Vacuum mixing/bone cement cartridge and kit

A two-component bone cement kit comprising:

• (A) a vacuum-packed cartridge mixer, defining an interior volume, containing a first predetermined quantity of a free-flowing, powdery, solid bone cement component, wherein the interior volume of said cartridge mixer, measured in cubic centimeters, is represented by Vcm, said first predetermined quantity of a free-flowing, powdery solid bone cement component has a volume, measured in cubic centimeters, represented by Vbc and Vcm/Vbc is about 1.5 to 3.5, said cartridge mixer comprising:
• a cartridge member, receivable within a bone cement gun, comprising a hollow, air-impermeable cartridge body member having a longitudinal axis, and a first open end and a second open end spaced apart on said longitudinal axis.
• an air-impermeable piston member, axially slidable within said hollow cartridge body, disposed within said cartridge body, proximate said first end of said cartridge body, to close said first end of said cartridge body,
• releasable hermetic sealing means for releasably hermetically sealing said piston member to said cartridge body proximate said first end of said cartridge body,
• a mixer member comprising a hollow, air-impermeable mixer body having a longitudinal axis, and a first open end and a second open end spaced apart on said longitudinal axis,
• releasable connection means for releasably coaxially hermetically sealing connecting said second end of said cartridge body member to said second end of said mixer body for fluidic communication between said cartridge body member and said mixer body, and
• cap means for hermetically sealing said first end of said mixer body, said cap means including
• self-sealing aperture means, pierceable by a hollow needle, for fluidic communication with said interior volume of said cartridge mixer through said hollow needle when pierced by said hollow needle and hermetically sealed closure of said interior volume when said hollow needle is withdrawn, and
• mixing means for agitating a material contained within said interior volume of said cartridge mixer;
• (B) an ampoule, defining an interior volume, containing a second predetermined quantity of a liquid bone cement component, said ampoule comprising a liquid bone cement component impermeable body member having a longitudinal axis, spout means, having a predetermined diameter, for fluid communication with said interior volume of said ampoule and removable closure means for hermetically sealing said spout means;
• (C) an injector comprising
• a hollow injector body member having a longitudinal axis and a first open end and a second open end spaced apart on said longitudinal axis, said hollow injector body member slidingly, coaxially receivable of said ampoule,
• a cap member, disposed on said second open end of said hollow injector body for closure thereof, said cap member including a fluid conduit, coaxial with said hollow body, for passage of a fluid through said cap member,
• hollow needle means, pierceable of said self-sealing aperture means, hermetically connectable to said fluid conduit, for passage of fluid into said interior volume of said cartridge mixer,
• resilient support means, hermetically sealingly connecting said second end of said hollow injector body and said cap member, for engagingly contacting said ampoule, said resilient support means including a fluid passage tapering toward and fluidically connected to said fluid conduit, said fluid passage coaxial with said hollow injector body and receivable of said ampoule spout means;
• and
• (D) float means, having a specific gravity less than said liquid bone cement component, for hermetically sealingly closing said fluid passage in said resilient support means.