Assembly having an adapter and a holder with a double ended needle

Claim 1

A multiple sampling assembly comprising: a tubular container having a closed end and an open end to which a stopper is sealingly attached; a tubular container holder having an open end receiving said container, and a closed end to which a double-ended needle is fitted, one end of the needle being projected into the interior of the holder for piercing through the stopper into the interior of the container and the other end projected outside the holder; a self-recoverable elastic sheath enveloping said one end of the needle and serving as a seal against the passage of a liquid from a vein, but being pierceable by the one end of the needle when the container is positioned for injection or sampling; and a substantially cylindrical adapter detachably and slidably inserted in the holder receiving and keeping said tubular container substantially coaxial with said holder, said adapter having open and restricted ends, a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs on the outer periphery thereof, an opening extending centrally through said restricted end and dimensioned to freely receive said one end of the needle and the elastic sheath therethrough, and means limiting the insertion of the adapter into the holder to a predetermined position relative to the holder, whereby to ensure between the closed end of the holder and the restricted end of the adapter a clearance sufficient to allow collapsing of the elastic sheath on piercing of said container by said one end of the needle, the inner diameter of the adapter being slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tubular container and the outer diameter of the adapter being slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the holder thereby to ensure the insertion of the tubular container into the holder in a position substantially coaxial with the holder, said adapter and container being removable from said holder to permit the holder to receive another tubular container of larger diameter.