Method and packaging for preserving and dispensing portions of a sterile liquid
AssigneeTransphyto S.A.
InventorsJean-Pierre Lontrade, Henri Chibret
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Liquid is enclosed in a resiliently deformable container, the neck of which has a microfiltering membrane which is permeable to the liquid but impermeable to air when wet. Since the container resiliently recovers its shape after it is deformed, the liquid remaining in contact with the outside of the membrane after use is sucked back in and the membrane is kept moist until the next time the container is used.
Claims14
A method for dispensing portions of sterile liquid enclosed in a container having a neck in which is positioned a microfiltering membrane for control of dispension of liquid, said membrane having an inner face and outer face and being permeable to the liquid but impermeable to air when said membrane is in a wet state, said method comprising:
- moistening said membrane with liquid contained in said container prior to first delivery of a liquid portion,
- exerting pressure on liquid within said container to deliver a quantity of liquid through said membrane,
- after delivery of said quantity of liquid, selectively sucking liquid remaining in contact with said outer face of said membrane into said container without any suction of air, and keeping said membrane moistened with liquid between successive deliveries, whereby contamination of liquid remaining within said container between deliveries is prevented.
A device for dispensing sterile liquid comprising:
- a container having a wall which is elastically deformable by manual compression, a delivery opening, and a microfiltering membrane which controls dispension of liquid through said delivery opening, said membrane having an inner face and outer face and being permeable to liquid but impermeable to air when said membrane is in a wet state,
- wherein elastic shape recovery of said wall of said container after manual compression thereof produces between said faces of said membrane a differential pressure lower than the differential pressure of the bubble point which permits the flow of air through said membrane when wet, whereby, after expulsion of liquid through said membrane due to compression of said wall of said container, liquid remaining in contact with said outer face of said membrane is selectively returned into said container through said membrane by suction induced by the negative pressure produced within said container by said elastic shape recovery of said wall without any suction of external air;
- said device further comprising means imposing storage of said container in an inverted position, thereby keeping said membrane moistened with liquid between successive deliveries.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.