Abstract:
An anesthetic container and closure for transferring anesthesia from a container to a vaporizer. A hinged closure member is moveable between an open position and a closed position by a receiving member of a vaporizer when the anesthetic container is attached to the vaporizer for transfer of liquid anesthetic from the anesthetic container to the vaporizer. The hinged closure member is moved to the closed position upon withdrawal of the receiving member.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Application 61/439,523, filed on Feb. 4, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    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. 
         [0003]    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. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  illustrates an anesthetic agent container according to the invention; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2A  illustrates a container closure according to a first embodiment of the invention in a closed position and the container and vaporizer disconnected from each other; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2B  is a cross-section of the container in  FIG. 2A  taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3A  illustrates the container closure in an open position and the container and vaporizer connected to each other; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3B ; is a cross-section of the container in  FIG. 3A  taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a perspective view of the membrane of the closure system in a closed position; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4B  illustrates a bottom view of the membrane of  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4C  is a cross-section of the membrane of  FIG. 4B  taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 4B ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4D  illustrates a side view of the membrane of  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4E  illustrates a close-up side view of a portion of the membrane of  FIG. 4D ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4F  illustrates a side view of the membrane of the closure system in an open position; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5A  illustrates a portion of a container and a container closure according to a second embodiment of the invention in a closed position; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5B  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a container and a container closure taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 5A  according to a second embodiment of the invention in a closed position; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5C  illustrates a close-up view of a portion of  FIG. 5B ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5D  illustrates a container closure according to a second embodiment of the invention in a closed position; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5E  illustrates a container closure according to a second embodiment of the invention in an open position; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a container closure according to the second embodiment of the invention in an open position and the container and vaporizer connected to each other; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6B  is a cross-section of the container in  FIG. 7A  taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 7A ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7A  illustrates the container closure in a closed position and the container and vaporizer disconnected from each other; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 7B ; is a cross-section of the container in  FIG. 7A  taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 7A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    The accompanying drawings are intended to provide further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of the description. The drawings illustrate an embodiment. 
         [0025]    The drawings should not be taken as implying any necessary limitation on the scope of the claimed invention. The drawings are given by way of non-limitative example to explain the nature of the embodiment. 
         [0026]    For a more complete understanding of the embodiment, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings. 
         [0027]    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 embodiments. 
         [0028]    For purposes of the description hereinafter, the term “upper” and “lower” shall relate to the embodiment as it is oriented in the drawings and are only used for descriptive purposes. The invention can be oriented in any manner. 
         [0029]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the referred views,  FIGS. 1-7B  show various embodiments of an apparatus connecting a container  10  to a machine  12  (only a portion of which is illustrated). With reference to  FIGS. 1-4F , the container  10  includes a cap  14  and a reservoir  16 , such as a glass bottle capable of holding a liquid such as a volatile anesthetic. As shown in  FIGS. 2A- 3B , at one end, the reservoir  16  includes an opening  18  through which anesthetic may be transferred from the reservoir  16  to the machine  12  when it is desired to transfer the anesthetic from the reservoir  16 . In this embodiment, the machine is a vaporizer  12  that dispenses the anesthetic to a person undergoing a medical procedure. 
         [0030]    The vaporizer  12  includes a nozzle  20  surrounding an opening  22  and having an interior threaded portion  24 . The vaporizer  12  may be equipped with a hollow receiving member  26  such as a tube, rod, valve or needle secured within the opening  22  of the nozzle  20 . The hollow receiving member  26  is adapted to carry anesthetic from a first end  28  to a second end  30  in order to supply anesthetic to the vaporizer  12 . 
         [0031]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate the container  10  and vaporizer  12  disconnected from each other.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate the container  10  and vaporizer  12  connected to each other. Container  10  includes a base  31  at the opening  18  of reservoir  16 . Base  16  includes a threaded exterior  32  for cooperating with an interior threaded surface (not shown) of cap  14 . Base  16  is attached to reservoir  16  by a crimp band  33 . However, any appropriate attachment mechanism can be used, such as a screw thread or adhesive attachment. When it is desired to transfer the anesthetic from the reservoir  16  to the vaporizer  12 , the cap  14  is removed and the threaded exterior  32  of the base  31  of reservoir  16  is connected to the interior threaded portion  24  of the nozzle  20 . 
