Abstract:
A disposable sterile plastic bag includes a liquid receiving chamber which can be accessed upon removal of a tear off strip for introducing therein liquids, such as breast milk. The bag also includes a closure member to close the bag once filled with milk. The bag further includes indicia thereon for indicating the volume of milk in the bag, and an extension away from the chamber so that information about the milk can be provided, e.g. by writing, on the bag without danger of piercing the bag. Once opened, the bag can be attached to an outlet port of a breast pump such that pumped milk is conveyed directly and sterilely into the bag, and the bag can then be stored in sub-ambient temperature until ready to be fed to a baby, at which time the bag is opened, the closure is cut off from the bag and the bag is installed on, and used as a liner for, a bag holder which is provided with a cap and nipple and acts as a feeding bottle.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/521,181 filed on Mar. 7, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,082 issued Dec. 11, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to flexible bags and, more particularly, to sterile disposable plastic bags for use in handling various liquids. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Various bags have been developed for the sterile transportation and/or storage of samples in the medical and food fields, such as human fluid samples, milk, water in environmental studies, etc. 
     Such a plastic bag is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,829 issued on Oct. 15, 1996 to Lafond. As seen in FIG. 3, in this patent a disposable sterile plastic bag B comprises a two-ply sheet flexible material consisting of front and rear sheets  8  integrally joined at opposed side edges  12 ,  12  thereof (or the bag may be made from a tube) and including opposite upper and lower ends  10  and  14 , respectively. The front and rear sheets  8 ,  8  are joined at the upper and lower ends  10  and  14  thereof respectively by upper and lower heat seals  16  and  18 , respectively, with a sealed sample receiving chamber being defined between the two plastic sheets  8 ,  8  inwardly of the bag&#39;s side edges  12 ,  12  and upper and lower sealed ends  16  and  18 . Inwardly of the upper seal  16 , there is defined a tear-off line  20  transversely across the two sheets  8 ,  8  and parallelly to the upper seal  16  thereby forming a detachable strip  24  outwardly of the tear-off line  20 . The tear off line  20  is punctured through both sheets  8  across the upper end  10  of the bag B and lower than the upper heat seal  16  such that the upper heat seal  16  extends substantially parallelly between the tear off line  20  and an upper edge  26  of the bag B. When the liquid sample is ready to be introduced in the bag B, the strip  24  is removed from the bag B by pulling it so as to cause rupture of the two sheets  8 ,  8  at the tear-off line  20 . The bag&#39;s chamber is thus sterile when the sample is introduced therein and the bag B, when so opened, defines a mouth  22  through which the liquid sample may be introduced in the bag B. The bag&#39;s sterility does not depend on how the bag is packaged or on the integrity of the packaging&#39;s seal as the bag is itself sterile until the strip  24  is removed therefrom, that is until the bag B is ready to be used. 
     Such plastic bags may also include near an open end thereof a wire or metal strip which is mounted transversely across the bag with ends extending past the side edges of the bag. Once the bag has been filled with the sample to be transported/stored, the open end is folded at least once over the bag about the wire or metal strip so as to close the open end and the ends of the wire or metal strip are then folded at the side edges of the bag and brought around so as to extend inwardly behind the bag. This safely and effectively encloses the sample in the plastic bag. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a novel sterile bag for holding therein liquids. 
     It is also aim of the present invention to provide a novel sterile bag having indicia thereon for allowing a user to determine at least approximately the volume of liquid in the bag. 
     It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a novel sterile bag which includes an extension outside of the bag&#39;s liquid receiving chamber and adapted to be allow the user to provide, such as by writing, information thereon, for instance data regarding the liquid stored in the bag. 
     It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide a sterile bag in combination with a breast pumping device, wherein breast milk delivered by the pumping device is conveyed directly and sterilely into the bag, for instance, for storage thereof. 
     It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide a sterile bag in combination with a feeding bottle where the bag acts as a bottle liner, whereby there is no transfer of milk from the storage bag to the feeding bottle bag. 
     Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a disposable sterile plastic bag in combination with a breast pumping device, said bag being adapted to contain breast milk and to be fluidly connected to said pumping device, said pumping device being adapted for retrieving breast milk from a human breast such that said breast milk is directed into said bag, said bag comprising a flexible closed enclosure means defining a chamber adapted to contain therein the breast milk received from said pumping device, said enclosure means being permanently sealed except at one portion thereof which comprises bag access means adapted to substantially seal said bag in a first position thereof but also adapted to selectively allow in a second position thereof the breast milk to be introduced in said chamber when it is desired to use said bag, whereby once in said second position the breast milk can be received in said bag with said bag is fluidly connected to said pumping device. 
     Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a disposable sterile plastic bag in combination with a bag holder, said bag being adapted to contain milk, said bag holder comprising a hollow body and a cap provided with a nipple and being adapted for feeding a baby, said bag holder being adapted for receiving therein said bag, said bag comprising a flexible closed enclosure means defining a chamber adapted to contain milk therein, said enclosure means being permanently sealed except at one portion thereof which comprises bag access means adapted to substantially seal said bag in a first position thereof but also adapted to selectively allow in a second position thereof the milk to be introduced in said chamber when it is desired to use said bag, wherein, once in said second position, a top end of said bag can be folded over an upper end of said bag holder with said cap being engageable to said upper end of said bag holder for imprisoning said top end of said bag between said cap and said upper end of said bag holder such that said bag hangs in said bag holder with milk being introduced in said bag at least one of before and after said bag is inserted in said bag holder and mounted thereto. 
     Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of substantially sterilely handling breast milk, comprising the steps of: 
     a) providing a disposable sterile bag; 
     b) fluidly connecting said bag to an outlet of a breast pumping device; and 
     c) retrieving breast milk from a human breast by way of said pumping device and conveying the breast milk directly from said outlet into said bag. 
     Still further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of substantially sterilely handling breast milk, comprising the steps of: 
     a) providing a disposable sterile bag comprising a tear off strip and providing a bag holder; 
     b) removing said tear off strip to reveal a milk receiving chamber of said bag; and 
     c) mounting said bag to said bag holder; 
     wherein milk is introduced in said bag between said steps b) and c) or after step c). 
     Still further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a disposable bag in combination with a breast pumping device, said bag being adapted to contain breast milk and to be fluidly connected to said pumping device, said pumping device being adapted for retrieving breast milk from a human breast, said bag comprising an enclosure means defining a chamber adapted to contain therein the breast milk received from said pumping device, said enclosure means defining an opening for allowing the breast milk to be introduced in said chamber, whereby, when said bag is fluidly connected to said pumping device, the breast milk pumped by said pumping device is directed into said bag. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a sterile plastic bag in accordance with the present invention, wherein the sterile bag is shown in a closed or sealed position thereof; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the sterile bag of the present invention which has been opened, filled with a liquid and closed for storing the liquid; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional sterile plastic bag adapted to hold therein liquid samples, wherein the sterile bag is shown in a partly open position; and 
     FIGS. 4 a  to  4   i  illustrate various steps followed by the bag of FIGS. 1 and 2 when used in a typical cycle. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a conventional sterile plastic bag B made for instance from heavy-gauge transparent polyethylene. More particularly, the bag B can be made from an elongated sleeve which is transversely cut so as to obtain a bag of desired length or height, that is the distance between the opposed open ends of the severed sleeve. Such a construction produces a bag having no side seams which reduces the costs of manufacture of the bag B and increases the efficiency of the protection afforded by the bag B. Then, the bottom end of the severed sleeve is closed, for example, by heat sealing thereby producing a bag having an open upper end. This upper end, in the present invention, is temporarily sealed by a further heat seal which is carried out between the upper edge of the bag and a tear off line defined transversely across the bag at its upper end, whereby when the bag is required for holding a sample, for instance for subsequent use in a laboratory blender, the tear off strip defined between the tear off line and the upper edge of the bag can be detached from the latter. With this construction, the bag remains substantially and sufficiently sterile until it is used, that is until the tear off strip is removed therefrom. 
     The bag B is initially produced and sold in a sealed position where the tear off is not detached from the rest of the bag. When a sample or the like must be deposited in the bag B, the bag B is opened by proceeding as illustrated in FIG.  3 . 
     More particularly, in FIG. 3, the bag B is of the two-ply type having identical front and rear sheets  8  integrally joined at side edges  12  thereof and having opposite upper and lower ends  10  and  14 , respectively. The two sheets  8  are joined in a tight sealed manner at the upper end  10  of the bag B by known connection means, such as a heat seal  16 . Similarly, the sheets  8  are sealingly joined at the lower end  14  of the bag B by a lower heat seal  18 . 
     A tear off line  20  is punctured through both sheets  8  across the upper end  10  of the bag B and lower than the upper heat seal  16  such that the upper heat seal  16  extends substantially parallelly between the tear off line  20  and an upper edge  26  of the bag B. Therefore, there is a tear off strip  24  defined at the upper end  10  of the bag B which when detached from the remainder of the bag B in a manner initiated in FIG. 3, reveals an open mouth  22  of the bag B through which the bag B can obviously be filled with the sample intended to be stored therein. 
