Patent ID: 8480656

Claim:
An apparatus for dispensing medicaments to a patient comprising first and second stand-alone threadably, interconnectable assemblies, said first assembly comprising a housing having a threaded neck portion, a first removable cover covering said threaded neck portion, an integrally formed, hermetically sealed collapsible container for containing a medicinal fluid disposed within said housing, said collapsible container having a front portion, a rear portion and a collapsible accordion-like continuous uninterrupted side wall that interconnects said front and rear portions, said front portion of said collapsible container including a closure wall and a pierceable membrane positioned over said closure wall and said rear portion of said collapsible container including an inwardly extending ullage segment; and stored energy means for controllably collapsing said sealed container and said second assembly having a threaded neck portion, a second removable cover covering said threaded neck portion and including a penetrating member and housing having a longitudinally extending bore, said second, assembly further comprising a fluid delivery and control means for controlling the flow of medicinal fluid from said container of said first assembly toward the patient, said fluid and delivery and control means comprising a rate control housing rotatably mounted within said longitudinally extending bore, said rate control housing comprising an elongated body portion, a forward flange and a forwardly extending finger engaging portion connected to said flange, said elongated portion connected to said flange, said elongated body portion having a longitudinally extending fluid passageway that communicates with said piercing member and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, radially extending outlet fluid passageways that communicate with said longitudinally extending fluid passageway.