Unitary, hermetically-sealed but pierceable dispensing container

• US 4,176,153 A
• Filed: 02/10/1978
• Issued: 11/27/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cardinal Health 400, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cardinal Health 400, Inc.
• Inventors: Weiler, Gerhard H., Nagel, Dieter H., Pagels, Louis T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lake, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): McQuade, John
• Application Number:
  US05/876,730
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 425/524, 425/522, 425/525, 425/529, 264/96, 264/98
• US Class Current: 264/524
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/05 for collecting, storing or administering blood, plasma or medical fluids multiple bags systems for separating or storing blood components A61M1/0209; Infusion or perfusion containers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/04 Extrusion blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/4817 with means for closing off parison ends
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/58 Blowing means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/76 Neck calibration

Abstract

A unitary, hermetically sealed but pierceable dispensing container, suitable for packaging parenteral solutions, is made from a flexible, generally tubular body of thermoplastic material utilizing a form, fill and seal technique and a movable, composite mandrel that includes a forming ram member for compression molding from within the container a container wall portion which includes a pierceable membrane. The tubular body is closed at one end and terminates at the other end in a draining region having an access aperture or port sealed by a unitary membrane of predetermined thickness. The membrane permits penetration of a cannula therethrough without coring, and an annular sealing means surrounding the aperture is adapted for frictional and sealing engagement of the cannula after the membrane has been penetrated.

Claims

1. Apparatus for molding, filling and sealing a container from a semi-molten, hollow tube of thermoplastic material having an open upper end which comprises

at least one relatively movable sectional mold assembly adapted to enclose a length of said tube of thermoplastic material, said sectional mold assembly comprising lower sectional mold parts adapted to shape a main body portion of said container and upper sectional mold parts adapted to shape and seal a top portion of said container;

holding jaw means associated wih said mold assembly for engaging said length of said tube when a major portion of said length is enclosed by the lower sectional mold parts so as to support the length of said tube during shaping of said main body portion of said container out of contact with said upper sectional mold parts; and

a movable composite mandrel supported above the enclosed length of said tube and adapted to be introduced into said open upper end of said hollow tube, said mandrel including a blowing nozzle for supplying a fluid under pressure to expand said major portion of said tube into contact with said lower sectional mold parts and thereby shape said main body portion, a filling nozzle, and a forming ram member adapted to compression mold from within the shaped main body portion a wall portion of said main body portion to a predetermined configuration and dimension.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said forming ram member is provided with a forming tip of predetermined dimensions and configuration at the distal end of said mandrel.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said forming tip has a convex, substantially conical end surface.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said forming tip has a convex, substantially spherical end surface.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said forming tip has a concave, substantially conical end surface.

6. A method of forming, filling and hermetically sealing a pierceable container having a desired content which comprises the steps of

providing an open assembly of sectional mold parts defining a container-forming mold cavity therein when closed;

extruding a parison in the form of a semi-solid, elongated hollow tube between said mold parts;

severing a predetermined tube length from the parison to provide an access opening into the severed tube length for receiving a composite mandrel which includes a blowing and filling nozzle and a forming ram member;

closing said assembly about said severed predetermined tube length so as to confine a portion of the tube length between the mold parts and within said container-forming cavity while closing one end of the confined tube length and permitting the access opening to remain open at the other end of the tube length;

positioning said composite mandrel so as to close the access opening blade and blow-forming said tube length so as to provide semi-solid walls defining said container;

forming a pierceable wall region of predetermined dimensions in said container by urging said forming ram member against a selected semi-solid wall region of the blow-formed container so as to compressively mold from within the blow-formed container a wall region of predetermined dimensions;

filling the blow-formed container with the desired contents through said composite mandrel;

retracting said forming ram member from said selected wall region;

providing forming and sealing means for closing the open end of said confined tube length so as to hermetically seal the filled container;

operating said forming and sealing means to hermetically seal the filled container; and

opening said assembly to remove the filled and hermetically-sealed but pierceable container.