Abstract:
An apparatus and system for transferring a liquid, such as a liquid anesthetic, from a reservoir to a machine while minimizing the release of the liquid to the surrounding environment. The apparatus can include a frame member defining a frame passage extending from a first end of the frame member to a second end of the frame member and a nozzle connected to the frame member. The nozzle can be moveable between a first position and a second position relative to the frame member, and can define a plug member configured to block the second end of the frame passage when the nozzle is in the first position. The apparatus can further include a biasing member connected to the frame member and the nozzle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/082,624 filed on Jul. 22, 2008, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein as if being set forth in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This application discloses an invention which is related, generally and in various embodiments, to a device for supplying a liquid to a machine, such as a vaporizer. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Liquid anesthetics are often packaged in glass bottles and shipped to a location where they may be used to anesthetize a patient undergoing a medical or dental procedure. Such anesthetics may also be used to induce analgesia in a patient undergoing a medical or dental procedure. In order to administer the anesthetic, the contents of the glass bottle are placed in a vaporizer. The vaporizer can vaporize the anesthetic and provide the vaporized anesthetic in a desired amount to the patient. 
         [0004]    Inhalable anesthetics are typically volatile substances with relatively low boiling points and high vapor pressure. Preferably, there is little or no release of anesthetic to the atmosphere during handing. To transfer liquid anesthetic to a vaporizer, however, the bottle containing the vaporizer must be opened. Since it is unwise to expose medical personnel performing a procedure to an anesthetic, and since anesthetics are expensive, devices have been developed to minimize the release of anesthetic from a bottle to the environment surrounding a vaporizer. These devices, however, have failed to effectively minimize the release of anesthetic. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    This application discloses an apparatus and system for transferring a liquid, such as an anesthetic, from a reservoir to a machine while effectively minimizing the release of the liquid to the surrounding environment. The apparatus can include a frame member defining a frame passage extending from a first end of the frame member to a second end of the frame member and a nozzle connected to the frame member. The nozzle can be moveable between a first position and a second position relative to the frame member, and can define a plug member configured to block the second end of the frame passage when the nozzle is in the first position. The apparatus can further include a biasing member connected to the frame member and the nozzle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates a closing mechanism connecting a reservoir to a vaporizer. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  provides an isometric view of a closing mechanism. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the closing mechanism of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  illustrates the frame member of the closing mechanism of  FIG. 2 , where the frame member is apart from the nozzle. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5A  illustrates the closing mechanism of  FIG. 2  connected to a reservoir and a vaporizer, the nozzle pressing the activating rod of the vaporizer. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5B  illustrates the cross section at FIG.  5 A&#39;s cross axis and shows the first position of the nozzle. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6A  illustrates the closing mechanism of  FIG. 2  and connected to a reservoir, the reservoir opened to the vaporizer. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6B  illustrates the cross section at FIG.  6 A&#39;s cross axis and shows the second position of the nozzle. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  illustrates a view of the closing mechanism looking into nozzle 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The accompanying drawings are intended to provide further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the description of the invention. The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the description illustrate principles of the invention. 
         [0016]    The drawings should not be taken as implying any necessary limitation on the essential scope of invention. The drawings are given by way of non-limitative example to explain the nature of the invention. 
         [0017]    For a more complete understanding of the instant invention reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings. 
         [0018]    The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out specifically in the claims which are a part of this description. For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of invention. 
         [0019]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the referred views,  FIG. 1  shows various embodiments of an apparatus  22  connecting a reservoir  13  to a machine  19 . The reservoir  13  can be a glass bottle or any other container capable of containing a liquid. In this embodiment, the liquid is a volatile anesthetic. At its top, the reservoir  13  includes an opening  16  (see  FIG. 5B ) through which liquid anesthetic may be transferred from the reservoir  13  to the apparatus  22 , and ultimately to the machine  19 . In this embodiment, the machine  19  is a vaporizer that dispenses anesthetic to a person undergoing a medical procedure and the apparatus  22  is a closing mechanism connecting the vaporizer  19  the reservoir  13 . The reservoir  13  can connect to the closing mechanism  22  by any commonly known method. In this embodiment, the closing mechanism  22  is attached to the reservoir  13  by a gasket  1  (see  FIG. 5B ) and a crimp band  2 . The connection between the closing mechanism  22  and the vaporizer  19  will be discussed in detail later in this description. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  provides an isometric view of a closing mechanism  22  according to various embodiments for selectively allowing liquid to transfer from a reservoir  13  to a vaporizer  19 . The closing mechanism  22  includes a frame member  28  and a nozzle  25 . The nozzle  25  is connected to the frame member  28 , and the nozzle is moveable between a first position and a second position relative to the frame member  28 . The first position of the nozzle can prevent the passage of liquid within the closing mechanism  22  (as shown in  FIG. 5B ), and the second position of the closing mechanism  22  can allow such passage (as shown in  FIG. 6B ). 
         [0021]    The frame member  28  comprises a base  10  configured for connection to the reservoir  13 . As discussed with regard to  FIG. 1 , the base  10  can be configured for connection to the reservoir by a gasket  1  and crimp band  2 , or by any other commonly known method. The opposite end of the frame member  28  can be surrounded by the nozzle  25 . 
