DEVICE FOR BAG-SHAPED LIQUID-CONTAINERS FOR SICK-CARE

Abstract: A device for bag-shaped, liquid containers (1) for sick-care of flexible material. An opening (3) for filling or emptying the container (1) is sealed by means of a disc-formation (10) which has a tube (11) made in one piece therewith and extending towards the interior of the container (1). One end of the tube (11) terminates in a cover (14) sealed against the outside of the disc-formation (10) and level therewith, and the other end of the tube (11) terminates in a closing portion (12) by means of a flattening of the tube to produce a sterile space between the two closed ends of the tube (11).

Description: Device for bag-shaped liquid-containers for sick-care The present invention relates to a device for bag-shaped liquid containers for sick care of flexible material consisting of one or more flat plastic films fused at the edges or a folded-over fused plastic film, and comprising at least one opening for filling or emptying the container. This type of liquid container is used for a number of different purposes in sick-care, e.g. for administering intravenously nutrients and blood substitute. These areas of use involve the storage and tapping of liquid. These liquid containers are provided with filling an tapping openings/Which have the shape of a flanged funnel. This type of opening facilitates filling the container with liquid, which is usually done under sterile conditions at the supplier of the liquid in question. After filling the container, it is sealed by means of a suitable type of plug, which for use permits access by means of a cannula to the contents of the container. In order to prevent contamination of the cannula as it is inserted into the medium in the container, up to now a sealing device has been used which is provided under a cover with a sealing/ sterile membrane. After removing the cover, the cannula can .be inserted into the liquid in the container by puncturing the membrane thereby avoiding contact with non-sterilized surfaces. With this type of sealing device, it has proved difficult to find the cannula insertion hole with the cannula behind the membrane directly after puncture. Furthermore/ the cover .covering the opening provided with a membrane to the container is * difficult to remove. Manufacturing considera¬ tions make it necessary that the sterilization of this type of sealing device be carried out in several stages, since it is made of three different «par s which are fused together into one part, which involves relatively high manufacturing costs. The purpose of the present invention is to remove the disadvantages which are to be found in previously used sealing devices of this type and to achieve a device which is essentially characterized by a disc formation sealing the opening and having a tube made in one piece therewith and extending towards the interior of the container, one end of said tube terminating in an integrally made cover which seals against the outside of the disc formation level therewith, the other end of Said tube terminating in a closing portion by means of a flattening of the tube, for achieving a sterile space between the two closed ends of the tube. By virtue of the invention a device is now achieved which eminently achieves its purposes.but is at the same time simple and inexpensive to manufacture. One reason for this is that the sealing device according to the invention is made in one piece and sterilization need only be- done once during manufacture, since the material at the flattened end of the tube permits the passage of steam. The design of the cover permits easy and reliable removal of the same for use, i.a. because the straight pulling of the pull loop provides a concentration of force to a point in the material in the region between the lower edge portion of the cover and the disc formation. After removing the cover, a cannula can be easily inserted into the liquid in the container by virtue of the fact that prior to the puncturing of the portion of the tube near the inner flattened portion, w ^ hich has a thinner material thickness, the cannula is guided through the sterile space by the sidewalls of the tube. After puncture, the cannula is effectively retained in its inserted position in the sealing device according to the invention by the friction created between the cannula and the tube by firstly the projections at the mouth of the tube and secondly at the hole produced by the cannula when penetrating through the tube wall next to the flattened portion. OMPI The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an embodi¬ ment selected as an example of the sealing device is shown in Fig. 1 in perspective and in Fig. 2 as a side-view of 5 the sealing device mounted in the opening of a..liquid container. The liquid container 1 shown as an example is provided with a pipe 2 as a filling and emptying opening 3. The pipe 2 0 is made with a funnel-shaped portion 4 which has a flange 5 around its opening. The liquid container 1 can also be provided with a device 5 * for opening the interior of the container 1, e.g. for inserting extra nutrients to the liquid in the container 1. The liquid container 1 consists 5 of two flat, plastic films 8 fused at the edges 7, which form the sides or walls of the container 1. The filling and tapping opening 3 of the container 1 is sealed after filling the container 1 with the liquid in question by means of a sealing device 9, consisting of a disc formation 0 10 covering the funnel-shaped portion 4 and in sealing contact with the flange 5. The fixing of the disc formation 10 against the flange can also be done by means of heat or a suitable adhesive. A tube 11 is made in one piece with the disc formation 10 and extends towards the interior 5 of the container 1 into the pipe 2 when assembled. The inner end of the tube 11 terminates in a flattened portion 12 sealed against the interior of the tube 11, and its other outer end or mouth 13 terminates in a cover 14 made in one piece with and sealing against the outside of the d disc formation 10. The tube 11 has a thinner material thickness immediately efore the flattened portion 12 to make possible not only penetration of a cannula but passage of steam in sterilization as well. The sealing device 9 according to the invention is made of a plastic material, e.g. injection-molded polyvinyl chloride. The flattening of the portion 12 is suitably done at the same time as or immediately after the injection- molding of the sealing device 9, producing a sterile space between the cover 14 and the flattened portion 12. For orientation when mounting the sealing device 9 on the 5 flanged opening 3, guide flanges 15 are disposed on the tube 11 next to the disc formation 10. To retain a cannula, the tube 11 has at its inlet a plurality of projections 25. The cover 14, which, is made in one piece with the disc formation 10 and the tube 11, can be torn off by means of 0 a grip loop 16 from the disc formation 10 to expose the mouth 13 of the tube. The cover 14 closes the mouth 13 along a tear initiation line 17 of thin material thickness .at the transition between the cover 14, the tube 11 and the disc formation 10. The grip loop 16 extends integrally 5 from the top, peripheral edge portion 18 of the cover 14 and ends in a grip portion 19, which can be made with one or two grip tabs 20, The grip portion 19 can be easily detachably fixed to the cover 14 by means of a thin string of material 21. To achieve a concentration of force to 0 a point to tear off the cover 14 along the tear initiation line 17, a cavity 22 is arranged diagonally across the top of the cover 14 in the vicinity of the anchoring location of the grip loop 16 in the edge portion 18 of the cover 14. For removal of the cover 14, the grip portion 19 is first 5 detached from the cover 14 by breaking the material string 21. When the grip loop 16 is then pulled away from the disc formation 10, a concentration of force to a point is obtained which begins the actual tearing along the tear initiation line 17, by bending the portion 23 of the cover 0 14 from which the grip loop 16 stems towards the longi¬ tudinal direction of the cavity 22 with the bottom portion 24 of the cavity 22 serving as a sort of fold line. A cannula (not shownl can then be inserted into the tube * * 11, puncture the same immediately before the flattened 5 portion 12 and thereafter come into contact with the liquid in the container 1.

