Device for holding and stationary mounting at least one medical container

Abstract

The invention relates to device (1) for holding and mounting at least one medical container (100), in particular in an upright-inclined position The device (1) comprises a holder portion (2) comprising at least one first support (10) for supporting a first longitudinal portion of the medical container (100), in particular a neck portion (110) of the medical container (100), and preferably at least one second support (20) for supporting a second longitudinal portion and / or a bottom portion (120) of the medical container (100). The device (1) further comprises a clamp portion (4) for reversibly clamping the device (1) to a corresponding mounting structure (200).

Description

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND STATIONARY MOUNTING AT LEAST ONE MEDICALCONTAINERTechnical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for holding and stationary mounting at least one medical container used for storing medical products. In particular, the invention relates to a device for holding and stationary mounting such a medical container in an upright-inclined position.

[0002] Such a device may be used to facilitate the handling of medical containers, such vials or ampules used for storing medical products, in particular to facilitate the extraction of a medical product from the medical container.Background Art

[0003] The handling of medical containers during the extraction of a medical product therefrom may be challenging, especially where the medical product is withdrawn from the medical container by means of a needle and / or where the medical product is to be extracted from the medical container in a sterile environment. As an example, when a medical product is to be extracted from a medical container by a single person using a needle, the person must hold the medical container with one hand while inserting the needle into the medical container with the other hand. Alternatively, the person inserting the needle may be assisted by another person holding the medical container. This may be necessary, for example, if extracting is performed in a sterile environment, in which the person inserting the needle must not touch the medical container without suffering a loss of sterility. Regardless of whether a person holds the container him / herself or is assisted by another person, there is a considerable risk of accidental injury from needlesticks.

[0004] In order to avoid the above-described disadvantages, various assistive devices are known from prior art which are specifically designed for holding medical containers, in particular during the extraction of medical products therefrom. However, the design of these holding device is often such that they either do not hold the medical container securely enough, can only be used in a specific setting or are expensive to manufacture.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a device for holding and stationary mounting a medical container used for storing medical products allowing the medical container to be held in a sufficiently secure manner during the extraction of a medical product, whilst being adaptable for versatile use in various settings and unexpensive to manufacture.Disclosure of the Invention

[0006] According to the invention this need is settled by a device for holding and stationary mounting at least one medical container as it is defined by the features of independent claim 1 . Preferred embodiments are subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] In particular, the invention relates to a device for holding and stationary mounting at least one medical container, wherein the device comprises a holder portion comprising at least one first support for supporting a longitudinal portion, in particular a first longitudinal portion, of the medical container, and preferably at least one second support for supporting a second longitudinal portion and / or a bottom of the medical container. For stationary mounting the device and, thus, the medical container to a mounting structure at a location where the medical container is preferably to be used, the device comprises a clamp portion for reversibly clamping the device to the mounting structure.

[0008] In the context of this invention, the term "medical container" preferably refers to a container used for storing medical products.

[0009] The term "medical product" as used herein may refer to pharmaceutical products or pharmaceuticals or medications or drugs or drug products. In particular, the "medical product" may be a liquid or a suspension. The term "drug" as used herein relates to a therapeutically active agent, also commonly called active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), as well as to a combination of plural such therapeutically active substances. The term also encompasses diagnostic or imaging agents, like for example contrast agents (e.g. MRI contrast agents), tracers (e.g. PET tracers) and hormones, that need to be administered in liquid form to the patient. The term "drug product" as used herein relates to a drug as defined above formulated or reconstituted in a form that is suitable for administration to the patient. A particularly preferred drug product can be a drug solution, in particular a solution for body opening administration, injection or infusion.

[0010] In general, the medical container comprises a bottom portion (alternatively often denoted as base portion) and one or more longitudinal portions extending from the bottomportion along a longitudinal axis of the medical container towards a container opening opposite the bottom portion. As such, the one or more longitudinal portions may form a side wall or side wall portion of the medical container. The one or more longitudinal portions may comprise at least a body portion (alternatively often denoted as belly portion). Preferably, the body portion (belly portion) has a cylindrical shape, i.e. a substantially constant cross-section. In addition to the body portion (belly portion), the one or more longitudinal portions may further comprise a shoulder portion, a neck portion and / or a finish portion. By definition, the neck portion has a smaller cross-section than the body portion (belly portion), wherein the cross-section refers to a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the medical container. This may apply to both the inner cross-section and as well as to the outer cross-section of the neck portion and the body portion (belly portion), respectively. The shoulder portion may be located between the body and the neck portion. As such, the shoulder may be considered to define a transition between the cross-sections of the body portion (belly portion) and the neck portion. That is, the shoulder portion may have a changing cross-section, more specially a decreasing cross-section that decreases from the body portion (belly portion) to the neck portion. The finish portion may comprise a collar and / or a flange. The flange may comprise the container opening opposite to the bottom portion. In addition, the medical container may comprise a closure for closing the container opening. The closure may be or may comprise a plug, a cover or a cap. The cover or the cap preferably include a sealing such as a rubber stopper or a septum. The septum may be particularly designed to be pierced, e.g. by a hollow needle, thus enabling extraction of a medical product from the interior of the medical container.

[0011] A cross-section of the medical container, in particular a cross-section of the bottom portion and / or a respective cross-section the one or more longitudinal portions, that is a cross-section of the body portion (belly portion), a cross-section of the shoulder portion, a cross-section of the neck portion and / or a cross-section of the finish portion, and / or a cross-section of the container opening preferably is a circular. Alternatively, the afore-mentioned mentioned cross-sections may be one of oval, elliptical, rectangular, quadratic a triangular, or a polygonal. As referred to herein and outlined above, the term "cross-section" refers to respective cross-sections through the medical container, the various portions, and the container opening perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the medical container.

[0012] The medical container may have a substantially cylindrical shape (possibly apart from the shoulder portion and the finish portion including the body opening), i.e. a substantially constant cross-section along the longitudinal axis of the medical container. Especially, the bottom portion, the body portion (belly portion) and / or the neck portion may have a substantially cylindrical shape, i.e. a substantially constant cross-section along the longitudinal axis of the medical container. As mentioned above, the respective cylindrical shape preferably has a circular cross-section. Alternatively, the cylindrical shape may have an oval cross-section, an elliptical cross-section, a rectangular crosssection, a quadratic cross-section, a triangular cross-section, or a polygonal crosssection.

