhesive, for application in the joining of biological human or animal tissues, in the fixing of implants or as a hemostatic. Specifically, it is a vial or ampoule 19 of adhesive commercialised with the Histoacryl® brand of the B.Braun group. The walls of this vial or ampoule 19 are made of plastic and have an appropriate thickness and density to help ensure the stability of the product and to provide the container with a degree of flexibility and module that facilitates the controlled application of the adhesive. As can be seen in the aforesaid figure 4, the vial or ampoule 19 has a discharge mouth 20 which is coupled to the inside of the cavity 12a of the joining portion 3a of the cannula, and a sealing base 19a which is supported on the supporting element 9 of the housing cavity 8.

In the position of use shown in figure 4, the vial or ampoule 19 is positioned between the arms 6 of the pincer 4, ready for being pressed by the compression teeth 17 of said arms 6 while the elements 18 that act as a stop retain in position said vial or ampoule 19.

Next is a description of the functioning or mode of use of the claimed device 1 with reference to drawings 5 to 8.

In the first instance, the discharge mouth 20 of the vial or ampoule 19 is opened and said discharge mouth 20 is inserted in the cavity 12a of the joining portion 3a of the cannula 3 (see figure 5). Once the vial or ampoule 19 is secured in the cannula 3, this vial or ampoule 19 is introduced inside the body 2 of the device 1 through the aperture 1 1 provided in the end 2a of the same body 2 (see figure 6).

As previously mentioned, the joining portion 3a of the cannula 3 is coupled to the aperture 1 1 by means of an insertion wall 14 that has a pair of projections 15 to engage in the grooves 16a, 16b provided in the walls of the end 2a of the body 2. In figure 6 a first longitudinal groove 16a can be seen which allows the insertion of a projection 15, and a second transversal groove 16b which allows the engaging of the same projection 15 when the cannula 3 is turned approximately 90° clockwise, as shown in figure 7.

Once the joining section 3a of the cannula 3 is safely coupled, the device 1 is ready for use, and the adhesive can be supplied by exerting a slight pressure on the opposite walls of the vial or ampoule 19, by means of the compression teeth 17 of the arms 6. In the described embodiment, to appreciate the level of adhesive in the vial or ampoule 19, a window 21 has been provided in the body 2. Once the content of the vial or ampoule 19 has finished, said vial or ampoule 19 is extracted through the aperture 1 1 together with the cannula 3 in order to carry out a replacement. To this effect, the cannula 3 is made to turn in an anti-clockwise direction until the projections 15 of the insertion wall 14 of said cannula 3 engage in the longitudinal groove 16a of the end 2a of the body 2, and the cannula 3 can be extracted (see figure 8).

The device 1 of the present invention will be supplied preferably in the form of a sterile dispensing kit 22 with two cannulas 3 and two vials or ampoules 19 of adhesive in order to perform several uses during the same surgical process (see figure 9).

Despite the fact that reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the described device 1 is capable of numerous variations and modifications, and that all mentioned details can be replaced by others which are technically equivalent, without leaving the scope of protection defined by the attached claims. For example, although in the present embodiment the device 1 comprises a body 2 with an aperture 1 1 at one end 2a, similar results could be obtained if the device 1 had the aperture for extraction and insertion of the vial or ampoule 19 in a side of the body 2. Similarly, although in the present embodiment reference has been made to the use of a vial or ampoule 19 with deformable walls of the Histoacryl® brand, similar results could be obtained with another type of vial or ampoule having likewise deformable walls with a degree of flexibility and module that facilitated the controlled application of the film or drop by drop application of the adhesive for medical use, and a discharge mouth 20 capable of adapting to the cannula 3.