Compounding device, system, kit, software, and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10315174-B2
Application number	US-201715490372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2017
Priority date	Apr 23, 2015
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

An exemplary pharmaceutical compounding system and device for mixing materials from at least two distinct material sources can include a valve including a valve housing and a valve structure located within the valve housing. The valve structure can be configured to permit fluid to flow through the valve when in an open position, and can include a gravity wall wherein, when the valve structure is in the open position, fluid moving through the valve structure moves upward against a force of gravity when travelling through the valve and traversing the gravity wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve system for use in a compounding device, comprising:
a valve housing;
a plurality of valve structures located within the valve housing, each valve structure of the plurality of valve structures is configured to permit fluid to flow through the valve housing when at least one valve structure of the plurality of valve structures is in an open position,
each of the valve structures includes an inlet, an outlet, and a valve pathway that extends from the inlet to the outlet, the valve pathway including at least one portion that is lower than a location of the outlet such that fluid travelling through the at least one portion of the valve pathway is required to move upward against a force of gravity to arrive at the outlet,
wherein each valve structure includes a wall configured to prevent backflow of fluid into each valve structure from the outlet, the wall is located downstream of the inlet and extends into the valve pathway from an interior surface of the inlet and downward along the inlet, and
wherein the wall includes a concave portion facing the outlet of each valve structure and a convex portion facing the inlet of each valve structure.

2. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein each valve structure is configured to rotate with respect to the valve housing.

3. The valve system of claim 2 , wherein the convex portion of the wall initially extends obliquely from an inner peripheral wall of the valve housing and extends downward and substantially parallel with the rotational axis of each valve structure.

4. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein each valve structure of the plurality of valve structures includes a keyway located at a lower surface and configured to receive an actuator for rotating each valve structure about a rotational axis.

5. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein the valve housing includes a first channel and the outlet of each valve structure is configured to direct fluid from each valve structure into the first channel.

6. The valve system of claim 5 , wherein the valve housing includes a second channel isolated from and not in fluid communication with the first channel.

7. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the valve structures is a different size as compared to another of the valve structures.

8. The valve system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet of each valve structure includes an opening having a central axis defining a first fluid path in the valve structure, and the wall extends from an inner peripheral wall of the inlet and extends towards the central axis of the opening.

9. A valve system for use in a compounding device, comprising:
a valve housing having at least one channel;
a plurality of valve structures located within the valve housing and configured to permit fluid to flow through the valve housing via the channel when at least one of the valve structures is in an open position, each of the valve structures includes an inlet, an outlet in fluid communication with the channel, and a valve pathway that extends from the inlet to the outlet, the valve pathway configured such that fluid travelling through the valve pathway moves upward against a force of gravity to arrive at the channel via the outlet,
wherein each valve structure includes a wall configured to prevent backflow of fluid into each valve structure from the outlet, the wall is located downstream of the inlet and extends into the valve pathway from an interior surface of the inlet and downward along the inlet, and
wherein the wall includes a concave portion facing the outlet of each valve structure and a convex portion facing the inlet of each valve structure.

10. The valve system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one channel includes a first channel and a second channel, the first channel and second channel being isolated from each other and not in fluid communication with each other within the valve housing.

11. A valve system for use in a compounding device, comprising:
a valve housing;
a plurality of valve structures located within the valve housing, each valve structure of the plurality of valve structures is configured to permit fluid to flow through the valve housing when at least one valve structure of the plurality of valve structures is in an open position,
each valve structure having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet via a valve pathway,
each valve structure including a structure located downstream of the inlet and configured to prevent backflow of fluid into each valve structure from the outlet,
wherein the structure configured to prevent backflow is a wall that extends into the valve pathway from an interior surface of the inlet and extends downward along the valve pathway, and
wherein the wall includes a concave portion facing the outlet of each valve structure and a convex portion facing the inlet of each valve structure.

12. The valve system of claim 11 , wherein the valve housing includes a first channel and a second channel, the first channel and second channel being isolated from each other and not in fluid communication with each other within the valve housing, and at least one of the plurality of valve structures is in fluid communication with the first channel and another of the plurality of valve structures is in fluid communication with the second channel.

13. A method for operating a valve in a compounding device, comprising:
providing a valve housing and a plurality of valve structures located within the valve housing, each of the valve structures configured to permit fluid to flow through the valve housing when one of the valve structures is in an open position, and each valve structure having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet via a valve pathway, wherein the outlet is located above a portion of the valve pathway;
opening at least one of the valve structures and allowing fluid to move through the at least one valve structure via the valve pathway such that fluid moves upward against a force of gravity at a location prior to exiting through the outlet,
wherein each valve structure includes a wall configured to prevent backflow of fluid into each valve structure from the outlet, the wall is located downstream of the inlet and extends into the valve pathway from an interior surface of the inlet and downward along the inlet, and
wherein the wall includes a concave portion facing the outlet of each valve structure and a convex portion facing the inlet of each valve structure.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
preventing fluids of different specific gravities from moving relative to each other within at least one of the valve structures.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
providing a first channel and a second channel in the valve housing;
opening a first of the plurality of valve structures such that fluid enters the first channel;
opening a second of the plurality of valve structures such that fluid enters the second channel while keeping the fluid in the first channel isolated and not in fluid communication with the fluid in the second channel.

Assignees

• Braun Medical Inc

Inventors

• Konrad Jr Karl
• Janders Mike
• Pearl Aaron S

Classifications

• A61J3/002 Primary

  Compounding apparatus specially for enteral or parenteral nutritive solutions (bottling liquids B67C) · CPC title

• A61M39/223 Primary

  Multiway valves · CPC title

• B65B3/12

  mechanically, e.g. by pistons or pumps · CPC title

• F16K99/0042

  Electric operating means therefor · CPC title

• F16K31/041

  for rotating valves (F16K31/055 takes precedence) · CPC title