Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
  • A61J1/00—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes
  • A61J1/14—Details; Accessories therefor
  • A61J1/16—Holders for containers
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D5/00—Devices using endothermic chemical reactions, e.g. using frigorific mixtures
  • F25D5/02—Devices using endothermic chemical reactions, e.g. using frigorific mixtures portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
  • A61J1/00—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes
  • A61J1/14—Details; Accessories therefor
  • A61J1/16—Holders for containers
  • A61J1/165—Cooled holders, e.g. for medications, insulin, blood or plasma
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D1/00—Devices using naturally cold air or cold water
  • F25D1/02—Devices using naturally cold air or cold water using naturally cold water, e.g. household tap water
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D3/00—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies
  • F25D3/02—Devices using other cold materials; Devices using cold-storage bodies using ice, e.g. ice-boxes
  • F25D3/06—Movable containers
  • F25D3/08—Movable containers portable, i.e. adapted to be carried personally
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A41—WEARING APPAREL
  • A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
  • A41D20/00—Wristbands or headbands, e.g. for absorbing sweat
  • A41D20/005—Wristbands or headbands, e.g. for absorbing sweat with cooling effect
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F7/00—Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body
  • A61F7/02—Compresses or poultices for effecting heating or cooling
  • A61F2007/0203—Cataplasms, poultices or compresses, characterised by their contents; Bags therefor
  • A61F2007/0206—Cataplasms, poultices or compresses, characterised by their contents; Bags therefor containing organic solids or fibres
  • A61F2007/0209—Synthetics, e.g. plastics
  • A61F2007/0214—Polymers, e.g. water absorbing
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2303/00—Details of devices using other cold materials; Details of devices using cold-storage bodies
  • F25D2303/08—Devices using cold storage material, i.e. ice or other freezable liquid
  • F25D2303/082—Devices using cold storage material, i.e. ice or other freezable liquid disposed in a cold storage element not forming part of a container for products to be cooled, e.g. ice pack or gel accumulator
  • F25D2303/0822—Details of the element
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2303/00—Details of devices using other cold materials; Details of devices using cold-storage bodies
  • F25D2303/08—Devices using cold storage material, i.e. ice or other freezable liquid
  • F25D2303/082—Devices using cold storage material, i.e. ice or other freezable liquid disposed in a cold storage element not forming part of a container for products to be cooled, e.g. ice pack or gel accumulator
  • F25D2303/0822—Details of the element
  • F25D2303/08221—Fasteners or fixing means for the element
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D2331/00—Details or arrangements of other cooling or freezing apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass
  • F25D2331/80—Type of cooled receptacles
  • F25D2331/801—Bags
  • F25D2331/8015—Pouches

