Blunt tip vial access cannula and method for manufacture
View Patent ↗A method of manufacturing a metal cannula is disclosed. The method includes the step of providing a metal cannula having a longitudinal axis and defining a fluid channel. Next, the metal cannula is pressed to substantially close the fluid channel and define a first segment and a second segment. In a next step, the metal cannula is cut to separate the first segment from the second segment of the metal cannula. Each of the first and second segments have a pressed edge. The pressed edge substantially seals the fluid channel and has two pressed corners. Afterwards, each of the pressed corners are cut from the pressed edge of the first segment to define a pair of side openings and a distal blunt edge on the first segment. The side openings are in fluid communication with the fluid channel.
1. A method of manufacturing a metal cannula comprising:
providing a metal tube having a longitudinal axis and defining a fluid channel;
pressing the metal tube closed along a straight line extending in an orthogonal direction in relation to the longitudinal axis of the metal tube at a specified location to substantially close the fluid channel and defining a first segment and a second segment;
cutting the metal tube at the specified location to separate the first segment from the second segment of the metal tube and to create a cut blunt end surface extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, each of the first and second segments having a pressed face extending at an angle from the cut blunt end surface, the pressed face substantially sealing the fluid channel and forming two pressed corners; and
cutting each of the pressed corners from the first segment to define a pair of side openings while preserving portions of the cut blunt end surface extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and the pressed face extending at the angle from the cut blunt end surface on the first segment, wherein the side openings are in fluid communication with the fluid channel to define the metal cannula.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising attaching a proximal end of the metal cannula to a hub assembly to form a vial access cannula.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the metal tube includes providing a metal tube having an extended length.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein pressing the metal tube includes pressing the metal tube at a plurality of locations to define a plurality of segments.
5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising cutting the metal tube at the plurality of locations to separate the plurality of segments, each segment having opposite pressed ends, each pressed end substantially sealing the fluid channel and having two pressed corners.
6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising cutting each of the pressed corners from the pressed ends of at least one of the plurality of segments to define a pair of side openings and a distal blunt end on each end of the segment, the pair of side openings being in fluid communication with the fluid channel.
7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising cutting the at least one of the plurality of segments at a desired midpoint to form two separate blunt metal tip cannulae, each blunt metal tip cannula having an open proximal end and a closed distal blunt end having the pair of side openings.
8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising coloring the metal tube by staining or anodizing.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein pressing the metal tube is performed by a pressing technique selected from a group consisting of rolling, shearing, crimping, and pressing.
10. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the metal cannula is attached to the distal end of the hub assembly by a fastening technique selected from a group consisting of gluing, snap-fitting, crimping, press-fitting, and molding.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the side openings are defined by side facets.
12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the side facets are finished by a machining technique selected from a group consisting of grinding, cutting, and polishing.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein cutting includes cutting the pressed corners at different angles or radii.
14. A vial access device prepared by a process comprising:
providing a metal tube having a longitudinal axis and defining a fluid channel;
pressing the metal tube closed along a straight line extending in an orthogonal direction in relation to the longitudinal axis of the metal tube at a specified location to substantially close the fluid channel and define a first segment and a second segment;
cutting the metal tube at the specified location to separate the first segment from the second segment of the metal tube and to create a cut blunt end surface extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, each of the first and second segments having a pressed face extending at an angle from the cut blunt end surface, the pressed face substantially sealing the fluid channel and forming two pressed corners; and
cutting each of the pressed corners from the first segment to define a pair of side openings while preserving portions of the cut blunt end surface extending orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and the pressed face extending at the angle from the cut blunt end surfaces on the first segment, wherein the side openings are in fluid communication with the fluid channel to define a metal cannula.
15. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 14 further comprising attaching a proximal end of the metal cannula to a hub assembly to form a vial access cannula.
16. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 14 , wherein providing the metal tube includes providing a metal tube having an extended length.
17. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 16 , wherein pressing the metal tube includes pressing the metal tube at a plurality of locations to define a plurality of segments.
18. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 17 further comprising cutting the metal tube at the plurality of locations to separate the plurality of segments, each segment having opposite pressed ends, each pressed end substantially sealing the fluid channel and having two pressed corners.
19. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 18 further comprising cutting each of the pressed corners from the pressed ends of at least one of the plurality of segments to define a pair of side openings and a distal blunt end on each end of the segment, the pair of side openings being in fluid communication with the fluid channel.
20. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 19 further comprising cutting the at least one of the plurality of segments at a desired midpoint to form two separate vial access devices, each vial access device having an open proximal end and a closed distal blunt end having at least one side opening.
21. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 14 further comprising coloring the metal tube by staining or anodizing.
22. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 14 , wherein pressing the metal tube is performed by a pressing technique selected from a group consisting of rolling, shearing, crimping, and pressing.
23. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 15 , wherein the metal cannula is attached to the distal end of the hub assembly by a fastening technique selected from a group consisting of gluing, snap-fitting, crimping, press-fitting, and molding.
24. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 14 , wherein the side openings are defined by side facets.
25. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 21 , wherein the side facets are finished by a machining technique selected from a group consisting of grinding, cutting, and polishing.
26. The vial access device prepared by a process according to claim 14 , wherein cutting includes cutting the pressed corners at different angles or radii.