Pre-assembled fluid transfer arrangement

• US 9,480,623 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk Health Care AG (Novo Nordisk A/S)
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk Health Care AG (Novo Nordisk A/S)
• Inventors: Eilertsen, Lars, Bendix, Klaus, Melander, Matias, Nielsen, Christian Hoejris, Rasmussen, Martin, Radmer, Jim, Hjortlund, Jonas, Jensen, Soeren Dyring
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva, Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Klein, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/351,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20140311624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2013 having two piercing ends
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2051 having tap means, e.g. tap means activated by sliding
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2065 having aligning and guiding means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2075 for external venting
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical device (1, 100) comprising a first container (10, 110) holding a first medium and defining a general axis, a second container (20, 120) holding a second medium, and fluid connection means (50, 150) for establishing fluid connection between the first container (10, 110) and the second container (20, 120), the fluid connection means (50, 150) being arranged at least partially between the first container (10, 110) and the second container (20, 120). The device further comprises a cover receiving portion (42, 42) and a cover (4, 104) removably mounted thereon to shield at least an operable portion of the first container (10, 110). The cover (4, 104) is operatively coupled with the fluid connection means (50, 150) and configured to cause a relative converging motion between at least one of the first container (10, 110) and the fluid connection means (50, 150) and the second container (20, 120) and the fluid connection means (50, 150) in response to a dismounting of the cover (4, 104) from the cover receiving portion (42, 142).

Claims

1. A medical arrangement comprising:

a first container comprising a variable volume chamber holding a first medium,

a second container holding a second medium,

a fluid connection structure for establishing a fluid connection between the first container and the second container,

a cover receiving portion, and

a cover removably mounted on the cover receiving portion to shield at least an operable portion of the first container,

wherein the cover is operatively coupled with the fluid connection structure and configured to cause a relative converging motion between at least one of a) the first container and the fluid connection structure and b) the second container and the fluid connection structure in response to a dismounting of the cover from the cover receiving portion.

2. A medical arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the fluid connection structure establishes fluid connection between the first container and the second container in response to the dismounting of the cover from the cover receiving portion.

3. A medical arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cover forms part of an enclosure for the first container, the second container, and the fluid connection structure.

4. A medical arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first container defines a general axis, and wherein the first container, the second container, and the fluid connection structure are arranged co-axially along the general axis.

5. A medical arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the volume of the variable volume chamber is varied by operation of an actuator, and wherein the cover is adapted to shield at least a user operable portion of the actuator when mounted on the cover receiving portion.

6. A medical arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a first container support element for holding the first container,

wherein the cover and the cover receiving portion are adapted for threaded engagement via a first track section having a first pitch, and

wherein the dismounting of the cover from the cover receiving portion causes a relative helical motion between the first container support element and the cover, said relative helical motion being defined by a second track section having a second pitch which is greater than the first pitch.

7. A medical arrangement according to claim 6, further comprising a guide interface structured to provide for a guided relative motion between the first container support element and the second container during the dismounting of the cover from the cover receiving portion,

wherein the cover is structured to interact with the first container support element to activate the first container support element in response to a dismounting motion of the cover relative to the cover receiving portion, and

wherein the guide interface is structured to displace an activated first container support element non-rotationally towards the second container.

8. A medical arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the cover receiving portion is arranged on a coupling element, and wherein the coupling element and the second container are substantially translationally locked with respect to one another.

9. A medical arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the fluid connection structure comprises

a base section having a first face and an opposite second face,

a first penetration member protruding axially from the first face for penetrating a first container closure,

a second penetration member protruding axially from the second face for penetrating a second container closure, and

a lumen extending through the first penetration member, the base section, and the second penetration member, and

wherein the first container support element comprises first positioning structure interacting with the first face and second positioning structure interacting with the second face to translationally fix the fluid connection means relative to the first container at a position in which the first penetration member is spaced apart from the first container closure,

the first positioning structure being configured to automatically abort the interaction with the first face upon penetration of the second container closure by the second penetration member, thereby enabling relative translational motion between the fluid connection structure and the first container.

10. A medical arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the first positioning structure comprises a plurality of radially deflectable legs extending axially from a circumferential base of the first container support element, each leg comprising an inwardly extending abutment surface for abutment with a portion of the first face, and

wherein the coupling element comprises a plurality of sloping guide surfaces configured to guide the plurality of radially deflectable legs outwards upon penetration of the second container closure by the second penetration member during the relative motion between the first container support element and the second container, whereby the abutment surfaces are brought out of contact with the first face.

