EP2154081A1

EP2154081A1 - Closing device for medical containers and the like including a temporary receptacle

Info

Publication number: EP2154081A1
Application number: EP08425543A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giovanni Lamoure; Gianmario Lamoure; Francesco Lamoure
Original assignee: Merit 90 SNC Di Francesco Lamoure & C
Current assignee: Merit 90 SNC Di Francesco Lamoure & C
Priority date: 2008-08-06
Filing date: 2008-08-06
Publication date: 2010-02-17

Abstract

There is provided a closing device (1) suitable to close, in an operating position, a container (20) defining an inner volume (22) and suitable to contain a first substance, the closing device (1) including a temporary receptacle (2), suitable to contain in the operating and preservation position a second substance, and comprising a separation wall (9), at least partially contiguous to the inner volume (22) of the container (20), suitable to separate the first substance from the second substance and realized by a first layer (9a) and a second layer (9b) reciprocally superimposed, and cutting means (4), suitable to at least partially cut the separation wall (9) and to allow mixing of the first and second substance.

Description

The present invention relates to a closing device for containers for medicines and the like, including a temporary receptacle of the type specified in the preamble of claim 1.
There are currently known different bottles for medicines and the like provided with closing devices that include a temporary receptacle.
These bottles are used for substances that comprise two components which must be reciprocally mixed only immediately before consumption.
In particular, some pharmaceuticals or medicines comprise a liquid component, disposed inside the container of the bottle, and a solid component, disposed inside the temporary receptacle part of the closing system.
At the time of use, and in particular of consumption, the temporary receptacle is opened and the two substances are mixed.
To facilitate this operation, different closing devices have been produced, comprising a cutter suitable to open, and in particular to cut, a portion of wall of the temporary container and to allow the powder or the like to drop into the container.
The cutter preferably acts by means of the reciprocal movement between the container of the bottle and the closing device, during the opening and closing operations.
In particular, the closing device comprises a grippable outer cap that must be screwed in the direction towards the bottle to allow interaction of the cutter, integral with this cap, with the lower wall of the temporary receptacle, integral with the container. This solution is described in particular in the Italian patent IT0001307797 .
Various closing devices are also present, which can, for example, present a cutter separate from the cap of the bottle and which, after these are moved towards each other, interact with the lower wall of the temporary receptacle.
In yet other closing devices a plunger can be present, connected to the cutter, which must be moved manually or yet other solutions can be provided.
The aforesaid prior art presents some important drawbacks.
In fact, the temporary container is generally made of polymer material, and in particular polyethylene, to allow easy manual cutting thereof and low production costs.
Said materials do not achieve perfect fluid tightness of the temporary container. Moreover, they must be of limited thickness to make cutting possible, in particular the rupture points must be thin.
Consequently, the liquid component disposed inside the bottle evaporates and enters or migrates towards the solid powder component disposed inside the temporary receptacle.
The phenomenon described causes rapid deterioration of the component disposed in the temporary receptacle and therefore of the pharmaceutical or medicine in general.
It has in fact been found that substances with expiry dates of several years had in actual fact deteriorated greatly after a few months.
In this situation the technical aim underlying the present invention is to create a closing device for medicine bottles and the like, including a temporary receptacle capable of substantially overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks.
Within said technical aim an important object of the invention is to realize a closing device that obstructs the passage, by evaporation, of the substance contained inside the bottle into the temporary receptacle.
Another important object of the invention is to create a closing device that allows easy cutting of the temporary receptacle wall.
A further object of the invention is to obtain a simple and inexpensive closing device.
The technical aim and the objects specified are achieved by the closing device for medicine bottles and the like, including a temporary receptacle as claimed in the appended Claim 1.
Preferred embodiments are highlighted in the sub-claims.
Further features and advantages of the invention are better explained below in the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a closing device according to the invention associated with a container;
Fig. 2a shows a closing device according to the invention in a first configuration;
Fig. 2b shows a closing device according to the invention in a second configuration; and
Fig. 3 shows an enlargement of a portion of the closing device according to the invention.

