US3921630A — Thermoplastic bottle with controlled lateral coll…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 388 words

A ''''closed'''' system for administering medical liquid comprising the combination of a substantially transparent thermoplastic bottle with ''''controlled lateral collapse'''' for accurately measuring the volume of liquid dispensed without inletting air into the bottle, which bottle includes a rigid oval base adapted to support the bottle in a longitudinally upright position on a flat surface during storage; a rigid oval shoulder with a non-air-inletting disPensing outlet therethrough at an opposite end of the bottle; a laterally flexible generally oval side wall integrally connected to the base and shoulder and having a cross-section with a transverse major axis and transverse minor axis, said transverse major axis remaining generally constant in length at various locations along the bottle''s length, and said transverse minor axis becoming progressively shorter as the minor axis proceeds from the oval shoulder to the oval base along the bottle''s length; volumetric calibrations on the side wall; a sterile medical liquid initially filling the bottle between 50 and 95% of its internal capacity, and sterile air occupying the remaining portion of the internal capacity of the bottle immediately prior to dispensing from the bottle to provide a level upper surface of the liquid for measuring against the calibration; said bottle having opposed portions of the side wall that progressively deflect inwardly along its minor axis toward each other as liquid is drained by gravity from the outlet, which side wall portions are maintained at spaced relationships until the liquid''s upper surface has descended below said side wall portions for accurate measurement of the liquid''s upper surface against the calibrations; said rigid oval base having a centrally located recess therein; a hinged thermoplastic hanger integrally formed with the bottle and foldably retained within this recess during storage; a series of protruding feet on the rigid oval base for supporting the bottle on a flat surface during storage; said thermoplastic bottle having a medication additive port closed off by a puncturable resealable rubber diaphragm; a tubular adapter connected to the bottle and surrounding the dispensing outlet; a puncturable diaphragm closing off the tubular adapter; a tubular spike of an administration set wedgingly secured in the tubular adapter; a flexible conduit connected to the spike at one end and extending to a lower dispensing end of the conduit; and an enlarged drip chamber connected in series with the administration set.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 388 words

A ''''closed'''' system for administering medical liquid comprising the combination of a substantially transparent thermoplastic bottle with ''''controlled lateral collapse'''' for accurately measuring the volume of liquid dispensed without inletting air into the bottle, which bottle includes a rigid oval base adapted to support the bottle in a longitudinally upright position on a flat surface during storage; a rigid oval shoulder with a non-air-inletting disPensing outlet therethrough at an opposite end of the bottle; a laterally flexible generally oval side wall integrally connected to the base and shoulder and having a cross-section with a transverse major axis and transverse minor axis, said transverse major axis remaining generally constant in length at various locations along the bottle''s length, and said transverse minor axis becoming progressively shorter as the minor axis proceeds from the oval shoulder to the oval base along the bottle''s length; volumetric calibrations on the side wall; a sterile medical liquid initially filling the bottle between 50 and 95% of its internal capacity, and sterile air occupying the remaining portion of the internal capacity of the bottle immediately prior to dispensing from the bottle to provide a level upper surface of the liquid for measuring against the calibration; said bottle having opposed portions of the side wall that progressively deflect inwardly along its minor axis toward each other as liquid is drained by gravity from the outlet, which side wall portions are maintained at spaced relationships until the liquid''s upper surface has descended below said side wall portions for accurate measurement of the liquid''s upper surface against the calibrations; said rigid oval base having a centrally located recess therein; a hinged thermoplastic hanger integrally formed with the bottle and foldably retained within this recess during storage; a series of protruding feet on the rigid oval base for supporting the bottle on a flat surface during storage; said thermoplastic bottle having a medication additive port closed off by a puncturable resealable rubber diaphragm; a tubular adapter connected to the bottle and surrounding the dispensing outlet; a puncturable diaphragm closing off the tubular adapter; a tubular spike of an administration set wedgingly secured in the tubular adapter; a flexible conduit connected to the spike at one end and extending to a lower dispensing end of the conduit; and an enlarged drip chamber connected in series with the administration set.

