ES2850526B2 - DEVICE AND ASSEMBLY FOR HEATING FLUID CONTAINER, AND METHOD FOR HEATING FLUID - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

DEVICE AND ASSEMBLY FOR HEATING FLUID CONTAINER, AND METHOD FOR HEATING FLUID

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention belongs to the technical field of devices and methods for heating a fluid contained in a container. More specifically, the devices and methods according to the present invention heat a fluid without having any electrical apparatus or means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sometimes it is necessary to heat fluids that are going to be provided to people, such as intravenous fluids for the treatment of people when they suffer from a certain disease or ailment. Generally, these fluids must be administered (eg, by infusion or perfusion) to people when they are in a certain temperature range. Frequently, the temperature range in which the fluid must be at the time of administration has a minimum temperature higher than the storage temperature of the fluid, since fluids are usually stored in refrigerators to prevent them from spoiling or at room temperature. At certain temperatures the fluid is more effective and/or prevents other problems in the person, such as causing hypothermia.

Therefore, it is frequently necessary to heat the fluid before its administration, for which devices such as the one in document WO-2007133459-A2 are used, which before administering the fluid to the patient produce an electric field in a cavity with said fluid to heat it . These devices, however, require electricity for their operation, for which an electrical source such as a power outlet or a battery of limited duration is needed, and they have a high production cost; also, these devices tend to be bulky and heavy. Consequently, these types of devices are not particularly portable or functional when an electrical source is not available.

There are other solutions such as EP-1584343-A1 that do not require an electrical source because various substances are included in a flexible container that produce an exothermic reaction when combined. When the substances are mixed and the container is heated, it is placed next to the container with the fluid to be heated to transfer heat to it. The procedure to heat said container is not comfortable or completely effective since a large part of the heat of the container is not transferred to the receiver and, therefore, is not transferred to the fluid, which tries to solve the CN-201064594-Y solution. This other solution It consists of having a cartridge that produces an exothermic reaction with the fluid inside the container itself, forcing both the cartridge and the container to be discarded once used, and preventing the fluid from being heated again if it has not been administered in its entirety at the appropriate temperature or has not reached the right temperature at any time, for example when the outside temperature is lower than the temperature for which the cartridge is designed.

It is considered that a solution is needed that is economical and that can solve the above problems, thus being able to heat container fluids in the absence of electrical sources, in a portable way, favoring the reuse of most components, as well as reducing the cost of manufacturing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the invention relates to a device for heating a container, the device comprising:

a first body with an opening extending from a first side to a second side and adapted for insertion of a container, the second side being opposite the first side, and the opening being narrower on the second side than on the first side;

a second body with a cavity open on one side of the second body, the cavity facing the opening;

means for releasably joining the first and second bodies;

a reagent container, the container comprising:

a membrane;

at least two chambers each for containing a reagent, each of the at least two chambers being at least delimited by the membrane; and

one or more elements adapted to tear the membrane; and

a third body adapted to be inserted into the opening and the cavity, the third body comprising a cavity adapted to contain the reagent container at least partially and further contain reagents that are released from the container;

in which the reagent container forms part of the third body or is insertable in the third body.

The container, which preferably includes the fluid to be heated by the device, is inserted into the first body which is tubular. Once introduced, when the reagents are released from the container, they mix with each other inside the device, in particular in the cavity of the third body, and an exothermic reaction occurs that increases the temperature of the device.

Due to the arrangement of the first body next to the third body and, specifically, to the cavity of the third body, both the first body and the container inserted in it receive a transfer of heat energy from the cavity of the third body due to the exothermic reaction. Thus, by means of this energy, the fluid is heated without the need for any electrical means.

To prevent reagents from spilling out of the device, the first and second bodies are joined upon release of reagents from the container, allowing the device to be shaken and even flipped for more effective mixing of reagents and maximizing reaction than the other. reagents produce. The release of the reagents, when these are present in the at least two chambers, occurs by tearing at least the membrane that seals the chambers hermetically. Elements adapted for tearing are tearing elements such as, for example, protrusions, teeth, punches, etc.

