Method of making a medical container port tangential to the container

• US 5,507,904 A
• Filed: 09/27/1994
• Issued: 04/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fenwal Incorporated (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Fisher, David P., Wons, Allen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGEL, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US08/313,560
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 156/272.2, 156/274.4, 156/250, 156/252, 156/293, 156/308.2, 156/380.3, 53/479, 53/133.1, 53/133.2, 53/DIG. 2, 152/510, 152/511, 152/429, 152/DIG. 11, 152/DIG. 13, 40/586, 206/828, 604/408-415
• US Class Current: 156/252
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0222 and filter bypass
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3636 having a flexible housing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/005 residue retained by the filter due to size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0057 retained by adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0439 White blood cells; Leucocytes lymphocytes A61M2202/0407
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0241 comprising electrically conductive fibres or particles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/10 Filtering material manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/012 Making filtering elements making bag, cage, hose, tube, sleeve or like filtering elements B01D29/111
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/58 arranged concentrically or coaxially
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/908 provoking a tangential stream
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1623 of synthetic origin
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/04 Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding , i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24221 being circular B29C66/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53246 said single elements being spouts, e.g. joining spouts to containers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/53262 Enclosing spouts between the walls of bags, e.g. of medical bags
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/63 Internally supporting the article during joining B29C66/49 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83221 cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/92651 : by using stops
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/083 : EVA, i.e. ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 : PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7148 : Blood bags, medical bags
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/753 : Medical equipment; Accessories therefor bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 53/02 : High frequency electric sealing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1056 : Perforating lamina

Abstract

A port is formed in a thermoplastic container wall by slitting the wall, inserting a thermoplastic tube through the slit, placing a mandrel in the tube, placing opposed dies defining a bore over the sheet and tube, and dielectrically heating the thermoplastic to fuse the tube and sheet. Preferably the bore defined by the dies is of a diameter slightly less than that of the tube, and has an enlarged central area which forms a thickened section of material over the slit.

Claims

1. A method of forming a port in a thermoplastic sheet which forms a wall of a thermoplastic container comprising the steps of:

providing a sheet of thermoplastic material,

forming a slit in said sheet at a position spaced from the periphery thereof,

inserting a hollow tube of thermoplastic material through said slit so that one end of said tube is located on each side of said sheet,

heat fusing said sheet around said tube so that said tube defines an opening through said sheet and said tube is oriented tangentially to the surface of said sheet, and

subsequently forming said sheet into said container.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the periphery of said sheet is heat sealed to the periphery of another sheet

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said fusing step is conducted by placing metallic dies on opposite sides of said tube, a mandrel in the bore of said tube, and applying energy thereto to dielectrically heat said tube and thermoplastic sheet to cause softening thereof.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said die comprises two halves defining a cylindrical bore adapted to engage the opposite sides of said tube and wherein a central transverse enlargement is provided in said bore and wherein said enlargement is positioned on opposite sides of said slit during said heat fusing step whereby a thickened section of fused material is formed over said slit.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said bore has a diameter slightly less than the outer diameter of said tube.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic material is dielectrically heated by application of radio frequency energy thereto.