[0013] In particular, the medical container may be a small-volume container having a maximum storage capacity of less than 5 milliliters, in particular less than 3 milliliters, more particularly less than 2.5 milliliters. The size of the container opening may depend on the size of the hollow body. The body opening may have a cross-sectional area below 25 square millimeters, in particular below 20 square millimeters, more particularly below 18 square millimeters. Likewise, the container opening may have a diameter or an equivalent diameter below 8 millimeters, in particular below 6 millimeters, more particularly below 5 millimeters. The term "equivalent diameter" of the container opening is used herein in relation to the body opening of non-circular shape cross-sectional shape and is defined as the diameter of a circular container opening which has the same surface area as the body opening of non-circular shape. A length of the medical container along the longitudinal axis may be in a range between 20 millimeters and 150 millimeters, in particular between 25 millimeters and 100 millimeters, more particularly between 30 millimeters and 50 millimeters, for example about 35 millimeters. A length of a body portion, in particular a length of a body portion located between the bottom portion and a shoulder portion may be in a range between 10 millimeters and 130 millimeters, in particular 15 millimeters and 100 millimeters, more particularly between 20 millimeters and 30 millimeters, for example about 24 millimeters. A diameter of a body portion, in particular a diameter of a body portion located between the bottom portion and a shoulder portion may be in a range between 5 millimeters and 80 millimeters, in particular 10 millimeters and 30 millimeters, more particularly between 12 millimeters and 20 millimeters, for example about 16 millimeters. A diameter of a neck portion may be in a range between 3 millimeters and 30 millimeters, in particular 5 millimeters and 20millimeters, more particularly between 8 millimeters and 15 millimeters, for example about 10.5 millimeters.

[0014] The medical container can be made of a sterilizable material such as glass or plastic such as, e.g., polypropylene.

[0015] The medical container may particularly be a vial or a cartridge as commonly used in pharmaceutical industry and research. The term "vial" as used herein can relate to vials in the literal sense, i.e. comparably small vessels or bottles, often used to store pharmaceutical products, pharmaceuticals, medications, or drugs in liquid, powdered or capsule form. Similarly, the term "cartridge" as herein may relate to a more cylindrical vessel, often used to store pharmaceutical products or pharmaceuticals or medications in liquid, powdered or capsule form.

[0016] Preferably, the holder portion comprises at least two supports for one medical container to be held, namely, a first support for supporting a (first) longitudinal portion of the medical container and a second support for supporting a second longitudinal portion and / or a bottom portion of the medical container. That is, each medical container is supported by at least two supports, one supporting, in particular holding the medical container at a first longitudinal portion and another one supporting, in particular holding the medical container at a second longitudinal portion and / or the bottom portion. Due to this, the medical container can be held in a secure manner during the extraction of a medical product, in particular more securely than if it was held by a single support only.

[0017] As used herein, the term "first / second support for supporting a longitudinal portion / bottom portion" is to be understood such that at least in combination of the first and the second supports the medical container is held in a fixed position at the holder portion of the device, in particular to enable hands-free holding of the medical container, which allows handling such as removal of a medical product from the interior of the medical container. In this regard, the term "supporting" may include at least one of: receiving, propping, sustaining, retaining, holding, clamping, or fixing. The term "supporting" may also include restricting a displacement. In particular, the term "supporting" may include "receiving and supporting" or "receiving and propping" or "receiving and sustaining" or "receiving and holding" or "receiving and clamping". Preferably, the first support is configured for holding, or for receiving and holding alongitudinal portion of the medical container. The second support preferably is configured for sustaining, or for receiving and supporting, or for receiving and sustaining a second longitudinal portion and / or a bottom portion of the medical container. Likewise, the second support may also be configured for restricting a displacement of the medical container, in particular through permanent or temporary contact with the second longitudinal portion and / or the bottom portion of the medical container.

[0018] The second support preferably provides an abutment for the medical container in a direction towards the bottom portion of the medical container along its longitudinal axis. Thus, the second support advantageously restricts the movement of the medical container in a direction along the longitudinal axis towards the bottom portion. This proves advantageous to allow a secure handling of the medical container, in particular to facilitate access to the interior of the medical container, e.g. by providing a counter bearing when a needle is pierced through a septum covering the container opening in order to remove a medical product. In addition, where the medical container is held in use in the preferred upright-inclined position, the second support bears a significant part of the weight of the container. Since the second support is intended to support the bottom portion of the medical container, the second support may also be denoted as bottom support. That is, the at least one second support may be a bottom support.

[0019] The first support is configured for supporting a (first) longitudinal portion of the medical container. Accordingly, the first support may also be denoted as longitudinal support or lateral support. The longitudinal portion of the medical container supported by the first support may be one of the longitudinal portions of the medical container described above, that is, a body portion (belly portion), a shoulder portion, a neck portion or a finish portion of the medical container.

[0020] Preferably, where the medical container comprises a neck portion, the first support is configured for supporting, in particular for receiving and supporting or for receiving and holding, a neck portion of the medical container. For several reason, the neck portion is particularly suited for holding, in particular retaining a medical container. First, supporting the medical container about the neck portion automatically restricts the movement of the medical container in a direction along the longitudinal axis towards the container opening since the shoulder portion cannot pass the neck support due to its larger cross-section compared to the neck portion. Second, a support about the neckportion may also restrict the movement of the medical container in a direction along the longitudinal axis towards the bottom portion since the neck portion typically is followed by a finish portion (e.g. including a flange with the container opening) with a larger crosssection. Thus, a support about the neck may retain the medical container even in both directions along its longitudinal axis, in particular in a form fitting manner. Third, a support about the neck portion requires less space as the neck portion is typically the longitudinal portion with the smallest cross-section. This enables a compact design of the first support. For obvious reasons, where the first support is configured for supporting a neck portion of the medical container, the first support may also be denoted as neck support. That is, the at least one first support may be a neck support.

[0021] In general, the at least one first support, in particular a neck support, may be configured to support, in particular to hold, the medical container in a least one of a force- locked manner, a friction type manner and a form-fitting manner.

[0022] In particular, the at least one first support, in particular a neck support, may be configured to receive and support, in particular to receive and hold, the medical container in a snap-fit relationship about a (first) longitudinal portion of the medical container, in particular a neck portion of the medical container. A snap-fit is defined as a fastening or latching due to an abrupt return movement of flexible or deformable holding members (e.g. arms, brackets, wall elements or cantilevers) to a latching position after having been moved from a latching position by an applied force.

[0023] More particularly, the at least one first support may comprise a receptacle for receiving the (first) longitudinal portion of the medical container, in particular a neck portion of the medical container. Preferably, the receptacle is formed by a gripper or a clamping bracket or a receiving slot, details of which are described below.

[0024] The at least one first support, in particular a neck support, may comprise a gripper or a clamping bracket or a receiving slot. The gripper or clamping bracket or receiving slot may be elastically deformable, in particular to temporarily widen up for receiving a longitudinal portion of the medical container and to conform substantially back to an original shape once the longitudinal portion of the medical container is received by the gripper, clamping bracket or receiving slot, respectively. The gripper may comprise at least one pair of gripper arms, in particular flexible gripper arms. Likewise, the clampingbracket may comprise at least one pair of bracket arms, in particular flexible bracket arms. Similarly, the receiving slot may comprise to opposing wall elements with a gap in between forming the receiving slot, wherein the wall elements may be configured (e.g. due to their material properties and / or dimensions) to flex slightly apart from each other upon application of a force and to return to their original position upon the removal of the force.