Definitions

• the present invention relates to cooling pouches, such pouches being typically for storing medication, such as vials of insulin or the like.
• Diabetes mellitus Persons afflicted by diabetes mellitus (“diabetes”) are unable to secrete sufficient insulin, which results in excess of sugar in the bloodstream. Sufferers from diabetes may require treatment consisting of hypodermic injections of insulin, as the latter assists the body to metabolise the excess sugar. It is often necessary to store insulin ready for use by injection or the like.
• W083/04089 discloses a portable carrying pouch which contains a removable refrigerating agent, for use when storing insulin.
• Other portable carrying devices are known for purposes, other than storage of medicines, for example, for carrying food.
• US patent 4211091 discloses a pliable, insulated bag for use as a lunch bag for temporary storage of foodstuffs
• US patent 4530220 discloses a deformable bag for use as a cooling medium, which bag comprises an envelope filled with a gel substance, the whole bag being intended to be cooled to a temperature less than -10°C.
• Japanese patent application 6178792A discloses a medical insulating appliance having high cooling, anti-flammatory and disinfecting effects. Such an appliance is typically used after cooling in a refrigerator. However, such an appliance is designed for cooling a body part and not for transporting and/or cooling medicament.
• a portable pouch for cooling and storing vials and the like comprising:
• hinge means connecting an edge of said first web member, directly or indirectly, to said second web member
• fastening means for fastening remaining edges of said first web member to remaining edges of said second web member, wherein at least one of said web members includes a plurality of compartments each containing water absorbent granular material and said hinge means is free of such compartments .
• each of the web members comprises a plurality of such compartments, each of which contains such a water absorbent granular material.
• each of the web members is of quadrilateral shape, such as rectangular.
• the web members are preferably integrally formed from a single web, arranged to be folded along the hinge.
• the fastening means typically comprise at least one first element comprising a multiplicity of hooks, and at least one complementary second element comprising a multiplicity of loops engageable with the hooks on the first element. Both the first and second elements are typically in the form of strip or tape.
• the web members are arranged to be fastened together by the fastening means in such a way that one web member extends beyond the free edge of the other of the web members, so as to form a flap foldable over a marginal portion of the other web member.
• Such a flap preferably has fastening means on a first face of the one web member for engagement with complementary fastening means on the marginal portion on the other web member.
• the hinge means connect an edge of the first web member directly to the second web member.
• the hinge means connect an edge of the first web indirectly to the second web member.
• the pouch can, in some arrangements, take the form of a substantially closed box, in which the first web member provides a closure for a tray constituted by the second web, the above-mentioned panel and a plurality of edge panels.
• the first web member, the second web member, the intervening panel and the edge panels can be formed from a single web.
• the water permeable material comprises a durable, flexible textile material, such as a woven fabric.
• a particularly preferred textile material comprises a polyester/cotton fabric blend, although other textile materials such as a nylon or an acrylic may also be used.
• the water absorbent material is one which is capable of regeneration after it has been dried out, preferably over repeated water absorption and desorption cycles.
• the water absorbent material preferably comprises a polymeric material, such as an acrylic polymer.
• a polymer may be a cross-linked acrylate or methacrylate polymer, such a sodium salt thereof.
• the granular material is one which has a transition between respective hydrated forms at or close to ambient temperature, such that the latent heat absorbed or evolved on passage through the transition temperature helps to maintain the temperature substantially constant for a prolonged period.
• the compartments containing the water-absorbent material may be formed by sewing an elongate double skinned web member in sewing lines extending along the length of the web member; a plurality of such sewing lines is preferably employed so as to divide the web members lengthwise into a plurality of the compartments .
• At least one further sewing line is preferably provided transverse to the sewing lines mentioned above so as to control the distribution of the water absorbent material along the length of the respective compartment or compartments. It is preferred that the further sewing line is provided along the hinge means.
• the pouch is flexible.
• the present invention further comprises a method of storing a medicine (preferably a vial or the like) which comprises treating the web members of a pouch according to the invention with cold water, either before or after shaping the web members to form the pouch, so as to cause swelling of the water absorbent material within the compartments thereof, and disposing the medicine within the pouch while the compartments contain the swollen water absorbent material.
• a medicine preferably a vial or the like
• Figure 1 is a plan view of a pouch according to the first embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 2 is a cross-section along the line AA shown in Figure l; and Figure 3 is a plan view of a pouch according to the second embodiment of the invention.
• a fabric web 1 comprises a double skinned front fabric panel 2 and a corresponding double- skinned rear fabric panel 3.
• the front panel 2 has a series of parallel, longitudinally extending stitching lines 11, which (with the corresponding edges of the respective panel) form respective compartments 4a, 4b and 4c, each of which contains water absorbent grains 5 of sodium polyacrylate (see Figure 2) .
• the rear panel 3 also has a series of parallel, longitudinally extending stitching lines 12, which (with the corresponding edges of the respective panel) form respective compartments 6a, 6b and 6c.
• a strip 7a of one part of a hook- and-loop type fastener of the type commercially available under the trade mark Velcro is sewn to a side edge of the front panel 2; a complementary part of the fastener 9a is sewn to a side edge of the rear panel 3.
• a further strip 7b of one part of such a hook-and-loop type fastener is sewn to the opposed side edge of the front panel 2; a complementary part of the fastener 9b is sewn to the corresponding side edge of rear panel 3.
• a further strip 10 of one part of such a hook-and-loop type fastener is sewn to the free end of the front panel 2; a complementary part of the fastener (not shown) is sewn to a corresponding end of rear panel 3 (on the obverse face thereof) .
• the free end of the front panel 2 to which strip 10 is sewn thereby forms a flap, which can overlap the corresponding free end of rear panel 3.
• a foldline 8 is provided between the front panel 2 and the rear panel 3. This foldline is preferably defined by a row of stitching which separates compartment 4a from 6a, compartment 4b from 6b, compartment 4c from 6c, and compartment 4d from 6d.
• the front and rear panels 2 , 3 are folded together about the foldline and secured together by the various fastening means to form a pouch.
• the whole web may be immersed in cold water, typically for about 90 seconds; the grains 5 then form a gel-like substance which can retain the temperature of the water for approximately 3 to 4 days. If a temperature lower than that of the cold water is required, it is possible to place the whole web in a refrigerator, or the like, in order to lower the temperature.
• the web is folded along the foldline 8, in order that the front panel 2 can be fastened to the rear panel 3 by means of the fastener 7a, 7b, 9a, 9b so as to form a pouch.
• Insulin or other medication that needs to be stored at a lower temperature than room temperature, can then be stored in the pouch, typically in vials or the like, for a period of typically 3 to 4 days.
• a fabric webbed box-like pouch 31 comprises a double skinned bottom fabric panel 32 and a corresponding double skinned top fabric panel 33.
• the bottom panel 32 is attached to the top panel 33 indirectly by hinge panel 34.
• Hinge panel 34 is attached to the bottom panel 32 along stitching line 35; hinge panel 34 is also attached to the top panel 33 along stitching line 36.
• Three further upstanding wall panels 37, 38 and 39 are attached to the bottom panel 32 along respective stitching lines 40, 41 and 42 to form a box-like structure.
• the top panel 33 can be attached to the upstanding wall panels 37, 38 and 39 by zip fastening 43.
• the bottom panel 32 has a series of parallel, longitudinally extending stitching lines 44, which (with the corresponding edges of the respective panel) form respective compartments 45a, 45b and 45c, each of which contains water- absorbent grains 5 of sodium polyacrylate (corresponding to those described above with reference to Figure 2) .
• the top panel 33 also has a series of parallel, longitudinally extending stitching lines 46, which (with the corresponding edges of the respective panel) form respective compartments 47a, 47b and 47c.
• the whole pouch may be immersed in cold water, typically for about 90 seconds; the grains 5 then form a gel-like substance which can retain the temperature of the water for approximately 3 to 4 days. If a temperature lower than that of the cold water is required, it is possible to place the whole web in a refrigerator, or the like, in order to lower the temperature.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Pharmacology & Pharmacy (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Hematology (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Thermotherapy And Cooling Therapy Devices (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)
• Package Closures (AREA)
• Medical Preparation Storing Or Oral Administration Devices (AREA)
• Bag Frames (AREA)
• Purses, Travelling Bags, Baskets, Or Suitcases (AREA)
• Transition And Organic Metals Composition Catalysts For Addition Polymerization (AREA)
• Prostheses (AREA)
• Burglar Alarm Systems (AREA)

