US2447691A

US2447691A - Device for packaging and dispensing intravenous solutions

Info

Publication number: US2447691A
Application number: US729135A
Authority: US
Inventors: Evans Newton
Original assignee: Don Baxter Inc
Current assignee: Don Baxter Inc
Priority date: 1947-02-17
Filing date: 1947-02-17
Publication date: 1948-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 1965-08-24

Description

N. EVANS DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND DI Aug. 24, 1948.

SPENSING INTRAVENOUS SOLUTIONS Filed Feb. 17, 194? Patented Aug. 24, 1948 DEVICE FOR PACKAGING AND DISPENSING INTRAVENOUS SOLUTIONS Newton Evans, Montrose, Califl, assignor to Don Baxter, Inc., Glendale, Califl; a corporation of Nevada Application February 17, 1947, Serial No. 729,125

This invention relates to a device for packaging sterile solutions and the administration sets for such solutions. The invention is particu" larly directed to a device for holding solutions of the type which are tobe injected intravenously andto administration sets, which permit such solutions to be injected directly from theicontainer into the veins of a recipient. The invention is also directed to a device adapted for maintaining both the solutions and the administration sets in sterile condition.

. In order that the administration of such solutions can be most economically handled with the greatest asurance of safety, such solutions and the apparatus by which they are to be administered should be packaged by the manufacturer of the solutions in a package in which the solutions and apparatus may be placed in a sterile condition and retained in that condition-until administered. It is alsoadvisable that the packages containing both the solutions and the administration apparatus contain some visible means for indicating Whether or not the desired sterile condition of the ingredients has been maintained.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a device for packaging and dispensing a sterile solution, which device is capable not only of maintaining the solution in a sterile state, but also holding and maintaining all the essential apparatus for administering such solution likewise in a sterile state, and which device is provided with suitable means, preferably separate, for the solution and for the administering apparatus, of indicating whether the desired sterile condition has been, in fact, maintained in-the package.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for maintaining in a sterile condition not only the intravenous solution, but the apparatus for administering the same, in which device theseelements are adequately sealed, one from the other, until it is desired to administer such sterile solution. It is highly important to maintain the administration apparatus and the solution separat in the package. If the dispensing apparatus is allowed to come into contact with the solution, there is danger not only that the dispensing apparatus, particularly any metal parts, such as the hypodermic needle thereof, may become corroded on standing and also the danger that loss of sterility to that portion of th solution which is adhering to the dispensing apparatus will not be subject to proper detection. By means of the present invention, I have, therefore, provided for the packaging in one unit-of not only the 7 Claims. (Cl. 128-214) solution and the dispensing means, but have provided a package by which these may be simultaneously sterilized and maintained independent and separate from each other and provided with separate sterile-indication means.

The device for packaging and dispensing sterile solutions of the present invention, together with various additional advantages of the invention, will be fullyunderstood from the following description of a preferred example of the invention, which description is given in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical view, mainly in section.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, I indicates a container, such as a glass bottle, for holding the sterile solution. The container 1 has the usual neck I l, which is preferably beaded, as indicated at 12. At the neck ll, there is provided a rubber stopper 6, preferably having a flange l4 resting on the lip of the neck to assist in preventing the stopper 6 from being forced into the bottle I. The stopper 6 is provided with an opening l5 adapted to receive the upper end of an air tube 1. There is also provided an opening 9, intended to serve as a solution outlet.

Through the stopper 6 is provided a relatively larger opening l6 which, near'the upper end, is provided with an internal annular flange [1. A container 4, preferably of glass, such as a glass test tube, is provided with its open end inserted in the opening I6, up to and. against the flange l1. Preferably a somewhat tight fit is provided between the upper end of the glass container 4 and the walls of the opening of the stopper 6, into which it isforced in order to'provide a tight seal. The container 4 has its lower end closed'and may be of sufficient size, as hereafter described, to house the equipment to be used in dispensing a solutionfrom within the container l. Above the flange ll, there is provided the easily removable chamber cap l8 having a small opening l9 therein. The opening I9, as hereafter particularly pointed out, serves in combination with the other parts of the apparatus as a vacuum indicator.

The dispensing equipment disposed within the chamber 4 includes a drip member 3, which may be of any usual or preferred construction. In the particular case illustrated, the drip indicator is shown as comprising a glass member 20, reduced at one end and connected to a nipple M, which may be tapered as indicated and below which there is provided a short inner tube 22. The opposite end is reduced, as indicated at 23,

for adjustment to the flexible tubing Ill. The flexible tubing I0, after leaving the reduced end 23, is preferably coiled in a helical manner to conform to the inner wall of the glass chamber 4 and, at the lower end, the flexible tube is preferably attached to the needle 24. The needle 24 includes the cannula 25, having a large hollow sleeve 26 at one end, to which the end of the tubing I is attached. Preferably, there is provided a guard 5, enclosing the needle as an addiw tional pnotection therefor.

