Method and implement for opening hole in soft material

Abstract

An hole-opening implement ( 5 or 50 ) for opening a hole in a soft material ( 2 ) has a first cutting part and a second cutting part. To pierce the soft material with the hole-opening implement, both cutting parts advances in the soft material while cutting the soft material. Such a state that the second cutting part remains in the soft material just after the first cutting part is passed through the soft material is assured so that a cut piece as bound to the soft material can remain after the opening. The first cutting part is formed at a tip of the hole-opening implement, and the second cutting part is disposed behind the first cutting part in the piercing direction of the hole-opening implement. Otherwise, the hole-opening implement may be constructed so that the first cutting part is sharp in section and the second cutting part is formed so as to have lower cutting force than the first cutting part.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for opening a hole in soft material, comprising: 
 cutting and piercing the soft material with an hole-opening implement so that a cut piece as bound to the soft material remains just after the opening.    
     
     
         2 . The method for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 1 , the hole-opening implement having a first cutting part and a second cutting part, wherein the first cutting part and the second cutting part cut the soft material while the hole-opening implement is piercing the soft material, and wherein the second cutting part remains in the soft material just after the first cutting part is passed through the soft material so that the cut piece as bound to the soft material remains after the opening.  
     
     
         3 . The method for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 2 , the soft material to be opened with a hole therein being made into a plug for sealing a sampling tube, wherein a suction nozzle for sucking a sample in the sampling tube is inserted into the hole formed in the plug by the opening.  
     
     
         4 . The method for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 2 , the hole-opening implement being tubular, wherein the first cutting part is passed through the soft material so as to leave the cut piece in the tubular hole-opening implement, and then, the hole-opening implement is pushed forward so as to pass the second cutting part through the soft material, thereby removing the cut piece out of the hole-opening implement so that the cut piece as bound to the soft material remains out of the hole opened by the hole-opening implement.  
     
     
         5 . The method for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 4 , the soft material to be opened the hole therein being made into a plug for sealing a sampling tube, wherein the tubular hole-opening implement is left in the plug after the opening so as to have a suction nozzle inserted thereinto for sucking sample in the sampling tube.  
     
     
         6 . The method for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 4 , the soft material to be opened the hole therein being made into a plug for sealing a sampling tube, wherein the tubular opening pipe is left in the plug after the opening so as to serve as a suction nozzle for sucking a sample in the sampling tube.  
     
     
         7 . An implement for opening a hole in soft material, wherein the hole-opening implement cuts and pierces the soft material so as to leave a cut piece as bound to the soft material after the opening.  
     
     
         8 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 7 , comprising: 
 a first cutting part; and    a second cutting part, wherein the first cutting part and the second cutting part cut the soft material while the hole-opening implement is piercing the soft material, and the second cutting part remains in the soft material just after the first cutting part is passed through the soft material so that the cut piece as bound to the soft material remains after the opening.    
     
     
         9 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 8 , comprising a plurality of the second cutting parts.  
     
     
         10 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 8  or  9 , wherein the first cutting part is sharp in section and the second cutting part is formed so as to have lower cutting force than the first cutting part.  
     
     
         11 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 10 , the hole-opening implement being tubular, wherein the first cutting part is formed at an open edge of a tip of the hole-opening implement.  
     
     
         12 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein, after the first cutting part is passed through the soft material, the hole-opening implement is pushed forward so as to pass the second cutting part through the soft material, thereby removing the cut piece out of the hole-opening implement and opening a hole in the soft material.  
     
     
         13 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 12 , the hole-opening implement being used for opening a plug made of soft material sealing a sampling tube, wherein the hole-opening implement is also used for a guide member for inserting a suction nozzle for sucking a sample in the sampling tube thereinto.  
     
     
         14 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 12 , the hole-opening implement being used for opening a plug made of soft material sealing a sampling tube, wherein the hole-opening implement is left in the plug after the opening so as to be used as a suction nozzle for sucking sample in the sampling tube.  
     
     
         15 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the first cutting part and the second cutting part are disposed at substantially the same position in the piercing direction of the hole-opening implement.  
     
     
         16 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein a surface of the first cutting part is smooth and the second cutting part is uneven.  
     
     
         17 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 15  or  16 , the hole-opening implement being formed into a tube or a solid rod, wherein the first cutting part and the second cutting part are provided at an outer edge of a tip of the hole-opening implement.  
     
     
         18 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in any of claims  8 ,  9  and  10 , wherein the second cutting part is disposed behind the first cutting part in the piercing direction of the hole-opening implement.  
     
     
         19 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein the second cutting part is a recess or a notch formed by notching the first cutting part backward in the piercing direction of the hole-opening implement.  
     
     
         20 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 18  or  19 , the hole-opening implement being formed into a tube or a solid rod, wherein the first cutting part is provided at an outer edge of a tip of the hole-opening implement.  
     
     
         21 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 20 , the hole-opening implement being formed into a tube or a solid rod having an axis and a tip slanted from a surface perpendicular to the axis, wherein the first cutting part is provided at a front portion of an outer edge of the tip of the hole-opening implement in the piercing direction of the hole-opening implement and the second cutting part is provided at a rear portion thereof.  
     
     
         22 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the hole-opening implement is used for opening a plug made of soft material sealing a sampling tube so as to bring a suction nozzle into the sampling tube for sucking sample in the sampling tube.  
     
     
         23 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein the sampling tube is constructed to be a tube for collecting a medical specimen applied for a medical test device.  
     
     
         24 . The implement for opening a hole in soft material as set forth in  claim 23 , wherein the tube for collecting a medical specimen is a vacuum blood-collection tube, and the medical test device is a hematological analyzer.