Packages enabling the extemporaneous preparation of suspensions or sterile solutions

Abstract

A package for the extemporaneous preparation of suspensions or sterile solutions, comprises two flasks at least one of which is of a flexible material and which are adapted respectively to contain one a liquid and the other a solid product to be dissolved in or put into suspension in the liquid at the time of use. Each flask has associated therewith stopper means and the package includes means for temporarily putting the flask interiors into communication with one another through at least one part of said stopper means. Said at least one of the flasks is manually deformable to effect the passage of the liquid from its flask into the flask containing the solid product, and the return into said at least one of said flasks of the resultant solution or suspension.

Description

This invention relates to packages enabling the extemporaneous preparation of suspensions or sterile solutions.

It is already known, especially for enabling the preparation at the instant of use, of ophthalmic drops, to confine the lyophilic material and the liquid to be mixed, separately, the first in a flask and the second in an ampoule, the preparation consisting of opening the flask, decanting therein the contents of the ampoule, and mixing the whole, after having recorked the flask with a dropper subsequently serving for delivery of the drops.

It is manifest that such a procedure does not permit proper regard to be had for desirable aseptic conditions. Moreover, the operator is compelled to carry out a large number of operations of which each may involve a mistake or a difficulty.

The same holds true in the preparation of certain antibiotics for which it is first necessary to inject a liquid into a flask by means of a syringe, then to agitate the flask and to withdraw therefrom the solution or suspension by means of the syringe before injecting the patient, generally after having changed the needle.

The primary object of the invention is to simplify these preparations while paying proper regard to the usual conditions of asepsis.

The present invention is a package comprising two flasks of which at least one is of a flexible material and which are adapted to contain one a liquid and the other a solid product to be dissolved in or put into suspension in said liquid at the time of use, stopper means on each flask and means for temporarily putting the interiors of the two flasks into communication with one another through at least one part of said stopper means, and in which the passage of the liquid from its flask to that of the solid product and the return of the solution or of the suspension to the flask for the liquid may be effected by manual deformation of at least one of the flasks.

This package enables there to be obtained a preparation the sterility of which is perfectly maintained both in use and in keeping in stock.

In a preferred form of the invention, the stopper means on one of the flasks makes up at least partially a device for perforating the stopper means on the other flask.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, embodiments of the invention, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of a package according to a first embodiment of the invention, in the condition before the two flasks have been put into communication with one another;

FIG. 2 is an "exploded" sectional elevation of the package shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation of a package according to a second embodiment of the invention in the condition before the two flasks have been put into communication with one another;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation of a package according to a third embodiment of the invention in the condition after the two flasks have been put into communication with one another;

FIG. 5 is an "exploded" sectional elevation of the package shown in FIG. 4, the stopper means and the cover being in the condition before the two flasks have been put into communication with one another; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional elevation of a modified plug for the package shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The package of FIGS. 1 and 2 is made up mainly by two flasks 1 and 2, the flask 1 containing a liquid and the flask 2 containing a solid product. The flask 1 at least is of a flexible material.

The flask 2 is stopped by a plug 3 of elastomeric material provided with a blind hole 4 located below a membrane 5. A ball 6 is held captive resiliently in the plug 3.

Above the plug is a washer 7 which is impervious to the liquid in the flask 1 and is formed by a polyethylene disk coated on one of its faces with a film of aluminium.

The washer 7 itself has thereabove an internally-threaded tubular casing 8, held in place on the plug 3 with the said washer by a collar 9 flanged around and taking support on the rim of the neck of the bottle 2.

The flask 1 is stopped by a dropper 10 the position of which in the neck of the bottle 1 is limited by a shoulder 11. The flask 1 is screwed by a thread 12 around its neck into the internally-threaded tubular casing 8.

In its position prior to use, the end of the dropper 10, which is open, rests on the impervious washer 7 and the relative position of the flask 1 - dropper 10 assembly with respect to the flask 2 and to the parts which are united therewith is ensured by a tearable or rupturable spacing ring 13 accommodated in a peripheral space between a peripheral external flange 20 around the neck of the flask 1, and the adjacent end of the tubular casing 8. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spacing ring 13 supports a removable cover 14 which can subsequently be used for covering and protecting the lesser diameter end of the dropper 10.

The package of FIGS. 1 and 2 is used as follows:

the spacer ring 13 is torn and removed,

the flask 1 is screwed into the tubular casing 8, this occasioning successively puncturings of the washer 7 and of the membrane 5 by the end of the dropper 10 and the dropping into the flask 2 of the ball 6 expelled from its seat,

deformation of the flask 1 brings about the passage of its contents into the flask 2,

by agitation of the package, the solution or the desired suspension is obtained. The ball 6 then plays the part of an agitator in the flask 2 and speeds up the obtaining of the preparation,

the package is then inverted and the preparation sucked into the flask 1, which is thereafter separated (with its dropper 10) from the flask 2.

