Reconstituting device for injectable medication

• US 20020068896A1
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merck Serono SA (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Applied Research Systems ARS Holding NV (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Grenville Arthur, Rowlands, Martyn Omar, Hobbs, Michael Anthony, Calvert, John Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,077,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/82
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2013 having two piercing ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2051 having tap means, e.g. tap means activated by sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2065 having aligning and guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2089 Containers or vials which are to be joined to each other in order to mix their contents combinations of vial and syringe for mixing their contents A61J1/2096
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/002 Compounding apparatus specially for enteral or parenteral nutritive solutions bottling liquids B67C

Abstract

A device for reconstituting liquid for medical use by bringing together a first liquid medium contained in a first vessel in the form of a cartridge (3) and a second medium, such as a drug in solid form, contained in a second vessel in the form of a vial (7), the device (19) comprising means (41) for supporting the first and second vessels, and a movable operating member (50) for applying a force to cause the first liquid medium to be delivered at a controlled rate from the first vessel into the second vessel. The first and second vessels may be provided in a pack (70) having liquid transfer means in the form of a needle (10).

Claims

1. A device for placing a first and a second vessel in liquid communication, the device comprising:

a hollow double-ended needle having first and second needle ends;

a support for the needle; and

a housing for the needle and the support,

wherein the housing surrounds the support and the needle before, during and after use of the device so as to shield a user from injury by the needle ends, and an axially slidable bung is arranged in an open end of the housing to maintain the first needle end in a sterile environment.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is a cylinder having open ends.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second axially slidable bung is arranged in an opposite open end of the housing.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein beads are provided on the interior wall of the housing to locate the bungs and to vent air when the bungs are slid axially.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the needle support comprises a web extending substantially perpendicular to the walls of the housing to form upper and lower needle chambers in the housing.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the web is formed with apertures which communicate the upper and lower needle chambers.

7. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the needle support comprises a web extending substantially perpendicular to the walls of the housing to form upper and lower needle chambers in the housing.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the web is formed with apertures which communicate the upper and lower needle chambers.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein beads are provided on the interior wall of the housing to locate the bung and to vent air when the bung is slid axially.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the needle support comprises a web extending substantially perpendicular to the walls of the housing to form upper and lower needle chambers in the housing.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the web is formed with apertures which communicate the upper and lower needle chambers.

12. A device for placing a first and a second vessel in liquid communication, the device comprising:

a hollow double-ended needle; and

a needle hub surrounding and supporting the needle, the needle hub comprising a protruding portion and a base portion, connected one to the other by a frangible portion,

wherein the protruding portion is capable of collapsing within the base portion when force is applied to break the frangible portion, thereby causing an end of the needle to protrude beyond the end of the needle hub, to penetrate one of the first and second vessels.