Priority Applications (14)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26310273

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (20)

Families Citing this family (23)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1997
  • 1997-10-23 CA CA002269621A patent/CA2269621C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-10-23 JP JP10519131A patent/JP2001502787A/ja active Pending
  • 1997-10-23 DE DE69719531T patent/DE69719531T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-10-23 AT AT97909497T patent/ATE233529T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-10-23 TR TR1999/00880T patent/TR199900880T2/xx unknown
  • 1997-10-23 IL IL12950397A patent/IL129503A0/xx unknown
  • 1997-10-23 CZ CZ991393A patent/CZ139399A3/cs unknown
  • 1997-10-23 NZ NZ335525A patent/NZ335525A/xx not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-10-23 PL PL97333075A patent/PL333075A1/xx unknown
  • 1997-10-23 CN CNB971801738A patent/CN1133410C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-10-23 ES ES97909497T patent/ES2194185T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-10-23 BR BR9713269-1A patent/BR9713269A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1997-10-23 SK SK516-99A patent/SK51699A3/sk unknown
  • 1997-10-23 AU AU47172/97A patent/AU717040B2/en not_active Expired
  • 1997-10-23 ID IDW990224A patent/ID21644A/id unknown
  • 1997-10-23 WO PCT/GB1997/002930 patent/WO1998017226A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1997-10-23 EP EP97909497A patent/EP0934050B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-10-23 HU HU0000355A patent/HUP0000355A3/hu unknown
  • 1997-10-23 KR KR1019990703751A patent/KR20000052889A/ko not_active Withdrawn
• 1998
  • 1998-06-22 US US09/102,340 patent/US6067803A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (7)

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