US3589422A - Sealed bag for liquids - Google Patents

Abstract

A sealed bag for containing liquids. Typically made by a blowmolding process from a tube of molten thermoplastic resin. The bag comprises a tubular body of flexible plastic, sealed at one end, and narrowing to an integral tubular neck portion at the other end. A head portion, integral with the neck portion, seals the bag. A tubular recess is formed, typically in the head portion of the bag, for receiving a needle or the like for puncturing the bag to obtain the liquid contents. Generally, the cross section of the bag is oval, and a hanger at one end of the bag is attached thereto at a single station to facilitate collapse of the bag as liquid is withdrawn.

Description

United States Patent [45] Patented 3,356,244 12/1967 Witchell [72] Inventors David Bellamy, Jr.

Kenllwonh: Philip Gregory Ralston, Villa Park, both of III [21] Appl. No. 807,759

[22] Filed Mar. 17, 1969 June 29, 1971 Baxter Laboratories, Inc.

[73] Assignee Morton Grove, Ill.

I 54 SEALED 1m; FOR LIQUIDS Primary Examiner-Donald F. Norton Atlorneys-Walter C, Kehm and W. Garrettson Ellis ABSTRACT: A sealed bag for containing liquids. Typically made by a blow-molding process from a tube of molten thermoplastic resin. The bag comprises a tubular body of flexible plastic, sealed at one end, and narrowing to an integral tubular neck portion at the other end. A head portion, integral with the neck portion, seals the bag. A tubular recess is formed, typically in the head portion of the bag, for receiving a needle or the like for puncturing the bag to obtain the liquid contents. Generally, the cross section of the bag is oval, and a hanger at one end of the bag is attached thereto at a single station to facilitate collapse of the bag as liquid is withdrawn.

PATENTH] JUN29I9Y1 3,589,422

Philip Gregory Rolston ByW SEALED BAG FOR LIQUIDS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sealed, plastic containers for liquids can be fabricated, filled, and heat sealed to enclose the liquid contents in an integrally sealed bottle or bag so that the bag can'be opened only by rupturing the plastic wall of the container. The container is typically made by extruding a molten tube or parison of thermoplastic resin into a mold, and inflating the parison with air to form a container sealed by action of the mold at one end. While maintaining the container in inflated condition, a precisely metered quantity of the liquid contents are placed in the container, causing those portions thereof in contact with the liquid to solidify. An open, unsealed end of the container above the liquid level remains in the molten condition after insertion of the liquid. A second mold is then closed about the open, unsealed end to form a sealed neck and head portion of the container which is integral with the main tubular body thereof. The finished product is thus a liquid-containing plastic bag or bottle which encloses its liquid contents in sealed plastic.

It is desirable to use such plastic containers for the storage and distribution of parenteral solutions, blood and other sterile products which are typically administered in measured amounts, particularly since sterility of the liquid contents can be assured until the plastic is ruptured, and also because the plastic container is inexpensive and can be thrown away after use.

It is further desirable to enclose liquids such as parenteral solutions, blood plasma, or blood in a collapsible plastic container so that, as the liquid is removed from the container, the container collapses. A higher degree of sterility of the liquid can be maintained in this manner, since air, which usually carries contaminants, does not have to be vented into the container to facilitate removal of the liquid.

A problem, however, exists in the design of the means for gaining access to the plastic container to remove the liquid. To do this, the plastic wall of the container must be ruptured in a controlled manner while assuring continued sterility. The invention of this application provides a convenient means of access to sealed plastic bags, by which sterility can be maintained while withdrawing the liquid contents. Furthermore, the plastic bag of this invention exhibits improved collapsibility, permitting the liquid contents to be readily removed from the bag without the need for venting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention of this application relates to a collapsible bag containing a liquid and having a tubular body of flexible plastic. The tubular body is closed and sealed at one end, and narrows to an integral tubular neck portion at the other end. A head portion made of the same plastic is integral with the neck portion and seals the bag. Additionally, the bag has at least one tubular recess located at one end thereof, and typically located in the head portion, for receiving a puncturing needle or the like for puncturing the bag to obtain the liquid contents. The recess is defined by a tubular sidewall and a bottom wall, the bottom wall serving as a puncturable membrane through which the needle penetrates to gain access to the liquid contents. Generally, the recess contains a plastic sleeve which serves as a guide for the needle.

