Title of Invention

CONTAINER, IN PARTICULAR AN AMPULE

Abstract The invention relates to a container, in particular an ampoule, which consists of at least one layer of plastic material and which comprises a discharge chamber (10) wherein a discharge medium can be stored and discharged via at least one container opening (12) which can be closed respectively by means of a closeable closing part (14). The invention is characterized in that the discharge chamber (10) comprises at least one additional container opening (16) which can be closed by means of an additional closeable closing part (18). For an individual container, at least two different types of container openings (12, 16) are provided thereon which are economical to produce and can lead to a plurality of connection solutions.
Full Text WO 2006/048105 PCTYEP2005/011057
CONTAINER, IN PARTICULAR AN AMPULE
The invention relates to a container, in particular an ampule, consisting of at least one layer
of plastic material, with a delivery chamber in which at least one delivery medium can be stored
which can be delivered via at least one container opening which can be closed by means of a
detachable closure part.
DE 38 33 036 C2 discloses a double chamber container, especially a double chamber
ampule, with two chambers formed by two receptacles located in parallel next to one another and
which have removable closures which are molded to a single twist closure. In the known solution
the two receptacles are detachably connected to one another, the neck part of one receptacle which
forms the fill and/or removal opening being provided with a conical outer jacket surface which
tapers toward the free end of this neck part and the neck part of the other receptacle which forms the
fill and/or removal opening being provided with an inner cone which is made to correspond to the
outer cone of the other receptacle and tapers against the interior of the container.
With the known double chamber solution, the contents of the two containers can be brought
together and mixed without an additional receptacle being necessary for this purpose. The tight plug
closure by way of the cones also allows the two receptacles to be shaken in the known solution.
Because the two closures are molded onto a single twist closure, they can be removed from the neck
part which bears them essentially at the same time using this twist closure and a mixing process can

WO 2006/048105 PCT/EP2005/011057
be initiated. If in the known solution at least one of the two receptacles can be furthermore
deformed, before producing the plug connection it can be somewhat compressed, resulting in a
slight underpressure by which the liquid (delivery medium) can be sucked out of the other
container. Furthermore it is ensured that the neck part of one container forms an inner cone which
for ampules is advantageously made according to the standards for medical devices, so that the cone
of a syringe can be inserted into the neck part. Furthermore it is possible not to fill one receptacle. In
the joined state a relatively large amount of space is then available. This can be advantageous for
example when the contents of the filled receptacle must be moved back and forth or vigorously
shaken before use, for example to facilitate its application.
The disadvantage in the known solution is that each container always has only one special
type of container opening so that only pairs can ever be connected to one another in this way on
containers with their corresponding associated delivery openings. Since these containers are
generally combined in a configuration of several next to one another in blocks of ampules, problems
can arise when the pertinent pairs, especially after their separation from the ampule block, must be
properly collected and matched. If the containers are used individually, it cannot moreover be
precluded that for the intended connection possibility in the form of the delivery openings on the
respective delivery chambers there is not directly a proper filling and/or removal connection on site.
Furthermore, in the known solution production costs are increased since tools for two different types
of containers must be made available.
On the basis of this prior art, the object of the invention is to further improve the known
container solution such that it does not have the described disadvantages, that in particular it can be
produced favorably in terms of production technology and has higher variance with respect to its
connection systematics. The pertinent object is achieved by a container with the features of claim 1
in its entirety.

WO 2006/048105 PCT/EP2005/011057
In that, as specified in the characterizing part of claim 1, the delivery chamber has at least
one further container opening which can be closed respectively by means of another detachable
closure part, for the individual container at least two different types of container openings are
implemented which, made appropriately, can be connected to the respectively other type of
container opening, when an adjacent ampule or an adjacent container which is made exactly the
same as the indicated container is involved. Since while retaining the advantages of the double
chamber solution in the prior art consequently only one type of container is required, the tools and
accordingly the production costs can be reduced.
The container according to the invention with its different types of container openings can
be coupled to existing removal systems on site by properly coupling an existing fill and/or removal
connection to one of the existing types of container openings which meet medical standards in this
respect.
Preferably provision is made such that the respective container opening forms a fill and/or
removal point for the respective delivery medium which is located on the free end of the neck part
which undergoes transition into the delivery chamber and that the various types of container
openings have neck configurations which are different from one another for connecting different fill
and/or removal connections. If preferably one type of container opening has a neck part which
tapers conically towards its free end with its outer jacket surface or is cylindrical, and the other type
of container openings having another neck part which widens conically towards its free end with its
inner jacket surface or is cylindrical, both standardized male and also female connection points,
which in technical terms are also called Luer locks, are designed for the container.
In an especially preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, the
delivery chamber and/or the respective neck part have at least one catch means for engaging at least
one corresponding catch means of the respective fill and/or removal connection. In addition to a


