US 5,687,993 AGranted

Dual containment system for transferring sterile fluids to and from a container

AssigneeHyClone Laboratories, Inc.

InventorLarry H. Brim

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Abstract

A dual containment system is taught for adding sterile or caustic chemical, pharmaceutical, and biological fluids to and withdrawing them from a container. Included is a dual containment enabling fitting having a set of small diameter barbs at each end of a hollow conduit and a set of enlarged inner barbs at each end of a raised portion at the center of the hollow conduit. A port plate with a barbed spout is affixed to an aperture on the container. Also included is a dip tube with one end attached to a small diameter barb on the fitting and the other end extending into the container through the port plate spout. A connecting sheath encompasses the external portion of the dip tube and is attached at one end to a large diameter barb on the fitting and at the other end to the barbed spout. This creates a secondary containment chamber between the dip tube and the connecting sheath. The fitting may also be connected in series with a distal similarly functioning fitting creating a secondary containment chamber that allows the dual containment transfer of fluids. The secondary containment chamber prevents leakage and contamination and may be used for coaxial fluid flow, to effect a gas exchange with the fluid contents, and to cool or heat the fluid.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A fitting for enabling sterile fluid coupling of a first inner tube contained within a first outer tube to a second inner tube contained within a second outer tube, each of the inner tubes and the outer tubes having a lumen extending therethrough, the fitting comprising:

(a) a body having a first end, a second end, and an exterior surface extending therebetween, the body also having an interior surface defining a channel extending between the first end and the second end;
(b) a first small diameter barb encircling and radially projecting out on the exterior surface of the body at the first end thereof, the first small diameter barb being configured to enable a sealed fluid communication with the first inner tube when received within the lumen thereof;
(c) a second small diameter barb encircling and radially projecting out on the exterior surface of the body at the second end thereof, the second small diameter barb being configured to enable a sealed fluid communication with the second inner tube when received within the lumen thereof;
and
(d) a first large diameter barb encircling and radially projecting out on the exterior surface of the body between the first small diameter barb and the second small diameter barb, the first large diameter barb having an outside diameter larger than the outside diameter of the first small diameter barb and being configured to enable a sealed fluid communication with the first outer tube when the first inner tube, the first small diameter barb, and the first large diameter barb are contained within the lumen of the first outer tube, the first enlarged barb also being configured so that when the first inner tube is contained within the first outer tube a space is formed therebetween which is sealed closed at the fitting.

2 more elements

A system for enabling fluid coupling comprising:

a first outer tube having a lumen extending therethrough;
a first inner tube having a lumen extending therethrough and contained within the first outer tube;
a second inner tube having a lumen extending therethrough;
and
a fitting for enabling sterile fluid coupling of the first inner tube to the second inner tube, the fitting comprising:
(a) a unitary body having a first end, a second end, and an exterior surface extending therebetween, the body also having an interior surface defining a channel extending between the first end and the second end;
(b) first attachment means formed on the exterior surface of the body at the first end thereof for connecting the first inner tube in sealed fluid communication with the first end of the channel;
(c) second attachment means formed on the exterior surface of the body at the second end thereof for connecting the second inner tube in sealed fluid communication with the second end of the channel;
and
(d) first coupling means formed on the exterior surface of the body between the first attachment means and the second attachment means for enabling the first outer tube to be attached in a sealed closed connection to the unitary body and the first coupling means and the first attachment means being configured so that when the first inner tube and the first attachment means are received within the first outer tube a containment space is formed, the sealed closed connection precluding fluid communication from the first outer tube through the fitting.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.