Vial adapter having a needle-free valve for use with vial closures of different sizes

• US 6,875,205 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Leinsing, Karl R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bianco, Patricia
• Application Number:
  US10/072,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 604256- 57, 604/247, 604533- 35, 604/539, 604/403, 604/407, 604/82, 604411-416, 604 86- 88, 604/905, 137798-800, 206219-222, 206/216, 206/568, 206570- 72, 206/828, 206/438, 141/311.R, 141329-330, 141346-347, 141383-386, 220/200
• US Class Current: 604/414
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2044 having slits
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2055 having gripping means
• 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: A61M 39/045 pre-slit to be pierced by blunt instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/10 Tube connectors; Tube couplings A61M39/02 takes precedence; connecting needles to syringes or hubs A61M5/34; connecting catheter tubes to hubs A61M25/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/26 Valves closing automatically on disconnecting the line and opening on reconnection thereof check valves A61M39/24
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/023 adapted for different sizes of tubes, tips or container
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/026 Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/049 Valves integrated in closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50825 Closing or opening means, corks, bungs closures for containers B65D; means for removing stoppers B67B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/828 Medicinal content
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/03 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 604/905 Aseptic connectors or couplings, e.g. frangible, piercable

Abstract

A vial adapter having a needle-free valve, a sharpened cannula used to perforate a vial'"'"'s rubber stopper, and a circular array of claws of different lengths to engage vial closures of different diameters. The array of claws includes a first set of claws each having a first length extending inwardly from the periphery of the housing of the adapter and a second set of claws alternating with the first set of claws and each having a longer length. The second set of claws are mounted so that they deflect and plastically deform out of the way in the case where the adapter is engaged with a vial that exceeds a predetermined size. The housing includes a shroud that is at least as long as the sharpened cannula to protect medical personnel who use the adapter from inadvertent punctures. The needle-free valve includes a resiliently deformable piston element with a naturally open bore. The interior of the piston provides a fluid flow path through the adapter. In one embodiment, the first set of claws of the adapter may be used with a vial closure of at approximately 20 mm in diameter and the second set of claws may be used with a vial closure of approximately 13 to 17 mm in diameter.

Claims

1. A vial adapter for interconnecting with vial closures of different diameters, each closure having a seal and each vial having a neck comprising:

an adapter housing having a first end with an inner periphery with a circular array of claws, and having a second end, the housing having a thickness at the inner periphery; and

a sharpened cannula extending from the first end of the adapter housing for penetrating a seal of a vial closure to establish fluid communication between the vial and the first end;

wherein the array of claws comprises;

a first set of claws extending radially inwardly from the inner periphery, each of which has a first length and each of which is located and formed to snap under the closure of the vial about the neck; and

a second set of claws extending radially inwardly from the inner periphery, each of the second set of claws having a second length that is longer than the first length of the first set of claws, and each of which is located and formed to snap under the closure of the vial about the neck, each of the second set of claws formed such that when the vial adapter is placed over a closure exceeding a selected diameter, each of the second set of claws will deflect and plastically deform thereby permitting the first set of claws to snap under the larger closure.

2. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein the second set of claws are thinner than the adapter housing at the inner periphery and plastic deformation of the second set of claws occurs at a location along the length of the thinner second claws.

3. The vial adapter of claim 2 wherein the thickness of the second set of claws is selected so that when plastically deformed, the second set of claws do not apply a substantial force to the closure which may tend to decouple the vial adapter from the closure.

4. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein the cannula comprises a protruding rib located so that when the cannula is engaged with the rubber stopper of a vial closure, the protruding rib resists rotation of the cannula once the sharpened cannula with the protruding rib have punctured the rubber stopper of the closure.

5. The vial adapter of claim 4 wherein the protruding rib is elongated and oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the central cannula.

6. The vial adapter of claim 4 wherein the cannula comprises a plurality of protruding ribs elongated and oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the central cannula.

7. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein each of the second set of claws is hinged to the adapter housing at the inner periphery and plastic deformation of the second set of claws occurs at the location of the hinges.

8. The vial adapter of claim 7 wherein each of the second set of claws is thinner than the adapter housing and plastic deformation of the second set of claws occurs at a location along the length of the thinner second claws.

9. The vial adapter of claim 7 wherein the thickness of the second set of claws is selected so that when plastically deformed, the second set of claws do not apply a substantial force to the closure which may tend to decouple the vial adapter from the closure.

10. The vial adapter of claim 7 wherein each of the second set of claws comprises a narrowed segment at which the plastic deformation takes place.

11. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein the length of each of the first set of claws is selected to engage a larger diameter vial closure.

12. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein the length of each of the second set of claws is selected to engage a smaller diameter vial closure.

13. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein the length of each of the second set of claws is selected such that when the adapter engages a smaller diameter vial closure, each of the second set of claws deforms elastically to engage the smaller vial closure.

14. The vial adapter of claim 13 wherein the second set of claws deflect elastically as a result of a force directed axially through the center line of the vial adapter so that the second set of claws will snap under a crimped retaining cap surrounding a rubber stopper placed in the opening of the vial.

15. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein the second set of claws comprises a narrowed segment at which the plastic deformation takes place.

16. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein the second set of claws are located at the inner periphery so that they are alternating with the first set of claws about the inner periphery.

17. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein the adapter housing further comprises a shroud forming a part of the adapter housing at the first end, the shroud extending from the first end far enough to surround the sharpened portion of the sharpened cannula to protect an operator of the vial adapter from inadvertent puncture by the sharpened cannula.

18. The vial adapter of claim 1 wherein each of the first set of claws has a terminal end and each of the second set of claws has terminal end and the terminal ends of the first set of claws and the terminal ends of the second set of claws are located in a common plane.