         [0032]    The container  10  includes a container closure member  34  for selectively allowing the volatile anesthetic to leave the reservoir  16 . Base  16 , crimp band  33  and closure member  34  define a closure device for reservoir  16 . The container closure member  34  includes a membrane  36  ( FIGS. 4A-4F ). The membrane  36  may be made from a plastic material or a rubbery material such as FDA grade ethylene propylene diene M-class “EPDM” rubber. Membrane  36  has an upper surface  38 , a lower surface  40 , a cylindrical center portion  42  surrounded by a flanged outer portion  44 . Cylindrical center portion  42  includes a closed end  46 , open end  48  and a cylindrical side wall  50  therebetween. Closed end  46  is disposed in a plane above the upper surface  38 . Open end  48  extends below lower surface  40 . Membrane  36  is disposed across the opening  18  of reservoir  16  between base  31  and opening  18 . Membrane  36  further includes a slit  52  through a portion of cylindrical side wall  50 . Because of the cylindrical shape of side wall  50 , slit  52  is substantially curved having a first end  54 , a second end  56  and a curved central portion  58  therebetween. Curved central portion  58  extends greater than 180° around side wall  50  such that first end  54  and second end  56  are disposed past a midline through  60  cylindrical center portion  42 . Curved central portion  58  is angled downwards from first end  54  and second end  56  to the upper surface  38  of membrane  36 . When the container  10  is not connected to the vaporizer  12 , pressure from within container  10  pushes on closed end  46  sealing the slit  52  in a closed position. FIGS.  2 B and  4 A- 4 E show slit  52  in a closed position. 
         [0033]    When the threaded exterior  32  of container  10  is inserted into the interior threaded portion  24  of the nozzle  20  ( FIG. 3B ), the receiving member  26  engages an interior surface  62  of closed end  46  a center portion thereof causing the slit  52  to open like a hinge about first end  54  and second end  56 . In this position, the anesthetic flows through the receiving member  26  from the first end  28  to the second end  30 , and in so doing the anesthetic flows by gravity from the reservoir  16  to the vaporizer  12 . 
         [0034]    Once a desired amount of the anesthetic has been emptied from the reservoir  16  to the vaporizer  12 , the container  10  may be removed from the vaporizer  12 . As the container  10  is removed, the receiving member  26  disengages interior surface  62  of closed end  46 . When the receiving member  26  is no longer extended with the interior surface  62 , the back pressure of container  10  closes the slit  52 . In this manner, any anesthetic remaining in the reservoir  16  is prevented from escaping from the reservoir  16 . 
         [0035]      FIGS. 5A to 7B  illustrate an embodiment having a container  110 , a vaporizer  112 , a receiving member  126  and a container closure member  134 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 5D and 5E , container closure member  134  includes a membrane  136  having an upper surface  138 , a lower surface  140 , a hinged closure portion  142  and a central circular opening  143  surrounded by a flanged outer portion  144 . Hinged closure portion  142  includes a central dome portion  145  surrounded by a flanged portion  147 . Flanged portion  147  is hingedly attached at one end  149  to flanged outer portion  144  of membrane  136  such that when closed central dome portion  145  is inserted into central circular opening  143  and a lower surface of flanged portion  147  seals with an upper surface  138  of membrane  136 . 
         [0036]    When the container  110  connected to vaporizer  112 , the receiving member  126  engages a lower surface  149  of central dome portion  145  thereby causing the central dome portion  145  to disengage from the central circular opening  143 . In this position, the anesthetic flows through the receiving member  126  by gravity from the container  110  to the vaporizer  112 . 
         [0037]    Once a desired amount of the anesthetic has been emptied from the container  110  to the vaporizer  112 , the container  110  may be removed from the vaporizer  112 . As the container  110  is removed, the receiving member  126  disengages from central dome portion  145  and the central dome portion  145  engages within the central circular opening  143 . 
         [0038]    It is to be understood that the descriptions of the invention have been simplified to illustrate characteristics that are relevant for a clear understanding of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that other elements or steps are desirable or required in implementing the invention. However, because such elements or steps are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the 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. 
         [0039]    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. 
         [0040]    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.