The reagent container may be part of the third body, ie the third body comprises the reagent container, or the reagent container may be a separate element adapted to be partially or completely inserted into the third body.

When the reagent container is a separate element, only this can be disposable instead of the entire third body, so that once the container has been used to produce the exothermic reaction, the container can be removed. The device can be reused by introducing another container, either a new one or a previously recycled one (i.e., a discarded container that is restored for subsequent use by fitting a new membrane - and filter in embodiments where that the container is provided with a filter-, and the chambers are filled with respective reagents), is introduced in the third body for a new use of the device; thus, the third body is reusable and does not need to be disposed of after each use.

In some embodiments, each of the at least two chambers comprises a reagent configured to react with the reagent(s) in the other chamber(s) of the at least two chambers in such a way as to produce an exothermic reaction.

The reagents are preferably fluid and/or powdery and can be reagents such as those known in the state of the art to produce exothermic reactions such as calcium oxide and water, or sodium hydroxide and water, to name a few examples.

In some embodiments, the reagent container further comprises a filter, and the one or more elements are further adapted to tear the filter.

The filter is preferably arranged next to the membrane so that the tearing elements tear both the filter and the membrane by actuating them only once. The filter is preferably made of a porous material that is permeable to air and absorbs moisture that may be produced during the combination and reaction of the reagents after their release.

In some embodiments, the device further comprises a coating insulating material arranged in the opening of the first body.

The thermal insulating lining is a body of thermal insulating material that is fixed to the inner walls that form the opening of the first body. In particular, the coating covers part or all of the internal geometry of the first body. The more area of the first body is covered by the thermal insulating coating, the less heat transfer from the fluid and from the container will occur outside the device, thus maintaining the fluid at the temperature achieved by the reaction of the reagents for a longer time. The thermal insulation material can be any material known in the state of the art, such as, but not limited to, cork, polystyrene, polyurethane, etc.

In some embodiments, the device further comprises a thermally conductive coating disposed in the opening of the first body.

The heat-conducting lining is a body of heat-conducting material, that is to say that it favors heat conduction, which is fixed to the inner walls that form the opening of the first body or at least to part (or all) of the heat-insulating lining in those embodiments in which in which the device is provided with such a heat-insulating coating at the opening of the first body. Thus, the heat-conducting coating covers part or all of the internal geometry of the first body (directly, that is to say on the inside walls of the first body, or indirectly, that is to say on the heat-insulating coating). The more area of the container that is in contact with the thermally conductive coating, the larger the contact surface for heat transfer to the container. The heat-conducting material can be any material known in the state of the art, such as, but not limited to, aluminum, brass, copper, bronze, etc.

The heat-conducting lining will receive part of the heat that is produced in the cavity of the third body, and will conduct heat towards the container through a larger surface. In the event that the heat-insulating lining is also available, the heat-insulating lining will reduce the transmission of heat out of the device.

In some embodiments, the device further comprises a thermally conductive coating disposed on at least one wall of the third body that forms the cavity.

The at least one wall is preferably a base of the cavity which is intended to contact or be close to the container so as to conduct heat towards the container.

In some embodiments, the means for joining the first and second bodies to the first body comprises a first thread on the first body and a second thread on the second body, and the first and second threads are adapted to make a threaded connection. In some other embodiments, the means for joining the first and second bodies comprise a first part (eg, projections or hooks) of one or more clip fasteners on the first body and a second part (eg, hooks or projections). ) of the one or more clip closures in the second body, and the first and second parts are adapted to make the one or more clip closures. In some other embodiments, the means for joining the first and second bodies comprise adhesive means such as an adhesive tape that is placed on the outside or inside between the joining of both bodies.

A second aspect of the invention relates to an assembly comprising:

a device according to the first aspect of the invention; and

a container adapted to contain a fluid, the container being disposed in the opening of the device.

A person may use the set to heat fluid to be provided to the same person or to another person, ie the user of the set may not be the person receiving the heated fluid.

In some embodiments, at least part of the opening comprises geometry complementary to at least part of an exterior geometry of the container.

