Minimization of air ingress in solution containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10478381-B2
Application number	US-201514792744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2015
Priority date	Jul 8, 2014
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A medical solution packaging assembly comprising a medical solution container that houses a medical solution comprising a semi-permeable material including one or more surface that is at least partially permeable to air molecules and has low permeability to vapor molecules of the medical solution, wherein the medical solution container is configured to inflate beyond its original volume. The assembly further comprising a packaging comprising one or more surface within which the solution container resides; a compressing mechanism configured to apply external force onto at least one surface of the medical solution container or limit the volume to which the medical solution container inflates, wherein a volume of air ingress from an external environment of the medical solution container is less than that which would occur without the compressing mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medical solution packaging assembly comprising:
a medical solution container that houses a medical solution, the medical solution container comprising a semi-permeable material including one or more surface that is at least partially permeable to air molecules and has low permeability to vapor molecules of the medical solution, wherein the medical solution container is configured to inflate beyond its original volume; and
a compressing mechanism having a single and sole concentrated point of application configured to apply external force onto at least one surface of the medical solution container or limit the volume to which the medical solution container inflates, wherein a volume of air ingress from an external environment of the medical solution container is less than that which would occur without the compressing mechanism.

2. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a packaging having one or more surface within which the medical solution container resides, and wherein the compressing mechanism includes at least one insert disposed between the medical solution container and a surface of the packaging.

3. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the external force applied by the compressing mechanism onto the medical solution container results in a pressure value in the range of 10 to 57 torr.

4. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 2 , wherein the insert includes a protrusion defining the single and sole concentrated point of application that contacts the medical solution container.

5. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a packaging having one or more surface within which the medical solution container resides, and wherein multiple tiers of medical solution containers are disposed within the packaging.

6. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 5 , wherein the medical solution containers are in a staggered orientation and one or more insert is disposed between two medical solution containers.

7. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the external force applied by the compressing mechanism onto the medical solution container results in a pressure value in the range of 10 to 57 torr.

8. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein the medical solution container comprises at least one of anticoagulant, saline, blood product additive solution, enteral solution, and parenteral solution used for apheresis or infusion procedures.

9. A method of packaging an infusible medical solution container for apheresis or infusion products comprising:
providing packaging for transport or storage of an infusible medical solution container, wherein the packaging includes a plurality of walls and an inner open space for receiving at least one infusible medical solution container; and
providing a compressing mechanism having a single and sole concentrated point of application that is configured to apply force onto the at least one infusible medical solution container when placed in the inner open space with the infusible medical solution container, wherein air ingress from the exterior to the interior of the medical solution container is at least partially restricted by the force applied by the compressing mechanism.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the compressing mechanism includes a protrusion defining the single and sole concentrated point of application configured to apply force onto the infusible medical solution container.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the force applied by the compressing mechanism onto the medical solution container is in the range of 10 to 57 torr.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein multiple tiers of medical solution containers are disposed within the inner open space.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the medical solution containers are in a staggered orientation and at least one compressing mechanism disposed between two of the medical solution containers.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the infusible medical solution container comprises at least one of anticoagulant, saline, blood product additive solution, enteral solution and parenteral solution.

15. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the medical solution container is positioned between an aligned pair of contact surface areas of the compressing mechanism.

16. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 5 , wherein
the compressing mechanism includes opposing surfaces, and
each of said opposing surfaces includes a protrusion that contacts a different one of two of said medical solution containers.

17. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 16 , wherein the protrusions of the opposing surfaces of the compressing mechanism are misaligned.

18. The medical solution packaging assembly of claim 5 , wherein
each medical solution container is at least partially positioned within a kit defining a groove, and
each medical solution container is oriented so as to fit into the groove of an adjacent kit.

Assignees

• Fenwal Inc

Inventors

• Sandford Craig
• Calhoun Daryl
• Payton Robert

Classifications

• A61J1/16 Primary

  Holders for containers · CPC title

• A61J1/14

  Details; Accessories therefor (A61J7/00 takes precedence; openers B65D, B67B7/00) · CPC title

• A61M1/0277

  Frames constraining or supporting bags, e.g. during freezing · CPC title