SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH FLUIDS

• US 20160039547A1
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tinnus Enterprises LLC
• Original Assignee: Tinnus Enterprises LLC
• Inventors: MALONE, JOSHUA
• Granted Patent: US 9,315,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0045 Devices for taking samples of body liquids devices for taking blood samples A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/007 for taking urine samples measuring urological functions A61B5/20; genital receptacles A61F5/451; urinals for bed-ridden persons A61G9/006
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1427 Multiple blood sampling, e.g. at periodic or pre-established intervals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15 Devices for taking samples of blood hypodermic syringes A61M5/178
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150221 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150366 Blood collection bags, e.g. connected to the patient by a catheter comprising means for removing a small sample of collected blood from the bag collection bags as such A61J1/05, A61M1/0209
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150992 Blood sampling from a fluid line external to a patient, such as a catheter line, combined with an infusion line; blood sampling from indwelling needle sets, e.g. sealable ports, luer couplings, valves tubing connectors and couplings A61M39/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/155 Devices specially adapted for continuous or multiple sampling, e.g. at predetermined intervals devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously A61B5/15146
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1018 Balloon inflating or inflation-control devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/00 Drainage appliance for wounds or the like , i.e. wound drains, implanted drains negative pressure wound therapy devices A61M1/90; implements for holding wound open A61B17/02 ; middle ear drainage A61F11/202
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1033 Inflation devices or methods for inflating balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1041 Holding or sealing means, e.g. handling rods, clamps or plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2027/1083 Valves or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/10 Balloons connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; other than toy aspects B64B1/40
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/003 Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/04 Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/17 for filling valve bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/26 Methods or devices for controlling the quantity of the material fed or filled
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/28 : by weighing
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 51/04 : Applying separate sealing or securing members, e.g. clips, applying separate lids or covers B65B7/28
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/02 : Closing containers or receptacles deformed by, or taking-up shape, of, contents, e.g. bags, sacks
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/025 : Closing valve bags

Abstract

An example embodiment of an apparatus includes a housing with an opening at a first end and a plurality of holes at a second end, a plurality of hollow tubes attached to the plurality of holes, a plurality of containers removably attached to the hollow tubes, and a plurality of elastic fasteners, each elastic fastener clamping each container to a corresponding hollow tube, such that when the containers are filled with fluid and detached from the corresponding hollow tubes, each elastic fastener seals each container with the fluid inside.

Claims

1. An apparatus for filling a plurality of balloons with a fluid, the apparatus comprising:

a fitting configured to couple to a fluid supply; and

a plurality of branch assemblies extending from the fitting, each branch assembly comprising;

a tube coupled to the fitting at a first end of the tube;

a balloon removably coupled to a second end of the tube, the balloon having a neck with an unstretched diameter greater than the diameter of the tube; and

a valve configured to automatically seal the opening of the balloon if the balloon is decoupled from the tube.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of branch assemblies comprise at least ten branch assemblies.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unstretched diameter of the neck is greater than twice the diameter of the tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is sufficiently compact to be operated while being held by hand.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon automatically decouples from its tube at least partially in response to the balloon being filled with a threshold amount of the fluid.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon decouples from its tube at least partially in response to application of a threshold force between the balloon and the tube, the threshold force comprising the total weight of the balloon and any fluid disposed therein.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon decouples from its tube at least partially in response to application of a threshold force between the balloon and the tube, the threshold force comprising an inertial function of the mass of any fluid disposed within the balloon.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handheld support configured to facilitate application of a respective threshold force between each balloon and its respective tube, the threshold forces collectively sufficient to detach each balloon from its respective tube.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon decouples from its tube at least partially in response to application of a threshold force between the balloon and the tube, the threshold force comprising a tensile force sufficient to decouple the balloon from its tube.

10. A handheld apparatus comprising:

a fitting configured to couple to a fluid supply; and

a plurality of branch assemblies extending from the housing, each branch assembly comprising;

a tube coupled to the fitting at a first end of the tube;

a balloon removably coupled to a second end of the tube; and

a valve configured to automatically seal the balloon if the balloon is decoupled from the tube;

wherein the apparatus is sufficiently compact to be operated while being held by hand, and is configured to enable a single operator to simultaneously fill and simultaneously decouple the balloons of each of the plurality of branch assemblies.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each branch assembly, the valve is further configured to clamp its balloon to its tube.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each branch assembly, the valve is further configured to obstruct fluid from flowing out of the balloon if the balloon is detached from the tube.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each branch assembly, the valve comprises an elastic ring disposed around a neck of its balloon.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each branch assembly, the valve comprises a plug disposed within its balloon.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon automatically decouples from its tube at least partially in response to the balloon being filled with a threshold amount of a fluid.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon decouples from its tube at least partially in response to application of a threshold force between the balloon and the tube, the threshold force comprising the total weight of the balloon and any fluid disposed therein.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon decouples from its tube at least partially in response to application of a threshold force between the balloon and the tube, the threshold force comprising a tensile force sufficient to decouple the balloon from its tube.

18. An apparatus for filling a plurality of balloons with a fluid, the apparatus comprising:

a fitting configured to couple to a fluid supply; and

a plurality of branch assemblies extending from the fitting, each branch assembly comprising;

a flexible tube coupled to the fitting at a first end of the flexible tube;

a balloon removably coupled to a second end of the flexible tube; and

a valve configured to automatically seal the balloon if the balloon is decoupled from the flexible tube;

wherein the plurality of branch assemblies are disposed sufficiently close to one another such that at least one of the flexible tubes must flex to accommodate a filling of the balloons.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein for each branch assembly, the valve is further configured to clamp its respective balloon to its respective tube.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein for each branch assembly, the valve is further configured to obstruct fluid from flowing out of the balloon if the balloon is detached from the tube.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein for each branch assembly, the valve comprises an elastic ring disposed around a neck of its balloon.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein for each branch assembly, the valve comprises a plug disposed within its balloon.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon automatically decouples from its tube at least partially in response to the balloon being filled with a threshold amount of the fluid.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon decouples from its tube at least partially in response to application of a threshold force between the balloon and the tube, the threshold force comprising the total weight of the balloon and any fluid disposed therein.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon decouples from its tube at least partially in response to application of a threshold force between the balloon and the tube, the threshold force comprising a tensile force sufficient to decouple the balloon from its tube.

26. An apparatus for filling a plurality of balloons with a fluid, the apparatus comprising:

a fitting configured to couple to a fluid supply; and

a plurality of branch assemblies extending from the fitting, each branch assembly comprising;

a flexible tube coupled to the fitting at a first end of the flexible tube;

a balloon removably coupled to a second end of the flexible tube; and

a valve configured to automatically seal the balloon if the balloon is decoupled from the flexible tube;

wherein first and second ones of the branch assemblies are disposed sufficiently close to each other such that they press against each other, regardless whether respective balloons of the first and second ones of the branch assemblies are in a filled state or an unfilled state.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the plurality of branch assemblies are disposed sufficiently close to one another such that at least one of the flexible tubes must flex to accommodate a filling of the balloons.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus is sufficiently compact to be operated while being held by hand.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein for each branch assembly, the valve is further configured to clamp its balloon to its tube.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein for each branch assembly, the balloon automatically decouples from its tube at least partially in response to the balloon being filled with a threshold amount of the fluid.