CONTAINER OR CAPSULE FOR SEGREGATED STORING OF TWO-COMPONENT MISCIBLE SUBSTANCES

Abstract: A container or capsule for segregated storing of two-component miscible substances comprises a bottom member (1) and a top member (2), and two concentric chambers (11, 12), the outer chamber (11) extending from the bottom of the bottom member (1) and opening towards the top member (2) whereas the inner chamber (12) being integral with the top member has its mouth facing the bottom of the bottom member. The mouth of the inner chamber (12) is sealingly closed to the bottom member by means of a sealing member (13) when the bottom and top members (1, 2) are tightly interconnected. The sealing member (13) of the inner chamber (12) constitutes a plug for closing the said inner chamber prior to bringing the two members (1, 2) together for segregated storing of the two components.

Description: Container or capsule for segregated storing of two-component miscible substances The present invention relates to a container or a capsule for the storage of two- component miscible substances, such as medicaments where the one component is the medically active component in liquid, powdery or tablet form while the other component is a liquid such as water for dissolving or diluting the medically active component, the two components to be mixed at a desired or required point of time. For both patients and healthy persons there is a need for a small and simply operated container which contains two component medicaments to be stored separately and mixed only at the time of need. In the prior art such containers or capsules are described both for use with pain killers, in the art of dental techniques and in the art of cosmetics. One such container is described in the Norwegian patent no. 156123, based on PCT/EP82/00032. This is a container comprised of two concentric containers, screewed together such that the open end of the inner container, defining an inner compartment, is pressed towards a sealing rim constituting an elevation on the closed bottom of the outer container, defining the outer compartment. This container lacks, however, a sealing member in the open end of the inner chamber which also functions as a plug, closing this chamber. Neither the above described container nor the other containers known in the prior art are suitable for rapid access to a mixed ready-to-use medicament, composed of separately stored components, for use by healthy persons or patients, such as for example cardiac patients. This aspect is obtained by the present invention characterized by the enclosed claims. For cardiac patients it may be necessary to have an easily accessible emergency supply of cardiac medicament for the case that the patient suffers an acute situation, and for such circumstances the container or capsule according to this invention is provided. The container or capsule comprises a bottom member and a top member, and two concentric chambers, the outer chamber extending from the bottom of the bottom member and opening towards the top member whereas the inner chamber extends from the top member and having its mouth facing the bottom of the bottom member. The container or the capsule according to the invention is characterized in that the mouth of the inner chamber, when the bottom and top members are tightly interconnected, is sealingly closed to the bottom member by means of a sealing member. Further features of the invention will appear from the following description and from the patent claims. The invention shall now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing showing an axial section through an embodiment of a capsule according to the invention. The drawing shows an axial section through a capsule comprising a bottom member 1 and a top member 2 which together define an outer chamber 11 and, concentrically therewith, an inner chamber 12. The outer chamber 1 1 extends from the bottom of the bottom member 1 and opens towards the top member 2. The inner chamber 1 1 extends from the top member 2 towards the bottom of the bottom member 1. The bottom member 1 and the top member 2 are interconnectable through threads 3, the threading being further sealed by means of an O-ring 4. The inner chamber 12 has such a length that its mouth will seal against the bottom of the bottom member 1, a sealing member 13 being provided which does also act as a plug for closing the inner chamber 12. In operation, the outer chamber 11 is provided for receiving a predetermined quantity of a substance in liquid, powdery or tablet form which up to a given point of time should be kept separate from a predetermined quantity of liquid received in the inner chamber 12 and which at a such given time should be mixed with the liquid from the inner chamber. The mixing is achieved by removing the top member 2 from the bottom member 1 the mouth of the inner chamber 12 thereby being uncovered so that the liquid in the inner chamber 12 mixes with the contents of the outer chamber 1 1. A specific example of purpose of the invention is that a cardiac medicine in the form of a powder or an easily dissolvable tablet is kept in the outer chamber 1 1 while water is kept in the inner chamber 12, the water and the cardiac medicine being mixed only at the time when the user of the capsule suffers an acute cardiac emergency.

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS 1. Container or capsule for the storage of two-component miscible substances, comprising a bottom member (1) and a top member (2), and two concentric chambers (1 1; 12), the outer chamber (1 1) extending from the bottom of one of said members, e.g. the bottom member (1), and is open towards the other member whereas the inner chamber (12) being integral with the said other member has its mouth facing the bottom of the said first member, characterized in that the mouth of the inner chamber (12), when the two members (1, 2) of the container or capsule are tightly interconnected, is sealingly closed to the said first member by means of a sealing member (13). 2. Container or capsule as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the sealing member (13) of the inner chamber (12) constitutes a plug for closing the said inner chamber prior to bringing the two members (1 , 2) together for segregated storing of the two components.

Inventors: AELVEBORN ANDERS, HALVORSEN PER ERIK STRIBOLT, AELVEBORN, ANDERS, HALVORSEN, PER, ERIK, STRIBOLT
Applicants: AELVEBORN ANDERS, HALVORSEN PER ERIK STRIBOLT, AELVEBORN, ANDERS, HALVORSEN, PER, ERIK, STRIBOLT
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B65D81
IPC codes: A61J1, B65D81