         [0022]    The nozzle  25  is configured for connection to a machine, such as the vaporizer  19 . For example, the nozzle  25  can define an external threading  5  for engaging an internal threading of a receiving station  37  of a vaporizer  19 . Further, a sealing member  6 , such as an  0 -ring, can be in contact with the nozzle  25  and can allow for a seal between the nozzle  25  and the receiving station  37  of the vaporizer  19 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of the closing mechanism  22 . From this view, it is shown that a biasing member  40  can be connected at one end to the base  10  of the frame member  28  and at the opposite end to the nozzle  25 . The biasing member  40  can be a spring, such as a torsion spring. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the biasing member  40  can apply a biasing force between the frame member  28  and the nozzle  25  to prevent the flow of a liquid. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows the frame member  28  apart from the nozzle  25 . From this view, one can observe the base  10  of the frame member  28  and the defining of a threading  4  configured for engagement with the nozzle  25 .  FIG. 4  further shows a first end  14  of the frame member  28 , a second end  15  of the frame member  28 , and a frame passage  11  that extends from the first end  14  of the frame member  28  to the second end  15  of the frame member  28 . Through the frame passage  11 , liquid can flow between the first end  14  and second end  15  of the frame member  28 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 5A  shows the closing mechanism  22  connected to a reservoir  13  and a vaporizer  19 .  FIG. 5B  shows the cross section at FIG.  5 A&#39;s cross axis where the nozzle  25  is at the first position such that plug member  28  prevents the passage of liquid within the closing mechanism  22 . As previously discussed, the reservoir  13  can connect to the base  10  of the frame member  28  by a standard crimp band  2  and gasket  1  arrangement. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5B  further shows that the frame member  28  can be threadedly connected to the nozzle  25 , where the nozzle  25  and the frame member  28  can respectively define a threading  4  configured for mutual engagement. A sealing member  3  in contact with the frame member  28  and nozzle  25 , such an  0 -ring, can be included to provide a sliding seal between the frame member  28  and the nozzle  25 . 
         [0027]    The nozzle  25  further defines a plug member  8  configured to block the second end  15  of the frame passage  11  when the nozzle is in the first position, thus preventing the passage of liquid through the frame passage  11 , and thus preventing the passage of liquid from the reservoir  13  to the vaporizer  19 . The biasing member  40  applies a biasing force between the frame and the nozzle so that the plug member is normally in this first position. The discussion of  FIG. 6B  below further describes the relationship between the plug member  8  and the biasing member  40 . 
         [0028]    The external threading  5  of the nozzle  25  allows the closing mechanism  22  to connect with the receiving station  37  of the vaporizer  19 . To connect the closing mechanism  22  to the vaporizer  19 , a user can apply an initial rotation force to the reservoir  13  (already connected to the closing mechanism  22 ) such that the nozzle  25  engages the receiving station  37  by the external threading  5 . As discussed above, the sealing member  6  allows a seal between the nozzle  25  and the receiving station  37 . When the nozzle  25  is fully engaged with the receiving station  37  and can no longer rotate, the plug member  8  of the nozzle  25  has advanced sufficiently that it can press against an activation rod  7  of the receiving station  37 , thereby opening the valve of the vaporizer  19 . 
         [0029]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  show how the reservoir  13  can be opened to the vaporizer  19 .  FIG. 6A  shows the closing mechanism  22  connected to the reservoir  13 . To better illustrate the closing mechanism, the vaporizer  19  is not shown in this figure; however, the vaporizer  13  would be fully engaged with the closing mechanism  22  (as in  FIGS. 5A and 5B ) before the reservoir  13  was opened to the vaporizer  19 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 6B  shows the cross section at FIG.  6 A&#39;s cross axis where the nozzle  25  is at the second position such that plug member  28  does not prevent the passage of liquid within the closing mechanism  22 . Once the nozzle can no longer rotate with respect to the vaporizer&#39;s receiving station  37 , a user can apply a continued rotation force to the reservoir  13  suitable to overcome the biasing force of the biasing member  40 . When this biasing force is overcome, the frame member  28  begins to rotate with respect to the nozzle  25  by the threading  4 . As the reservoir  13  is rotated, the frame member  28  and the nozzle  25  rotate relative to each other such that the nozzle  25  moves to the second position where the plug member  8  no longer blocks the second end  15  of the frame passage  11 . At this stage, the frame passage  11  is opened, thus allowing liquid to flow from the reservoir  13  through the closing mechanism  22  to the vaporizer  19 . 
         [0031]    Finally,  FIG. 7  shows a view of the closing mechanism  22  looking into the nozzle  25 . At its center, this view shows the plug member  8  for engaging the activation rod  7 . This view also shows a nozzle passage  17  through which liquid from the open frame passage  11  can flow out the nozzle  25  to the vaporizer  19 .  FIG. 7  also shows the external threading  5  that can engage an internal threading of a receiving station  37  of a vaporizer  19 . 
         [0032]    It is to be understood that the descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate characteristics that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that other elements or steps are desirable or required in implementing the present invention. However, because such elements or steps are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements or steps is not provided herein. The disclosure herein is directed to all such variations and modifications to such elements and methods known to those skilled in the art. 
         [0033]    It is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in this specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. 
         [0034]    Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be regarded as falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.