After the first use of the preparation, the dropper 10 is covered by the cover 14 detached from the spacer ring 13.

For the description of the embodiments of the invention shown firstly in FIGS. 3 and 4, and secondly in FIG. 5, parts similar to those already described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same references but provided with the indices a and b, respectively.

The package of FIG. 3 includes two flasks 1a and 2a whereof the former holds a perforating dropper 10a and the latter a plug 3a with a ball 6a, an impervious washer 7a and an encasing ring 9a. The initial positioning of the flasks 1a and 2a is ensured by a spacing ring 15 which it is necessary to tear in order to enable successively the perforation of the washer 7a and that of the membrane 5a as well as the dropping of the ball 6a into the receptacle 2a and the steps of transferring the products, such as have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The package of FIGS. 4 and 5 is made up mainly of two flasks 1b and 2b whereof the former carries a dropper 10b closed at its end by a bulging 16 which can be cut off. The flask 2b is stopped by a plug 3b with a perferable membrane 5b and a cover 17 kept on the flask 2b by an encasing ring 9b. The cover 17 includes a hemispherical central part 18 which can be cut off just as can the bulged part 16 of the dropper.

In this package the flasks 1b and 2b are initially separated. At the time of use, the bulged part 16 of the dropper 10b and the hemispherical central part 18 of the cover 17 are cut off along the respective dot-dash lines x and y indicated in FIG. 5. The extremity of the dropper 10b is then introduced into the remaining part of the cover 17, which ensures guidance of the dropper, and the latter pierces the perforable membrane 5b of the plug 3b. The package then being in the condition shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to proceed with the transfer of the liquid and then the preparation by deformation of the flexible flask or flasks.

In a modification of the package of FIGS. 4 and 5, there may be used, instead of the plug 3b, the plug 3bb shown in FIG. 6 and which includes a ball 6bb but no perforable membrane.

It will be manifest that the invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown and described, but is capable of numerous modifications within the purview of the expert in accordance with any particular applications under consideration, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention defined in the claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A package comprising two flasks of which at least one is of a flexible material and which are adapted to contain one a liquid and the other a solid product which is a selected member of the group consisting of substances dissolvable in and substances suspendible in said liquid at the time of use, stopper means on each flask and means for temporarily putting the interiors of the two flasks into communication with one another through at least one part of said stopper means, said at least one of the flasks being manually deformable to effect the passage of the liquid from its flask into that of the solid product and the return of the solution or of the suspension to the flask for the liquid, said flasks are kept together in alignment and in readiness for the putting of their contents into communication with each other by spacing means which can be torn away.

2. A package as set forth in claim 1, in which the stopper means on one of the flasks makes up at least partially a device for perforating the stopper means on the other flask.

3. A package as set forth in claim 2, in which said one of the flasks carries a dropper having a projecting end adapted for perforations of the stopper means of the other of the flasks.

4. A package as set forth in claim 3, in which the stopper means of said other of the flasks comprises a plug of elastomeric material held in the neck of the flask and having an axial bore stopped by means which can be overcome by said dropper projecting end.

5. A package as set forth in claim 4, in which said means which can be overcome is an ejectable ball.

6. A package as set forth in claim 4, in which said means which can be overcome is a perforable membrane.

7. A package as set forth in claim 4, in which said means which can be overcome consists of an ejectable ball and a perforable membrane.

8. A package as set forth in claim 7, in which the plug has thereabove a washer which is impervious to the liquid and is formed by a polyethylene disk coated on one of its faces with a film of aluminium.

9. A package as set forth in claim 4, in which said plug has thereabove a cover which includes a hemispherical central part located in alignment with said axial bore and which can be cut off at the time of use, said cover being retained on the plug by an encasing ring on the rim of the neck of the flask.

10. The package of claim 3 further including removable means for preventing the projecting end of said dropper from perforating the stopper of the other flask.

11. A package as set forth in claim 1, wherein one flask is adapted to be displaced relative to the other for putting the interiors of the two flasks into communication with one another, such displacement being under the guidance of an internally-threaded tubular casing carried by one of the flasks and into which is screwed a threaded neck of the other flask.

12. A package as set forth in claim 1 in which the flask containing the liquid carries a removable cover adapted to be detached from said spacing means and to replace the stopper means on the first flask once opened.