The present invention relates to a so-called cannula destructor or a device for removing a cannula from its holder by moving the cannula relative to the holder and for collecting at least the removed cannula and its holder, and preferably also other medical wastes such as injection needles, lancets, scalpels, cotton wool swabs, etc. The cannula destructor includes, in a man¬ ner known per se, a closable storage container having mounted therein a cannula loosening mechanism provided with latching means for holding the cannula firmly, so as to enable the cannula to be removed from its holder in a manner such as to capture the cannula in the clos¬ able or sealable container.

Sampling cannulas? or sampling needles are used to a very large extent in the medical treatment of patients, for example when taking blood samples with the aid of vacuum sampling tubes or some other form of sampling device provided with a needle or cannula. Because used sampling cannulas are highly infectious, it is neces¬ sary to be able to remove the used cannula from its holder in a manner which is completely safe from the aspect of cannula contact/or the risk of infection.

In order to be able to remove a cannula or needle from its holder, it is necessary to effect relative movement between the cannula and its holder, or vice versa, irrespective of whether the cannula is secured to its sleeve-like or cylindrical holder by being pressed firmly thereinto or a cylindrical cannula holder or by being screwed firmly thereon. Furthermore, since each used and therewith consumed cannula forms that part of

a sampling device which primarily is able to transmit infection through the blood that often remains in and on the cannula, it is necessary to be able to handle the cannula and to remove it from its holder in a man- ner which is completely safe from the aspect of infec¬ tion/injury.

When removing a used cannula from its holder, it is normal to return the cannula to the protective sleeve in which the cannula is kept prior to its use as a sampling cannula. This task of returning a used cannula to its protective sheath or sleeve reguires the person using the cannula to have good eyesight, well-adapted concentration and the ability to coordinate his or her actions, in order to be able to insert the cannula into its sheath in a safe and positive manner, notwith¬ standing the surrounding stressful atmosphere to which the person is normally subjected. The fact that this task of inserting a used cannula into its sheath is not so simple as might be believed is evidenced, unfor¬ tunately, by the suprisingly large number of times that the person taking a sample suffers injury by pricking or piercing themselves with the needle concerned, therewith subjecting himself to the risk of infection.

Thus, the need to be able to remove a cannula from its holder without risk of complications has been recog¬ nised and devices by means of which a cannula can be removed from its holder or carrier in a manner which escapes personal contact with the cannula itself, to a greater or lesser extent, are known to the art. With regard to the known prior art, reference can be made to the U.S. Patent Specification Nos. 4.375.849 and 4.667.821. These known devices comprise a container which is provided with a lid or cap having a shoulder-

forming opening configured as a locking means for hol¬ ding the cannula firmly to the container. These devices enable the cannula to be rotated free from its contain¬ er, by rotating or twisting the container relative to the cannula holder, which is held firmly in the other hand. In the case of the device taught by the latter U.S. Patent Specification, the container cap is rotat- able in relation to the container and the cannula is released by rotating the cannula holder and the cap relative to the container held firmly in one hand, until the cannula holder has been rotated free from its cannula. With both of these known so-called cannula destructors, there is a risk that the loosened cannula will not be released from its cannula holder and will instead accompany the holder when it is lifted from the container. In cases such as these, it is necessary to poke the cannula loose from its holder, or remove the cannula in some other way, so that the cannula will fall down into the container. This creates a degree of unsureness in the use of these known cannula destruc¬ tors, which are felt to be quite unsatisfactory and therewith require the user to be careful and attentive when using such devices, in order not to place himself at unnecessary risk.

Another drawback with these known cannula destructors is that the locking means is located relatively close to the edge, wherein lies the reason for the aforesaid injuries caused by needle pricks, etc., which also creates a degree of unsureness when using these cannula destructors. A further drawback is that because such devices must be held in the hand, only a relatively small container space can be provided for storing mate¬ rial other than the actual cannula itsel , and thus the container has no space for other types of medical,

infectious waste, and consequently other waste con¬ tainers must be used for the safe-keeping of such other infectious waste.

Despite the small storage capacity of these known can¬ nula destructors, the destructors take up a relatively large amount of space with regard to their transport¬ ation and storage, which is another deficiency of the known destructors. Hitherto, all attempts to recitify this deficiency have been unsuccessful, which is not so difficult to understand when considering what is ac¬ tually desired to be achieve, namely a cannula destruc¬ tor which has a large storage volume and which, at the same time, will require the smallest possible space when stored and when transported from manufacturer to user, possibly via an intermediary.

Consequently, the object of the present invention is to provide a cannula destructor which has a large storage volume and which, at the same time, occupies only a small amount of space when stored and when transported, and which is also so configured as to prevent the occurrence of injuries from needle-pricks or the like when removing a cannula from its holder, and which will enable the cannula to be removed from its holder in a completely contactless manner without complications.

This object is achieved in accordance with the present invention with a cannula destructor having the char- acteristic features set forth in the following Claims.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fiσure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the inven- tive cannula destructor, partly in section, Fiσure 2 is

a view of the embodiment sho. in Figure 1 from above Fiσure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III, Fiσure 4 illustrates the cannula release mechanism of the cannula destructor shown in Figure 2 in larger scale, Fiσure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V in Figure 4, and Fiσures 6 and 7 illustrate various stages in the release of a cannula from respective holders into which the cannula is firmly pressed or onto which the cannula is firmly screwed.

The inventive cannula destructor includes a container l comprising a container casing 4 which is open at both ends 2 and 3 thereof, a bottom 5 which functions as a removable cover member, and a cap 7 which is detachably suspended on the underside 6 of the bottom 5 and which functions to close the open end 2 of the container. The container casing 4 is a one-piece structure and includ¬ es frustoconical sections, namely a base section 8, an intermediate section 9 and a top section 10, with a conicity which increases in a direction away from the base section 8, a cylindrical neck portion 11, and finally a frustoconical top section 12, the base of which faces in a direction opposite to the casing sec¬ tions 8-10 and forms a circumferentially extending, protective collar 13 which projects outwardly from the cylindrical neck portion. The cylindrical neck portion 11, together with adjacent sections 10, 12, forms a comfortably gripped hand-grip 14 by means of which the container 1 can be held by hand, the hand holding the container being protected by the overlying protective collar 13 against being pierced or pricked by the can¬ nula.

In a region contiguous with or adjacent to the junction 15 between the two sections 9 and 10, the container

casing 4 has an internal diameter which may con¬ veniently correspond to the largest outer diameter of the top section 12, with the container bottom 5 re¬ moved, therewith enabling the container casing to be stacked on to of or within another, similar container casing 4, as illustrated in chain lines 16 in Figure 1, due to the conical configuration of the various con¬ tainer sections beneath the cylindrical neck part 10. The stackability of the inventive container casing greatly decreases the space required when transporting and storing cannula destructors constructed in accord¬ ance with the invention. The detachable container bot¬ toms 5 with rotably locked caps 7 can be stored and transported appropriately in separate packages.

In the case of the Figure 3 embodiment, each container bottom 5, forming said cover member, includes a σircum- ferentially extending collar 17 which presents a cir- cumferentially extending groove 18 formed on the inner surface thereof. The configuration of this groove cor¬ responds fully or partially with the configuration of a circumferential, external bead 19 on the outer surface of the lower part of the container casing. When fitting the bottom 5 to the container casing 4, the groove 18 is brought over the bead 19, so as to obtain a snap- over coupling of the bottom 5 to the container casing 4 in a shape-bonded and/or friction-bonded fashion. It will be understood, however, that the bottom 5 can be detachably locked to the container casing 4 with the aid of other types of snap-locking arrangements, see for instance Figure 1, without departing from the scope of the invention. The bottom 5 has a raised configura¬ tion and exhibits a downwardly directed cylindrical centre-part 20 on which the cap 7 is detachably secured with the aid of a snap-lock obtained through gripping

coaction between hook-like members 21 disposed com¬ pletely or partially around the inside of the collar 22 on the cap 7 and a fully or partially circumferential bead 23 located on the lower part of the centre-part 20 of said bottom. The bead 23 and/or the hook-like members may be configured circu ferentially and prefer¬ ably at least primarily the bead 23. For the purpose of facilitating removal of the cap 7 from the bottom centre-part 20, the cap is provided with at least one flexible flap 24, which is preferably provided with a nob and which projects outwardly from the upper part of the collar 22 on said cap 7, this flap enabling the cap 7 to be readily pulled free from the centre-part 20.

The end surface 25 of the centre-part 20 shall be lo¬ cated at such an inwardly drawn distance from a common support surface 27 formed by the support surfaces 26 of the container bottom that, when applied to the centre- part 20, the end surface 28 of the cap 7 will be lo- cated in said support plane and thus function as an additional support surface for the container 1, or slightly inwardly of said support plane 27, as illus¬ trated in Figures 1 and 3. The container bottom 5 is provided on the inner surface thereof with a number of stiffening and strengthening flanges 29 which extend radially and outwardly from the centre of the container bottom and which function to stabilize the bottom 5.

For the purpose of avoiding cutting or tear damage which at least some of the articles for which the con¬ tainer 1 is intended are liable to incur, the bottom section 8 of the container will preferably have an internal diameter which is greater than the longest length of those objects which are liable to give rise to cuts or tear damage on or in the container 1 during

storage or in the event of the container being dropped. The bottom section 8 is also the section which has the smallest conicity. Furthermore, because of its con¬ figuration, the inventive container has the advantage that if, in spite of its wide bottom - which imparts stability to the container and makes it difficult for the container to topple, the container should topple or be toppled in some way or another, the risk of the contents of the container falling therefrom will be minimal, even though the container should be relatively full.