Above the stopper 6, there is provided a thin flexible rubber disc 21. In the use of the invention of the present application, there 'may be added various other caps, seals, andthe like, to the top of the elements herein illustrated and described so that these members are used only during the sterilization and shipping of the apparatus and are generally removed before use and, therefore, are omitted from the present disclosure.

In the use of the apparatus of the present invention, after the solution has been placed inside of-the glass bottle andthe dispensin apparatus :glass containerfl. At the end of such sterilizing operation, the flexible rubber seal 21 is still mounted in position and at the openings l5 and I9, the flexible diaphragm 2-1 will be drawn inwardly by the vacuum forming the two depressions in the surface thereof. In the further transit of the product to the market and the storage of the product, these depressions serve, respectively,to indicate thepreservation of the vacuum above the solution in the container I', and the preservation of the vacuum within the glass container 4. If, for any reason of defective equipment or defective handling, the vacuum in the container on the inner chamber is lost, the absence of the characteristic depressions above described will indicate to'the operator the loss of such vacuum and a probable loss of the sterile condition of the contents.

When it is desired to utilize the apparatus of the present invention, afterthe removal of such other maps as may be provided, the flexible seal 2-! is removed, the cap member [8 may be rer moved, whereupon the device is withdrawn by grasping the bend in the tubing where it makes connection with the reduced end 23. Thereby,

the drip-indicator -3 -may be first removed from the glass housing 4 and the end 2| thereof then forced into the solution outlet 9 of the container. The remainder of the tubing and the hypodermic needle may then be withdraw-n from the apparatus and the guard 5 removed from the needle,

and the apparatus is then in condition for operation by attaching a clamp to the tubing, in-

verting the bottle and inserting the hypodermic needle into the vein of the intended recipient.

In operation, the solution which passes through the tubing'Zi! will be seenvisibly to drip through the body ofthe glass memberZ-il and affords the operator the opportunity of checking-the. flowof the sterile solution.

By means of the apparatus herein described, it: s: p ssible to. maintain. n one pa kage. not only this invention includes all such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for packaging and dispensing a sterile solution, which comprises a container for the solution having a neck, a stopper for the container closing said neck, an opening in said stopper, a supplemental container member having its upper end fitting the opening of said stopper and depending from said stopper within said container, and means for dispensing the solution from said container to a recipient, mounted within said supplemental container.

2. An apparatus for packaging and dispensing sterile solutions, which apparatus comprises a container having a neck, a stopper closing said neck, said stopper having an opening therethrough, a supplemental relatively small container member having an open end fitting in the opening in said stopper and suspended thereby, and means for dispensing a solution from said container to a recipient, mounted Within said supplemental container, said means including a tubing and an injection needle connected with said tubing.

3. An apparatus for packaging and dispensing sterile solutions, which apparatus comprises a container having a neck, a stopper closing said neck, said stopper having an opening therethrough, a supplemental relatively small container member having an open end fitting in the opening in said stopper and suspended thereby, and means for dispensing a solution from said container to a recipient, mounted within said supplemental container, said means including a drip indicator, a tubing connected therewith, and an injection needle connected to said tubing.

4. An apparatus for packaging and dispensing sterile solutions, which apparatus comprises a container having a neck, a stopper closing said neck, said stopper having an opening therethrough, a supplemental relatively small container'member having an open end fitting in the opening in said stopper and suspended thereby, means for dispensing a solution from said container to'a recipient, mounted within said supplemental container, said means including a drip. indicator, a tubing connected to said indicator, and an injecting needle connected to said tubing, and a guard covering said needle.

5. An-appjaratus for packaging and dispensing a sterile solution, which apparatus includes a bottle having a reduced neck, a stopper closing said neck, said stopper having an opening, an air tube attached to said opening and extending into. said bottle, a second relatively larger opening, a'tube closed at its lower end having its open end inserted in said relatively larger opening and likewise extending into said bottle, means Within said tube for administering a solution from said bottle to a recipient, and a flexible sealing member-positioned over said stopper and having a portion, thereof adapted to be maintained in a depressed condition over the opening of said stopper, connecting the air tube and having a portion thereof adapted to be maintained in a depressed condition over the opening of said stopper connected to said tube.

6; An apparatus for packaging and dispensing a sterile solution, which apparatus comprises a bottle having a neck, a stopper closing said neck, an air tube depending from an opening in said stopper, a solution outlet for said stopper, a relatively large opening in said stopper, a tubular member having one end fitting said relatively large opening and suspended by said stopper, said tubular member enclosing a drip indicator, tubing and a needle adapted for connecting it to said sterile outlet for administering the contents of said bottle to a recipient.

7. An apparatus for packaging and dispensing a sterile solution, which apparatus comprises a bottle having a neck, a stopper closing said neck, an air tube depending from said opening in said stopper, a solution outlet for said stopper, a relatively large opening in said stopper, a. tubular member having one end fitting said relatively large opening and suspended by said stopper, said tubular member enclosing a drip indicator. tubing and needle adapted for connecting it to said sterile outlet for administering the contents of said bottle to a recipient, and a flexible sealing member over said stopper having separate depressions for indicating the presence of vacuum within said bottle and within said tubular member.

NEWTON EVANS.