PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING LIQUID COMPOSITIONS INTENDED FOR PARENTERAL ADMINISTRATION

• US 3,853,157 A
• Filed: 02/22/1973
• Issued: 12/10/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anthony J. Madaio
• Original Assignee: Anthony J. Madaio
• Inventors: Madaio, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Jr., Houston S.
• Application Number:
  US05/334,959
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 141/2,3,26,27,20,370 128/215 23/253,259
• US Class Current: 141/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2031 having openings brought into alignment
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2086 for fluid filtration
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1782 Devices aiding filling of syringes in situ combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents A61J1/2096, filling of medical containers in general B65B3/003
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/425 Delivery valves permitting filling or charging
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/62 by membrane, bag, or the like containers in which the content is delivered by the contracting forces inherent in the bag B65D83/0061

Abstract

An injection syringe is charged with liquid to be dispensed prior to attachment of the needle by mating the filling end of the syringe to the outlet valve of a propellent-pressurized container of the liquid. The liquid is dispensed as a solid stream (i.e., in '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'plug flow'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"') unaccompanied by any propellent. One way of achieving this is by using a propellent which is insoluble in the dispensable liquid. Another method would employ a double contianer. Thus, the liquid within the pressurized container can be kept separate from the propellent, e.g., by means of an impervious barrier in the form of a flexible bag containing the liquid to be dispensed. Alternatively, the container itself can be a cylinder of glass or other suitable material fitted at the bottom with a rubberlike septum. This septum separates the dispensable liquid from the propellent and is forced upward like a plunger or piston when the valve is opened. The upper portion of the container would hold the dispensable liquid. The chamber on the other side of the plunger or piston houses the propellent. The discharge end is hermetically fitted to the outlet valve of the pressurized container. Upon releasing the valve, the pure liquid is forced out of the pressurized container and into the barrel of the syringe at a rate determined by the pressure of the propellent.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing a liquid composition intended for parenteral administration comprising in combination a rigid container having an opening at one end and adapted to contain under pressure the liquid composition and a gas or liquified gas essentially insoluble in the liquid composition, a closure for the opening having a portion adapted to project into the dispensible liquid composition in the container, a valve within the closure for discharging the liquid composition from the container through the inwardly projecting portion of the closure to an outlet of the container, and a hypodermic syringe comprising a barrel of constant diameter having an opening at one end and terminating at the other end in a hollow filling tip hermetically engaged directly with the outlet of the container to form a fluid-tight conduit for the liquid composition from the outlet to within the barrel of the syringe and a plunger slideably disposed within the barrel and responsive to the pressure exerted by the liquid composition entering the barrel of the syringe.

2. An apparatus for dispensing a liquid composition intended for parenteral administration comprising in combination a rigid cylindrical container having an opening at the top end and sealed at the bottom end and adapted to contain the liquid composition and a gas or liquified gas propellent under positive pressure, a closure for the opening, a partition dividing the container into a top portion and a bottom portion, said partition being slideably disposed within the container and adapted to provide an impervious barrier between the propellent in the bottom portion of the container and the liquid composition in the top portion of the container, a valve within the closure for discharging the liquid composition from the top portion of the container through the closure to an outlet of the container, and a hypodermic syringe comprising a barrel of constant diameter having an opening at one end and terminating at the other end in a hollow filling tip hermetically engaged directly with the outlet of the container to form a fluid-tight conduit for the liquid composition from the outlet to within the barrel of the syringe and a plunger slideably disposed within the barrel and responsive to the pressure exerted by the liquid composition entering the barrel of the syringe.

3. An apparatus for dispensing a liquid composition intended for parenteral administration comprising in combination a rigid container having an opening at one end and adapted to contain the liquid composition and a gas or liquified gas under positive pressure, a closure for the opening having a portion projecting into the container, a bag of flexible material of a size when filled with the liquid composition to substantially fill the container and adapted to provide an impervious barrier between the gas or liquified gas and the liquid composition and said bag having a neck portion hermetically surrounding the inwardly projecting portion of the closure, a valve within the closure for discharging the liquid composition from the bag through the inwardly projecting portion of the closure to an outlet of the container, and a hypodermic syringe comprising a barrel of constant diameter having an opening at one end and terminating at the other end in a hollow filling tip hermetically engaged directly with the outlet of the container to form a fluid-tight conduit for the liquid composition from the outlet to within the barrel of the syringe and a plunger slideably disposed within the barrel and responsive to the pressure exerted by the liquid composition entering the barrel of the syringe.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the valve is adapted to discharge a predetermined fixed Amount of liquid composition from the bag through the inwardly projecting portion of the closure to the outlet of the container and into the barrel of the syringe.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the outlet of the container is a chamber adapted to be removeably force fitted over the hollow filling tip of the syringe to form a fluid-tight conduit for the liquid composition from the outlet to within the barrel of the syringe.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the closure for the opening in the container has a bore leading from the interior of the flexible bag to the exterior of the closure, said bore having the operating member of the valve slideably and hermetically disposed therein and extending from the portion of the closure projecting into the container to a point exterior to the closure, said operating member of the valve having a conduit therein to provide communication between the interior of the bag and the outlet of the container when the valve is opened, said valve being opened and closed by the sliding movement of the operating member of the valve.