In the case of the illustrated exemplifying embodiment of the invention, a contributory factor in this respect is that provided within the container, and more speci¬ fically in the proximity of or adjacent the neck part 11, is a wall part 30 which is formed integerally with the container casing 4 and which completely covers the neck part 11 internally. This wall part 30 is configur- ed with or has provided therein a relatively large waste hole 30 through which objects to be scrapped, such as used needles, cannula holders, lancets, scal¬ pels, swabs, etc. can be inserted into the container, and also a cannula release mechanism which is generally referenced 32 and which is illustrated more clearly in Figures 4 and 5 and the manner of operation of which is illustrated more clearly in Figures 6 and 7.

In principle, this mechanism includes two keyhole- shaped locking devices 33 and 34 which are located one above the other and which can be rotated relative to one another through 180°. The top locking device is formed in a separately manufactured bit 36 which fits into a recess 35 in the wall part 30 and which is firm- ly anchored in said recess, e.g. glued. The larger,

substantially circular hole-part 37 of the top keyhole¬ like locking device 33 can be seen from above, as is also its slot-like hole-part 38, whereas the sub¬ stantially circular hole-part 39 of the bottom keyhole- like locking device 34 is located beneath the slot-like hole-part 38 of the top locking device and its slot¬ like hole-part 40 extends in beneath the substantially circular whole-part 37 of the top locking device, wherein there is formed beneath the circular hole-part 37 two mutually opposing stop shoulders 41, while cor¬ responding stop shoulders 42 are located above the substantially circular hole-part 39 of the bottom lock¬ ing device. Located between each opposing pairs of stop shoulders 41 and 42 respectively is a gap whose width shall correspond to or be slightly smaller than the external diameter of the fitting 45 by means of which a cannula 43 is connected to its holder 44, immediately beneath its stop flange 46, and substantially smaller than the external diameter of said stop flange, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, so that the stop shoulders 41 and 42 respectively will prevent a cannula from passing therebetween.

The substantially circular hole-part 37, visible from above, may suitably have a conical countersink, so as to form a guide towards the actual hole 37 itself and so as to facilitate introduction of a cannula into the release mechanism 32.

Figure 6 illustrates the removal from a holder 44 of a cannula 43 which has been firmly pressed onto the holder. The cannula 43 is inserted into the upper cir¬ cular hole-part 37 of the release mechanism and beneath the slot-like hole-part 40, until the stop flange 46 of the cannula is stopped against the stop shoulders 41.

The holder 44, with cannula 43, is then moved to the right in Figure 6, to the position shown in Figure 6c in which the cannula 43 with its stop flange 46 is located in the substantially circular hole-part 39 of the bottom locking device. When pulling the holder upwards or breaking the same, as illustrated in Figure 6, in this position of the holder in which the stop shoulders 42 are located above the stop flange 46 on the cannula, the stop flange 46 is brought into contact with the stop shoulders 42 therewith releasing the cannula 43 from its holder 44 and causing the cannula to fall into the container 1. Should, for some reason or other, the cannula 43 not be released completely from the cannula holder 44, the cannula is prevented from accompanying upward movement of the holder 44 by the stop shoulders 42, and consequently there is achieved, in accordance with the invention, completely contactless removal of a cannula from its holder. The holder freed from its cannula can then be deposited into the waste hole 31 of the container.

Figure 7 illustrates the removal from a holder 44 of a cannula 43 which is screwed firmly to the holder. The cannula 43 is inserted into the release mechanism 32 until the cannula stop flange 46 engages the stop shoulders 41, as illustrated in Figure 7a. In this position, the cannula fitting 45 is held locked by friction between the mutually facing end surfaces of the two stop shoulders 41. The holder 44 or the con- tainer 1 can now be rotated or twisted by hand, so as to unscrew the cannula from its holder. Since, when in this position, the cannula 43 is unable to move down¬ wards because of the presence of the stop shoulders 41, the holder 44 will instead move upwardly in relation to the cannula 43, as illustrated in Figure 7. Thus, sub¬

sequent to havin<~ unscrewed the holder 44 from the cannula, as ill* .-rated in Figure 7b, the holder sur¬ face 47 intended for coaction with the cannula stop flange 46 will be located at a higher level than the upper surface of the wall-part 30, thereby enabling the holder together with the cannula to be pushed to the right in Figure 7, to the position illustrated in Figure 7c, in which the cannula stop flange 46 has been freed from the stop shoulders 41 and the cannula 43 is able to fall down into the container 1. The stop shoul¬ ders 42 effectively prevent the cannula from accom¬ panying the holder when said holder is removed.

The present invention is not restricted to the afore- described and illustrated _mbodiments, and modifica¬ tions and changes can be made within the scope of the invention defined in the following Claims. Furthermore, this Patent Application also includes the actual con¬ tainer 1 itself as described in the aforegoing and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and thus a container which lacks the cannula release mechanism 32 but which includes the wall-part 30 in the neck-part 11 and, in such case, a preferably centrally located waste-hole 31, or may lack said wall-part 30 complete- ly. Additionally, the container sections may have th-- ³ form of a truncated pyx id or some other configuration suitable to enable the containers to be stacked one within the other, and the number of container sections can be varied within the scope of the invention, and, for instance, the container part located beneath the neck-part 11 may coinprise one single section or more than the three illustrated sections.