Non-vented vial access syringe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9572750-B2
Application number	US-201514789763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2015
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A syringe includes a plunger having a plunger tube with proximal and distal ends, a center tube with a center passage that extends within the plunger tube, and a balloon disposed over the center tube and sealingly fixed to at least one of the center tube and the plunger tube. The syringe also includes a barrel having a barrel tube having proximal and distal ends and an interior configured to accept a portion of the plunger, a tip fixedly coupled to the proximal end of the barrel tube, a post fixedly attached to the tip and extending within the barrel tube toward the distal end, the tip configured to partially extend into the center passage of the plunger, and a gas passage extending from a proximal end of the tip to the distal end of the post.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A syringe comprising:
a barrel comprising (a) a barrel tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior; (b) a post coupled to the proximal end and extending partially into the interior toward the distal end; (c) a first fluid passage extending from the proximal end of the barrel tube into the interior; and (d) a second fluid passage extending from the proximal end of the barrel tube through the post; and
a plunger comprising (a) a plunger tube partially disposed in the barrel tube such that the post extends into a proximal end of the plunger tube and (b) a flexible member coupled to the proximal end of the plunger tube, wherein the flexible member is in fluid communication with the second fluid passage;
wherein the proximal end of the barrel tube and the proximal end of the plunger tube define therebetween a first fluid volume that is configured to hold fluid and is in fluid communication with the first fluid passage.

2. The syringe of claim 1 , wherein a center tube is coupled to the proximal end of the plunger tube, the center tube having center passage configured to receive the post.

3. The syringe of claim 1 , wherein the proximal end of the barrel tube comprises a tip, the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage extending through to an exterior surface of the tip.

4. The syringe of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid volume varies varying between zero and a maximum first fluid volume capacity, and the flexible member and the plunger tube form a second fluid volume varying between a minimum second fluid volume capacity and a maximum second fluid volume capacity that is greater than or equal to the maximum first fluid volume capacity plus the minimum second fluid volume capacity.

5. The syringe of claim 4 , wherein the first fluid volume contains a first fluid and the second fluid volume contains a gas.

6. The syringe of claim 4 , wherein the plunger is disposed within the barrel such that the first fluid volume is approximately zero and the second fluid volume is greater than or equal to the maximum first fluid volume capacity plus the minimum second fluid volume capacity.

7. The syringe of claim 4 , wherein the plunger is disposed within the barrel such that the first fluid volume contains a prefill volume of first fluid and the flexible member is able to further expand such that the second fluid volume further increases by at least the prefill volume.

8. The syringe of claim 1 , wherein the tip comprises a male Luer fitting.

9. The syringe of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the plunger tube comprises a vent cap having at least one vent hole.

10. The syringe of claim 1 , wherein the plunger further comprises a sealing member attached at the proximal end, the sealing member having an external surface that sealingly engages an interior surface of the barrel tube when the plunger is inserted into the barrel so as to define the first fluid volume of the syringe.

11. A method of extracting a dose volume of a medical fluid from a sealed vial using a syringe, the syringe comprising:
providing a barrel comprising (a) a barrel tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior; (b) a post coupled to the proximal end and extending partially into the interior toward the distal end; (c) a first fluid passage extending from the proximal end of the barrel tube into the interior; and (d) a second fluid passage extending from the proximal end of the barrel tube through the post; and
providing a plunger comprising (a) a plunger tube partially disposed in the barrel tube such that the post extends into a proximal end of the plunger tube and (b) a flexible member coupled to the proximal end of the plunger tube, wherein the flexible member is in fluid communication with the second fluid passage; wherein the proximal end of the barrel tube and the proximal end of the plunger tube define therebetween a first fluid volume that is configured to hold fluid and is in fluid communication with the first fluid passage;
fluidly coupling the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage with a vial;
advancing the plunger toward the vial such that a first fluid is expelled from within the first fluid volume through the first fluid passage, such that the expelled fluid displaces a second fluid within the vial, the second fluid being received through the second fluid passage into the flexible member.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising retracting the plunger away from the vial such that the first fluid is drawn through the first fluid passage into the first fluid volume, and the second fluid is expelled through the second fluid passage into the vial.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising filling the first fluid volume with a liquid prior to fluidly coupling the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage to a vial.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second fluid being received through the second fluid passage into the flexible member comprises a gas.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving the post in a center tube having a center passage, the center tube being coupled to the proximal end of the plunger tube.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein fluidly coupling the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage comprises inserting a tip at the proximal end of the barrel tube into the vial, wherein the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage extend through to an exterior surface of the tip.

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Mansour George M
• Panian Tyler D

Classifications

• B65B3/003

  Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like · CPC title

• A61M5/31

  Details · CPC title

• A61J1/201

  having one piercing end · CPC title

• A61J1/1406 Primary

  Septums, pierceable membranes · CPC title

• A61M2005/3121

  via the proximal end of a syringe, i.e. syringe end opposite to needle cannula mounting end · CPC title