Claim 3

Independent Claim 240 words

A method of administering to a patient medical liquid that has a visible upper surface and occupies between 50 and 95% of the internal capacity of a volumetrically calibrated substantially transparent thermoplastic bottle, the remaining volume of said bottle above said surface being occupied by sterile gas, said bottle having a rigid oval base, a rigid oval shoulder defining an outlet, and a flexible oval side wall connected between the base and shoulder, which side wall has a major axis and a minor axis, said method including the steps of supporting the bottle in an outlet downward position; collapsing the oval side wall inwardly along the minor axis as liquid is gravity drained without inletting air into the bottle; contacting opposed portions of the oval side wall at ends of its minor axis above the visible upper surface of the liquid in the bottle when the bottle is hung in its outlet downward position; and progressively flattening the bottle by increasing the longitudinal length of contact between the opposed sections of the side wall above the descending upper surface of the liquid in the bottle until the volume of the partially collapsed bottle is equal to or less than the original space above said liquid prior to said collapsing step whereby substantially all the liquid can be dispensed without inletting air into the bottle, and with an accurate volumetric reading of the liquid''s visible upper surface from the bottle''s calibrations.

Claim 4

Independent Claim 240 words

A method of administering to a patient medical liquid that has a visible upper surface and occupies between 50 and 95% of the internal capacity of a volumetrically calibrated substantially transparent thermoplastic bottle, the remaining volume of said bottle above said surface being occupied by sterile gas, said bottle having a rigid oval base, a rigid oval shoulder defining an outlet, and a flexible oval side wall connected between the base and shoulder, which side wall has a major axis and a minor axis, said method including the steps of supporting the bottle in an outlet downward position; collapsing the oval side wall inwardly along the minor axis as liquid is gravity drained without inletting air into the bottle; contacting opposed portions of the oval side wall at ends of its minor axis above the visible upper surface of the liquid in the bottle when the bottle is hung in its outlet downward position; and progressively flattening the bottle by increasing the longitudinal length of contact between the opposed sections of the side wall above the descending upper surface of the liquid in the bottle until the volume of the partially collapsed bottle is equal to or less than the original space above said liquid prior to said collapsing step whereby substantially all the liquid can be dispensed without inletting air into the bottle, and with an accurate volumetric reading of the liquid''s visible upper surface from the bottle''s calibrations.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 2, where the method also includes connecting the dispensing outlet to a tubular administration set to form a closed system of the bottle and administration set.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 42 words

The method of claim 3, wherein the thermoplastic bottle is of 1 liter size and calibrated between 0 and 1000 ml. and the collapse is carried out to provide a volumetric accuracy in a closed system of + or - 30 ml.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 54 words

the method as seT forth in claim 2, wherein the bottle''s side walls are sufficiently deformed by the inward flexure so that after dispensing its liquid contents and air is allowed to enter the bottle, the bottle does not return to its original shape, and thereby occupies less space than originally for convenient disposal.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 211 words

A liquid administration bottle having a substantially rigid base at one end thereof and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet at the other end thereof, wherein the improvement comprises said dispensing outlet including tubular port means defining an inner surface sealingly engagable with the outer surface of a hollow spike of a medical administration set for forming an airtight seal therewith and for placing said bottle and set in flow communication; a removable bacteria-tight sealing member secured to said tubular port means; said bottle having a tubular wall extending longitudinally between said base and shoulder, which wall has longitudinally columnar rigidity for supporting the bottle upright on its base and has limited lateral flexibility permitting partial, but not total, collapse of the bottle when the same is inverted and gravity drained to a reduced volume capacity; said bottle containing a measured amount of liquid, which liquid has an upper surface, and an amount of sterile gas above said liquid, which has has a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures that is equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity of said bottle, whereby, substantially all of the liquid may be drained from the inverted bottle under the influence of gravity without inletting any additional gas into the bottle.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 211 words

