Medicament cartridge assembly

Abstract

A person having diabetes will often be required to take both slow acting and fast acting forms of insulin. It is important to be able to distinguish readily between medicament cartridges containing different medicaments. The present invention enables more ready distinction as between medicament cartridges containing different medicaments. An adaptor top for a medicament cartridge, the medicament cartridge comprising a cylinder having a main body portion, a neck portion at a first end having a radially outwardly directed flange portion, a narrowing shoulder portion connecting the body portion and the neck portion, a cap beaded across the first end thereby to retain a fluid impermeable membrane, and the adaptor top comprising a first cylindrical body portion having a radially inwardly directed flange at one end, in use to be seated over and against the cap and a second cylindrical skirt portion being adapted, in use, to be seated against the shoulder portion of the cartridge, the second skirt portion including a plurality of fingers, the free ends of the fingers in use being adapted to be seated beneath the outwardly directed flange of the medicament cartridge.

1 . An adaptor top for a medicament cartridge, the medicament cartridge comprising a cylinder having a main body portion, a neck portion at a first end having a radially outwardly directed flange portion, a narrowing shoulder portion connecting the body portion and the neck portion, a cap beaded across the first end thereby to retain a fluid impermeable membrane, 
 the adaptor top comprising a first cylindrical body portion having a radially inwardly directed flange at one end, in use to be seated over and against the cap and a second skirt portion being adapted, in use, to be seated against the shoulder portion of the cartridge, the second skirt portion including a plurality of fingers, the free ends of the fingers in use being adapted to be seated beneath the outwardly directed flange of the medicament cartridge, wherein said adaptor top is provided with information regarding the content of the medicament cartridge.    
   
   
       2 . An adaptor top according to  claim 1 , in which the adaptor top is colour coded to provide information regarding the content of the medicament cartridge.  
   
   
       3 . An adaptor top according to  claim 1 , in which the first cylindrical portion is provided with a screw thread.  
   
   
       4 . A method of assembling a medicament cartridge and an adaptor top, 
 the medicament cartridge comprising a cylinder having a bottleneck at a first end, a fluid impermeable membrane secured across the first end by a cap and a displaceable plunger located internally of the cylinder towards the second end of the cylinder, and the adaptor top comprising a first cylindrical portion having at a first end an inwardly directing flange and a second cylindrical portion depending from a second end of the first cylindrical portion, the second cylindrical skirt portion including a number of deformable members with free ends, and wherein said adaptor top is provided with information regarding the content of the medicament cartridge, comprising the steps of    inserting the cap of the medicament cartridge through the second cylindrical portion into the first cylindrical portion until the cap is positioned against the inwardly directed flange; and    plastically deforming the free ends beneath the cap to retain the adaptor top in position against the medicament cartridge.    
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 4 , in which the adaptor top is colour coded to provide information regarding the content of the medicament cartridge.  
   
   
       6 . A method of assembling a medicament cartridge and an adaptor top, 
 the medicament cartridge comprising a cylinder having a bottleneck at a first end, a fluid impermeable membrane secured across the first end by a cap and a displaceable plunger located internally of the cylinder towards the second end of the cylinder, and the adaptor top comprising a first cylindrical portion having at a first end an inwardly directing flange and a second cylindrical portion depending from a second end of the first cylindrical portion, the second cylindrical skirt portion including a number of deformable members with free ends, and wherein said adaptor top is provided with information regarding the content of the medicament cartridge, comprising the steps of    inserting the cap of the medicament cartridge through the second cylindrical portion into the first cylindrical portion until the cap is positioned against the inwardly directed flange; and    plastically deforming the free ends beneath the cap to retain the adaptor top in position against the medicament cartridge.    
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 6 , in which the adaptor top is colour coded to provide information regarding the content of the medicament cartridge.