[0025] The at least one first support may further comprise a plurality of contact pins. Preferably, the contact pins provide contact portions for contacting the (first) longitudinal portion of the medical container, in particular a neck portion and possibly also a shoulder portion and / or a finish portion (e.g. a collar and / or a flange) of the medical container. As such, the contact pins may advantageously help to make the support of the (first) longitudinal portion more secure and stable.

[0026] Preferably, the at least one first support may comprise at least three or at least four contact pins. The more contact pins, the more stable and secure the support of the (first) longitudinal support. In particular, the at least one first support may comprise (exactly) three or four contact pins. A three-fold or four-fold support offers a particularly high level of stability.

[0027] The contact pins may be arranged in a distributed manner over an inner circumference of the receptacle. For example, the at least one first support may comprise four contact pins arranged, preferably evenly distributed, at in inner circumference of the receptacle, in particular a receptacle formed by a gripper or a clamping bracket or a receiving slot as described above. Thereby, two of the four contact pins are preferably arranged on each of the two gripper arms, bracket arms or opposing wall elements.

[0028] Each of the contact pins may extend longitudinally in a same direction as a longitudinal extension of the medical container when being held by the device. This proves particularly beneficial to realize a line contact or even a surface contact, which both provide an increased contact area between the contact pins and the (first) longitudinal portion of the medical container, thus making the support of the (first) longitudinal portion even more secure and stable. In addition, having the contact pins extending longitudinally in a same direction as a longitudinal extension of the medical container may facilitate a well-defined and stable axial alignment of the medical container when being held by the device.

[0029] Each of the contact pins may protrude radially inward beyond the remaining parts of the at least one first support towards the first longitudinal portion of the medical container when being held by the device. In particular, each of the contact pins may protrude radially inward into the inner void of the receptable. Thus, the contact pins may provide the only contact between the first support and the (first) longitudinal portion of the medical container. Advantageously, this facilitates to realize a well-defined point contact, line contact or surface contact with the (first) longitudinal portion of the medical container.

[0030] Furthermore, each of the contact pins may have a protruding axial end portion facing towards a shoulder portion of the medical container when being held by the device. This allows the medical container to be additionally supported with its shoulder portion, which provides additional rigidity to the support of the medical container while using minimal material.

[0031] As mentioned above, the device preferably comprises at least one second support for supporting a second longitudinal portion and / or a bottom portion of the medical container.

[0032] In particular if used for supporting a bottom portion of the medical container, the at least one second support may comprise or may be formed as a cantilever. A cantilever is a structural element that is supported at one end and unsupported at the other end, extending in a transverse direction from a structure that supports the supported end. When subjected to a structural load at its far, unsupported end, the cantilever carries the load to the support where it applies a shear stress and a bending moment. As such, the at least one second support - when comprising or being formed as a cantilever - may be especially configured to be elastically deformed, in particular slightly flexed at its far, unsupported end by an applied force, thus being able to apply a resilient force to the bottom portion of the medical container when being supported by the at least second support.

[0033] That is, the at least one second support, in particular the cantilever, may be a resilient cantilever. Advantageously, this may allow to urge the medical container towards the at least one first support. Where the medical container comprises a shoulder portion and a neck portion, this may cause the shoulder portion to engage the at least one firstsupport, more specifically the neck support, such that the entire medical container is held in a fixed position in a clamping manner between the at least one first support (neck support) and the at least one second support comprising or being formed as a cantilever.

[0034] The at least one second support, in particular when comprising or being formed as a cantilever, may have various shapes and configurations. For example, the at least one second support, in particular the cantilever, may comprise or may be formed as a beam or a plate. That is, the at least one second support, in particular the cantilever, may comprise or may be formed as a beam or a plate. Beams and plate are particularly suitable to be elastically deformed, in particular flexed and thus to provide a resilient force to the bottom portion of the medical container. Furthermore, the at least one second support, in particular the cantilever, may be curved. Especially, the at least one second support, in particular the cantilever, may have a concave side facing the at least one first support or the at least one bottom portion of the medical container, respectively. A curved, in particular a concave shape may prove beneficial to facilitate engagement of the at least one second support, in particular the cantilever, with the bottom portion, especially with a concavity of the bottom portion of the medical container.

[0035] In order to provide a geometrically well-defined contact between the bottom portion of the medical container and the at least one second support, a free end portion of the at least one second support, in particular a free end portion of the cantilever, may comprise a contact projection for contacting the bottom portion of the medical container, in particular for engaging with a concavity of the bottom portion of the medical container. For this, a width extension of the at least one second support, at least at the free end portion, preferably is smaller than a cross-section of the medical container at the bottom portion. Especially, a width extension of the at least one second support, at least at the free end portion, may be smaller than a width extension of the at least first support as measured in the same direction. The respective width dimensions of the first and the second supports may be measured in respective planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the medical container when it is supported by the first and the second supports, in particular in a direction perpendicular to a general length extension of the second support.

[0036] The at least one second support may also comprise or may be formed as a support ring, in particular a closed support ring, or as a support bracket, in particular aclosed support bracket. A support ring or a support bracket may be particularly configured to laterally support, in particular laterally stabilize the medical container when being received by the device. Therefore, the support ring or the support bracket may especially be configured to (laterally) support a second longitudinal portion of the medical container. In particular, the support ring or the support bracket may be configured to at least partially or fully enclose or surround a second longitudinal portion of the medical container. Yet, it is also possible that the support ring or the support bracket are configured to support a bottom portion of the medical container, preferably in combination with being configured to (laterally) support a second longitudinal portion of the medical container. In general, the support ring or the support bracket may be configured to support, in particular hold, the second longitudinal portion and / or the bottom portion through permanent contact therewith. Likewise, it is also possible that the support ring or the support bracket may be configured to support the second longitudinal portion and / or the bottom portion through temporary contact only. That is, without external influence, e.g. without external manipulate of the medical container by a user, the medical container preferably is not in contact with the support ring or the support bracket (but preferably only supported, in particular held by the first support at the first longitudinal portion). In contrast, in case of an external manipulation of the medical container, e.g. by a user, the medical container may be slightly displaced relative to the second support such that it gets temporarily into contact therewith. In this situation, the support ring or the support bracket serve to restrict a displacement of the medical container, thereby laterally stabilizing the medical container held by the device.

[0037] The support ring or the support bracket may comprise a chamfered rim portion at a side facing towards the first support. It is also possible that the support ring or the support bracket comprise a chamfered rim portion at an opposite side facing away from the first portion. Advantageously, this facilitates the insertion and removal of the second longitudinal portion and / or the bottom portion of the medical container into and from the support ring or the support bracket, especially in case the support ring or the support bracket are configured to at least partially or fully enclose or surround the second longitudinal portion of the medical container.

[0038] In principle, the device may be configured for holding and mounting one or more medical containers, i.e. a single (one) medical container or a plurality of medicalcontainers. In the latter case, the device allows a plurality of medical containers to be pre- loaded for use, thus streamlining the handling process.

[0039] Accordingly, the holder portion may comprise either a single (one) first support or a plurality of first supports. Likewise, the holder portion may comprise a single (one) second support or a plurality of second supports. Especially, the holder portion may comprise a single pair or a plurality of pairs of a first support and a second support, each pair configured for holding and mounting a (one) medical container.

[0040] Where the device is configured for holding and mounting a plurality of medical containers, it is also possible that the holder portion comprises a plurality of first supports and a single (one) second support, in particular a single common second support, wherein the (single, common) second support is configured for supporting a respective bottom portion of each of the plurality of medical containers.

[0041] In addition to the at least one first support and the at least one second support, the holder portion may comprise at least one base portion, which the at least one first support and the at least one second support branch off. Where the holder portion comprises a plurality of first supports and a plurality of second supports, the holder portion may comprise a respective base portion for each, especially for each pair of first and second supports. Alternatively, the holder portion may comprise a common base portion for all first and second supports.

[0042] The at least one base portion may have a curved shaped. Especially, the at least one base portion may essentially have a S-shape or a C-shape or a U-shape, in particular as seen in a plane parallel to the respective directions in which the at least one first support and the at least one second support branch off the at least one base portion. That plane may also be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the medical container(s) when being supported by the first and second supports. Advantageously, a curved shaped, in particular a S-, C- or a U-shaped base portion may have intrinsic spring properties which in turn may facilitate to fix the medical container in a clamping manner between the at least one first support (especially when being configured as a neck support) and the at least one second support.

[0043] The holder portion, in particular the base portion, may provide or may comprise at least one side wall support for supporting a portion of a side wall of the at least one medical container. The portion of the side wall of the at least one medical container may be a sidewall portion belonging to one or more of the longitudinal portions of the medical container described above. Preferably, the portion of the side wall of the at least one medical container may be a sidewall portion of a body portion (belly portion) of the medical container.

[0044] The holder portion, in particular at least one side wall support, may comprise at least one receptacle, especially a recess or a receiving opening, for receiving and / or supporting a portion of a side wall of the at least one medical container. For example, the holder portion, in particular at least one side wall support, may comprise at least one receiving opening, wherein the rim of the receiving opening provides a line contact portion for receiving and / or supporting a portion of a side wall of the at least one medical container. Advantageously, this can help to make the mounting of the medical container on the holder portion more stable.

[0045] In order to allow a stationary mounting of the medical container at a location where the medical container is preferably to be used, the clamp portion is configured for reversibly clamping the device to a corresponding mounting structure. The mounting structure may be a board-like, plate-like or post-like mounting structure, especially in a medical or pharmaceutical or laboratory facility. For example, the mounting structure may be a board, a plate, a counter, a worktop, a desk top, a shelf, in particular shelf wall or shelf board, a hospital bed, an operating table, a stand, a post, a siderail or the like. The mounting structure may also be denoted as facility structure.

[0046] For clamping the device to a corresponding mounting structure, the clamp portion may be bracket-shaped, in particular U-bracket-shaped. More specifically, the clamp portion may comprise a first bracket arm, a second bracket arm and a bracket base which the first and the second bracket arms branch off. A distance between the first bracket arm and the second bracket, i.e. an opening width of the clamp portion, may preferably correspond to, especially may be slightly smaller than a respective dimension of the mounting structure, the clamp portion is to be clamped to. As such, the clamp portion can be self-clamping, that is clamping by inherent resilient properties, especially without the need for additional clamping means, such as a clamping screw.

[0047] The clamp portion may comprise curved corner portions, in particular outwardly protruding curved corner portions, between the bracket base and the first bracket arm and the second bracket arm, respectively. Such corner portions may prove beneficial to promote the resilient clamping properties of the clamp portion.

[0048] In addition to or in alternative to possible self-clamping properties of the clamp portion, the device may further comprise a clamping screw passing through a threated through hole in the clamp portion, in particular in the first bracket arm. Advantageously, the clamping screw facilitates a reversible clamping of the device to a corresponding mounting structure. In addition, the clamping screw makes the clamp portion adjustable for any desired mounting structures such that the device can be secured to a variety of mounting structures and easily removed to be affixed to another mounting structure.

[0049] Preferably, the clamping screw and the clamp portion are made of the same material. This avoids wear problems caused by unfavorable or incompatible material pairings.

[0050] The clamping screw and the threated through hole may have a nominal thread diameter of at least 10 millimeters, in particular of at least 12 millimeters, more particularly of at least 14 millimeters. Such relatively large diameters are advantageous in order to achieve a large-area distribution of the clamping force, making the fixation of the device to the mounting structure more stable. In addition, the threaded sections are easier to access for cleaning and / or sterilization purposes with these relatively large diameters.

[0051] The clamping screw and the threated through hole may have a thread pitch of at least 1.5 millimeters, in particular at least 1.75 millimeters, more particularly of at least 2 millimeters. On the one hand, such values of the thread pitch allow for a sufficiently precise adjustability of the clamping force, and the other for an easy cleaning and / or sterilization.

[0052] Preferably, the clamping screw is configured to be removed from the clamp portion, i.e. to be unscrewed from the clamp portion. Removing the clamping screw from the clamp portion facilitates cleaning and / or sterilization of the entire device. For this, a contact end of the clamping screw for contacting the mounting structure may have adiameter equal to or smaller than a core thread diameter of the clamping screw and of the threated through hole.

[0053] The device may further comprise a contact plate coupled to the clamping screw for contacting the mounting structure. Advantageously, a contact plate increases the contact area to the mounting structure and thus may help to make the clamping more robust. A lateral extension, i.e. a cross-section of the contact plate may be equal to or smaller than a core thread diameter of the clamping screw and of the threated through hole. This allows the clamping screw together with the contact plate to be removed from the clamp portion through the threated through hole. Likewise, it is also possible that a lateral extension, i.e. a cross-section of the contact plate is larger than a core thread diameter of the clamping screw and of the threated through hole. A larger lateral extension, i.e. a cross-section of the contact plate leads to a larger contract area to the mounting structure, and thus to a more secure clamping.

[0054] To still allow the clamping screw together with the contact plate to be removed from the clamp portion, irrespective of the size ratio between the contact plate and the threated through hole, the contact plate may be reversibly coupled to the clamping screw. That is, the contact plate may be repeatedly coupled to and decoupled from the clamping screw.

[0055] Furthermore, the contact plate may be pivotably, in particular pivotably and reversibly, coupled to the clamping screw. Advantageously, this allows to clamp the device to various mounting structures, in particular those having oblique surfaces.

[0056] In many situations, it is preferred to have access to the interior of the medical from above, even more preferred from diagonally above. For example, an access from (diagonally) above may be convenient for a user when extracting a medical product from the container via the container opening. In particular, an access from (diagonally) above may ensure to safely pierce a septum closing the container opening with a needle. Accordingly, the holder portion and the clamp portion preferably are arranged (in particular relative to each other) and configured to hold the medical container such that upon clamping the device to the corresponding mounting structure the medical container is held in an upright, in particular upright-inclined position. More specifically, the holder portion and the clamp portion may be arranged (in particular relative to each other) and configured to hold the medical container such that upon clamping the device to thecorresponding mounting structure a longitudinal axis of the medical container is inclined relative to the horizontal by an angle in a range between 45° and 95°, in particular between 50° and 80°, more particularly between 60° and 70°, for example by angle of 65°. In doing, the container opening may be accessible from above, even more preferred from diagonally above. In addition, holding and mounting the medical product in an upright, in particular upright-inclined position may help to ensure that labels containing information on the medical product stored in the medical container remain clearly visible.

[0057] The holder portion and the clamp portion may be formed integrally with each other, in particular in one piece. This enables a simple and cost-effective manufacture of the holder portion and the clamp portion, especially from a single material.

[0058] Alternatively, the holder portion and the clamp portion may be separate parts coupled to each other. In particular, the holder portion and the clamp portion may be coupled to each other by a joint, preferably by a swivel joint, a pivot joint or a ball joint, more preferably by a lockable swivel joint, a lockable pivot joint or a lockable ball joint. A coupling by a joint enables adaptable attachment to different mounting structures, in particular to mounting structures in different orientations, such a horizontal worktop or a vertical post or a vertical shelf wall, whilst always ensuring an upright(-inclined) mounting position of the medical container.

[0059] Preferably, the device is configured for use in a medical or pharmaceutical or laboratory facility, i.e. in facilities with strict requirements regarding hygiene and / or sterility. Accordingly, the device or at least parts thereof, such as the clamp portion, the holder portion and / or the clamping screw (if present), preferably are - at least at an outer surface - chemically resistant against disinfectants, in particular against alcohol. That is, the device or at least parts thereof, such as the clamp portion, the holder portion and / or the clamping screw (if present), preferably are - at least at an outer surface - made of a material or materials which are chemically resistant against disinfectants, in particular against alcohol.

[0060] Likewise, the device or at least parts thereof, such as the clamp portion, the holder portion and / or the clamping screw (if present), may be - at least at an outer surface - resistant against sterilization, in particular in a sterilization autoclave. That is, the device or at least parts thereof, such as the clamp portion, the holder portion and / or the clampingscrew (if present), preferably are - at least at an outer surface - made of a material or materials which are resistant against sterilization, in particular in a sterilization autoclave.

[0061] The entire device, in particular the clamp portion, the holder portion and / or the clamping screw (if present), is made of a single (one) material.

[0062] The clamp portion, the holder portion and / or the clamping screw (if present), preferably the entire device, may be made of metal, in particular aluminum or stainless steel, or plastic such as, e.g., polypropylene.

[0063] The clamp portion, the holder portion and / or the clamping screw (if present), preferably the entire device, may be manufactured by injection molding or 3D printing, in particular selective absorption fusion (SAF). In the latter case, the clamp portion, the holder portion and / or the clamping screw (if present), preferably the entire device, may be made of a polyamide, especially PA 11. PA 11 is a thermoplastic material for SAF printing. It is ideally suited for flexible applications. PA 11 combines enhanced elongation at break with high chemical resistance, together with impact resistance and formability. PA 11 provides improved heat resistance and sufficient fatigue strength to guarantee excellent long-term stability.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0064] The device according to the invention is described in more detail hereinbelow by way of an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of the device according to the present invention, used for holding and mounting medical containers in an upright-inclined position to a stationary mounting structure;Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the device of Fig. 1 without medical containers and without mounting structure;Fig. 3 shows a side view of the device of Fig. 1 without mounting structure;Fig. 4 shows a top view of the device of Fig. 1 without medical containers and without the mounting structure;Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of the device according to the present invention;Fig. 6 shows a skew top view of the device of Fig. 5;Fig. 7 shows a front view of the device of Fig. 5; andFig. 8 shows a back view of the device of Fig. 5; of Embodiments

[0065] In the following description certain terms are used for reasons of convenience and are not intended to limit the invention. The terms “right”, “left”, “up”, “down”, “under” and “above" refer to directions in the figures. The terminology comprises the explicitly mentioned terms as well as their derivations and terms with a similar meaning. Also, spatially relative terms, such as "beneath", "below", "lower", "above", "upper", "proximal", "distal", and the like, may be used to describe one element's or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different positions and orientations of the devices in use or operation in addition to the position and orientation shown in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be "above" or "over" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both positions and orientations of above and below. The devices may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Likewise, descriptions of movement along and around various axes include various special device positions and orientations.

[0066] To avoid repetition in the figures and the descriptions of the various aspects and illustrative embodiments, it should be understood that many features are common to many aspects and embodiments. Omission of an aspect from a description or figure does not imply that the aspect is missing from embodiments that incorporate that aspect. Instead, the aspect may have been omitted for clarity and to avoid prolix description. In this context, the following applies to the rest of this description: If, in order to clarify the drawings, a figure contains reference signs which are not explained in the directly associated part of the description, then it is referred to previous or following description sections. Further, for reason of lucidity, if in a drawing not all features of a part are provided with reference signs it is referred to other drawings showing the same part. Like numbers in two or more figures represent the same or similar elements.

[0067] Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 shown a first exemplary embodiment of a device 1 according to the present invention that can be used for holding and stationary mounting of medicalcontainers 100. At hand, the device 1 is especially conceived for holding two medical containers 100 in an upright-inclined position and for mounting them to a stationary, horizontally oriented board-like mounting structure 200.

[0068] As can be seen from Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the medical containers 100 in the present embodiment are vials used for storing medical products, such as liquid drug solutions. Each of the two medical containers 100 comprises a bottom portion 120 and a plurality of longitudinal portions 130, 140, 110, 150 extending from the bottom portion 120 along a longitudinal axis 105 of the medical container 100 towards a container opening 160 opposite the bottom portion 120. The longitudinal portions 130, 140, 110, 150 form a side wall or side wall portion of the medical container 100. At hand, the longitudinal portions include a body portion 130 (belly portion), a shoulder portion 140, a neck portion 110 and a finish portion 150. The finish portion 150 comprises a flange defining the container opening 160 opposite to the bottom portion 120. In addition, the medical container 100 comprises a closure 170 for closing the container opening 160. At hand, the closure 170 is a cap including a septum as sealing covering the container opening 160 which is designed to be pierced, e.g. by a hollow needle, in order to enable extraction of the medical product from the interior of the medical container 100.

[0069] For holding the medical containers 100, the device 1 comprises a holder portion 2 including a respective first support and second support 10, 20 for each of the two medical containers 100. The first supports 10 are configured for supporting the neck portions 110 of the medical containers 100, whereas the second supports 20 are configured for supporting the bottom portions 120 of the medical containers 100. Accordingly, the first supports 10 may be denoted as neck supports, and the second supports 20 may be denoted as bottom supports. In addition to the respective first and second supports 10, 20, the holder portion 2 comprises a respective base portion 30 for each of the two pairs of first and second supports 10, 20, which the respective first and second supports, 10, 20 branch off.

[0070] Further details of the first and second supports 10, 20 are illustrated in Fig. 4. In the present embodiment, each of the first supports 10 is formed by a clamping bracket comprising a pair of clamping bracket arms 11 which are configured to support the respective medical container 100 about its neck portion 110 in a snap-fit relationship. The dimensions of the clamping bracket arms 11 are chosen such that they flex slightly apart from each other upon inserting the neck portion 110 laterally into the receiving opening12 formed by the free ends 13 of the bracket arms 11 and to return to their original position when the neck portion 110 is fully received in the partially ring-shaped receptacle 14 formed by correspondingly shaped sections 15 of the clamping bracket arms 11 .

[0071] As can be best seen from Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the second supports 20 are formed as resilient, flexible cantilevers branching off the respective base portions 30. The cantilevers are formed as beams being supported at one end at the respective base portion 30 and unsupported at the other end. As such, the second supports 20 are configured to be elastically deformed, in particular slightly flexed at their far, unsupported end. Thus, once the medical container 100 is received, the second supports 20 are able to apply a resilient force to the bottom portion 120 which urges the medical container 100 towards the first support 10. As a result, the respective shoulder portion 140 of each medical container 100 engages the respective first support 10 such that the entire medical container 100 is fixedly held in a clamping manner between the neck support provided by the first support 10 and the bottom support provided by the second support 20.

[0072] As can be further seen in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the cantilever-like second supports 20 are curved having a concave side facing the first support 10 or the bottom portion 120, respectively. This shape facilitates engagement of the second supports 20 with the bottom portions 120, especially with a concavity of the bottom portion 120. Furthermore, each cantilever-like second support 20 comprises a contact projection 22 at its free end portion which provides a geometrically well-defined contact for contacting the bottom portion 120, in particular for engaging with a concavity of the bottom portion 120. For this, a width extension of the second supports 20 at least at their free end portions is smaller than a width extension of the bottom portion 120 as measured in respective planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 105 of the medical container 100 when it is supported in the holder portion 2.

[0073] In the present embodiment, the medical containers 100 are additionally supported by receptacles 35 formed as receiving openings in the respective base portions 30 of the holder portion 2. More specifically, the rim of each receiving opening provides a line contact portion for supporting a side wall portion of the body portion 130 of each medical container 100. As such, the receptacles 35 advantageously provide side wall supports which make the mounting of the medical containers 100 on the holder portion 2 even more stable.

[0074] As can be seen from the side view of Fig. 3, the base portions 30 essentially have a S-shape as seen in a plane parallel to the respective directions in which the first and the second supports 10, 20 branch off the base portions 30. Advantageously, the S- shape induces intrinsic spring properties which in turn may facilitate to fix the medical containers 100 in a clamping manner between the first and second supports 10, 20.

[0075] In order to allow a stationary mounting of the medical containers 100 at a location the medical containers 100 are to be used at, the clamp portion 34 is configured for reversibly clamping the device 1 to a corresponding mounting structure 200. The mounting structure 200 may be a board-like, plate-like or post-like mounting structure, especially in a medical or pharmaceutical or laboratory facility. For example, the mounting structure 200 may be a board, a plate, a counter, a worktop, a desk top, a shelf, in particular shelf wall or shelf board, a hospital bed, an operating table, a stand, a post, a siderail or the like. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , the mounting structure 200 is aboard-like worktop in hospital setting.

[0076] For clamping the device 1 to the mounting structure 200, the device 1 comprises a clamp portion 4, which in the present embodiment has a U-bracket shape. More specifically, the clamp portion 4 comprises a first bracket arm 41 , a second bracket arm 42 and a bracket base 43 which the first and the second bracket arms 41 , 42 branch off. Furthermore, the clamp portion 4 comprises outwardly protruding curved corner portions 44 between the bracket base 43 and the first bracket arm 41 and the second bracket arm 42, respectively. Advantageously, the corner portions 44 may help to promote resilient clamping properties of the clamp portion 43. In addition, the device 1 comprises a clamping screw 50 passing through a threated through hole 45 in the first bracket arm 41 in order to clamp the mounting structure 200 between the contact end 52 of the clamping screw 50 and the second bracket arm 42. Advantageously, the clamping screw 50 makes the clamp portion 4 adjustable for any desired mounting structures such that the device 1 can be secured to a variety of mounting structures and easily removed to be affixed to another mounting structure.

[0077] In the present embodiment, the clamping screw 50 and the throated through hole 45 have a nominal thread diameter of 14 millimeters, and a thread pitch of 2 millimeters, thus ensuring a large-area distribution as well as a sufficiently precise adjustability of theclamping force. In addition, the threaded sections are easier to access for cleaning and / or sterilization purposes with these relatively large diameters.

[0078] The contact end 52 of the clamping screw 50 has a diameter smaller than a core thread diameter of the clamping screw 50 and of the threated through hole 45, allowing the clamping screw 50 to be removed from the clamp portion 4. This also facilitates cleaning and / or sterilization of the entire device 1 .

[0079] In order to provide a user-convenient access to the container openings 160 from diagonally above, the holder portion 2 and the clamp portion 4 are arranged relative to each other to hold the medical containers 100 such that upon clamping the device 1 to the mounting structure 200 the medical containers 100 is held in an upright-inclined position in which the longitudinal axes 105 of the medical containers 150 are inclined relative to the horizontal by an angle, which at hand is 65°. This upright-inclined mounting position may also help to ensure that labels containing information on the medical products stored in the medical containers 100 remain clearly visible.

[0080] In the present embodiment, the holder portion 2 and the clamp portion 4 are formed integrally with each other in one piece, which enables a simple and cost-effective manufacture of the holder portion 2 and the clamp portion 4, especially from a single material. Preferably, the clamping screw 50 is made of the same material to avoid wear issues caused by unfavorable or incompatible material pairings.

[0081] At hand, the clamp portion 4, the holder portion 2 and the clamping screw 50 are made of PA 11 . PA 11 is a thermoplastic material for SAF printing. It is ideally suited for flexible applications. PA 11 combines enhanced elongation at break, impact resistance and formability with high chemical resistance. In particular, PA 11 is chemically resistant against disinfectants, in particular against alcohol, and also against a wide range of sterilization means, making the device ideally suitable for use in a medical or pharmaceutical or laboratory facility.

[0082] Fig. 5 to Fig. 8 shown a second exemplary embodiment of a device 1001 used for holding and stationary mounting of medical containers in accordance with the present invention. The device 1001 of Fig. 5 to Fig. 8 is similar to the device 1 of Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. Therefore, similar or identical features are denoted by the same reference numbers, yet incremented by 1000. Similar to the device 1 according to the first embodiment, the device1001 according to the second embodiment comprises a holder portion 1002 for holding two medical containers, including a respective first support and second support 1010, 1020 for each of the two medical containers. While the first supports 1010 are configured for supporting the neck portions of the medical containers 100 (as a first longitudinal portion), the second supports 1020 are configured for supporting respective second longitudinal portions of the medical containers adjacent to the respective bottom portions. In addition to the respective first and second supports 1010, 1020, the holder portion 1002 comprises a respective base portion 1030 for each of the two pairs of first and second supports 1010, 1020, which the respective first and second supports, 1010, 1020 branch off.

[0083] In the second embodiment, each of the first supports 1010 is formed by a clamping bracket comprising a pair of clamping bracket arms 1011 which are configured to support the respective medical container about its neck portion in a snap-fit relationship. The dimensions of the clamping bracket arms 1011 are chosen such that they flex slightly apart from each other upon inserting the neck portion laterally into the receiving opening 1012 formed by the free ends 1013 of the bracket arms 1011 and to return to their original position when the neck portion is fully received in the partially ringshaped receptacle 1014 formed by correspondingly shaped sections 1015 of the clamping bracket arms 1011. In contrast to the first embodiment, shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4, the sections 1015 of the clamping bracket arms 1011 are formed such that the receiving opening 1012 are facing diagonally outwards, as can be best seen in Fig. 6. Advantageously, this facilitates the insertion and removal of the medical containers.

[0084] In addition, as can be especially seen from Fig. 7, each of the sections 1015 comprises two contact pins 1018 (at hand four pins for each first support 1010) which are arranged around the inner circumference of the ring-shaped receptacle 1014 and protrude with respective axial end portions 1019 beyond the lower edge of the ringshaped receptacle 1014 towards the second support 1020. The contact pins 1018 including the axial end portions 1019 provide contact portions, protruding radially inward into the receptacle 1014 and axially towards the second support 1020. As such, the contact pins 1018 are specifically shaped for contacting, especially for hugging, the neck portion of the medical containers, in particular between a finish portion (e.g. a flange) and a shoulder portion of the medical containers. Advantageously, the specific design and arrangement of the contact pins 1018 help to optimize the rigidity of the gripping structurewhile using minimal material, thus ensuring that the medical containers are held securely but can still be easily extracted from the vial hugger after use.

[0085] In contrast to the cantilever-like second supports 20 of the device 1 according to the first embodiment, the device 1001 according to the second embodiment as shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 8 comprises two closed support rings 1022 as second supports 1020 which are arranged in parallel to the ring-shaped receptacle 1014 formed by the clamping bracket arms 1011 of the first support 1010. At hand, the support rings 1022 are particularly configured to laterally support, in particular laterally stabilize respective second longitudinal portions of the medical containers adjacent to respective bottom portions the medical containers when being received by the device 1001 . Yet, the support rings 1022 according to the present embodiment do not support the respective bottom portions of the medical containers. More particularly, the receptacles formed by the support rings 1022 are dimensioned in relation to the medical containers to be used with the device 1001 such that the second longitudinal portions are laterally supported by the support rings 1022 through temporary contact only. That is, without external influence, e.g. without external manipulation of the medical containers by a user, the medical containers are not in contact with the support rings 1022 but only supported, in particular held by the first supports 1010 at the first longitudinal portions. In case of an external manipulation of the medical containers, e.g. by a user, they may be slightly displaced relative to the second supports 1020 such that they get temporarily into contact with the support rings 1022 by their second longitudinal portions. In this situation, the support rings 1022 advantageously serve to restrict a further displacement of the medical container, thereby laterally stabilizing the mounting of the medical containers in the device 1001 .

[0086] As can be especially seen from Fig. 5 and Fig., 7, the support rings 1022 comprise chamfered rim portions at both sides, i.e. a side facing towards the first supports 1010 and an opposite side facing away from the first supports 1010. Advantageously, this facilitates the insertion and removal of the medical containers into and from the support rings.

[0087] Similar to the first embodiment, the device 1001 according to the second embodiment comprises receptacles 1035 which are formed by receiving openings in the respective base portions 1030 having chamfered rim portions for laterally supporting the medical containers. As such, the receptacles 1035 advantageously provide side wallsupports which make the mounting of the medical containers on the holder portion 1002 even more stable.

[0088] As shown in Fig. 5, the base portions 1030 also essentially have a S-shape as seen in a plane parallel to the respective directions in which the first and the second supports 1010, 1020 branch off the base portions 1030.

[0089] Like in the first embodiment, the device 1001 according to the second embodiment also comprises a clamp portion 1004 having a U-bracket shape for clamping the device 1001 to a mounting structure. With reference to Fig. 5, the clamp portion 1004 comprises a first bracket arm 1041 , a second bracket arm 1042 and a bracket base 1043 which the first and the second bracket arms 1041 , 1042 branch off. Like in the first embodiment, the clamp portion 1004 of the device 1001 according to the second embodiment comprises outwardly protruding curved corner portions 1044 between the bracket base 1043 and the first bracket arm 1041 and the second bracket arm 1042, respectively. Advantageously, the corner portions 1044 may help to promote resilient clamping properties of the clamp portion 1043.

[0090] In addition, the device 1 comprises a clamping screw 1050 passing through a threated through hole 1045 in the first bracket arm 1041 in order to clamp the mounting structure between the second bracket arm 1042 and a contact plate 1052 that is pivotably coupled to an end of the clamping screw 1050. Advantageously, the contact plate 1052 increases the contract area to the mounting structure and thus may help to make the clamping more robust, while the pivotability allows to clamp the device to various mounting structures, in particular those having oblique surfaces.

[0091] This description and the accompanying drawings that illustrate aspects and embodiments of the present invention should not be taken as limiting-the claims defining the protected invention. In other words, while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. Various mechanical, compositional, structural, electrical, and operational changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this description and the claims. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention. Thus, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill within the scope and spirit of thefollowing claims. In particular, the present invention covers further embodiments with any combination of features from different embodiments described above and below.

[0092] The disclosure also covers all further features shown in the Figs, individually although they may not have been described in the afore or following description. Also, single alternatives of the embodiments described in the figures and the description and single alternatives of features thereof can be disclaimed from the subject matter of the invention or from disclosed subject matter. The disclosure comprises subject matter consisting of the features defined in the claims or the exemplary embodiments as well as subject matter comprising said features. Also, the present disclosure covers intermediate generalisations of features or groups of features of the embodiments described and shown in the figures. I.e. , specific features or groups of features as disclosed in the figures and the associated sections of the description may be combined with the more general embodiments of the invention disclosed in connection with the description of the invention. In particular, such specific features or groups of features may be provided in the more general embodiments of the invention in isolation from further specific features shown in the figure. It is understood that those skilled in the art are able to incorporate specific features from the description of the figures into the embodiments of the description of the invention.