11. A medical arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the coupling element further comprises locking structure for interacting with the first container support element to translationally lock the first container support element with respect to the second container upon subsequent penetration of the first container closure by the first penetration member.

12. A medical arrangement according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of radially deflectable legs further comprises a catch portion, and

wherein the coupling element further comprises a plurality of ramp portions, each ramp portion being structured to deflect one of the radially deflectable legs radially outwards during the relative motion between the first container support element and the second container and to allow the radially deflectable leg to elastically recover beyond a ramp edge such that the catch portion interfaces with a distal side of the ramp portion.

13. A medical arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising

a first container support element for supporting the first container, and

a guide structure adapted to guide a relative motion between the first container support element and the second container during the dismounting of the cover from the cover receiving portion,

wherein the guide structure comprises a first thread on the cover receiving portion and a mating first container support thread on the first container support element, and

wherein the cover receiving portion comprises a second thread adapted for engagement with a cover thread on the cover, the first thread being a left-hand thread and the second thread being a right-hand thread, or vice versa.

14. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the pitch of the first thread is greater than the pitch of the second thread.

15. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the cover comprises cover engagement structure adapted to interact with container engagement structure associated with the first container to ensure joint rotational motion of the cover and the first container during dismounting of the cover from the second thread.

16. An arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the cover engagement structure and the container engagement structure are adapted to enable relative rotational motion between the cover and the first container during re-mounting of the cover on the second thread, and

wherein the guide structure is configured to lead the first container support thread to the end of the first thread during establishment of fluid connection between the first container and the second container, whereby the cover is capable of being re-mounted on the cover receiving portion only once after fluid connection has been established between the first container and the second container.

17. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the first container is a syringe type applicator being removably mounted in the first container support element and comprising a cylindrical barrel and a piston defining a syringe compartment for holding the first medium, the piston being capable of sliding motion with respect to the barrel by operation of a piston rod to selectively decrease and increase the volume of the syringe compartment to transfer the first medium from the first container to the second container through an established fluid connection, to transfer a combination of the first medium and the second medium back to the first container, and to deliver the combination of the first medium and the second medium from the first container upon removal of the first container from the first container support element.

18. An arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the cover is adapted to shield at least a proximal portion of the first container,

wherein the first container is adapted for re-mounting in the first container support element, and

wherein the piston rod projects less from the barrel when the syringe compartment is collapsed than when the syringe compartment holds the first medium, thereby providing a storage space between the cover and a re-mounted first container after delivery of the combination of the first medium and the second medium.

19. An arrangement according to claim 13, further comprising

a base element surrounding at least a portion of the cover receiving portion, the cover receiving portion being capable of rotation relative to the base element, and

a second container support for supporting the second container, the second container support being arranged non-rotatably relative to the base element and comprising a thread adapted for engagement with a third thread on the cover receiving portion,

wherein the third thread is structured to cause the second container support to move axially towards the fluid connection structure in response to a rotation of the cover receiving portion relative to the base element.

20. An arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the second thread is longer than the first thread, and

wherein the cover receiving portion is adapted to rotate relative to the base element in response to a dismounting rotation of the cover, when the first container support thread has travelled to the end of the first thread.

21. An arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the second container support comprises an at least partially enclosing frame accommodating the second container, the frame comprising bias structure for biasing the second container towards the first container.

22. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the first container support thread comprises a first catch geometry and the cover receiving portion comprises a second catch geometry adapted to engage with the first catch geometry during coupling of the first container support thread and the first thread at a predefined axial position of the first container support element relative to the cover receiving portion.

23. A medical arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the first container is releasably coupled with the first container support element, and

wherein the first container comprises an outlet sealed by a penetrable first container closure which is non-releasably coupled with the first container support element.

24. A medical arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cover is a rigid cap.

25. An assembly comprising:

a first container comprising a variable volume chamber holding a first medium,

a reception structure adapted to receive and retain a second container holding a second medium,

a fluid connection structure for establishing fluid connection between the first container and the second container, when the second container is retained by the reception structure,

a cover receiving portion, and

a cover removably mounted on the cover receiving portion to shield at least a portion of the first container,

wherein the cover is operatively coupled with the fluid connection structure and configured to cause a relative converging motion between at least one of a) the first container and the fluid connection structure and b) the reception structure and the fluid connection structure in response to a dismounting of the cover from the cover receiving portion.