A liquid administration bottle having a substantially rigid base at one end thereof and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet at the other end thereof, wherein the improvement comprises said dispensing outlet including tubular port means defining an inner surface sealingly engagable with the outer surface of a hollow spike of a medical administration set for forming an airtight seal therewith and for placing said bottle and set in flow communication; a removable bacteria-tight sealing member secured to said tubular port means; said bottle having a tubular wall extending longitudinally between said base and shoulder, which wall has longitudinally columnar rigidity for supporting the bottle upright on its base and has limited lateral flexibility permitting partial, but not total, collapse of the bottle when the same is inverted and gravity drained to a reduced volume capacity; said bottle containing a measured amount of liquid, which liquid has an upper surface, and an amount of sterile gas above said liquid, which has has a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures that is equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity of said bottle, whereby, substantially all of the liquid may be drained from the inverted bottle under the influence of gravity without inletting any additional gas into the bottle.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 30 words

The bottle of claim 6 wherein said liquid is a sterile parenteral solution occupying 50 to 95% of the bottle''s uncollapsed volume; said gas above said liquid being sterile air.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 43 words

The bottle of claim 6 wherein said tubular wall of said bottle has portions that contact each other only above the upper surface of said liquid and substantially below said rigid base of the bottle when said bottle is inverted and gravity drained.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 17 words

The bottle of claim 6 in which said tubular wall is substantially transparent and has volumetric calibrations.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 61 words

The bottle of claim 9 wherein said tubular wall is calibrated from 0 to 1,000 ml; said rigid base and shoulder coacting with said flexible tubular wall to control the collapse of said bottle from its uncollapsed condition to said partially collapsed condition to provide a calibration accuracy within + or - 30 ml over the 0 to 1,000 ml range.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 40 words

The bottle of claim 6 wherein said tubular wall has a thickness between 0.010 and 0.035 inches (0.25 and 0.94 mm) and has an oval cross-sectional shape with a major transverse axis substantially greater than the minor transverse axis thereof.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 23 words

The bottle of claim 11 in which said tubular wall has generally parallel longitudinally-extending portions at the ends of said major transverse axis.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 31 words

The bottle of claim 11 wherein said tubular wall has longitudinally-extending portions at the ends of its minor transverse axis that converge in a direction from said shoulder towards said base.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 33 words

The bottle of claim 6 wherein said shoulder has a thickness between 0.040 and 0.060 inches (1.0 and 1.5 mm), has an oval shape, and has portions that slope towards the bottle''s base.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 25 words

The bottle of claim 6 wherein said base has a thickness between 0.060 and 0.090 inches (1.5 and 2.3 mm) and has an oval shape.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 30 words

The bottle of claim 6 wherein said bottle has a pair of flex ribs, each with a thickness between 0.008 and 0.015 inches (0.21 and 0.40 mm), near said base.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 17 words

The bottle of claim 6 wherein said bottle has a pair of gripping flanges near said shoulder.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 24 words

The bottle of claim 6 wherein said bottle is steam sterilizable at 240* to 260*F (116* to 127*C) and is of a propylene-ethylene copolymer.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 171 words

A closed system for administering liquid which includes a bottle having a substantially rigid base and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet, wherein the improvement comprises said bottle having a tubular wall extending longitudinally between said base and said shoulder; said wall having longitudinal columnar rigidity for supporting the bottle upright on its base and having limited lateral flexibility permitting partial, but not total, collapse of the bottle to a reduced volume capacity; said bottle containing a measured amount of liquid having an upper surface intermediate the base and shoulder and also containing above said surface an amount of sterile gas having a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures that is equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity of said bottle, whereby, substantially all of said liquid can drain by gravity from said bottle when the same is inverted without inletting any additional gas into said bottle; and a tubular administration set connected to said outlet, with said combined bottle and administration set forming the closed system.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 171 words

A closed system for administering liquid which includes a bottle having a substantially rigid base and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet, wherein the improvement comprises said bottle having a tubular wall extending longitudinally between said base and said shoulder; said wall having longitudinal columnar rigidity for supporting the bottle upright on its base and having limited lateral flexibility permitting partial, but not total, collapse of the bottle to a reduced volume capacity; said bottle containing a measured amount of liquid having an upper surface intermediate the base and shoulder and also containing above said surface an amount of sterile gas having a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures that is equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity of said bottle, whereby, substantially all of said liquid can drain by gravity from said bottle when the same is inverted without inletting any additional gas into said bottle; and a tubular administration set connected to said outlet, with said combined bottle and administration set forming the closed system.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 40 words

