APPARATUS FOR ADDING MEDICAMENTS TO A SEALED EXPANDABLE PARENTERAL FLUID CONTAINER

• US 3,722,557 A
• Filed: 03/03/1971
• Issued: 03/27/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James A. Huggins
• Original Assignee: James A. Huggins
• Inventors: Huggins, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Jr., Houston S.
• Application Number:
  US05/120,412
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 128/214F,272,276,DIG.12 141/1,5,7-10,39,51,59,100,104,114,313,314,316,329,330,376,65,66,63,64 220/31R,31S 277/DIG.6
• US Class Current: 141/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1475 Inlet or outlet ports
• 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

Abstract

A rigid chamber formed by a pair of hinged members which are shaped to receive an expandable container such as a plastic bag of parenteral fluid contains a first opening which is selectively connected to a source of vacuum and a second opening through which a sealed tubular port on the container may be placed so that it will be accessible from the exterior of the chamber to permit the connection thereto of a vial containing a material such as a medicament to be added to the bag. The chamber is pivotally mounted for movement between a horizontal bag loading and unloading position and a vertical position for adding medicaments. The vacuum supply to the chamber is automatically controled by a valve built into the pivotal mounting so that in the horizontal position of the chamber the vacuum is shut off and in the vertical position it is actuated. The arrangement makes it possible to add the contents of vials containing not only freely flowing liquid additives but also very viscous ones as well as powdered or granular materials. The system can also be operated is such a way that the contents of a plurality of medicament vials or syringes can be added to the bag even though the volume of the material to be transfered from the plurality of medicament containers is greater than the initial free air volume in the bag.

Claims

1. Apparatus for holding an expandable container of parenteral solution having a normally sealed inlet port comprising:

a plurality of rigid members which cooperate in one position to form a chamber for enclosing said container;

an opening in the chamber permitting said inlet port to communicate with the exterior;

cooperating means for aligning said plurality of rigid members relative to each other and permitting them to be separated from one another for loading and unloading of expandable containers into said chamber;

sealing means affixed to at least one of said plurality of rigid members and adapted to contact the other of said plurality of rigid members when said chamber is closed;

support means for supporting at least one of said plurality of rigid members including a base, at least one first support member carried by said base, and a second support member affixed to said at least one of said plurality of rigid members, said first and second support members being mounted for movement relative to each other so that at least the portion of said chamber formed by said plurality of rigid members which includes said opening for said inlet port can be moved between a lower and a higher position relative to said base;

means for connecting said chamber to a source of vacuum; and

valve means for selectively connecting said chamber to the source of vacuum aS said portion of chamber including said opening for said inlet port is moved to its higher position relative to said base, and for disconnecting said chamber from said source of vacuum as said portion of said chamber is moved to its lower position relative to said base.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said chamber is formed of a pair of rigid members, and said cooperating means for aligning the rigid members are hinges.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each of said pair of rigid members is hollow.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein at least one of said pair of rigid members is transparent.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said chamber is elongated and hinged along a longitudinal edge and said opening is formed at one end of said chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said pair of hollow rigid members are made of plastic and have integral flanges which extend outwardly around their periphery in a common plane, said flanges being joined to the remainder of said rigid members by smooth curved surfaces.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 in which said cooperating means for aligning the rigid members comprises a hinge of silicone rubber, and in which said sealing means comprises silicone rubber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said base is adapted to be placed on a generally horizontal surface and said at least one first support member comprises a post extending generally upwardly from said base, said post having a generally horizontal hole near its upper end in which said second support member is mounted for pivotal movement.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said second support member is integrally attached to one of said plurality of rigid members which forms the bottom portion of said chamber, another of said plurality of rigid members forming the top portion of said chamber and being hinged to the bottom portion, said second support member and said chamber being pivotally movable between a horizontal and a vertical position.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein a stop means is mounted on said base, said stop means serving to limit the amount of horizontal and vertical movement of said chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said valve means includes a first channel communicating with said chamber, a vacuum channel communicating with said source of vacuum, and a second channel communicating with said first channel and movable with said second support member into and out of communication with said vacuum channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said valve means further includes a vent channel, said vent channel being positioned so as to be in alignment with said movable channel when said chamber has its said opening at said lower position, said movable channel being in alignment with said vacuum channel when said chamber has its said opening at said higher position.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said chamber includes a screen member covering the channel which communicates with said chamber, said screen member having crossed rib members at different distances from the chamber walls.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 which comprises a pair of rigid members forming half portions of said chamber, said second support member and pair of rigid members being pivotally movable between a horizontal position in which said movable channel communicates with said vent channel and a vertical position in which said movable channel communicates with said vacuum channel.

15. In an evacuating apparatus for providing a vacuum to the exterior of a flexible fluid container, a casing defining an evacuation chamber;

port means in said casing to permit a conduit communicating with said flexible container to pass out of said chamber;

pivot means for permitting said evacuation chamber to be rotated about a transverse axis thereof;

conduit means permitting evacuation of said container; and

valve means associated with said conduit means for occluding said conduit means when the container is in one rotational position, and for openiNg said conduit means for evacuation when said container is in another rotational position.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which said casing comprises rigid hollow members movable between an open position for access to the casing interior, and a closed position for evacuation of said chamber, said casing being carried by a base, said casing being rotatable about said pivot means between vertical and horizontal positions relative to said base, said valve means occluding said evacuation conduit means in the horizontal position and opening said evacuation conduit means in the vertical position.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said valve means includes a first channel communicating with said chamber, a vacuum channel communicating with said source of vacuum, and a second channel communicating with said first channel and movable with said casing into and out of communication with said vacuum channel, said first and second channels being positioned to communicate when the casing is in said vertical position.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 in which said valve means further includes a vent channel, said vent channel being positioned to communicate with said movable channel in said horizontal position.