Rotatable Medical Closure With Frangible Air Suction Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closures for liquid containers in medical applications, such as those used for contrast agents, pose risks of contamination and injury due to the use of spikes and may not effectively manage air flow during liquid delivery.
Innovation Solution
A closure system featuring a rotatable cap that breaks a frangible element to allow air suction and opens a delivery port without the need for spikes, utilizing a valve member and frangible element to control liquid and air flow, ensuring safety and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a spike is used to pierce the membrane for extracting liquid, then liquid delivery is enabled, but contamination risk and injury hazard increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the spike component entirely from the closure system. Instead of using a spike to pierce the membrane, the invention employs a valve member that opens in response to delivery device engagement, eliminating the harmful piercing element while maintaining liquid delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a valve member as an intermediary mechanism between the delivery device and the liquid. The valve member responds to the engagement of the delivery device by opening the delivery port, providing a safe intermediate step that eliminates direct contact with piercing elements.
2Productivity
If a spike is used to pierce the membrane, then liquid extraction is achieved, but membrane particles may detach and contaminate the liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the spike that causes membrane particle detachment. The valve member opens without mechanical piercing, preventing membrane fragmentation and particle contamination while maintaining efficient liquid extraction through the opened delivery port.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the closure is made spike-less with a valve member, then safety is improved, but air flow management during liquid delivery may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into the closure system: the valve member handles liquid delivery, the frangible element manages air flow, and the elastic element provides sealing and pressure regulation. This multi-functional design ensures both safety and effective air flow management during liquid delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The frangible element is pre-positioned to break away when the valve member opens, automatically creating an air flow path before liquid delivery begins. This preliminary preparation ensures proper air flow management is established in advance of the actual liquid extraction process.
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 closure system provides a spike-less, safe, and efficient method for delivering medical liquids while preventing contamination and improving flow by integrating a valve member for liquid delivery and a frangible element for air suction, enhancing operational safety and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
a frangible element closing a suction conduit for suctioning air into the container
Implementation Method 2
the closure may have an elastic element associated with the valve member. According to this technique, the delivery device pushes the valve member to open the delivery port in opposition to the elastic element; therefore, when the delivery device is removed (after the administration of the liquid) the elastic element moves back the valve member so as to close the delivery port again
Data Source
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AI summary
A solution is proposed for closing a mouth (125) of a container (110) of a liquid (105). A corresponding closure (135) comprises a cap (205) having fixing means (318) for fixing the cap (205) to the container (110), the cap (205) being rotatable around a longitudinal axis (203) of the container (110) in a fixed condition wherein the closure (135) is fixed to the container (110), a delivery port (336) for delivering the liquid (105) from the container (110), a cap suction conduit (345) for suctioning air into the container (110) during the delivering of the liquid (105) and a connector (342) for connecting a delivery device (805) of the liquid (105), the connector (342) being in fluid communication with the delivery port (336), a cursor (210) having a thread (406) for screwing the cursor (205) with respect to the container (110), a valve member (424) in a closed position wherein the valve member (215) closes the delivery port (336), and a cursor suction conduit (433) slidebly coupled with the cap suction conduit (345), a frangible element (351) closing the cap suction conduit (345) or the cursor suction conduit (433), and dragging means (327, 409) for dragging the cursor (210) into rotation by the cap (205), wherein the closure (135) is configured to cause the cursor (210) to slide with respect to the cap (205) in response to at least one rotation of the cap (205) thereby moving the cursor suction conduit (433) to break the frangible element (351), putting in fluid communication the cursor suction conduit (433) with the cap suction conduit (345), and moving the valve member (424) to an open position, wherein the valve member (215) opens the delivery port (336).