Vial breaker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9334147-B2
Application number	US-201113176364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2011
Priority date	Jul 7, 2010
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for vial opening comprising an external container, in which a closed vial having a vial body and a vial head is arranged, and comprising a hollow space in the region of the vial head, whereby the hollow space comprises at least one opening and a connection to the vial, whereby the vial head, at least regions thereof, is arranged in the connection of the hollow space to the vial, and the walls of the external container comprise at least one deformable region or are altogether made of a deformable material, whereby tilting of the vial with respect to the connection is made feasible, and the diameter of the connection is adapted to the dimensions of the vial head in such a manner that the vial head can be fractured or broken off the vial body when the vial is being tilted with respect to the connection.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A device comprising:
a closed vial including a vial body and a vial head;
an external container including walls extending from a closed top end to an opposite open bottom end; the vial being disposed within the external container;
a vial support disposed within the external container proximate its open bottom end; the vial support having walls in physical contact with the walls of the external container, a top end with an opening defined therein and an opposite bottom end with an opening defined therein substantially aligned with the open bottom end of the external container; a hollow space within the external container defined by the walls of the vial support, the top end of the vial support and the bottom end of the vial support; a connection defined by the opening in the top end of the vial support between the hollow space and a region of the external container in which at least a portion of the vial head is arranged; and the walls of the external container comprise at least one deformable region or are altogether made of a deformable material so that the vial is tiltable with respect to the connection,
wherein a diameter of the connection is adapted to dimensions of the vial head such that the vial head is fracturable or broken off the vial body when the vial is tilted with respect to the connection,
wherein a height of the hollow space is at least equal in size as a height of the vial head up to a breaking edge of the vial; and the hollow space has a cross-section sufficiently large so that the hollow space accommodates rotation of a broken-off vial head inside the hollow space to a position situated horizontally on the bottom side of the hollow space.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the deformable region extends around the entire circumference of the external container.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the internal diameter of the connection is by 1 mm larger than the vial head.

4. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a filter and/or sieve arranged over the opening of the hollow space.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a vacuum of up to 90 mbar negative pressure is applied to the open bottom end of the external container.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the external container is attached to the vial support including the hollow space and whereby the vial support is made of rigid material that is not deformable by hand.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the vial support is cylindrical on its outside from its top end extending to its bottom end.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the vial support is attached to the external container by one of a non-positive- or positive-fit type manner, a thread or a snap-in mechanism.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a common break-off area connects the vial head to the vial and wherein the common break-off area comprises a predetermined fracturing site.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the external container is made of rubbery-elastic plastic material.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the external container includes a flexible region.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the external container is rotationally symmetric.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the external container is cylindrical.

14. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the external container is a cylindrical jacket that is open on both sides, connecting the vial and the vial support in a gas-tight manner.

15. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the cylindrical jacket is a shrink-down tubing.

16. A cartridge system comprising a device according to claim 1 and a cement cartridge, the device and the cement cartridge are connected by a tube extending from the opening.

17. The cartridge system according to claim 16 , wherein the device and the cement cartridge are arranged to a foot part and the device is attached to the foot part to facilitate a liquid flows from the opened vial through the hollow space and the opening into the tubing in the foot part due to gravity and/or a pressure difference.

18. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the vial head is secured within the external container by the connection formed by the opening in the top end of the vial support without directly physical contact with any portion of the external container.

Assignees

• Vogt Sebastian
• Büchner Hubert
• Heraeus Medical Gmbh

Inventors

• Vogt Sebastian
• Büchner Hubert

Classifications

• B67B7/92 Primary

  by breaking, e.g. for ampoules · CPC title

• Y10T225/371

  Movable breaking tool · CPC title