Liquid Transfer Device for Medical Dispensing Containers

• US 20080045919A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bracco Research SA
• Original Assignee: Bracco Research SA
• Inventors: Rivas, Frederic, Jakob, Laurent
• Application Number:
  US11/794,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045919A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/406
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1623 Details of air intake
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/162 Needle sets, i.e. connections by puncture between reservoir and tube ; Connections between reservoir and tube in jet-action syringes A61M5/30; connectors for tubes having sealed ends and a needle for piercing them A61M39/14

Abstract

Liquid transfer device to be used to transfer a liquid into or from a dispensing container, particularly a medical dispensing container like a vial for diagnostic agents and kit comprising a vial, a syringe and a device of the aforementioned type. The transfer device comprises a valve which substantially limits the gaseous exchange between the inside of a vial and the external ambient, when the device is connected to the vial in steady state conditions.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical kit for the preparation of a medicament comprising:

a) a container defining an inner space and containing therein a diagnostically and/or therapeutically effective agent in the form of a physiologically acceptable gas; and

b) a liquid transfer device, which cooperates with said container for transferring a liquid into or from said container, said device comprising a first and a second conduit, said second conduit comprising a valve, wherein;

when said device cooperates with the container during liquid flow into or from said container, said liquid flow is effected through said first conduit while said valve allows a gaseous flow between said container and said external ambient through said second conduit; and

when said device cooperates with the container in steady state conditions, said valve substantially prevents a gaseous exchange between said container and the external ambient, and wherein said valve is selected to open at a differential pressure between the inner space of the container and the external ambient of less than 300 mbar during said liquid flow into or from said container.

3. A kit according to claim 1 wherein said differential pressure is less than 150 mbar.

4. A kit according to any one of claims 1 or 3 wherein said differential pressure is at least 10 mbar.

5. A kit according to claim 1, wherein less than 25% (v/v) of the total volume of gas contained in said container is exchanged with the external ambient during a period of 6 hours in steady state conditions.

6. A kit according to claim 1, wherein less than 20% (v/v) of the total volume of gas contained in said container is exchanged with the external ambient during a period of 6 hours in steady state conditions.

7. A kit according to claim 1, wherein said second conduit comprises a filtering means for protecting the content of the vial against microbial contamination during liquid withdrawal.

8. A kit according to claim 7, wherein said filtering means comprises a hydrophobic filter.

9. A kit according to claim 1, wherein said first conduit comprises a connecting means for connecting a fluid injector.

10. A kit according to claim 9, wherein said connecting means comprises a luer connector.

11. A kit according to claim 9, wherein said first conduit comprises a shutter means for closing said conduit when said fluid injector is removed.

12. A kit according to claim 1, wherein said valve comprises a bi-directional valve.

13. A kit according to claim 12 wherein said bi-directional valve is a check valve.

14. A kit according to claim 1, wherein said valve comprises at least two mono-directional valves.

15. A kit according to claim 14 wherein said mono-directional valves are spring pressure valves in anti-parallel assembly.

16. A kit according to claim 1, wherein said container comprises a precursor of a suspension of gas-filled microvesicles in the form of a dry lipid deposit in contact with said physiologically acceptable gas.

17. A kit according to claim 16 wherein the suspension of gas-filled microvesicles is obtained by adding a physiological acceptable solution through the first conduit of device.

18. A kit according to any one of claims 1, 5 or 16 wherein said container is a rigid vial comprising a substantially cylindrical body, a flat bottom portion and a top portion defining an open area closed by a stopper hermetically sealing the content of the vial.

19. A kit according to claim 1, further comprising a syringe pre-filled with a physiological acceptable solution.

20. An assembly comprising a combination of the container and the liquid transfer device of claim 1.

2. (canceled)