WO 2006/048105 PCT/EP2005/011057
reliable fixing possibility of the respective connection to the container, moreover plausibility
checking is redundantly possible for the purpose of that the applied connection is matched to the
associatable delivery opening, in any event when the corresponding catch means appropriately
interact with one another.
The container as claimed in the invention will be detailed below using one embodiment as
shown in the drawings. The figures are schematic and not to scale.
FIG. 1 shows a front view of an ampule block with a total of four individual containers,
FIG. 2 shows in part a side view of an individual container as shown in FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 shows a cutaway view of the container connection in which the top part of a container is
connected via a Luer lock connection to the bottom part of another container.
The ampule block shown in FIG. 1 is shown only incompletely and depicts a total of four
containers, and the row of containers can be continued accordingly to both sides. The individual
containers are shaped in the so-called blow molding process or by means of a vacuum from plastic
materials which are accordingly suited for this purpose. Furthermore, it is possible to produce the
containers using the bottelpackĀ® process in which in a working station the containers are blow-
molded, filled under sterile conditions and sealed. During the simultaneous deformation of both one
and also the adjacent container, between the body of the two containers a parting zone which holds
them together is produced and keeps first the two adjacent containers connected to one another, but
can be separated by one container relative to the other container being moved around the parting
zone.

WO 2006/048105 PCT/EP2005/011057
Each container has a delivery chamber 10 in which a delivery medium can be stored. In this
connection the individual containers of an ampule block can have the same delivery medium or
those different from one another, in particular those which can be mixed with one another, and
furthermore it is possible to leave the delivery chamber 10 empty or to store a gaseous medium
therein which then accordingly interacts optionally with the delivery media of the adjacent
containers. The delivery medium can be delivered via a container opening 12 which can be closed
by means of a detachable closure part 14. Furthermore, the respective delivery chamber 10 has at
least one other container opening 16 which can be sealed by means of another detachable closure
part 18.
The respective container opening 12,16 forms a filling and/or removal point for the
respective delivery medium, which point is located on the free end of the neck part 20 or 22 which
undergoes transition into the delivery chamber 10, the different types of container openings 12,16
having neck configurations 20,22 which differ from one another for connecting different fill and/or
removal connections, especially in the form of the corresponding neck parts 22 and 20 of another
container.
Thus one type of container opening 16 has a neck part 22 which tapers conically towards its
free end with its outer jacket surface, the other type of container openings 12 having a further neck
part 20 which is made essentially cylindrical; but it can also widen conically toward its free end
with its inner jacket surface. In particular, in one cylindrical configuration there is corresponding
calibration in order to ensure a good fitting seat with the cone to be inserted, for example in the form
of the neck part 22.
This connection situation is shown accordingly in FIG. 3, the neck part 20 of the subjacent
container having a first cylindrical fitting surface 24 and another, second, overlying fitting surface
26. Between the two fitting surfaces 24 and 26 within the neck part 20 there is a cavity 28 which


WO 2006/048105 PCT/EP2005/011057
together with the conical outer jacket surface of the penetrating neck part 22 ensures that sterile-
sealing contact via the fitting surfaces 24,26 occurs. For precision-fitting contact the stiffening
crosspieces 30 which run to either side and which form a corresponding counterstay to the
spreading motion relative to the neck part 20 are used. These stiffening crosspieces 30 are initially a
component of the closure part 14, after removing the middle part 32 of the closure part 14 the
container opening 12 being cleared for engagement of the male engagement part 22. The closure
parts 14,18 are thus made at least partially as a twist closure which is conventional in this domain,
after removal of which from a given weakened parting site a removal opening can be cleared for the
pertinent ampule products. In this other lower closure part 18 this parting site 34 is detachably
closed by a closure ball 36 as part of the other closing part 18. According to the illustrated
embodiment, therefore the respectively different types of container openings 12,16 are located on
end sides 38,40 facing away from one another (top and bottom side).
Furthermore, according to the invention provision is made such that in the radial transverse
widening to the neck part 20 on the top side of the container and in the above extension of the
respective stiffening crosspiece 30 there is a catch means 42 in the form of a catch projection which
can be detachably locked into a corresponding recess as another catch means 44 on the bottom of
the delivery chamber of the other container. For this purpose, the recess 44 is made as a concave
depression into which the catch projection of the catch means 42 can convexly lock, projecting in an
elastically flexible form. For this engagement, as shown in FIG. 1, on the lower end region of the
delivery chamber 10 it is provided superficially with fluting 46, an interposed engagement groove
48 forming the recess 44. In an embodiment which will not be not detailed however it is also
possible to omit these catch means and to produce the connection only via the conventional Luer
lock systematics.
Instead of the illustrated interfitting of the two containers as shown in FIG. 3, however it is
also possible to couple the respective container to an external connection in order to effect a


WO 2006/048105 PCT/EP2005/011057
removal process in this way. Based on the two different removal systems on the top and on the
bottom side of each container the removal possibility is enhanced relative to the medically
standardized connection sites provided for this purpose. Furthermore the container in at least one
direction can have fixing openings 50, for example for attaching product information, patient data or
the like. In this way, for the purposes of a drip solution via the fixing opening 50 the respective
container could be suspended on means intended for this purpose (not shown). Furthermore it is
possible to couple more than two containers to one another in a row so that within a larger
framework the most varied mixtures can be prepared.
To produce the container a so-called bottelpackĀ® coextrusion process can also be used in
which the plastic material is extruded in a tube shape and is placed against the inside walls of a
shaping tool for shaping the respective container by means of differential pressure (blow molding),
the respective container being filled via at least one of its container openings 12,16 using a filling
means with the respective delivery medium and the container opening 12,16 is closed under sterile
conditions by sealing. For extrusion various plastic materials can then be used in the coextrusion
process in which the respective container is built up at least partially from several layers of plastic
materials, preferably at least one of the layers being used as a blocking layer. The individual layers
can be formed from different plastic materials, especially polyolefin, polyamide, polypropylene, low
density polyethylene, copolymers and ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers.