With reference to the aforesaid Figures, the closing device according to the invention is indicated as a whole with the number 1.
It is suitable to be applied to a container 20 and to close this with fluid-tight closure.
The container 20, including a closing device 1, defines a bottle 30, generally suitable to contain medicines, pharmaceuticals and the like.
This container 20 comprises an opening 21 and defines an inner volume 22 suitable to contain a first substance in particular realized by a liquid substance.
It is preferably realized by a cylindrical receptacle made of polymeric material, more preferably polyethylene, even more preferably polyethylene terephthalate. It also comprises a containment portion 23 and a threaded portion 24 located in proximity of the opening 11 and suitable to allow joining with the closing device 1.
The device 1 comprises, summarily, a temporary receptacle 2, suitable to contain a second substance, preferably a solid powder substance, a cap 3, suitable to removably close the opening 21, and cutting means 4, suitable to allow opening of said temporary receptacle and mixing of the first and second substance.
The device 1 is positioned in the operating position (Figs. 2a and 2b) when disposed on a container 10.
In particular, an operating position for preservation (Fig. 2a), in which the two substances remain separate, and an operating position for use (Fig. 2b), in which the two substances are reciprocally mixed, can be distinguished.
The temporary receptacle 2 is appropriately realized by a cylindrical body 5 comprising a lower base 6, suitable to define the lower closure of the temporary container 2 and preferably disposed obliquely to the wall of the cylindrical body, an upper inlet 7, defined by an opening on the upper side, and an upper flange 8, surrounding the upper inlet 7.
It is preferably made at least partly of polymeric material, more preferably polyethylene, and even more preferably high density polyethylene.
In an operating position, the temporary receptacle 2 is disposed at the opening 11 of the container 10 so that the upper flange 7 abuts against the outer edge defining this opening 11, as shown in Fig. 2a.
The outer side of the temporary receptacle 2, in the operating position, is therefore in fluid communication with the inner volume 22 of the container 20 and preferably inserted therein.
Therefore, a separation wall 9 is defined, part of the temporary receptacle 2 whose outer side is disposed, in the operating position for preservation, contiguous to and in fluid communication with the inner volume 22 of the container 20.
It is realized by part of the container 2, in particular by the lower base 6 and by part of the cylindrical body 5.
The inner side of the separation wall 9 is therefore in contact with the second substance. Therefore, this separation wall 9 is suitable to separate the first and the second substance.
The separation wall 9 is realized by a first layer 9a and a second layer 9b reciprocally superimposed, as shown in Fig. 3.
Preferably, the first layer 9a defines said inner side and is made of polymeric material, appropriately of the same polymer as the rest of the temporary receptacle 2. Moreover, it preferably has a thickness between 10 µm and 50 µm and more preferably between 22 µm and 28 µm.
Moreover, the first layer 9a is preferably continuous and in one piece with the remaining part of the temporary receptacle 2.
Differently, the second layer 9b defines the outer side and is made of materials with a high degree of fluid tightness.
In particular, the second layer 9b is made of aluminium alloy, more particular in ABC aluminium. Moreover, it has a thickness preferably between 10 µm and 60 µm and more preferably between 27 µm and 33 µm.
Alternatively, the second layer 9b is made of polymeric material, in particular resin or is realized by a special paint or glue or by a special additive that modifies an outer portion of the first layer 9a.
Moreover, this second layer 9b, in particular if realized by a metallic layer, is appropriately welded for the entire contact surface to the first layer 9a, preferably heat-sealed or, alternatively, glued.
In this case, this second layer is also preferably realized by means of superimposing a discoidal metallic foil on the first layer 9a, so that this can adhere both to the lower base 6 and to part of the cylindrical body 5, and can cover the entire surface of the separation wall 9.
In the case in which the second layer is realized by a resin or a glue or paint the properties of this second layer 9b allow adhesion thereof to the first layer 9a.
The cap 3 is suitable to removably close the opening 21 of the container 20 preferably by means of a thread 10, connectable to the threaded portion 24 of the container 20.
Moreover, it is preferably suitable to close the upper inlet 7 of the temporary receptacle 2. For this purpose, it comprises a cylindrical portion 11 counter-shaped to the cylindrical body 5, which can be disposed inside this body and including a projection 12 suitable to guarantee fluid tightness.
The cylindrical portion 11 also preferably comprises the cutting means 4, realized by the lower edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 2b.
Finally, it comprises a spacer 13, realized by an annular element in polymer material easily releasable from the remaining portion of the cap 3.
Operation of the closing device 1, the structure of which is described above, is as follows.
The bottle 30 comprises a container 20, filled with a first substance, preferably liquid, while the temporary receptacle 2 is filled with a second substance, preferably powder.
During storage the closing device 1 is disposed in the operating position for preservation (Fig. 2a). Therefore, the spacer 13 maintains the cutting means 4 at a distance from the separation wall 9 and the container 20 and receptacle 2 remain closed, reciprocally separating the substances contained.
In this position, if the first substance were to evaporate partially, it would have to pass through the separation wall 9 in order to enter the temporary receptacle 2.
In a second condition of use the closing device 1 is disposed in the operating position for use (Fig. 2b).
In particular, the spacer 13 is removed from the cap 3. The latter is screwed in the opposite direction to the direction of opening, pressing the cutting means 4 against the separation wall 9 and partially cutting it.
The temporary receptacle 2 is thus opened and the two substances are mixed.
The invention achieves important advantages.
In fact, the particular physical configuration of the separation wall 9 achieves an extremely high degree of fluid tightness thereof, without obstructing cutting operations.
The phenomenon of migration of the first substance inside the temporary receptacle 2 is therefore substantially totally prevented.
It has in fact been found that the duration of substances contained in the bottle 30 is greatly increased, for periods of time of even 10-15 times greater than the duration of substances contained in bottles including closing devices of known type.
The separation wall 9 is easily cuttable even manually.
Moreover, the closing device 1 is inexpensive; in fact, its production cost is substantially identical to the cost of known devices including a separation wall 9 made exclusively of polymer material.
Yet another advantage is given by the fact that the first layer 9a and the second layer 9b are reciprocally welded. Consequently, these walls behave as a single layer and prevent any risk of detachment of the second layer 9b.
The invention is susceptible to variants falling within the inventive concept.
For example, the cutting means 4, the cap 3 and the temporary receptacle 2 can be of any type and shape and comprise a specific cutting plunger which can be pressed manually or a cutter separate from the cap and also external to the closing device 1.
All details can be replaced by other equivalent elements and the dimensions can be any.