Thanks to the complementary geometry, the container can be fitted inside the device in such a way that it is retained while it is heated and, therefore, the fluid.

In some embodiments, the container has a hole at one end, and the opening on the second side is adapted to receive the hole in the container and allow withdrawal of fluid from the container.

The fluid in the container can be provided to the person while the container is inside the device, thus keeping it warm for a longer time while, in addition, the fluid can be removed.

In some embodiments, the container contains the fluid. In some of these embodiments, the fluid is a medicament for administration to a person by infusion or perfusion.

When the fluid is a medicament, the medicament is administrable to the person at a suitable temperature in accordance with a medical recommendation or prescription.

A third aspect of the invention relates to a method for heating a fluid with a device, preferably a device according to the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising:

introduce a container with the fluid into the opening of the device;

inserting the third body with the reagent container into the opening after inserting the container and reagents into the reagent container;

releasing the reagents in the third body by actuating the tearing elements while the third body with the reagent container is inserted into the opening; and

close the device by at least arranging the second body next to the first body and retaining it with the means to bind once the reagents have been released.

Reactants that are released are reagents contained in chambers of the reagent container and configured to react with the reagent(s) in the other chamber(s) to produce an exothermic reaction. After the release of the reagents thanks to the tearing of at least the membrane of the reagent container, the device is closed so that the increase in temperature of the device is not quickly transferred to the medium (normally air) in which the device is located, therefore, the increase in temperature is maintained mainly in the device, thus achieving the heating of the fluid in the container.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises shaking the device once the device is closed.

The agitation of the device after its closure helps to improve the mixing of the reagents and, thus, to produce a more effective exothermic reaction since the potential of the reagents contained in the reagent container is maximized.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises rotating the device, after it has been shaken, such that the container is at a higher height than the cavity of the third body.

The release of the reagents occurs with the device placed in such a way that the cavity of the third body is at a higher height than the container so that the reagents fall from the chambers of the container by gravity. Next, the device is turned so that the container is at a higher height than the cavity of the third body, in this way the fluid is heated from the bottom of the container, which is advantageous since the heat of the combination of reagents rises .

In some embodiments, the method further comprises re-rotating the device, after it has been shaken and flipped, such that the cavity of the third body is at a higher height than the container.

In the event that the device has been rotated so that the container is above the cavity of the third body, once the fluid has been heated, the device is turned over again so that the container is below the cavity of the third body. Thanks to this, in the event that a user is going to extract fluid from the container while it is inserted in the device, depending on where the orifice of the container is located, this new rotation allows the fluid to be extracted by the effect of gravity.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises withdrawing fluid from the container through an orifice in the container after the fluid is heated.

The withdrawal of fluid can be partial or total while the container is inserted in the device, or after removing it from it, for which it is necessary to open the device first and then remove the container from the device before providing the heated fluid.

In some embodiments, the step of closing the device further comprises disposing a dome of the device adjacent the third body before disposing the second body adjacent the first body.

The dome secures the reagents in the third body cavity. Thanks to this, the transfer of heat to the device and, therefore, to the fluid is more effective by keeping the combined reagents closer to the container.

In some embodiments, the fluid is a medicament for administration to a person by infusion or perfusion.

Advantages similar to those described in relation to the first and second aspects of the invention also apply to the third aspect of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to an example of its practical embodiment, a set of figures is attached as an integral part of the description, in which, with illustrative and non-limiting character, the following has been represented:

Figures 1A and 1B show the exterior and a section, respectively, of a device according to one embodiment including a container.

Figure 2 shows a section of a first body of a device according to one embodiment.

Figures 3A and 3B show the exterior and a section, respectively, of a second body of a device according to one embodiment.

Figure 4 shows a section of a third body of a device according to one embodiment.

Figure 5 shows a reagent container of a device according to an embodiment from a bottom view according to the representation of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a section of a third body, including a dome, of a device according to one embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT MODE OF THE INVENTION

Figures 1A and 1B show the exterior and a section, respectively, of a device 1 according to one embodiment including a container 50 which in this example is an IV bottle.