Additionally, the tubular body of the bag of thisinvention has sufficiently thin walls so that the tubular body lies in a generally flat, limp condition when it is not supported by the liquid which it contains. To facilitate collapse of the tubular body as liquid is withdrawn, the bag is generally constructed to have oval cross section when held in expanded position by its liquid contents. Additionally, a hanger means is attached to one end of the body at a single station or point of attachment by means of a narrow connecting neck.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a typical plastic bag of this invention, shown to be filled with a liquid parenteral solution or the like.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the bag of FIG. 1, taken along line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of part of the bag of FIG. 1, taken along line 33.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the bag of FIG. 1 in which the bag has been rotated about its longitudinal axis, showing a typical integral hanger means used herein.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a sealed, collapsible, liquid-containing bag is generally designated at 10. The bag comprisestubular body 12, made of flexible plastic, and sealed atend 14. At the same end,hanger 16 is formed integral withbody 12, being connected thereto by narrowconnecting neck 18, which is of substantially less width thanhanger 16, as shown in FIG. 4.Hanger 16 is attached tobody 12 at a single station or point of attachment. The advantage of this is that whilebag 10 is suspended from hanger l6 and liquid is withdrawn from the bag, the collapse of the bag is facilitated, since the portion of the bagadjacent end 14 can collapse into a generally conical configuration with a single apex located atjunction 20 ofneck 18 andend 14. Thus the walls oftubular body 12 are brought closer together as liquid is removed from the bag than in the situation where a hanging means is connected to a bag at two stations, as in the case of a U-shaped hanging means.

At its other end,tubular body 12 narrows to an integraltubular neck 22, which, in turn, is integral withhead portion 24.Head portion 24 is closed toseal bag 10. Thus theliquid contents 26 of the bag are completely sealed by an integral wall of plastic.

FIG. 2 shows how the bag of this invention is constructed to maintain an oval cross section while filled with liquid contents. However, the bag is not self-supporting, and collapses into a limp, generally flat configuration when not positively held in its expanded, oval configuration by the liquid contents. This oval configuration facilitates the collapse of the bag to a generally flat configuration, and permits more of the liquid contents thereof to flow by gravity out of the bag without mechanical assistance.

FIG. 3 showstubular recesses 26 which are formed inhead portion 24; and which are of sufficient length and width to receive and hold a needle or the like for puncturing the bag to obtain the liquid contents. Eachrecess 26 can be of any crosssectional shape desired, although the particular recesses shown are circular in cross section.Recesses 26 are formed havingbottom wall 28, which is punctured by the needle as it passes into the container. Preferably, a beveled needle having an off center point is used. The needle is inserted intorecess 26 breaking throughbottom wall 28 atperiphery 29 with ease, peelingbottom wall 28 away aboutperiphery 29 as the needle advances.

Eachrecess 26 may contain atubular sleeve 30 which serves as a guide for the needle for rupturingbottom wall 28 and obtaining the liquid contents ofbag 10. The sleeve can be inserted intorecess 26 and glued into place afterbag 10 has been filled and sealed. The bore ofsleeve 30 is preferably proportioned so that the needle used to obtain the liquid contents fits in tight sliding relation thereto, to prevent leakage of the liquid contents whenbag 10 is inverted for removing liquid.

When recesses 26 andsleeves 30 are to be maintained in sterile condition, a conventional seal such as a rubber cap (not shown) can be placed over eachsleeve 30. Typically, twosleeves 30 andrecesses 26 are present to provide one means of access into the bag for removing the liquid contents thereof and another means of access into the bag to add medicaments as needed to the liquid contents thereof, or to connect several bags in series so that a larger amount of liquid can be provided in one administration to the patient.

