SYSTEM FOR ASEPTIC COLLECTION AND ENTERAL DELIVERY

• US 20120289936A1
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avent Incorporated (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Neomed, Inc. (Team Health Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: INGRAM, Aaron N., LAIR, Anthony C., COSTELLO, Mark Martin, DOHERTY, Tony
• Granted Patent: US 9,433,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/514
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/00 Feeding-tubes for therapeutic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0076 Feeding pumps A61M1/00, A61M5/142, A61M25/1018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/76 for fluid level
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 9/085 Lids for closing the bottle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/06 Milking pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/062 Pump accessories

Abstract

A container for collecting, storing and dispensing fluid, as in enteral feeding and/or medication deliver to neonatal infants. The container includes a hollow tube with a body, a first end, a second end, and an outer diameter. The hollow tube is configured to receive a movable plunger that advances and retracts therein to define a variable contained volume. The container also includes a sealing head assembly removably mounted at an end of the hollow tube. The sealing head assembly has a diameter or outside dimension that is substantially similar or identical to a corresponding outside diameter or dimension of the hollow tube, so that the container lies flat within the receiver of an enteral feeding pump.

Claims

1. A container for collecting, storing and dispensing fluid, comprising:

a hollow tube comprising a body, a first end, a second end, an inner diameter and an outer diameter;

a plunger within the hollow tube in sealing engagement with the inner diameter thereof, and movable between a first position towards the first end of the hollow tube and a second position towards the second end of the hollow tube, thereby defining a variable containment volume within the body of the hollow tube; and

a seal assembly secured at the second end of the hollow tube, the seal assembly comprising an external diameter that is substantially similar to the outer diameter of the hollow tube.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the second end of the hollow tube comprises a threaded region and the seal assembly comprises a corresponding threaded region for releasable engagement of the seal assembly with the hollow tube.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the hollow tube threaded region is located on the outer surface of the hollow tube second end and the seal assembly threaded region is located on the inner surface of the seal assembly.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein the hollow tube second end comprises a different outer surface diameter from the hollow tube body.

5. The container of claim 4, wherein the hollow tube second end diameter is smaller than the hollow tube body diameter.

6. The container of claim 2, wherein the hollow tube threaded region is located on the inner surface of the hollow tube second end and the seal assembly threaded region is located on the outer surface of the seal assembly.

7. The container of claim 1, wherein the circumferential seal comprises a cap, the cap removably covering an access port of the circumferential seal.

8. The container of claim 7, wherein the cap is secured to the circumferential seal with a flexible hinge.

9. A variable volume container for collection, containment and delivery of enteral feeding fluid, the container comprising:

a barrel having a sidewall bounding an interior contained volume, and comprising first and second ends defining a lengthwise dimension therebetween, and an outer surface;

a plunger movably mounted within the interior contained volume of the barrel; and

a sealing head removably coupled to one of the first and second ends of the barrel, the sealing head comprising a fluid delivery port allowing fluid communication to and from the contained volume, the sealing head further comprising an exterior surface in continuous alignment with at least a portion of the outer surface of the barrel.

10. The container of claim 9, wherein the plunger comprises a plunger head having a sealing surface forming a fluid-tight seal with an inner surface of the barrel.

11. The container of claim 10, wherein the plunger further comprises a plunger handle extending from the plunger head.

12. The container of claim 11, wherein the plunger handle is removably coupled to the plunger head.

13. The container of claim 9, wherein the sealing head is connected to the barrel by a threaded coupling.

14. The container of claim 9, wherein the sealing head and the barrel are generally cylindrical and have the same outside diameter.

15. The container of claim 9, wherein the sealing head further comprises a cap hingedly mounted to alternatively expose or cover the fluid delivery port.

16. A method of dispensing an enteral fluid, the method comprising:

storing a fluid in a container, the container comprising a barrel, a plunger translationally mounted in the barrel, and a cap for removable attachment to a proximal end of the barrel, the cap comprising a resealable port, and the cap and barrel having a substantially continuous outer profile about their external peripheries;

mounting the container in a dispensing pump; and

operating the dispensing pump to deliver the fluid through the resealable port.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the substantially continuous outer profile of the cap and the barrel allow the container to lie flat in engagement within a receiver of the dispensing pump.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising filling the container with a fluid by moving the plunger away from the proximal end of the barrel, thereby increasing a contained volume defined within the volume.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising attaching a breast pump to fill the container to the barrel via a coupling.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the plunger comprises a plunger head in sealing contact with the barrel, the method further comprising attaching a plunger handle to the plunger head.