Device 1 includes a first body 10, a second body 20 attached to the first body 10 releasably, and as seen in Figure 1B device 1 also includes a third body 30 and a reagent container 35.

The first body 10 is tubular as can be seen in Figure 2; the first body 10 includes an opening 11 that extends from a first side 12 to a second side 13. The first body 10 can be cylindrical as in Figures 1A and 1B or have another geometry with an opening 11 adapted for the introduction of the container 50. The container 50 is insertable into the opening 11 for heating the same and any fluid that the container 50 may contain.

When the container 50 is inserted in the first body 10, the third body 30 is arranged next to it, which is sized to house, at least partially, the reagent container 35 . The third body 30 has a cavity 31 to receive reagents from the reagent container 35 and which will produce an increase in temperature to heat the container 50 and the fluid therein. The third body 30, preferably but not necessarily, further comprises a coating 44 arranged on one of the walls that forms the cavity 31, this wall being the one closest to the container 50. The coating 44 is made of a heat-conducting material such as those known in the art. the state of the art and favors the conduction of heat from the cavity 31 to the container 50.

In this embodiment, the first body 10 includes a first liner 15 attached to the interior walls defining the opening 11, and a second liner 14 attached to the first liner 15. The first liner 15 is made of a heat-insulating material, and the second liner 14 It is made of a heat-conducting material.

Preferably, both liners 14, 15 extend over the entire inner perimeter of the first body 10 so as to circumferentially cover opening 11 and thus container 50. Preferably, both liners 14, 15 also extend over most of the opening 11 along an axial direction of the opening 11 (ie in a vertical direction according to the representations of Figures 1A, 1B and 2), thus covering a large part of the walls of the container 50; it is also preferable that they extend to the portion of the opening 11 where the third body 30 is housed so that the second lining 14 receives heat from the cavity 31 and conducts it towards the container 50. In this sense, in preferred embodiments the lining 44 of the third body 30 and the second lining 14 of the first body 10 are adapted to be in contact and favor the conduction of heat towards the container 50.

In other embodiments, device 1 comprises neither of the first and second coatings 14, 15, or comprises only one of coatings 14, 15. In the second case, when the coating comprising device 1 is thermally conductive coating 14, it is fixed to the inner walls of the first body 10.

The second body 20 closes the device 1 by being joined to the first body 10 thanks to joining means such as, for example, threads or adhesive tapes. The joined first and second bodies 10, 20 contain the third body 30 and the reagent container 35 whereby the reagents remain in the device 1 even after their release from the container 35.

As shown in Figure 2, the first body 10 also comprises one or more flanges 19, and a thread 18 on the inside as means for joining the first body 10 and the second body 20. The one or more flanges 19 serve to support the third body 30 together with the first body 10. Likewise, the first body 10 can optionally have a narrowing 17 (corresponding to a reduction in the internal and external diameters of the first body 10) in the area of the second side 13 to keep fixed the container 50 inserted in said body 10.

Figures 3A and 3B show the exterior and a section, respectively, of a second body 20 of a device according to one embodiment.

The second body 20 preferably comprises one or more holes 22 between the outer wall and the inner wall defining a cavity 21. The one or more holes 22 serve for ventilation of the interior of the device 1.

The second body 20 comprises, in this case, a thread 28 formed on an outer side intended to form a threaded joint with the thread 18 of the first body 10. In other embodiments, the thread 28 of the second body 20 is formed on the inner side (which defines the cavity 21) and the thread 18 of the first body 10 is formed on the outer side. The thread 28 is arranged close to a side 23 of the second body 20 by which the opening of the cavity 21 is formed, in this way, once the first and second bodies 10, 20 are joined, the cavity 21 communicates with the opening 11 of the first body 10.

Figure 4 shows a section of a third body 30 of a device according to one embodiment.

The third body 30 is made up of several walls 32 that form a cavity 31 for housing reagents of the reagent container 35, and also for housing the container 35 partially or completely. In this embodiment, the lower wall 32 of the third body 30 is covered by a coating 33 of a heat-conducting material.