The system of claim 19 wherein the administration set has a lower dispensing end that is 7 to 72 inches (17.9 to 183 cm) below said upper surface of said liquid in said bottle during gravity dispensing of said liquid.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 218 words

A closed system for administering liquid which includes a bottle having a substantially rigid base and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet, wherein the improvement comprises said bottle having a tubular wall extending longitudinally between said base and said shoulder; said wall having longitudinal columnar rigidity for supporting the bottle upright on its base and having limited lateral flexibility permitting partial, but not total, collapse of the bottle to a reduced volume capacity; said bottle containing a measured amount of liquid having an upper surface intermediate the base and shoulder and also containing above said surface an amount of sterile gas having a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures that is equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity of said bottle, whereby, substantially all of said liquid can drain by gravity from said bottle when the same is inverted without inletting any additional gas into said bottle; and a tubular administration set connected to said outlet, with said combined bottle and administration set forming the closed system; said gas having a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures less than the total of the volume of said administration set plus said reduced volume capacity of said bottle, whereby, said administration set is prevented from being completely drained of liquid by gravity during an administration procedure.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 218 words

A closed system for administering liquid which includes a bottle having a substantially rigid base and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet, wherein the improvement comprises said bottle having a tubular wall extending longitudinally between said base and said shoulder; said wall having longitudinal columnar rigidity for supporting the bottle upright on its base and having limited lateral flexibility permitting partial, but not total, collapse of the bottle to a reduced volume capacity; said bottle containing a measured amount of liquid having an upper surface intermediate the base and shoulder and also containing above said surface an amount of sterile gas having a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures that is equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity of said bottle, whereby, substantially all of said liquid can drain by gravity from said bottle when the same is inverted without inletting any additional gas into said bottle; and a tubular administration set connected to said outlet, with said combined bottle and administration set forming the closed system; said gas having a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures less than the total of the volume of said administration set plus said reduced volume capacity of said bottle, whereby, said administration set is prevented from being completely drained of liquid by gravity during an administration procedure.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 64 words

The system of claim 21 wherein said limited lateral flexibility of said tubular wall and said rigidity of said base and shoulder, by permitting only partial collapse of said bottle, produce in combination with said liquid a slight negative pressure within said bottle within the range of 0.2 to 2.0 psi (0.014 to 0.14 kg/cm2) below atmospheric pressure as said bottle is gravity drained.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 238 words

A liquid administration bottle having a substantially rigid base and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet, wherein the improvement comprises a generally transparent volumetrically calibrated oval tubular wall with a major transverse axis and a minor transverse axis; said oval wall extending longitudinally between said base and shoulder and having longitudinal columnar rigidity for supporting the bottle upright on its base; said wall also having limited lateral flexibility along its minor axis permitting partial, but not total, collapse of the bottle to a reduced volume capacity, with opposed portions of the tubular wall contacting each other; said bottle containing a measured amount of liquid occupyiNg 50 to 95% of the bottle''s uncollapsed volume; said liquid having an upper surface and a sterile gas occupying the remaining volume of the bottle above said surface; said gas having a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures that is equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity of said bottle; said rigidity and oval configurations of said base, shoulder, and tubular wall, combined with the proportions of liquid and gas in said bottle, controlling the collapse of the bottle when the same is inverted and gravity drained so that said opposed portions of said tubular wall contact each other only above the upper surface of said liquid; whereby, said bottle may be gravity drained of substantially all of the liquid therein without inletting any additional gas into said bottle.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 238 words

