Dual-chambered container and method of making same

• US 5,865,309 A
• Filed: 10/24/1997
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissho Corporation (Nitto Denko Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nissho Corporation (Nitto Denko Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Noriyoshi, Futagawa, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kishore, Gollamudi S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shelborne, Kathryne E.
• Application Number:
  US08/959,278
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 424/400, 424/443
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2024 having peelable seals
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2093 Containers having several compartments for products to be mixed
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/81 Forming or attaching accessories, e.g. opening devices, closures or tear strings
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/84 Forming or attaching means for filling or dispensing contents, e.g. valves or spouts
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 70/844 Applying rigid valves, spouts, or filling tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3266 separated by a common rupturable seal, a clip or other removable fastening device

Abstract

A dual-chambered container includes a chamber which contains, for example, a dry drug and a chamber which contains, for example, a medical liquid. The chambers are defined in first and second bags, with each bag having a weak seal formed in a side thereof. The bags are formed separately and then joined to one another so that the weak seals therein are positioned so that a passageway is formed between the bags when the weak seals are forcibly broken. The chambers can be sterilized independently of each other and, consequently, the container can be manufactured in a manner which minimizes the amount of labor required.

Claims

1. A dual-chambered container comprising:

a first bag having a chamber therein, and having a weak seal formed in an end thereof, said first bag comprising two plastic sheets bonded to one another to form said chamber therein, and said weak seal in said first bag comprising a weak-sealing member sandwiched between said plastic sheets at said end thereof, said weak-sealing member being fusion bonded to said plastic sheets so that portions of said plastic sheets form ears that are not joined to one another and an end of the weak-sealing member is exposed between said ears to form a tongue; and

a second bag having a chamber therein, and having a weak seal formed in an end thereof and being joined to said first bag, said second bag comprising one of a cylindrical plastic sheet and a pair of plastic sheets having opposing edges bonded to one another to form said chamber therein, and said weak seal in said second bag comprising a weak-sealing member disposed in said end of said second bag, said weak-sealing member being fusion bonded to said end so that a portion of said weak-sealing member protrudes from said end to form a tongue;

said weak seals in said first and second bags being positioned such that the weak-sealing member of said second bag is inserted in and between the ears of said first bag such that the tongues of said bags are in juxtaposition and the ends of the bags are bonded together such that a complete and continuous weak seal extends between the two bags and forms a passageway when said continuous weak seal is broken,

wherein said weak-sealing member in each of said first and second bags is a sheet piece of a polymer blend comprised of at least two polymers, one of said polymers comprising the first and second bags and having a limited affinity to the other polymer or polymers in the blend and wherein one chamber contains a dry drug and the other chamber contains a medical liquid.

2. The dual-chambered container of claim 1, wherein the polymer blend comprises polyethylene and polypropylene, the weight ratio of polyethylene to polypropylene being 3:

7 to 7;

3.

3. The dual-chambered container of claim 2, wherein the first bag is comprised of a rear sheet comprised of a laminate having an outer layer of polyethylene terephthalate, an inner layer of polyethylene, and aluminum foil disposed therebetween, and a frontal sheet comprised of a laminate having an outer layer of one of a copolymer of ethylene and propylene and polyethylene, an inner layer of polyethylene, and a polyethylene terephthalate film coated with a silica layer disposed therebetween.

4. A method of making a dual-chambered containing comprising the steps of:

forming a first bag having a weak seal in a side thereof by sandwiching a weak-sealing member between plastic sheets and fusion bonding the weak-sealing member to the plastic sheets so that portions of the plastic sheets form ears that are not joined to one another at an end of the first bag, and an end of the weak-sealing member is exposed between said ears to form a tongue;

forming a second bag having a weak seal in a side thereof by fusion bonding a weak-sealing member to one of a cylindrical plastic sheet and a pair of plastic sheets having opposing edges bonded to one another so that a portion of said weak-sealing member protrudes from an end of the second bag to form a tongue; and

fusion bonding said sides of said first and second bags so that said weak seals therein are positioned so that a passageway is formed between said first and second bags when said weak seals are forcibly broken,

wherein the step of fusion bonding the first and second bags includes the steps of inserting the tongue of the second bag between the ears of the first bag so that the tongues of the first and second bags are in juxtaposition, and fusion bonding the ears of the first bag to the tongues of the first and second bags and to the end of the second bag in which the weak-sealing member is disposed; and

wherein said weak-seal in each of said first and second bags comprises a weak-sealing member that is a sheet piece of a polymer blend comprised of at least two polymers, one of said polymers comprising the first and second bags and having a limited infinity to the other polymer or polymers in said blend and wherein one chamber contains a dry drug and the other chamber contains a medical liquid.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the polymer blend comprises polyethylene and polypropylene, the weight ratio of polyethylene to polypropylene being 3:

7 to 7;

3.