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 first component having a through-hole, and a second component having an aperture, a support member extending into the aperture having a protrusion configured to be capable of sealing the through-hole, wherein a fluid in the reservoir may exit the reservoir by way of the through-hole and the aperture, wherein twisting the first component and second component relative to each other causes the protrusion to seal or unseal the through-hole thereby allowing or preventing the flow of fluid. A portion of the exterior surface of the second component can have a cylindrical shape.

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. 61/120,720 filed on Dec. 8, 2008, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF 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 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 first component having a through-hole, and a second component having an aperture, a support member extending into the aperture having a protrusion configured to be capable of sealing the through-hole, wherein a fluid in the reservoir may exit the reservoir by way of the through-hole and the aperture, wherein twisting the first component and second component relative to each other causes the protrusion to seal or unseal the through-hole thereby allowing or preventing the flow of fluid. A portion of the exterior surface of the second component can have a cylindrical shape. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates a device according to the invention connected to an anesthetic agent bottle. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-section the device shown in  FIG. 1  taken along A--A. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3A  illustrates a cross-section (along A--A) of the device shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing the device in an “open” position. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3B  illustrates a cross-section (along A--A) of the device shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  showing the device in the “closed” position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4A  illustrates an embodiment of the second component of a device according to the invention as viewed along the aperture. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view of the second component shown in  FIG. 4A  taken along B--B in  FIG. 4A . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4C  is a side view of the second component shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4D  is a perspective view of the second component shown in  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B, and  4 C. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5A  illustrates another embodiment of the second component of a device according to the invention as viewed along the aperture. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5B  is a cross-sectional view of the second component shown in  FIG. 5A  taken along C--C in  FIG. 5A . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5C  is a side view of the second component shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B . 
           [0017]      FIG. 5D  is a perspective view of the second component shown in  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B, and  5 C. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6A  is a side view of the device of  FIG. 1  with a different cap. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6B  is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in  FIG. 6A  taken along D--D. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7A  is a side view of the device of  FIG. 6A  without a cap, but shows the reservoir and a receiving port of a vaporizer, wherein the device is in a closed position and the receiving port is in an open position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7B  is a cross-sectional view of the device, reservoir, and receiving port shown in  FIG. 7A  taken along E--E. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7C  is a side view of the device, reservoir, and receiving port of  FIG. 7A  wherein the device is in an open position and the receiving port is in an open position. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7D  is a cross-sectional view of the device, reservoir, and receiving port of  FIG. 7C  taken along F--F. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8A  is a side view of the device, reservoir, and receiving port of  FIG. 7A , wherein the device is not inserted into the receiving port, and both the device and receiving port are in closed positions. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8B  is a cross-sectional view of the device, reservoir, and receiving port shown in  FIG. 8A  taken along G--G. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8C  is a plan view of the receiving port of  FIG. 8A . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    The present invention may be embodied as a device  10  for selectively opening or closing an anesthetic reservoir  70 . Such an apparatus or device  10  may include a first component  12  adaptable to the reservoir  70  and a second component  20  adaptable to a vaporizer. 
         [0028]    The first component  12  may have a base  14  and a nozzle  16 . The first component  12  may be attached to the reservoir  70  so that the base  14  may be in a sealing relation with an opening  72  of the reservoir  70 . The base  14  may be attached to the reservoir using, for example, a clamping ring  13 . The nozzle  16  may have an externally threaded portion  18 . A through-hole  22  may extend through the base  14  and the nozzle  16 . In this manner, a liquid contained within the reservoir  70  may flow from the reservoir  70  through the through-hole  22  and exit an orifice  24  in the first component  12 . For example, it may be desired to transfer anesthetic from the reservoir  70  to a machine, such as a vaporizer, which dispenses the anesthetic to a person undergoing a medical procedure. 
         [0029]    The second component  20  may have an aperture  26  defined by an inner surface  28 . The inner surface  28  may have an internally threaded portion  30  to receive the externally threaded portion  18  of the nozzle  16 . A support member  32  may extend into the aperture  26  from the inner surface  28 . The support member  32  may occlude a portion of the aperture  26  but does not divide the aperture  26 . In this manner, there may be a single passageway  38  leading from a first side  34  of the support member  32  to a second side  36  of the support member  32 . The support member  32  may be oriented such that a primary plane  57  of the support member  32  is substantially transverse to the aperture  26  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 4A and 4B ). In an alternative embodiment, the support member  32  may be oriented such that a primary plane  59  of the support member  32  is substantially parallel to an axis  40  of the aperture  26  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 5A and 5B ). 
