Medicament container

• US 8,329,271 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clinical Designs Limited (Mundipharma International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Clinical Designs Limited (Mundipharma International Limited)
• Inventors: Bacon, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Dye, Rena
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAGER, JAMES C
• Application Number:
  US11/792,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20080107848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,554 Days
• Field of Search: 428/35.7, 128/200.23, 264/454, 264/478, 264/513
• US Class Current: 428/35.7
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/007 Mechanical counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/009 using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2017 outside the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2047 Tubular inserts, e.g. tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2065 for reinforcing specific areas of the final blow moulded article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2422 Cylindrical or sleeve shaped linings or labels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0715 the preform having one end closed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3008 at neck portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3012 at flange portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3016 at body portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/302 at bottom portion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3028 having three or more components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/3032 having components being injected
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1635 using displaceable mould parts, e.g. retractable partition between adjacent mould cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/06 Injection blow-moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/12 Stretching rods
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/20 of articles having inserts or reinforcements ; Handling of inserts or reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/251 explicit lining B29C49/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 : Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/253 : Preform
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/0215 : multilayered B65D81/3837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/54 : Metering valves ; Metering valve assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 : Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]

Abstract

A medicament source has a container and a crimped closure. The closure sealingly holds to the container a metered-dose release valve, of which the spout only is visible externally. The container has a neck and a protruding rim at which the crimp locates. The container is of molded polymer and has an outer, perforate sleeve of aluminum, providing mechanical strength for pressure retention. The neck has a relatively thicker wall thickness and the end is domed inwards, both for pressure retention. The polymer is of three layers or laminations. The innermost layer is of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material to provide an inert layer with which the medicament and its propellant will not react or combine in any way. The middle polymer layer is of nylon material to provide a propellant tight layer, to contain the propellant, whose molecules may be able to pass through the PTFE layer. The outer polymer layer is of polypropylene (PP) to provide both water tightness and mechanical integrity of the container.

Claims

1. A container comprising a pressurised medicament for use in a medicament source,

the container comprising a mouth with a rim for a closure of the medicament source,

the container comprising a plurality of layers comprising:

a first, inner, substance-repellent layer to repel the medicament;

a second gas-tight layer; and

a third, liquid-impermeable layer;

wherein said layers are of a polymeric material and

said layers are of transparent or translucent material, and

the container comprising the pressurised medicament comprises a pressurised propellant and a reinforcing layer including fibre reinforcement to retain the pressure of the pressurised medicament.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas tight layer is inside the liquid-impermeable layer.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gas tight layer is outside the liquid-impermeable layer.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4 or claim 1, including a welded closure or a crimp closure.

6. A container as claimed in claim 4 or claim 1, wherein the container is moulded and the reinforcing layer is incorporated in a post-moulding addition to the container.

7. A container as claimed in claim 4 or claim 1, wherein the reinforcing layer is incorporated into the container as moulded.

8. A container as claimed in claim 4 or claim 1, wherein the reinforcing layer is perforate, of open weave textile or spirally wound for visual assessment of the level of the medicament within the container.

9. A container as claimed in claim 4 or claim 1, wherein said inner layer comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

10. A container as claimed in claim 4 or claim 1, wherein said gas-tight layer comprises nylon.

11. A container as claimed in claim 4 or 1, wherein the reinforcing layer includes a pressure retaining sleeve surrounding said plurality of polymeric layers.

12. The container of claim 11 wherein said sleeve is perforated.

13. The container of claim 12 wherein said sleeve is aluminium.

14. A method of moulding a container as claimed in claim 4 or claim 1, the method consisting in the steps of:

injection moulding a laminated preform,

including a reinforcing layer including fibre reinforcement in a blowing mould, and

blowing the preform to finished shape in the mould.

4. A container comprising a pressurised medicament for use in a medicament source,

the container comprising a mouth with a rim for a closure of the medicament source, and

the container comprising a plurality of layers comprising:

an inner, substance-repellent layer to repel the medicament; and

an outer gas-tight and liquid-impermeable layer;

wherein said layers are of polymeric material and

said layers are of transparent or translucent material and the container comprising the pressurised medicament comprises a pressurised propellant and a reinforcing layer including fibre reinforcement to retain the pressure of the pressurised medicament.