It can be seen that the means of access of the bag of this invention simply requires passing a needle through the bore ofasleeve 30 untilbottom wall 28 is ruptured. Prior to that, the interior of bag remains sterile, since it is completely sealed from the exterior. After entry of a sterile needle which fits tightly withinsleeve 30, the bag is still essentially sealed so that contaminants are unlikely to enter therein.

The tubular recesses described herein can also be used on plastic bags of circular and other nonoval cross sections, as well as with other means for hanging the bags.

As shown in FIG. 1, the portion ofbag 10 nearhead portion 24 has a generally conical configuration created by a gradual reduction of the transverse dimensions of the bag in the direction ofhead portion 24. This prevents the lower portion of the filled and inverted bag from bulging excessively outward by stretching due to the weight of the liquid contents. Such stretching can result in the formation of undesirable shoulder pockets in the wall aboutneck 18, containing trapped liquid contents.

The wall ofbag 10 is not necessarily of uniform thickness. For example, whenbag 10 of oval cross section is formed from a parison of uniform wall thickness, the portions of the wall near the ends of the oval may be thinner than the portions of the wall near the sides of the oval.

What we claim is:

1. A sealed, collapsible bag containing a liquid, which bag comprises: a tubular body of flexible plastic, said tubular body being sealed at one end and narrowing at the other end to a head portion integral with said tubular body for sealing said bag, and a tubular recess at one end of said collapsible bag, said tubular recess being defined by a tubular sidewall of essentially uniform transverse dimension and a bottom wall, said walls being integral with the remaining material of said bag, said recess containing a tubular sleeve for receiving and holding means for puncturing the bag to obtain said liquid.

2. The collapsible bag of claim 1 in which said recess is located in said head portion.

3. The collapsible bag ofclaim 2 in which said tubular body is oval in cross section, said bag having integral hanger means at the end of said body opposite said head, said hanger means being attached to the body at a single station by a connecting neck which is of less width than the hanger means, to facilitate collapse of the bag while hanging by said means as liquid is withdrawn from the bag.

4. The collapsible bag ofclaim 2 in which a plurality of tubular recesses are defined in said head portion, each recess containing a tubular sleeve.

5. The collapsible bag of claim 4, in which the transverse dimension of said bag is progressively reduced in the direction of said head portion to define a generally conical configuratron.

6. In a sealed, collapsible bag containing a liquid, a tubular recess, said tubular recess being defined by a tubular sidewall of essentially uniform transverse dimension and a bottom wall, said walls being integral with the remaining material of said bag, said recess containing a tubular sleeve for receiving and holding means for puncturing the bag to obtain said liquid.

Claims (6)

1. A sealed, collapsible bag containing a liquid, which bag comprises: a tubular body of flexible plastic, said tubular body being sealed at one end and narrowing at the other end to a head portion integral with said tubular body for sealing said bag, and a tubular recess at one end of said collapsible bag, said tubular recess being defined by a tubular sidewall of essentially uniform transverse dimension and a bottom wall, said walls being integral with the remaining material of said bag, said recess containing a tubular sleeve for receiving and holding means for puncturing the bag to obtain said liquid.

2. The collapsible bag of claim 1 in which said recess is located in said head portion.

3. The collapsible bag of claim 2 in which said tubular body is oval in cross section, said bag having integral hanger means at the end of said body opposite said head, said hanger means being attached to the body at a single station by a connecting neck which is of less width than the hanger means, to facilitate collapse of the bag while hanging by said means as liquid is withdrawn from the bag.

4. The colLapsible bag of claim 2 in which a plurality of tubular recesses are defined in said head portion, each recess containing a tubular sleeve.

5. The collapsible bag of claim 4, in which the transverse dimension of said bag is progressively reduced in the direction of said head portion to define a generally conical configuration.

6. In a sealed, collapsible bag containing a liquid, a tubular recess, said tubular recess being defined by a tubular sidewall of essentially uniform transverse dimension and a bottom wall, said walls being integral with the remaining material of said bag, said recess containing a tubular sleeve for receiving and holding means for puncturing the bag to obtain said liquid.

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