Dispenser cartridge for radiopharmaceuticals

Abstract

A cartridge for radiopharmaceutical packaging includes a low UV-absorbing plastic barrel, closed at one end by a cap and at the other by a piston. A shoulder cooperates with the barrel in a double-level snap-on system with a cavity cooperating with an injection fitting sleeve to make a seal. At a first end the cap has a peel-off porous liner covering the cavity. Radial fins protrude inside the cavity, for screwing the injection fitting and second radial fins protrude outside of the cap to fix to a cartridge protection shield. A second end minimizes a shadow area of UV flash lamp sterilization and ensures clearance for inserting an injection spike. The second end has a reduced wall thickness pierced by the spike during set up for dispensing of the pharmaceutical. An external cylindrical zone at the second end ensures leak tightness between the cap and the barrel.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . An injection instrument configured to be reversibly snapped on the piston of a cartridge for the packaging of a pharmaceutical to form a temporary syringe plunger, the cartridge comprising a plastic barrel, closed at one end by a cap and at the other end by a piston;
 wherein said cap is provided at least partly with:
 a shoulder cooperating with the barrel in a double-level snap-on system; 
 a cavity to cooperate with an elastomeric protection sleeve of injection means fitting, to make a seal, said cap being terminated at a first end by a peel-off porous liner covering said cavity; 
 a first plurality of radial fins protruding inside said cavity, for screwing the injection means fitting and with a second plurality of radial fins protruding on the outside of the cap to ensure fixation of the cap into a cartridge protection shield; 
 a second end opposite to the first end, shaped so to minimize a shadow area in the case of UV flash lamp sterilization and to ensure sufficient clearance for inserting a spike of the injection means, said second end having a reduced wall thickness for acting as a septum to be pierced by said spike at the time of setting up for dispensing the pharmaceutical to a patient; 
 an external cylindrical zone at the second end to ensure leak tightness between the cap and the barrel; 
   wherein the piston is provided at least partly with:
 a reversible fixing system for connecting and disconnecting a piston rod to the piston; 
   a guiding system providing for pushing on and guiding the piston;   an end shaped to avoid any shadow to sterilization light flashes in the wetted area and to ensure sufficient clearance for the tip of the spike of the injection means;   a piston rod having a central rod and a tube surrounding the rod, said rod being ended with a profiled tip capable of insertion in a corresponding profiled cavity in the piston, said tube being capable of sliding lengthwise along the central rod and maintaining an outer rubber-like lip of the piston cavity closed onto the tip of the central rod, so that the piston rod fastens the piston onto the injection tool.   
     
     
         11 . The injection instrument according to  claim 10 , wherein, when the tube is retrieved, a rubber-like lip of the piston cavity is free to bend, so that to release the tip off the central rod. 
     
     
         12 . The injection instrument according to  claim 10 , wherein the central rod and the tube surrounding the rod extend at the end opposite to the piston to a push-button including an actuation mechanism, so that the relative displacement between the central rod and the outer tube either fasten or release the injection tool to or from the piston. 
     
     
         13 .- 14 . (canceled)