Luer connector with rotationally engaging piercing luer

A luer connector which comprises;

• a luer, connectable to a syringe, the luer comprising a luer port in communication with a first end of a channel passing longitudinally through a tubular conduit integrally extending longitudinally from luer port to a second end of the channel, the end of the tubular conduit remote from the luer port being sharpened so as to be capable of being driven longitudinally through a puncturable vial closure to thereby puncture the closure;
• a luer support, comprising a sleeve which is mountable around the neck of the vial, so as to be thereby retained on the vial when sealed with a puncturable vial closure, the support extending into an upper part above the mouth of the vial in the form of a generally cylindrical compartment extending above the vial closure and forming a guide for the luer, the compartment being of suitable dimensions that the luer is supported therein longitudinally moveable in a first position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is pointed toward the unpunctured closure;
• a luer driver, mounted on the support and capable of rotational movement relative to the support and luer, the driver comprising a cylindrical sleeve or part sleeve, coaxial with the said upper part of the support, the driver being in the form of a cap over the compartment in the upper part of the support, and having a wholly or partly closed end over the compartment when the driver is in place;
• the luer and driver having respective screw thread engagement parts such that engagement of the screw thread parts on the said rotational movement causes the luer to be screwed downwards toward a second position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is driven through the closure to puncture the closure and to enter the vial,
• and the luer is provided with one or more abutment part(s) which when the luer has reached the extreme end of its movement into the second position prevent further longitudinal movement of the luer,
• and the dimensions of the screw thread parts are such that when the conduit has entered the vial as far as is desired or allowed by the abutment part(s) the screw thread parts on the luer driver and luer are still engaged, so that their continued relative rotation generates an upward thrust upon the luer driver to force the luer driver out of engagement with the support.

A luer connector which comprises;

• a luer, connectable to a syringe, the luer comprising a luer port in communication with a first end of a channel passing longitudinally through a tubular conduit integrally extending longitudinally from the luer port to a second end of the channel, the end of the tubular conduit remote from the luer port being sharpened so as to be capable of being driven longitudinally through a puncturable vial closure to thereby puncture the closure;
• a luer support, comprising a sleeve which is mounted and engaged around the neck of the vial, so as to be thereby retained on the vial when sealed with a puncturable vial closure, the support extending into an upper part above the mouth of the vial in the form of a generally cylindrical compartment extending above the vial closure and forming a guide for the luer, the compartment being of suitable dimensions that the luer is supported therein longitudinally moveable in a first position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is pointed toward the unpunctured closure;
• a luer driver, mounted on the support and capable of rotational movement relative to the support and luer, the driver comprising a cylindrical sleeve or part sleeve, coaxial with the said upper part of the support, the driver being in the form of a cap over the compartment in the upper part of the support, and having a wholly or partly closed end over the compartment when the driver is in place;
• the luer and driver having respective screw thread engagement parts such that engagement of the screw thread parts on the said rotational movement causes the luer to be screwed downwards toward a second position in which the sharpened end of the conduit is driven through the closure to puncture the closure and to enter the vial;
• the luer and the support being provided with respective abutment surfaces such that the lower limit of travel of the luer within the support is reached when the respective abutment surfaces abut, and in which when the luer is in its first position the respective abutment surfaces are separated by a longitudinal distance which is less than the longitudinal distance the luer driver can be moved by the screw action of the luer driver, so that when the abutment surfaces on the luer abuts against the abutment surface on the luer support the luer has reached the lower limit of its travel relative to the support it has not yet reached the lower limit of travel on the screw thread on the luer driver and the continued rotation of the luer driver relative to the luer will force the luer driver and support are forced longitudinally out of engagement with each other.