Injection drugs, bone cement liquid and other medical supplies and liquids are often sealed in glass ampules. The ampules are closed glass containers that assure the sterility of the contents.
A typical ampule includes a cylindrical body and a bulbous tip joined by a narrowed neck. To open the ampule, the tip is snapped off the body at the neck. The neck is commonly scored to facilitate snapping off the tip. The tip is supposed to break off smoothly at the score line.
Users have difficulty opening ampules. Some users squeeze and then bend the tip. Squeezing and breaking can result in an uneven break and the formation of sharp glass shards. The shards can contaminate the contents of the ampule and easily cut the user's fingers. Even if the ampule is properly broken open, the exposed broken glass edges on the tip can inadvertently cut fingers.
Ampule breakers have been developed to make opening ampules more convenient. Conventional ampule breakers include a flexible cylindrical body that fits loosely over the ampule tip. The body is pressed against one side of the tip to snap the neck of the ampule. Some conventional ampule breakers include an outwardly extending flange or collar at the bottom of the cylinder to locate the breaker on the ampule properly and protect the fingers from exposed glass.
Conventional ampule breakers have a number of disadvantages. They fit loosely on the ampule and do not assure a clean break at the score line, resulting in sharp jagged broken glass edges and the formation of glass shards. Conventional ampule breakers do not reliably hold the broken off ampule tip, which may come out of the breaker and require manual handling with increased risk of injury.
Thus, there is a need for an improved ampule breaker. The improved ampule breaker should break the tip from the body of the ampule at the score line without jagged edges, securely hold the broken away tip for disposal and reduce exposure of broken edges on the tip and ampule body.