A liquid administration bottle having a substantially rigid base and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet, wherein the improvement comprises a generally transparent volumetrically calibrated oval tubular wall with a major transverse axis and a minor transverse axis; said oval wall extending longitudinally between said base and shoulder and having longitudinal columnar rigidity for supporting the bottle upright on its base; said wall also having limited lateral flexibility along its minor axis permitting partial, but not total, collapse of the bottle to a reduced volume capacity, with opposed portions of the tubular wall contacting each other; said bottle containing a measured amount of liquid occupyiNg 50 to 95% of the bottle''s uncollapsed volume; said liquid having an upper surface and a sterile gas occupying the remaining volume of the bottle above said surface; said gas having a volume at dispensing pressures and temperatures that is equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity of said bottle; said rigidity and oval configurations of said base, shoulder, and tubular wall, combined with the proportions of liquid and gas in said bottle, controlling the collapse of the bottle when the same is inverted and gravity drained so that said opposed portions of said tubular wall contact each other only above the upper surface of said liquid; whereby, said bottle may be gravity drained of substantially all of the liquid therein without inletting any additional gas into said bottle.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 327 words

A medical liquid administration bottle having a substantially rigid base at one end thereof and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet at the other end thereof, wherein the improvement comprises said dispensing outlet including tubular port means defining an inner surface sealingly engagable with the outer surface of a hollow spike of a medical administration set for forming an air-tight seal therewith and for placing said bottle and set in flow communication; a substantially transparent body extending longitudinally between said base and shoulder; said outlet in said shoulder being capable of dispensing liquid from said bottle under the influence of gravity, without the concurrent entry of air, when the bottle is supported and drained in inverted position; said bottle being filled completely with a sterile gas and an infusable sterile liquid, which liquid has an upper surface visible through said transparent body; said body having opposite wall portions is filled and capable of flexing inwardly to engage each other at a point of initial contact intermediate said base and shoulder as said bottle is inverted and drained; the volume of gas in said bottle exceeding the volume of the space in said bottle between said base and said point of initial contact when said opposite wall portions have flexed into engagement; and a graduated scale extending longitudinally along said body; whereby, the upper surface of the liquid as it is drained from said bottle is disposed below the point of initial contact between said opposite wall portions and may be read directly from the scale through the substantially transparent body of the bottle; said body having limited longitudinal columnar rigidity permitting partial, but not total, collapse of said bottle to a state of reduced volume capacity; said gas within the uncollapsed bottle having a volume equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity, whereby, substantially all of the bottle''s liquid contents can be drained by gravity without inletting any additional gas into said bottle.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 327 words

A medical liquid administration bottle having a substantially rigid base at one end thereof and a substantially rigid shoulder with a dispensing outlet at the other end thereof, wherein the improvement comprises said dispensing outlet including tubular port means defining an inner surface sealingly engagable with the outer surface of a hollow spike of a medical administration set for forming an air-tight seal therewith and for placing said bottle and set in flow communication; a substantially transparent body extending longitudinally between said base and shoulder; said outlet in said shoulder being capable of dispensing liquid from said bottle under the influence of gravity, without the concurrent entry of air, when the bottle is supported and drained in inverted position; said bottle being filled completely with a sterile gas and an infusable sterile liquid, which liquid has an upper surface visible through said transparent body; said body having opposite wall portions is filled and capable of flexing inwardly to engage each other at a point of initial contact intermediate said base and shoulder as said bottle is inverted and drained; the volume of gas in said bottle exceeding the volume of the space in said bottle between said base and said point of initial contact when said opposite wall portions have flexed into engagement; and a graduated scale extending longitudinally along said body; whereby, the upper surface of the liquid as it is drained from said bottle is disposed below the point of initial contact between said opposite wall portions and may be read directly from the scale through the substantially transparent body of the bottle; said body having limited longitudinal columnar rigidity permitting partial, but not total, collapse of said bottle to a state of reduced volume capacity; said gas within the uncollapsed bottle having a volume equal to or greater than said reduced volume capacity, whereby, substantially all of the bottle''s liquid contents can be drained by gravity without inletting any additional gas into said bottle.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-11-24	1979-05-26	1979-11-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-11-24	1983-05-26	1983-11-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-11-24	1987-05-26	1987-11-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Thermoplastic bottle with controlled lateral collapse and method of dispensing liquid therefrom

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