Preferably, the third body 30 is designed taking into account the type of containers that will be inserted into the device in order to maximize heat transfer to the fluid. To this end, the walls 32 of the third body 30, or at least the lower wall 32 of the third body 30, is optionally adapted to have a geometry that is complementary or substantially complementary to a geometry of a base of the container to be inserted in the device. As the devices are reusable, several can be produced to suit the most common container sizes and shapes in order to use the most suitable device

1

to the container with fluid to be heated.

In this embodiment, the reagent container 35 is a container that is not part of the third body 30 but that can be introduced, at least partially, in said body 30, as can be seen in said Figure 4.

Reagent container 35 comprises a lid 36 with tear elements 38 affixed to the lid or formed integrally with lid 36. Preferably, tear elements 38 are located at or near the center of lid 36 as can be seen. see in Figures 4 and 5. A portion of the lid 36 on which the tear elements 38 are attached or formed is preferably less rigid than the remaining portion of the lid 36 and, therefore, the portion corresponding to the elements 38 The tearing element is depressible to axially displace said tearing elements 38. The lower rigidity of this portion and, therefore, its flexibility can be achieved by means of a lesser material thickness than in the remaining portion; said remaining portion is preferably rigid so that only the tearing elements 38 move when pressing the portion of the lid 36 with said elements 38. The container 35 can be, for example, made of a plastic material.

Container 35 also comprises a plurality of chambers 37a, 37b; in this example there are two chambers 37a, 37b in the container 35, while in other embodiments there are three or more chambers. Each chamber 37a, 37b is formed between the wall formed by the different portions 36a-36c of the container 35 and a membrane 39 with which the container 35 is provided; the membrane 39 can be, for example, made of aluminum or another material that allows tearing and hermetically closes the chambers 37a, 37b. Inside each chamber 37a, 37b, a reagent can be stored that is intended to produce an exothermic reaction when mixed with the other reagents in the container 35. To carry out the mixing, the reagents are released into the cavity 31 after tearing the membrane 39 with the elements. 38 of tearing (by pressing the corresponding portion of the lid 36), since the chambers are no longer hermetically sealed by the membrane 39 and allow the exit of the reagents towards the cavity 31. In some embodiments such as the one illustrated, the container 35 also it includes a filter 40 close to the membrane 39 and which is also torn by the tearing elements 38 to allow the passage of reagents.

The cavity 31 of the third body 30, therefore, can house the reagents released from the reagent container 35 while housing the container 35 itself. That is, it is not necessary to remove the container 35 after the release of the reagents in the cavity 31.

The container 35 may include one or more peripheral holes 41 adapted to receive a dome like the one illustrated in Figure 6 that secures the reagents in the cavity 31 once released in said cavity 31. Likewise, the one or more peripheral holes 41 may allow the passage of air between the cavity 31 of the third body 30 and the cavity 21 of the second body 20, in this way the chemical reaction of the reagents occurs at atmospheric pressure thanks to said passage of air. The filter 40 may be arranged such that it is also at the end of the one or more peripheral holes 41 on the side of the cavity 31. If steam arises during the chemical reaction, it may be absorbed by the filter 40 or pass through. of the one or more holes if the dome is not present, being able to evacuate the steam through the one or more holes 22 of the second body.

Figure 6 shows a section of a third body 30, including a dome 45, of a device according to one embodiment.

The dome 45 is intended to prevent the exit of the reagents once they are in the cavity 31, for which the dome is fixed in the one or more peripheral holes 41. The dome 45 can be rigid so that it does not deform. being oppressed.

Sometimes, to mix the reagents or to facilitate heating of the fluid, the device is turned over so that the container with the fluid is above the cavity 31, so that the dome 45 blocks the passage of the reagents towards the cavity 21 of the second body 20 and keeps them at a greater height and, therefore, closer to the container with the fluid to be heated.

In this text, the words first, second, third, etc. they have been used to describe different devices or elements; devices or items should be considered not to be limited by these words as such words have only been used to distinguish one device or item from another. For example, the first body could have been named second body, and the second body could have been named first body without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In this text, the word "comprise" and its variants (such as "comprising", etc.) should not be interpreted in an exclusive way, that is, they do not exclude the possibility that what is described includes other elements, steps, etc.

