US 8,925,734 B2Granted

Filter vial

AssigneeScientific Plastic Products, Inc.

InventorsSamuel A. Ellis, Kishan G. Hingorani

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Abstract

A filter vial and piston are provided where the vial has a cylindrical wall with a closed bottom and open top and with the hollow, tubular piston therein. The piston has a distal end covered by a cup having a proximal cup seal extending outward to engage the walls of the vial to form a fluid tight seal with the vial during use. The distal end of the piston has a piston flange extending outwardly and located adjacent a recess in the piston so the cup forms a snap fit over the piston flange and extends into the recess. The piston flange causes the cup to bulge sufficiently outward to form a fluid tight seal with the vial during use. A filter is placed in the bottom of the cup and abuts an inwardly extending lip on the cup. The filter is held against the lip by a piston support at the distal end of the piston. A cup support at a distal end of the cup also helps support the filter.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a filter vial kit, comprising:

forming a plastic tube with a closed bottom, an open top and a cylindrical interior wall with a diameter D, the tube having longitudinal axis;
forming a tubular, plastic piston having a cylindrical wall defining an interior, forming an outer wall of the piston to have an outer diameter less than D, the tubular piston having a longitudinal axis, forming a distal piston flange at or adjacent to the distal end of the piston with the flange extending outward from the piston and outward from the longitudinal axis of the piston, the piston having distal and proximal ends with the forming step including forming an opening in the distal end of the piston and further forming a filter support at the distal end of the piston extending across that opening, the filter support not blocking that opening and having passages through which fluid can flow through the opening and into the interior of the piston during use;
forming a plastic retainer cup having a bottom and continuous sidewall with the sidewall extending between the bottom at a distal end of the cup and a proximal end of the cup, forming the cup sidewall to have an interior diameter sufficiently smaller than the distal piston flange to allow the sidewall to contact but pass over the distal piston flange, forming the cup bottom with at least one opening through which fluid can flow during use, forming on the cup a cup seal extending outward from the proximal end of the cup a distance greater than the diameter D, forming the sidewall of the cup sufficiently flexible to deform outward as the cup passes over the distal piston flange so the sidewall can have an outer dimension larger than diameter D at the location of the piston flange when the retainer cup passes over the distal piston flange;
and
providing a filter that is configured to fit between and be held between the retaining cup and the distal end of the piston when the proximal end of the retainer cup is placed over the distal end of the piston, the filter being selected to filter fluid passing into the piston during use.

2 more elements

A method for assembling a filter vial having a tubular body with a longitudinal axis, a closed bottom, an open top and a cylindrical interior wall joining the bottom, the wall having an internal diameter of D, comprising:

providing a tubular piston body with opposing distal and proximal ends with an opening in the distal end, the piston having a tubular wall defining an interior of the piston, the piston further having a distal piston flange at or adjacent to the distal end of the piston with the distal piston flange having a portion extending in a radially outward direction from the piston, the tubular wall having an outer diameter less than a diameter D, the piston having a filter support at the distal end of the piston and having openings through which fluid can flow into the interior of the piston during use;
providing a retainer cup having a bottom and continuous sidewall with a cylindrical inner surface, the sidewall extending between the bottom at a distal end of the cup and a proximal end of the cup, the cup sidewall having an interior diameter sufficiently smaller than the distal piston flange to allow the sidewall to pass over the distal piston flange with an interference fit, the bottom having an opening through which fluid can flow during use, the cup further having a cup seal extending outward from the proximal end of the cup a distance greater than the diameter D,
placing a filter fit inside the cup;
and
fitting the sidewall of the retainer cup over the distal piston flange so that sidewall of the cup deforms outward as the cup passes over the distal piston flange so the cup sidewall has an outer dimension larger than diameter D at the location of the piston flange when the retainer cup passes over the distal piston flange, the filter being located between the piston filter support and the cup bottom.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/751,925Filed 28 Jan 2013 · continuation
Priority: 12 Jun 2012
Published: US 2013/0327700 A112 Dec 2013
Granted: 6 Jan 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification27 codes

B01L 3/502
Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes: with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures
B01D 33/0125
Arranged for inward flow filtration: open ended
B01D 33/0183
With flat filtering elements: supported
B01D 35/30
Filtering devices having features not specifically covered by groups B01D24/00 - B01D33/00, or for applications not specifically covered by…

Family

Application13/494,865Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Jun 2012
US 2013/0327700 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 Dec 2013
US 8,383,066 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0251413 A1Published application
US 8,925,734 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.