Apparatus and method for mixing and transferring medications

• US 7,882,863 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PharmaC, LLC
• Original Assignee: CD Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Tice, Christopher M, Pestotnik, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US11/551,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/2, 141/9, 141/21, 141/27, 141/301, 141/318, 141/320, 141/321, 604/27, 604/30, 604/32, 604/246
• US Class Current: 141/318
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1475 Inlet or outlet ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2055 having gripping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2058 having multiple connecting ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2062 with directional valves
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/223 Multiway valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/162 Needle sets, i.e. connections by puncture between reservoir and tube ; Connections between reservoir and tube in jet-action syringes A61M5/30; connectors for tubes having sealed ends and a needle for piercing them A61M39/14
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/65 the materials to be mixed being directly submitted to a pulsating movement, e.g. by means of an oscillating piston or air column
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/5011 portable during use, e.g. hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/50112 of the syringe or cartridge type
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71 Feed mechanisms with proportioning B01F35/80
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/712 for feeding fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7131 Breaking or perforating packages, containers or vials
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7163 the containers being connected in a mouth-to-mouth, end-to-end disposition, i.e. the openings are juxtaposed before contacting the contents
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7174 using pistons, plungers or syringes
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71805 using valves, gates, orifices or openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/75425 : using pistons or plungers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7547 : using valves, gates, orifices or openings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86871 : Plug

Abstract

An apparatus and method for transferring a chosen quantity of medication from a vial to an intravenous infuser container under sterile conditions is described. The present invention further facilitates dissolving solid medications contained in the vial or diluting concentrated medications contained in the vial, and transferring the resulting solutions to the infuser container.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transferring medications from a vial into an infuser container having a fill port, which comprises in combination:

a three-way valve having a first port, a second port and a third port, wherein said three-way valve comprises;

a hollow cylinder having an open end and a closed end, a wall having an inner surface, and the closed end having an inner surface;

means for transferring medications through the wall of said hollow cylinder through the second port;

means for transferring medications through the closed end of said hollow cylinder through the third port;

a solid cylinder having an outer surface and adapted to rotate within said first cylinder such that medications do not flow between the outer surface of said solid cylinder and the inner surface of the cylindrical wall, and between the outer surface of said solid cylinder and the inner surface of the closed end of said hollow cylinder, said solid cylinder further comprising;

means for transferring medications from said vial through the first port to a first duct in said solid cylinder adapted for permitting medications to pass between said vial and said means for transferring medications through the wall of said hollow cylinder, and means for transferring medications through a second duct in said solid cylinder for permitting medications to pass between said means for transferring medications through the closed end of said hollow cylinder and said means for transferring medications through the wall of said hollow cylinder; and

means for rotating said solid cylinder relative to said hollow cylinder;

means for connecting said vial to the first port such that medications can be transferred between said vial and said three-way valve;

a syringe;

means for connecting said syringe to the second port such that medications can be transferred between said syringe and said three-way valve; and

means for connecting the fill port of said infuser container to the third port of said three-way valve such that medications can be transferred between said three-way valve and said container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a one-way valve such that materials are only transferred into said infuser container from the third port of said three-way valve.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for connecting said vial to the first port of said three-way valve such that materials can be transferred between said vial and said three-way valve, comprises means for holding said vial and means for penetrating said vial.

4. A method for transferring solid medications in a vial into an infuser container having a fill port, which comprises the steps of:

connecting the vial to one port of a three-way valve;

connecting a syringe containing an effective amount of solvent for dissolving the solid medication to a second port of the three-way valve;

connecting the infuser to the third port of the three-way valve;

transferring the solvent from the syringe to the vial through a pathway in the three-way valve connecting the syringe with the vial, thereby forming a solution;

withdrawing the solution from the vial into the syringe through the pathway in the three-way valve connecting the syringe with the vial; and

transferring the solution from the syringe to the infuser container through a pathway in the three-way valve connecting the syringe with the fill port of the infuser container.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the infuser container comprises an elastomeric container.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fill port of the elastomeric container includes a one-way valve such that materials are only transferred into the infuser container.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the vial comprises a plug adapted to be pierced for transferring materials into and out of the vial, and said step of connecting the vial to one port of the three-way valve is achieved by using means for holding the vial and means for piercing the plug.

8. A method for diluting liquid medications in a vial and transferring the diluted medications into an infuser container having a fill port, which comprises the steps of:

connecting the vial to one port of a three-way valve;

connecting a syringe containing a chosen amount of diluent to a second port of the three-way valve;

connecting the infuser to the third port of the three-way valve;

transferring the diluent from the syringe to the vial through a pathway in the three-way valve connecting the syringe with the vial, thereby forming a solution;

withdrawing the solution from the vial into the syringe through the pathway in the three-way valve connecting the syringe with the vial; and

transferring the solution from the syringe to the infuser container through a one-way pathway in the three-way valve connecting the syringe with the fill port of the infuser container.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the vial comprises a plug adapted to be pierced for transferring materials into and out of the vial, and said step of connecting the vial to one port of the three-way valve is achieved using means for holding the vial and means for piercing the plug.

10. A method for transferring liquid medications in a vial to an infuser container having a fill port, which comprises the steps of:

connecting the vial to one port of a three-way valve;

connecting an empty syringe to a second port of the three-way valve;

connecting the infuser to the third port of the three-way valve;

transferring the liquid medication from the vial to the syringe through a pathway in the three-way valve connecting the vial with the syringe; and

transferring the liquid medication from the syringe to the infuser container through a one-wav pathway in the three-way valve connecting the syringe with the fill port of the infuser container.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the vial comprises a plug adapted to be pierced for transferring materials into and out of the vial, and said step of connecting the vial to one port of the three-way valve is achieved using means for holding the vial and means for piercing the plug.