Liquid medicament bag with needleless connector fitting using boat assembly

Claim 3

The device of claim 1, wherein the bag is a plastic bag.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1, wherein the valve includes a hollow body defining a fluid passageway therethrough, the valve also including a resilient valve disc positioned in the fluid passageway and being biased into a closed configuration, wherein the disc blocks fluid flow through the fluid passageway, the disc being movable to an open configuration wherein fluid flow is permitted through the fluid passageway.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3, wherein the valve further includes a support element positioned on the valve body between the valve disc and the inside of the bag for supporting the valve disc at the center of the disc, and at least one protrusion found on the body for contacting the disc in the open configuration.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4, wherein the valve further includes a retainer element positioned in the valve on the opposite side of the disc from the support element, to hold the center of the disc against the support element.

Claim 7

The device of claim 5, wherein the valve element is reciprocally disposed in the fluid passageway of the valve on the same side of the disc as the retainer element, the valve element being movable between a first position, wherein the valve element is distanced from the valve disc, and a second position, wherein the valve element contacts the valve disc to move the disc into its open configuration.

Claim 8

The device of claim 6, wherein the valve element is moved to its second configuration by advancing a needleless syringe into the fluid passageway against the valve element.

Claim 9

The device of claim 1, further comprising a rigid assembly having a fluid passageway, the assembly being attached to the bag, the fluid passageway being in fluid communication with the opening in the bag, wherein the bag is a medicament bag having a plurality of layers.

Claim 10

The device of claim 8, wherein the assembly is an elongated valve assembly having a plurality of fluid passageways and a plurality of corresponding valves, at least one of the valves including a male valve element, and one of the other valves being selected from the group of valves consisting of: a valve having a male valve element; and a valve having a female valve element characterized by a skirt defining a skirt radius and an engagement surface defining an engagement radius equal to or less than the skirt radius.

Claim 11

The device of claim 8, further comprising a tamper-resistant cap engaged with the assembly to cover the passageway for fluid communication.

Claim 14

The device of claim 11, wherein each valve has an open position, wherein a passageway for fluid communication is established through the respective port, and a closed configuration, wherein fluid communication through the port is not permitted, each valve being biased to the closed position and being engageable with a needleless connector to establish the open position of the valve.

Claim 15

A liquid medicament bag having an opening and a valve for selectively blocking the opening, the valve comprising: a hollow body defining a fluid passageway therethrough; a resilient valve disc positioned in the fluid passageway and being biased into a closed configuration, wherein the disc blocks fluid flow through the fluid passageway, the disc being movable to an open configuration, wherein fluid flow is permitted through the fluid passageway; a male valve element having a skirt and an engagement surface extending radially outwardly from the skirt for contacting a needleless connector to cause the valve element to reciprocate within the fluid passageway to urge against the disc, wherein the disc is moved to its open configuration by the valve element when the valve is engaged with a needleless connector.

Claim 16

A liquid medicament bag having an opening and a valve for selectively blocking the opening, the valve comprising: a hollow body defining a fluid passageway therethrough; a resilient valve disc positioned in the fluid passageway and being biased into a closed configuration, wherein the disc blocks fluid flow through the fluid passageway, the disc being movable to an open configuration, wherein fluid flow is permitted through the fluid passageway; a male valve element having a skirt and an engagement surface extending radially outwardly from the skirt for contacting a needleless connector to cause the valve element to reciprocate within the fluid passageway to urge against the disc, wherein the disc is moved to its open configuration by the valve element when the valve is engaged with a needleless connector.

Claim 17

The bag of claim 13, further comprising a valve assembly attached to the bag within the opening of the bag for holding the valve.

Claim 18

The bag of claim 14, wherein the valve assembly holds a plurality of valves.

Claim 19

The bag of claim 15, wherein the bag is a liquid medicament bag having a plurality of layers, each layer being laminated to its next successive layer.

Claim 20

The bag of claim 15, wherein the bag is a liquid medicament bag having a plurality of layers, each layer being co-extruded to its next successive layer.

Claim 21

The bag of claim 15, further comprising at least one protrusion formed on the valve for preventing a vacuum lock between the disc and the valve when the disc is in the open configuration.

Claim 22

The bag of claim 15, further comprising at least one groove formed on the valve for preventing a vacuum lock between the disc and the valve when the disc is in the open configuration.

Claim 25

The device of claim 20, further comprising a luer fitting, wherein the valve is engageable with the luer fitting.

Claim 26

The device of claim 20, further comprising a hollow tube, wherein the valve is engageable with the hollow tube.

Claim 27

The device of claim 20, wherein the device further comprises a valve assembly configured as a Y-fitting.

Claim 28

The device of claim 22, wherein the device further comprises a valve assembly including a bulkhead luer fitting.

Claim 29

The device of claim 20, wherein the valve has an open position, wherein a passageway for fluid communication is established through the valve, and a closed configuration, wherein fluid communication through the valve is not permitted, the valve being biased to the closed position and being engageable with a needleless connector to establish the open position of the valve, and the device includes a multi-port valve assembly for holding a plurality of valves.

Claim 30

The device of claim 25, wherein each valve includes a valve element reciprocatingly positioned in the valve assembly for contacting the needleless connector to cause the valve element to reciprocate relative to the bag to establish the fluid passageway through the valve.

Claim 31

The device of claim 23, further comprising at least one extender tube bonded to the Y-fitting, wherein at least one of the valves is engageable with the extender tube.

Claim 32

A valve, comprising: a hollow body defining a fluid passageway therethrough; a resilient valve disc positioned in the fluid passageway and biased to a closed configuration, wherein the disc blocks fluid flow through the fluid passageway, the disc being movable to an open configuration, wherein fluid flow is permitted through the fluid passageway; and a male valve element formed with a skirt and an engagement surface extending radially outwardly from the skirt for contacting a needleless connector, wherein the needleless connector can be advanced against the valve element to urge the valve element against the valve disc and thereby move the valve disc to the open configuration.

Claim 33

A valve, comprising: a hollow body defining a fluid passageway therethrough; a resilient valve disc positioned in the fluid passageway and biased to a closed configuration, wherein the disc blocks fluid flow through the fluid passageway, the disc being movable to an open configuration, wherein fluid flow is permitted through the fluid passageway; and a male valve element formed with a skirt and an engagement surface extending radially outwardly from the skirt for contacting a needleless connector, wherein the needleless connector can be advanced against the valve element to urge the valve element against the valve disc and thereby move the valve disc to the open configuration.

Claim 34

The valve of claim 28, further comprising: a support element positioned on the valve body on the side of the valve disc opposite the valve element; and a retainer element positioned in the valve body on the opposite side of the disc from the support element, to hold the center of the disc against the support element.

Claim 35

The valve of claim 29, wherein an engagement portion of the valve body is configured as a male luer fitting, and the valve element is reciprocatingly disposed in the engagement portion.

Claim 36

The valve of claim 30, wherein the valve element is reciprocally disposed in the valve body on the same side of the disc as the retainer element, the valve element being movable between a first position, wherein the valve element is distanced from the valve disc, and a second position, wherein the valve element contacts the valve disc to move the disc into its open configuration.

Claim 37

The valve of claim 31, further comprising: at least one protrusion formed on the body for contacting the valve disc in the open configuration.

Claim 38

The valve of claim 31, further comprising: at least one groove formed on the body adjacent the support element for preventing the establishment of a vacuum between the valve body and the valve disc in the open configuration.