         [0030]    A protrusion or knob  42  may extend from support member  32  toward the internally threaded portion  30 . In this manner, by twisting the first component  12  and second component  20  relative to each other, the externally and internally threaded portions  18 ,  30  may cause the knob  42  to move toward or away from the orifice  24 , depending on the direction in which twisting occurs. The knob  42  may be caused to be inserted in the orifice  24  and seated against the nozzle  16  thereby preventing liquid, which may be contained in the reservoir  70 , from traveling from the reservoir  70  through the orifice  24  via the through-hole  22 . 
         [0031]    In operation, a single path is provided for liquid to travel from the reservoir  70 , through the through-hole  22  of the first component  12 , and through the aperture of the second component  20 . Similarly, vapor may travel in the opposite direction to the reservoir  70  along the same path. Because only a single path is provided, liquid will not travel from the reservoir  70  along this path at the same time that vapor is traveling into the reservoir  70 , and vice versa. Instead, only liquid or only vapor will be contained in the path at any given time, thereby creating a gurgling effect as the alternate movement of liquid out and then vapor in occurs. 
         [0032]    A biasing member or torsion spring  44  may be attached to the first component  12  and the second component  20  in order to provide a spring force to bias the first component  12  and the second component  20  to a predetermined position relative to each other. The torsion spring  44  may bias the device  10  to a “closed” position wherein the knob  42  is seated in the orifice  24  and against the nozzle  16  as described above. In this manner, anesthetic in the reservoir  70  can not escape unless a force is applied to the second component  20  to counter the force imposed by the torsion spring  44 . 
         [0033]    The exterior surface  46  of the second component  20  may have a first portion  48  adapted for extending from a vaporizer, and a second portion  50  adapted for insertion into a vaporizer. The first portion  48  may be a polygonal shape with three or more flat sides  53  in combination with three or more rounded edges  55  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 5C and 5D ). Alternatively, the first portion  48  may be a smooth cylindrical shape in which a circumference of a cross-section transverse to axis  40  may have a rounded shape with no flat sides. The first portion  48  may be adapted for engaging a vaporizer. 
         [0034]    The second portion  50  may be a smooth cylindrical shape in which a circumference of a cross-section transverse to axis  40  may have a rounded shape with no flat sides. The second portion  50  may have a groove  54  into which an O-ring  56  may be inserted to ensure a fluid-tight seal when connected to a vaporizer. 
         [0035]    A transitional flange  52  may be provided to engage with a locking or holding device which may be located on a vaporizer. By engaging a vaporizer with the first portion  48 , the transitional flange  52 , or some combination of these, the device may be changed from a closed position to an open position while mounted to the vaporizer by rotating the reservoir  70 . 
         [0036]    A cap  62  may be provided for covering the device  10  when not in use in a vaporizer. The cap  62  may have an externally threaded plug  64  which may engage with an internally-threaded outlet  66  of the second component  20  to secure the cap  62  to the device  10 . The exterior surface  68  of the cap  62  may be knurled for improved grip. In another embodiment, the cap  62  may have tabs for engaging notches  60  which may be in the transitional flange  52  (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 6A and 6B ). 
         [0037]    The support member  34  of the second component  20  may have a downstream side  35  adapted for pushing a plunger which may reside in a receiving port  82  of a vaporizer. The plunger  83  may be a component of a valve in the vaporizer which allows anesthetic liquid provided by the reservoir  70  through device  10  to enter the vaporizer. The downstream side  35  of the support member  34  may be, for example, substantially flat such that a force applied to the plunger  83  by the support member  34  is directed substantially along a longitudinal dimension of the plunger  83 . 
         [0038]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  depict a non-limiting example of a device  10  in a closed position (as described above) and a receiving port  82  of a vaporizer. The receiving port houses the plunger  83 . In this example, the receiving port  82  is “open” because the plunger  83  does not obstruct an outlet  87  of the receiving port  82 .  FIGS. 8A and 8B  depict the receiving port  82  in a “closed” position when the device  10  is not inserted; in this case the plunger  83  seals the outlet  87 . The plunger  83  may have a gasket  89  to provide an improved seal when in the closed position.  FIG. 8C  illustrates one embodiment of a receiving port  82  showing a circular receiving surface  92  configured to mate with a similarly shaped surface  94  on the second component  20  of a device  10 . 
         [0039]      FIGS. 7C and 7D  depict the device  10  inserted into the receiving port  82  wherein the device  10  is in an open position. In this manner, when a reservoir  70  with a device  10  is inserted into the receiving port  82  of a vaporizer, the downstream side  35  of the support member  34  depresses the plunger  83  to open the vaporizer, and in this manner makes the vaporizer ready to receive anesthetic. The reservoir  70  may then be rotated so as to open the device  10  and allow liquid anesthetic to flow into the vaporizer. In this manner, the vaporizer is made ready to receive anesthetic before anesthetic is allowed to leave the reservoir, and thus the likelihood of accidental spills is reduced. 
         [0040]    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. 
         [0041]    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. 
         [0042]    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.