Claims

Closing device (1) suitable to close, in the operating position, a container (20) defining an inner volume (22) and suitable to contain a first substance, said closing device (1) including a temporary receptacle (2), suitable to contain in said operating and preservation position a second substance, said temporary receptacle (2) comprising a separation wall (9), at least partially contiguous to said inner volume (22) of said container (20) and suitable to separate said first substance from said second substance, cutting means (4), suitable to cut at least partially cut said separation wall (9) and to allow mixing of said first and second substance and characterized in that said separation wall (9) is realized by a first layer (9a) and a second layer (9b) reciprocally superimposed.
Device according to claim 1, wherein said first layer (9a) is disposed towards the inside of said temporary receptacle (2).
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said first layer (9a) is continuous and in one piece with the remaining part of said temporary receptacle (2).
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said first layer (9a) is made of polymeric material.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said first layer (9a) is made of polyethylene.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said first layer (9a) has a thickness between 10 µm and 50 µm.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said second layer (9b) is made of metallic material.
Device according to claim 7, wherein said second layer (9b) is made of aluminium alloy.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said second layer (9b) has a thickness between 10 µm and 60 µm.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said second layer (9b) has a thickness between 10 µm and 60 µm.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said second layer (9b) is made of resin.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said second layer (9b) is made of resin.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said second layer (9b) is realized by modification, by means of an additive, of an outer portion of said first layer.
Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said second layer (9b) is welded substantially for the entire contact surface to said first layer (9a).
Bottle (30), for medicines and the like, comprising a container (20) defining an inner volume (22) and suitable to contain a first substance and a closing device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims.