Collapsible Fluid Container With Self-Sealing Membrane Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current devices for dispensing medicaments are complex, prone to contamination, and often require expensive construction, with issues such as unintentional fluid leakage and difficulty in maintaining sterility, especially in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible container with a closure piece featuring a valve device that includes two valve openings on a common valve face, sealed by a flexible membrane which lifts to allow fluid passage only under sufficient overpressure, preventing backflow and ensuring fluid-tight closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a penetrable membrane is used to seal the dispensing port, then the container can be opened by piercing, but liquid can escape unhindered after puncture causing undesired dribbling
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing system is segmented into separate functional zones: a removal opening for filling/venting and a dispensing opening for controlled delivery. The valve device further segments the flow path with multiple valve openings (first and second) that can be independently controlled by the flexible membrane, allowing precise control over when and how liquid flows out.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane provides dynamic control of the valve openings, transitioning from a sealed closed state to an open state in response to pressure changes. This dynamic mechanism allows the valve to automatically regulate liquid flow based on internal container pressure, preventing uncontrolled dribbling after puncture while maintaining ease of opening.
2Productivity
If ampoules are opened with a saw or breaking point, then the medicament can be transferred, but a residue must remain and resealing is impossible while maintaining sterility
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows complete recovery of the medicament from the container through the controlled dispensing mechanism, eliminating the residue problem of traditional ampoules. The self-sealing valve maintains sterility throughout multiple access cycles, and the removal opening can be sealed after use, enabling the container to be discarded cleanly without compromising sterility during the transfer process.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve device provides self-service functionality by automatically sealing the dispensing opening when internal pressure decreases after medicament transfer. This self-sealing mechanism eliminates the need for manual resealing operations while maintaining sterility, allowing complete extraction of medicament without residue and ensuring the container can be safely discarded.
3Reliability
If primary packs are pierced for repeated withdrawal, then the interior remains largely sterile, but the systems are complex and there is increased risk of contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The closure piece serves multiple functions: it seals the container during storage, allows controlled access through the valve mechanism, enables complete medicament transfer, and automatically reseals to maintain sterility. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate primary and secondary packaging systems, reducing overall complexity while maintaining reliable sterility protection throughout repeated withdrawals.
4Loss of time
If direct injection from container is attempted, then time is saved, but air pockets and dead spaces in the closure piece can prevent direct injection and cause contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device is strategically positioned and designed to create a clear, direct flow path from the container interior through the valve openings to the dispensing opening. By extracting unnecessary dead spaces and air pockets from the flow path through intelligent valve positioning and channel design, the system enables reliable direct injection while maintaining rapid medication delivery.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a simple, safe, and cost-effective device for multiple dispensing of medicaments without leakage or contamination, suitable for direct parenteral administration, while maintaining sterility and preventing fluid loss.
Implementation Method 1
a continuous flexible membrane is present, which in the closed position of the valve device rests on the valve surface in a manner that can be lifted off in some areas and thus seals the valve openings against one another in a fluid-tight manner
Implementation Method 2
allows the fluid to pass through the dispensing channel if there is a sufficiently high overpressure in a fluid in the removal section
Data Source
Figure 1a~1d
Figure 1e~2c
Figure 3a~3d
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for receiving or dispensing a fluid (39), preferably containing a pharmaceutical, comprising a container that can be collapsed at least in some regions and a closure piece (2). The closure piece (2) comprises a dispensing channel (18) that fluidically connects a dispensing opening (2.1) to a removal opening (21), wherein a dispensing section (18.1) of the dispensing channel (18) communicates with the dispensing opening (2.1) and a removal section (18.2) of the dispensing channel (18) communicates with the removal opening (21). The dispensing channel (18) comprises a valve device (23) having two valve openings (22, 25), which are arranged next to one another on a valve surface (6.1). A first valve opening (25) of said valve device communicates with the dispensing opening (2.1) via the dispensing section (18.1) of the dispensing channel (18) and a second valve opening (22) communicates with the removal opening (21) via the removal section (18.2) of the dispensing channel (18), wherein a continuous flexible diaphragm (27) is provided, which in a closed position of the valve device (23) is seated against of the valve surface (6.1) and can be lifted in some regions and thus seals the valve openings (22, 25) with respect to one another in a fluid-tight manner.