WO 2006/048105 PCT/EP2005/011057
Claims
1. Container, in particular an ampule, consisting of at least one layer of plastic material, with a
delivery chamber (10) in which a delivery medium can be stored which can be delivered via
at least one container opening (12) which can be closed by means of a detachable closure
part (14), characterized in that the delivery chamber (10) has at least one further container
opening (16) which can be closed respectively by means of another detachable closure part
(18).
2. The container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the respective container opening (12,16)
forms a fill and/or removal point for the respective delivery medium which is located on the
free end of the neck part (20,22) which undergoes transition into the delivery chamber (10)
and wherein the various types of container openings (12,16) have neck configurations (20,
22) which are different from one another for connecting different fill and/or removal
connections.
3. The container as claimed in claim 2, wherein one type of container opening (16) has a neck
part (22) which tapers conically towards its free end with its outer jacket surface or is
cylindrical and wherein the other type of container openings (12) has another neck part (20)
which widens conically towards its free end with its inner jacket surface or is cylindrical.
4. The container as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the delivery chamber (10) on its
end sides (38,40) (top and bottom side) facing away from one another and coaxially to its
longitudinal axis has one respective type of container openings (12,16).
5. The container as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the closure parts (14,18) are made
in the form of a twist closure.

WO 2006/048105 PCT/EP2005/011057
9
6. The container as claimed in one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the delivery chamber (10) and/or
the respective neck part (20,22) have at least one catch means (42,44) for engaging at least
one corresponding catch means (42,44) of the respective fill and/or removal connection.
7. The container as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in the direction of at least one of
the respective container openings (12,16) it has fixing openings (50) for attaching product
information, patient data, or the like.
8. The container as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, wherein it has several layers of plastic
materials which can be produced by way of a coextrusion process.

The invention relates to a container, in particular an ampoule, which consists of at least
one layer of plastic material and which comprises a discharge chamber (10) wherein a
discharge medium can be stored and discharged via at least one container opening (12)
which can be closed respectively by means of a closeable closing part (14). The
invention is characterized in that the discharge chamber (10) comprises at least one
additional container opening (16) which can be closed by means of an additional
closeable closing part (18). For an individual container, at least two different types of
container openings (12, 16) are provided thereon which are economical to produce and
can lead to a plurality of connection solutions.

Documents:

01243-kolnp-2007-abstract.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-claims.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-correspondence others 1.1.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-correspondence others 1.2.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-correspondence others 1.3.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-correspondence others.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-description complete.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-drawings.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-form 1.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-form 2.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-form 3.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-form 5.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-gpa.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-international publication.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-international search report.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-pct others.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-pct request.pdf

01243-kolnp-2007-priority document.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(18-05-2012)-ABSTRACT.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(18-05-2012)-AMANDED CLAIMS.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(18-05-2012)-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-ABSTRACT.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-AMANDED CLAIMS.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-AMANDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE).pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-DRAWINGS.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-FORM-1.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-FORM-2.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-FORM-3.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-FORM-5.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-OTHERS.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-PA.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-(29-03-2012)-PETITION UNDER RULE 137.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-CORRESPONDENCE 1.1.pdf

1243-kolnp-2007-CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 1.4.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf

1243-kolnp-2007-FORM 18.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-FORM 26.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-FORM 3.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-FORM 5.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-ABSTRACT.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-CLAIMS.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-DESCRIPTION (COMPLETE).pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-DRAWINGS.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-FORM 1.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-FORM 2.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-LETTER PATENT.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-GRANTED-SPECIFICATION.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-OTHERS.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-REPLY TO EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf

1243-KOLNP-2007-TRANSLATED COPY OF PRIORITY DOCUMENT.pdf

abstract-01243-kolnp-2007.jpg


Patent Number 253133
Indian Patent Application Number 1243/KOLNP/2007
PG Journal Number 26/2012
Publication Date 29-Jun-2012
Grant Date 27-Jun-2012
Date of Filing 10-Apr-2007
Name of Patentee HANSEN, BERND
Applicant Address TALSTR. 22-30, 74429 SULZBACH-LAUFEN
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 HANSEN, BERND TALSTR. 22-30, 74429 SULZBACH-LAUFEN
PCT International Classification Number B65D 1/09
PCT International Application Number PCT/EP2005/011057
PCT International Filing date 2005-10-14
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 10 2004 017 346.8 2004-11-08 Germany
2 10 2004 054 151.5 2004-11-08 Germany