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS (received by the International Bureau on 21 My 1982 (21.07.82)) 1. (amended) Device for bag-shaped, liquid containers (1) for sick- care, of flexible material consisting of one or more flat • plastic films (81 fused at the edges (7) or a folded-over, fused plastic film and comprising at least one opening (3) for filling or emptying the container, characterized by a disc formation (101 sealing the opening (3) and having a tube (111 made in one piece therewith and extending towards the interior of the container (1) , the end of said tube opening into the atmosphere terminating in an integral¬ ly made cover (14) which, seals against the outside of the disc formation (101 level therewith and can be torn off around the mouth of the tube end, the other end of said tube, opening into the interior of the container (1) , terminating in a sealing portion by means of a flattening of the tube (111, said flattening portion (12) extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the tube to form two tube side-wall portions converging towards the interior of the container (11 , at least one of said side- wall portions being penetratable by a cannula insertable through the mouth (131 of the tube and the tube (111- 2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the wall thickness of the tube (11). in the region at and immediately before the flattened portion (12) is thinner than that of the rest of the tube (11) . 3. Device according to Claim 2, characterized in that the wall thickness of the tube (11). at and immediately before the flattened portion (121 is such as to permit steam to pass in sterilization, 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tube (111 where joined to the disc formation. (101 has on its outside at least two guide flanges (15) for fixing the position of the disc formation OMPI (10Ϊ during assembly in the case where the opening (3) of the liquid container (11 is made as a funnel-shaped portion (4) interacting with the disc formation (10) and the tube (111. 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tube (111 in the region immediately before the cover (141 is conically tapered inwardly from, the disc formation (101 and has a plurality of tap formations (251 running aroiind the periphery to receive and retain a cannula insertable into the tube (11} . 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in-that the cover (141 is made in one piece with the disc formation (10 _ and the tube (111 and can be torn off by means of a grip loop (161 from the disc formation (101 to expose the mouth (131 of the tube. 7. Device according to Claim 6, characterized in that the transition from the cover (14 around the mouth (131 of the tube to the disc formation (10) is along a tear initiation portion (171 of small material thickness. 8. Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that the grip loop (161 is integrally made with the cover (14) and extends from the outer periphery of the cover (14) in an arc and terminates at a grip portion (19) . 9. Device according to Claim 8, characterized in that the grip portion (191 is detachably fixed by means of a stri of material ( 2 n to the cover • (141 opposite to the anchoring location . (181 of the grip loop (161 at the outer periphery of the cover (141. 10. (deleted) O PI / . .. WIHPOO ..

Inventors: KERS TORE, LUNDH KARL ERIK
Applicants: GISLAVED PLASTINDUSTRI AB, KERS TORE, LUNDH KARL ERIK
Application year: 1982
Main classification: A61M5
IPC codes: A61J1