On the other hand, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments that have been described but also covers, for example, the variants that can be carried out by the person skilled in the art (for example, in terms of the choice of materials, dimensions , components, configuration, etc.), within what follows from the claims.

Claims (19)

Claim 1. A device (1) for heating a container (50), the device (1) comprising: a first body (10) with an opening (11) extending from a first side (12) to a second side (13) and adapted for the introduction of a container (50), the second side (13) being opposite to the first side (12), and the opening (11) being narrower on the second side (13) than on the first side (12); a second body (20) with a cavity (21) open on one side (23) of the second body (20), the cavity (21) facing the opening (11); means (18, 28) for releasably joining the first and second bodies (10, 20); a reagent container (35), the container (35) comprising: a membrane (39); at least two chambers (37a, 37b) each containing a reagent, each of the at least two chambers (37a, 37b) being at least delimited by the membrane (39); and one or more elements (38) adapted to tear the membrane (39); and a third body (30) adapted to be inserted into the opening (11) and the cavity (21), the third body (30) comprising a cavity (31) adapted to contain the reagent container (35) at least partially and contain further reagents that are released from the container (35); in which the reagent container (35) forms part of the third body (30) or is insertable in the third body (30). 2. The device (1) of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two chambers (37a, 37b) comprises a reagent configured to react with the reagent or reagents in the other or other chambers of the at least two chambers (37a, 37b) in such a way as to produce an exothermic reaction. 3. The device (1) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reagent container (35) further comprises a filter (40), and wherein the one or more elements (38) are further adapted to tear the filter (40). The device (1) of any one of the preceding claims, in which the reagent container (35) is adapted to be inserted, at least partially, into the third body (30). 5. The device (1) of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a heat-conducting coating (14) disposed in the opening (11) of the first body (10). 6. The device (1) of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a heat-insulating lining (15) arranged in the opening (11) of the first body (10). 7. The device (1) of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a heat-conducting coating (44) arranged on at least one wall of the third body (30) that forms the cavity (31). 8. The device (1) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means (18, 28) for joining the first and second bodies (10, 20) comprise a first thread (18) on the first body (10 ) and a second thread (28) on the second body (20), and in which the first and second threads (18, 28) are adapted to make a threaded joint. 9. A set comprising: a device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; and a container (50) adapted to contain a fluid, the container (50) being arranged in the opening of the device (1). The assembly of claim 9, wherein at least part of the opening (11) comprises geometry complementary to at least part of an exterior geometry of the container (50). 11. The assembly of any one of claims 9 and 10, wherein the container (50) has a hole (51) at one end, and wherein the opening (11) at the second side (13) is adapted to receive the orifice (51) of the container (50) and allow withdrawal of the fluid from the container (50). 12. The assembly of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the container (50) contains the fluid. 13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the fluid is a medicament for administration to a person by infusion or perfusion. 14. A method for heating a fluid with a device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising: introducing a container (50) with the fluid into the opening (11) of the device (1); introducing the third body (30) with the reagent container (35) into the opening (11) once the container (50) and the reagents have been inserted into the reagent container (35); releasing the reagents in the third body (30) by actuating the tearing elements (38) while the third body (30) with the reagent container (35) is inserted into the opening (11); and closing the device (1) by at least arranging the second body (20) next to the first body (10) and retaining it with the means (18, 28) to join once the reagents have been released. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising shaking the device (1) once the device (1) is closed. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising rotating the device (1), once it has been shaken, such that the container (50) is at a higher height than the cavity (38) of the third body (30). ). The method of any one of claims 14 to 16, further comprising withdrawing fluid from the container (50) through an orifice (51) in the container after the fluid is heated. 18. The method of any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the step of closing the device (1) further comprises arranging a dome (45) of the device (1) next to the third body (30) before arranging the second body (20) next to the first body (10). 19. The method of any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the fluid is a medicament for administration to a person by infusion or perfusion. 1