Kit comprising a supporting device for a transparent article and a polarimeter

Abstract

The present invention relates to a kit comprising a supporting device for maintaining a transparent article having a longitudinal axis A, a proximal end and a distal end, said supporting device including a proximal holder including a port intended to receive the proximal end of said article, and a distal holder including a receiving part intended to receive the distal end of said article, said port and said receiving part being aligned on the same longitudinal axis B, said supporting device further comprising compression means for putting said article under longitudinal compression directed towards a center of said article, when said article is mounted on said supporting device with its longitudinal axis A aligned on said longitudinal axis B, and a polarimeter. The invention also pertains to a method for measuring the stress inside an article made of transparent material.

1 . A kit, comprising a supporting device for maintaining under longitudinal compression an article made of a transparent material having a longitudinal axis A, a proximal end and a distal end,
 said supporting device comprising:
 a proximal holder including a port intended to receive the proximal end of said article, and 
 a distal holder including a receiving part intended to receive the distal end of said article, wherein said port and said receiving part are being aligned on the same longitudinal axis B, and 
   compression means for putting said article under longitudinal compression directed towards a center of said article, when said article is mounted on said supporting device with its longitudinal axis A aligned on said longitudinal axis B,   said kit further comprising a polarimeter for measuring the stress in the article, when said article is mounted on said supporting device.   
     
     
         2 . The kit according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said port and receiving part is rotatable around said longitudinal axis B. 
     
     
         3 . The kit according to  claim 1 , wherein said port is fixed in translation with respect to said proximal holder along the direction of said longitudinal axis B. 
     
     
         4 . The kit according to  claim 1 , wherein said receiving part is movable in translation with respect to said distal holder along the direction of said longitudinal axis B. 
     
     
         5 . The kit according to  claim 1 , wherein said compression means comprises biasing means for directing one of said port and said receiving part toward the other one of said port and receiving part. 
     
     
         6 . The kit according to  claim 1 , wherein said port is provided with a distal conic part distally tapered. 
     
     
         7 . The kit according to  claim 1 , wherein said receiving part comprises a ring traversed by a central channel aligned on said longitudinal axis B. 
     
     
         8 . The kit according to  claim 1 , comprising said article. 
     
     
         9 . The kit according to  claim 8 , wherein said article has a substantially tubular shape. 
     
     
         10 . The kit according to  claim 8 , wherein said transparent material is selected from glass, polyolefin, polycarbonate and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The kit according to  claim 8 , wherein said transparent material is glass. 
     
     
         12 . The kit according to  claim 8 , wherein said article is a syringe body having a tubular barrel provided with a substantially conic distal tip, said supporting device comprises a port provided with a distal conic part distally tapered and a receiving part comprising a ring traversed by a central channel aligned on said longitudinal axis B, said distal conic part being engaged by friction in a proximal end of said tubular barrel and said conic distal tip being engaged in said central channel when said syringe body is mounted on said supporting device. 
     
     
         13 . The kit according to  claim 8 , wherein said article is mounted on said supporting device, and said transparent material has a refraction index R1, said supporting device and article are immersed within a liquid having a refraction index substantially identical to R1. 
     
     
         14 . A method for measuring the stress inside an article having a longitudinal axis A, a proximal end and a distal end and made of a transparent material, comprising:
 providing a supporting device for maintaining under longitudinal compression an article made of a transparent material having a longitudinal axis A, a proximal end and a distal end, comprising:
 a proximal holder including a port intended to receive the proximal end of said article, and 
 a distal holder including a receiving part intended to receive the distal end of said article, wherein said port and said receiving part are aligned on the same longitudinal axis B, and 
 compression means for putting said article under longitudinal compression directed towards a center of said article, when said article is mounted on said supporting device with its longitudinal axis A aligned on said longitudinal axis B, and 
   providing a polarimeter for measuring the stress in the article, when said article is mounted on said supporting device;   mounting said article on the supporting device by engaging said proximal end of said article into said port and said distal end of said article into said receiving part, and   applying on said article a longitudinal compressive force of more than 0 Newton, and   measuring the stress inside the article with the polarimeter by directing the light of said polarimeter towards said article.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said longitudinal compressive force ranges from above 0 to 1000 N. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said longitudinal compressive force ranges from above 0 to 20 N. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said article having a substantially tubular shape, such as a barrel, said article is rotated around the longitudinal axis B of an angle selected in the range of 0-360°. 
     
     
         18 . The kit according to the  claim 8 , wherein the article is selected from the group of a syringe body, a cartridge, a vial and an ampoule. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said longitudinal compressive force ranges from above 20 to 1000 N. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein said longitudinal compressive force ranges from above 300 N to 1000 N.