7. A method of dispensing a liquid composition intended for parenteral administration comprising the steps of:

a. hermetically engaging the hollow filling tip of a hypodermic syringe directly with the outlet of a container having an opening at one end and containing under positive pressure the liquid composition and a gas or liquified gas essentially insoluble in the liquid composition, a closure for the opening having a portion projecting into the dispensable liquid composition in the container, a valve within the closure for discharging the liquid composition from the container through the inwardly projecting portion of the closure to the outlet of the container, said syringe comprising a barrel of constant diameter having an opening at one end and terminating at the other end in the hollow filling tip and a plunger slideably disposed within the barrel;

b. opening the valve to discharge the liquid composition from the container through the inwardly projecting portion of the closure to the outlet of the container and into the barrel of the syringe which is further characterized in that the plunger slideably disposed within the barrel is responsive to the pressure exerted by the liquid composition entering the barrel of the syringe;

c. continuing step (b) until the barrel of the syringe has been filled with a desired volume of liquid composition;

d. closing the valve; and

e. disengaging the filling tip of the syringe from the outlet of the container.

8. A method of dispensing a liquid composition intended for parenteral administration comprising the steps of;

a. hermetically engaging the hollow tip of a hypodermic syringe directly with the outlet of a rigid cylindrical container having an opening at the top end and sealed at the bottom end and adapted to contain the liquid composition and a gas or liquified gas propellent under positive pressure, a closure for the opening, a partition dividing the container into a top portion and a bottom portion, said partition being slideably disposed within the container and adapted to provide an impervious barrier between the propellent in the bottom portion of the container and the liquid composition in the top portion of the container, a valve within the closure for discharging the liquid composition from the top portion of the container through the closure to the outlet of the container, said syringe comprising a barrel of constant diameter having an opening at one end and terminating at the other end in the hollow filling tip and a plunger slideably disposed within the barrel;

b. opening the valve to discharge the liquid composition from the container through the closure to the outlet of the container and into the barrel of the syringe which is further characterized in that the plunger slideably disposed within the barrel is responsive to the pressure exerted by the liquid composition entering the barrel of the syrinGe;

c. continuing step (b) until the barrel of the syringe has been filled within a desired volume of liquid composition;

d. closing the valve; and

e. disengaging the filling tip of the syringe from the outlet of the container.

9. A method of dispensing a liquid composition intended for parenteral administration comprising the steps of:

a. hermetically engaging the hollow tip of a hypodermic syringe directly with the outlet of a container having an opening at one end and adapted to contain a gas or liquified gas under positive pressure, a closure for the opening having a portion projecting into the container, a bag of flexible material of a size when filled with liquid composition to substantially fill the container and adapted to provide an impervious barrier between the gas or liquified gas and the liquid composition and said bag having a neck portion hermetically surrounding the inwardly projecting portion of the closure, a valve within the closure for discharging the liquid composition from the bag through the inwardly projecting portion of the closure to an outlet of the container, said syringe comprising a barrel of constant diameter having an opening at one end and terminating at the other end in the hollow filling tip and a plunger slideably disposed within the barrel;

b. opening the valve to discharge the liquid composition from the bag through the inwardly projecting portion of the closure to the outlet of the container and into the barrel of the syringe which is further characterized in that the plunger slideably disposed within the barrel is responsive to the pressure exerted by the liquid composition entering the barrel of the syringe;

c. continuing step (b) until the barrel of the syringe has been filled with a desired volume of liquid composition;

d. closing the valve; and

e. disengaging the filling tip of the syringe from the outlet of the container.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the valve is adapted to discharge a predetermined fixed amount of liquid composition from the bag through the inwardly projecting portion of the closure to the outlet of the container and into the barrel of the syringe.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein the outlet of the container is a chamber adapted to be removeably force fitted over the hollow filling tip of the syringe to form a fluid-tight conduit for the liquid composition from the outlet to within the barrel of the syringe.

12. A method according to claim 9 wherein the closure for the opening in the container has a bore leading from the interior of the flexible bag to the exterior of the closure, said bore having the operating member of the valve slideably and hermetically disposed therein and extending from the portion of the closure projecting into the container to a point exterior to the closure, said operating member of the valve having a conduit therein to provide communication between the interior of the bag and the outlet of the container when the valve is opened, said valve being opened and closed by the sliding movement of the operating member of the valve.