[0093] Furthermore, in the claims the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single unit or step may fulfil the functions of several features recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. The terms “essentially”, “about”, “approximately” and the like in connection with an attribute or a value particularly also define exactly the attribute or exactly the value, respectively. The term “about” in the context of a given numerate value or range refers to a value or range that is, e.g., within 20%, within 10%, within 5%, or within 2% of the given value or range. Components described as coupled or connected may be electrically or mechanically directly coupled, or they may be indirectly coupled via one or more intermediate components. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A device (1 , 1001 ) for holding and mounting at least one medical container (100), in particular in an upright-inclined position, the device (1 , 1001 ) comprising:- a holder portion (2, 1002) comprising at least one first support (10, 1010), in particular a neck support, for supporting a first longitudinal portion (110, 130, 140, 150) of the medical container (100), in particular a neck portion (110) of the medical container (100), and- a clamp portion (4, 1004) for reversibly clamping the device (1 , 1001 ) to a corresponding mounting structure (200).

2. The device (1 , 1001 ) of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first support (10, 1010) is configured to support, in particular to hold, the medical container (100) in a snap-fit relationship about the first longitudinal portion (110, 130, 140, 150) of the medical container (100), in particular about the neck portion (110) of the medical container (100).

3. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one first support (10, 1010) comprises a gripper or a clamping bracket or a receiving slot.

4. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one first support (10) comprises a receptacle for receiving the first longitudinal portion (110, 130, 140, 150) of the medical container (100).

5. The device (1 , 1001 ) of claim 3 and claim 4, wherein the receptacle is formed by the gripper or the clamping bracket or the receiving slot.

6. The device (1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one first support (1010) comprises a plurality of contact pins (1018), in particular at least three or at least four contact pins (1018).

7. The device (1001 ) of claim 6, wherein each of the contact pins (1018) extends longitudinally in a same direction as a longitudinal extension of the medical container when being held by the device.

8. The device (1001 ) of claim 6 and claim 7, wherein the contact pins (1018) are arranged in a distributed manner over an inner circumference of the receptacle.

9. The device (1001 ) of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein each of the contact pins (1018) protrudes radially inward beyond the remaining parts of the at least one first support (1010) towards the first longitudinal portion of the medical container when being held by the device.

10. The device (1001 ) of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein each of the contact pins (1018) has a protruding axial end portion (1019) facing towards a shoulder portion of the medical container when being held by the device.

11. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (1 , 1001 ) comprises at least one second support (20, 1020) for supporting a second longitudinal portion and / or a bottom portion (120) of the medical container (100).

12. The device (1 , 1001 ) of claim 11 , wherein the holder portion (2, 1002) comprises at least one base portion (30, 1030), which the at least one first support (10, 1010) and the at least one second support (20, 1020) branch off.

13. The device (1 , 1001 ) of claim 12, wherein the at least one base portion (30, 1030) essentially has a S-shape or a C-shape or a U-shape.

14. The device (1 ) of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the at least one second support (20) comprises or is formed as a cantilever, in particular a resilient cantilever.

15. The device (1 ) of claim 14, wherein the cantilever comprises or is formed as a beam or a plate.

16. The device (1 ) of any one claims 11 to 15, wherein the at least one second support (20) is curved, in particular having a concave side facing the at least one first support (10).

17. The device (1 ) of any one claims 11 to 16, wherein a free end portion of the at least one second support (20) comprises a contact projection (22) for contacting thebottom portion (120) of the medical container (100), in particular for engaging with a concavity of the bottom portion (120) of the medical container (100).

18. The device (1001 ) of any one claims 11 to 17, wherein the at least one second support (1020) comprises or is formed as a support ring (1022), in particular a closed support ring (1022), or as a support bracket, in particular a closed support bracket.

19. The device (1001 ) of any claim 18, wherein the support ring (1022) or the support bracket comprises a chamfered rim portion at a side facing towards the first support.

20. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder portion (2, 1002) comprises at least one side wall support for supporting a portion of a side wall of the at least one medical container (100).21 . The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder portion (2, 1002) comprises at least one receptacle (35, 1035), in particular a recess or a receiving opening, for receiving a portion of a side wall of the at least one medical container (100).

22. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the clamp portion (4, 1004) is bracket-shaped, in particular U-bracket-shaped.

23. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the clamp portion (4, 1004) comprises a first bracket arm (41 , 1041 ), a second bracket arm (42, 1042) and a bracket base (43, 1043) which the first and the second bracket arms (41 , 42, 1041 , 1042) branch off.

24. The device (1 , 1001 ) of claim 23, wherein the clamp portion (4, 1004) comprises curved corner portions (44, 1044), in particular outwardly protruding curved corner portions (44, 1044), between the bracket base (43, 1043) and the first bracket arm (41 , 1041 ) and the second bracket arm (42, 1042), respectively.

25. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (1 , 1001 ) comprises a clamping screw (50, 1050) passing through a threated through hole (45, 1045) in the clamp portion (4, 1004), in particular in the first bracket arm (41 , 1041 ).

26. The device (1 , 1001 ) of claim 25, wherein the clamping screw (50, 1050) and the clamp portion (4, 1004) preferably are made of the same material.

27. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of claim 25 or claim 26, wherein the clamping screw (50, 1050) and the threated through hole (45, 1045) have a nominal thread diameter of at least 10 millimeters, in particular of at least 12 millimeters, more particularly of at least 14 millimeters.

28. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the clamping screw (50, 1050) and the throated through hole (45, 1045) have a thread pitch of at least 1.5 millimeters, in particular at least 1.75 millimeters, more particularly of at least 2 millimeters.

29. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein the clamping screw (50, 1050) is configured to be removed from the clamp portion (4, 1004).

30. The device (1) of any one of claims 25 to 29, wherein a contact end (52) of the clamping screw (50) for contacting the mounting structure (200) has a diameter equal to or smaller than a core thread diameter of the clamping screw (50) and of the throated through hole (45).

31. The device (1001) of any one of claims 25 to 30, wherein the device (1001 ) comprises a contact plate (1052) coupled, in particular pivotably coupled, to the clamping screw (1050) for contacting the mounting structure.

32. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder portion (2, 1002) and the clamp portion (4, 1004) are arranged and configured to hold the at least one medical container (100) such that upon clamping the device (1 , 1001 ) to the corresponding mounting structure (200) a longitudinal axis (105) of the medical container (100) is inclined relative to the horizontal by an angle in a range between 45° and 95°, in particular between 50° and 80°, more particularly between 60° and 70°, for example by angle of 65°.

33. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder portion (2, 1002) and the clamp portion (4, 1004) are formed integrally with each other, in particular in one piece.

34. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the entire device (1 , 1001 ) is made of a single material.

35. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder portion (2, 1002) and the clamp portion (4, 1004) are separate parts coupled to each other, in particular by a joint, preferably by a swivel joint, a pivot joint or a ball joint, more preferably by a lockable swivel joint, a lockable pivot joint or a lockable ball joint.

36. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (1 , 1001 ) is chemically resistant against disinfectants, in particular against alcohol.

37. The device (1 , 1001 ) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (1 , 1001 ) is resistant against sterilization, in particular in a sterilization autoclave.

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