Method and apparatus for fixing a connector assembly onto a vial

• US 6,213,994 B1
• Filed: 09/25/1997
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton Dickinson France (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Becton Dickinson France (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Thibault, Jean Claude, Jansen, Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cho, David J.
• Application Number:
  US08/938,186
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 604/403, 604/411, 604/412, 604/414, 604/415, 604/905, 141/319, 141/346, 141/347, 141/349, 141/351, 251/325, 251/333, 251/344, 251/347, 251/349, 251/353, 215/355, 215/247, 215/364
• US Class Current: 604/415
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/14 Details; Accessories therefor A61J7/00 takes precedence; openers B65D, B67B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1475 Inlet or outlet ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2051 having tap means, e.g. tap means activated by sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2089 Containers or vials which are to be joined to each other in order to mix their contents combinations of vial and syringe for mixing their contents A61J1/2096
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/03 Medical

Abstract

A method and apparatus for attaching a connector assembly onto a vial is disclosed. The connector assembly features a protective cap, a collar attachable to the rim of the vial, and a locking ring disposed about the collar. A vial access device is contained within the collar. One or more ribs are provided adjacent a distal portion of the collar to seal against the stopper obturating the vial. The collar is provided with one or more slits which render the collar flexible in directions radial and axial to the central axis of the vial to compensate for variations in tolerances or dimensions present in the various components. Locking structure between the locking ring and the collar assures that the collar remains fixed to the vial.

Claims

1. A connector assembly for a vial, said vial including a neck, an open end at the proximal end of the neck, a rim bounding the open end, and a stopper obturating the open end of the vial, the rim having a side portion and an underside facing away from the open proximal end of the vial, the stopper having a planar portion covering the rim, the connector assembly comprising:

a protective cap for covering the open end of the vial, the cap comprising an open proximal end, a closed distal end, and a shield wall formed therebetween;

a collar provided adjacent the open proximal end of the protective cap, the collar defining a proximal end, a distal end, and a sidewall therebetween, the collar movable between a first position wherein the distal end of the collar is spaced from the stopper, and a second position, wherein the distal end of the collar engages the planar portion of the stopper, one or more slits being defined in the sidewall to permit flexibility of the collar in axial and radial directions with respect to the neck of the vial, and one or more deflectable latches provided about the proximal end of the collar, each of the latches including locking means deflectable about the side portion of the rim for secured engagement with the underside of the rim when the collar is in the second position;

a ring provided about the sidewall of the collar, the ring having an interior surface cooperable with the locking means of the latches to secure the collar to the rim in the second position, the ring movable in a distal direction respective of the collar to a locked position to secure the collar in the second position;

said protective cap having a frangible section situated along the shield wall between the open proximal end and the closed distal end, said frangible section including a first material and at least partially including a second material having a low shear resistance; and

said frangible section including a plurality of teeth formed from said second material interspersed with intervening portions of said frangible section and said intervening portions being formed from said first material having a more shear resistance material and making up the remainder of the protective cap so that said intervening sections strengthening the frangible section against inadvertent removal of the protective cap and so that at least a portion of said protective cap my be removed from said vial by applying a twisting force to said protective cap to expose said vial access device.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising cooperative locking structure between the collar and the ring to secure the ring to the collar in the locked position.

3. The connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the cooperative locking structure comprises one or more cooperative ratcheting teeth provided between the collar and the ring.

4. The connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising a vial access device having a piercing element for piercing the stopper.

5. The connector assembly of claim 4, wherein the vial access device is engaged against an interior portion of the collar.

6. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a an inwardly directed locking surface on said latch and an outwardly directed surface on said latch in functional relation with the interior surface of the ring,

wherein when said ring is urged in the distal direction, an inwardly-directed force is transmitted to said latch to retain the inwardly directed locking surface in secured relation with the underside of said rim.

7. The connector assembly of claim 6, wherein the interior surface of said ring includes an internally projecting rib adjacent the proximal end of the ring, wherein said rib is cooperable with the outwardly directed surface of the latch when the ring is urged in the distal direction to secure said collar in the second position.

8. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said second material having a low shear resistance fills said teeth.

9. The connector assembly of claim 8, wherein first material having a more shear resistance is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene or polyethylene, and said second material having a low shear resistance is a thermoplastic elastomer.

10. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said protective cap is affixed to said collar by welding or adhesives, wherein said protective cap is molded from a material selected from the group comprising polypropylene or polyethylene.

11. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said protective cap includes a cap portion and a collar portion formed together and connected by said frangible section situated along the circumference of said protective cap.