     Now turning to the present invention, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a disposable sterile plastic bag  100  for holding therein liquids, for instance breast milk such that it may be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. The bag  100  has a basic structure similar to the conventional bag B of FIG. 3 in that it comprises identical front and rear sheets  108  integrally joined at side edges  112  thereof, generally as a result of the bag  100  being made from a tube, and having opposite upper and lower ends  110  and  114 , respectively. The two sheets  108  are joined in a tight sealed manner at the upper end  110  of the bag  100  by a heat seal  116  with two parallel and spaced heat seals  116  being herein shown. Similarly, the two sheets  108  are sealingly joined at the lower end  114  of the bag  100  by a lower heat seal  118 , also herein embodied by a pair of heat seals  118  which ensure total sterility and leakproofness of the bag  100 . 
     A tear off line  120  is punctured through both sheets  108  across the upper end  110  of the bag  100  and lower than the upper heat seals  116  such that the upper heat seals  116  extend substantially parallelly between the tear off line  120  and an upper edge  126  of the bag  100 . Therefore, there is a tear off strip  124  defined at the upper end  110  of the bag  100  which when detached from the remainder of the bag  100  (in a manner initiated and shown for the conventional bag B in FIG.  3 ), reveals an open mouth at the tear off line  120  of the bag  100  through which the bag  100  can obviously be filled with, for instance, the breast milk intended to be stored in the bag  100 . The tear off strip  124  preserves the sterility of the bag  100  until its manipulation. 
     The bag  100  further includes near the mouth thereof, that is just below the tear off line  120 , a closure member  130  which is mounted transversely across the bag  100  with ends  132  (acting as pull-tabs) of the closure member  130  extending past the side edges  112  of the bag  100 . The closure member, in a known manner, includes a pair of metal strips or wires  134  (one disposed outwardly on each of the front and rear sheets  108 ) and a pair of adhesive tapes  136  disposed outwardly over the metal wires  134  to attach the metal wires  134  to the front and rear sheets  108  of the bag  100  with the tapes  136  adhering to the bag  100  inwardly of the side edges  112  thereof while adhering together outwardly of the side edges  112 . The closure member  130  allows for the bag  100  to be repeatedly opened and closed without risk of loss of contents. 
     At least one of the front and rear sheets  108  of the bag  100  is provided thereon, for instance by printing, with indicia  138  which indicate the approximate volume of liquid (e.g. breast milk) in the bag  100 . Calibrated reference markings  140  indicate liquid levels whereas scales of volumes, in ounces  142  and in millimeters  144 , are associated with each reference marking  140  such that the user can easily determine approximately the volume of liquid being poured, or having been previously put or now remaining, in the bag  100 . Opposite each scale of volume indicia  142  and  144 , there is provided an indication of the volume measurement unit  146  (i.e. “OZ” for ounces and “ML” for millimeters) associated with each scale. 
     Also, the lower end  114  defines an extension  148  of dimensions sufficient to allow for some information to be provided on the bag  100  regarding the contents thereof. The extension  148  is basically comprised of the lower ends of both the front and rear sheets  108 , that the portions thereof extending below the lower heat seals  118  (although the extension could include a single layer, such as either one of the front and rear sheets  108 ). Various information may be provided, for instance by writing, on the extension  148 , such as the date of bagging on line  150  and the volume of liquid (e.g. breast milk) on line  152  with references  154  and  156  reading, in such a case, as “DATE” and “VOLUME”, respectively. 
     Importantly, as the extension  148  is located outwardly of, that is not opposite to, the liquid containing chamber of the bag  100  (see FIG.  2 ), there is no risk or damaging or piercing the bag  100  when writing information at areas  150  and  152  of the extension  148 , and thus there is no risk of causing a leak in the bag  100 . The extension  148  being planar, it is possible to easily write thereon even after the bag  100  has been filled with liquid. 
     Therefore, once the tear off strip  124  has been removed from the bag  100 , the bag  100  may be opened by spreading side pull-tabs  158  (one such pull-tab extending outwardly from the middle of each adhesive tape  136 ) thereby avoiding contamination of the inside of the bag  100 . Then, the liquid (breast milk) may be inserted in the bag  100  while allowing space in the bag  100  for expansion of the liquid if, for instance, it is intended to be frozen. The longitudinal ends or pull-tabs  132  of the closure member  130  (i.e. its portions extending outwardly beyond the side edges  112  of the bag  100 ) are then pulled away so as to draw the front and rear sheets  108  together opposite the closure member  130  thereby substantially closing the upper mouth of the bag  100 . After, pressure is applied on the outside of the bag  100  to remove trapped air. The closure member  130  is then rolled down, for instance four (4) times over, and the longitudinal ends  132  of the closure member  130  are folded inwardly, at the side edges  112  of the bag  100 , over either the front and rear sheets  108  to prevent the “unrolling” of the closed upper end of the bag  100 . This safely and effectively encloses the liquid in the plastic bag  100 . In FIG. 2, the bag  100  so contains a liquid, such as breast milk, with a level thereof being indicated at L. 
     Using a regular ball point pen, the user may indicate, for instance, date and volume information on lines  150  and  152  of the extension  148  located at the bottom of the bag  100 . 
     When one is ready to use the breast milk stored in the bag  100 , it is possible to use the bag  100  as a bottle liner with Playtex™-type feeding bottles of the type having a cylindrical configuration and open opposite longitudinal ends, the upper end having outside threads screwably engageable by inside threads of a bottle cap provided with a nipple, wherein a bag is typically introduced in the feeding bottle and the upper end of the bag is folded outwardly over the upper end of the feeding bottle and the outside threads thereof such that, when the bottle cap is subsequently engaged to the feeding bottle the folded over upper end of the plastic bag is imprisoned between the outside threads of the feeding bottle and the inside threads of the bottle cap. 
     When the bag  10  filled with milk is used with such Playtex™-type feeding bottles, the bag  100  is first completely unrolled and then the upper end of the bag  100  is cut, below the closure member  130 . The rest of the bag  100  containing the breast milk is then inserted in the feeding bottle and the upper end of the bag  100  is peeled outwardly over the upper rim of the feeding bottle, in a conventional manner, covering completely the outside threads of the feeding bottle, whereafter the bottle cap (and its nipple) are screwed onto the feeding bottle and the bag. 
     Therefore, the milk does not have to be transferred from any storage container into the conventional bag used with the feeding bottle, thereby eliminating possible contamination of the breast milk. 
     Furthermore, milk pumped from the breast using, for instance, a breast pump, may be fed directly into the bag  100  thereby again eliminating a transfer from the standard container attached to the pump to a storage container. Indeed, milk may be pumped directly into the bag  100  which can then be used for storage purposes and thereafter used as a bottle liner, as described hereinabove. For this, the bag  100  is attached to the outlet of the pumping unit, e.g. its transfer hose, by using the closure member  130  which is brought around the outlet and tied thereat by twisting together the longitudinal ends  132  of the closure member  130 . Then, the pump may be activated and the resulting pumped breast milk is conveyed into the bag  100 . 
     FIGS. 4 a  to  4   i  show the use of the bag  100  through a typical cycle. More particularly, FIG. 4 a  illustrates the removal of the safety tear off strip  124  from the bag  100 . FIG. 4 b  shows the outward pulling of side pull-tabs to open the bag  100  and define an upper open mouth  122  therefor. FIG. 4 c  illustrates an outlet tip  160  of a breast pump  162  inserted in the mouth  122  of the bag  100  with the closure member  130  being wrapped around the outlet tip  160  and the longitudinal ends  132  of the closure member  130  being shown as they are being tied together by twisting such as to secure the upper end of the bag  100  to the outlet tip  160  of the breast pump  162 ; once milk has been expressed from the breast into the bag  100 , the ends  132  of the closure member  130  are untwisted and detached from each other thereby allowing the filled bag  100  to be removed from the breast pump  162 . 
     As seen in FIG. 4 d,  the longitudinal ends  132 , now acting as pull tabs, are then pulled away from each other to close the mouth  122  of the bag  100  with air being removed from the bag  100  by pressing with one&#39;s fingers on the outside of both the front and rear sheets  108 . In FIG. 4 e,  the bag  100 , while being firmly held by the longitudinal ends  132  of the closure member  130 , is rotated e.g. 4 or 5 times) about the closure member  130  to close the upper end of the bag  100 . FIG. 4 f  illustrates the longitudinal ends  132  being folded inwardly substantially about the side edges  112  of the bag  100  to “lock” the rolled-up upper end of the bag  100  and so provide a leakproof seal. 
     FIG. 4 g  shows the writing of the extraction date and extracted milk volume at areas  150  and  152  of the extension  148 . FIG. 4 h  illustrates the milk being stored in a freezer  164  or refrigerator  166  and then being taken out therefrom generally for consumption of the frozen or cold milk. Finally, FIG. 4 i  shows the bag  100  being used as a disposable liner for a feeding bottle  168 , wherein the bag  100  is first cut just under its closure member  130  (see left image in FIG. 4 i ) with the bag section carrying the closure member  130  being discarded and with the remainder of the bag being inserted in the feeding bottle  168 ; this is followed by the upper end of the bag being folded outwardly over the upper rim of the bottle  168  (see middle image in FIG. 4 i ), and then by a bottle cap  170  (provided with a nipple  172 ) being screwed onto the upper end of the bottle  168  thereby imprisoning the folded upper end of the bag between the bottle  168  and the bottle cap  170 .