Systems and methods for fluid delivery

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to delivery devices for delivering substances, such as medicaments, and, more particularly, to a delivery system including a modular delivery assembly configured to allow delivery of a single dose of a therapeutic agent from a Blow-Fill-Seal (BFS) vial to a patient.

BACKGROUND

Every year, millions of people become infected and die from a variety of diseases, some of which are vaccine-preventable. Although vaccination has led to a dramatic decline in the number of cases of several infectious diseases, some of these diseases remain quite common. In many instances, large populations of the world, particularly in developing countries, suffer from the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases due to ineffective immunization programs, either because of poor implementation, lack of affordable vaccines, or inadequate devices for administering vaccines, or combinations thereof.

Some implementations of immunization programs generally include administration of vaccines via a typical reusable syringe. However, in many situations, particularly in developing countries, the administration of vaccines occur outside of a hospital and may be provided by a non-professional, such that injections are given to patients without carefully controlling access to syringes. The use of reusable syringes under those circumstances increases the risk of infection and spread of blood-borne diseases, particularly when syringes, which have been previously used and are no longer sterile, are used to administer subsequent injections. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that blood-borne diseases, such as Hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are being transmitted due to reuse of such syringes, resulting the death of more than one million people each year.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention provide a delivery system that overcomes the drawbacks of current delivery devices and methods. In particular, the delivery system according to some embodiments includes a modular delivery assembly configured to be coupled to a source containing a fluid agent (e.g., vaccine, drug, medicament, etc.) and further facilitate delivery of a single dose of the fluid agent from the source to a patient. The delivery assembly may be configured to be filled on-site and in the field with a single dose of a fluid agent, while remaining sterile and preventing the potential for contamination during the filling process, or may be pre-filled (e.g., during manufacture). The delivery assembly may also or alternatively be capable of delivering a fluid agent in a controlled manner and without requiring specialized skill in administering delivery of such agent.

In particular, the modular delivery assembly in accordance with some embodiments may be configured to be coupled to a source containing a fluid agent, including, but not limited to, a Blow-Fill-Seal (BFS) vial. The delivery assembly may include a modular design consisting of separately constructed modular components cooperatively arranged and coupled to one another. The components of the delivery assembly may include, for example, a hub member configured to be securely coupled to the BFS vial, a one-way valve member positioned within the hub member and configured to limit fluid flow to an antegrade direction, and an insert positioned within the hub member and configured to receive and retain an administration member for receiving the fluid agent from the BFS vial and administering the fluid agent into a patient. The administration member may include, for example, a needle (for subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, or intravenous injection of the fluid agent) or a nozzle (e.g., spray nozzle to facilitate dispersion of the fluid agent into a spray or a droplet nozzle for formation of droplets).

In some embodiments, the hub member may include a proximal end defining an inlet port and a distal end defining an outlet port and a channel extending entirely from the proximal end to the distal end, thereby providing a fluid pathway between inlet and outlet ports. The inlet port may include a specialty, non-standard (non-Luer-type connection) connection fitting configured to be coupled with a corresponding specialty, non-standard connection fitting of a BFS vial. For example, the inlet port may include recesses, depressions, or complete apertures of a particular shape or geometry which are shaped and/or sized to receive correspondingly shaped and/or sized protrusions, projections, or the like on the BFS vial. In some embodiments, the inlet port may include two opposing apertures on either side of the hub member. The BFS vial may generally include a flexible body having an interior volume sufficient to contain at least one dose of the fluid agent within. The BFS vial may generally include a neck extending from the body and terminating at a distal end defining an outlet for dispensing the fluid agent upon squeezing of the vial body. In some embodiments, the vial may include two (2) protrusions defined on opposing sides of the neck adjacent to the distal end and having a general shape corresponding to the apertures on the hub member. Upon a user inserting the distal end of the vial into the inlet port of the hub member, for example, the protrusions may be shaped so as to slide into engagement with the corresponding apertures but further shaped to prevent withdrawal of the BFS vial from the hub member, thereby effectively locking themselves within the apertures and effectively locking the BFS vial into engagement with the delivery assembly. By securing the vial to the hub member, a user need only apply force to (i.e., squeeze) the vial body to cause the fluid agent to flow from the vial, through the delivery assembly, and to the patient.

The specialty, non-standard connection fitting between the hub member and the BFS vial in some embodiments may allow for only approved sources (e.g., single-dose BFS vials) with a corresponding agent to be used with the modular delivery assembly described herein, thereby adding a layer of security. For example, the method of delivery is generally dependent on the type of fluid agent to be delivered. For example, some medicaments are best delivered intravenously while some vaccines are best delivered intradermally, and yet still, some fluid agents are administered via droplets or spray. Accordingly, the delivery assembly may be configured for delivery of a specific fluid agent and thus the connection fitting on the hub member may be designed so as to only accept and engage a corresponding connection fitting of a BFS vial containing that specific fluid agent. Accordingly, the specialty connection fitting design described herein may ensure that only the matching BFS vial (which contains the correct fluid agent for that specific delivery assembly) is able to be connected to the modular delivery assembly, thereby ensuring safety and reducing risk.

As previously described, the delivery assembly may include a one-way valve and/or an insert within the hub member. The one-way valve may be positioned, for example, within the within the channel of the hub member and/or may be configured to limit fluid flow to an antegrade direction from the inlet port towards the outlet port, thereby ensuring that fluid flows in a single direction when the vial body is squeezed for delivery. The insert may, in some embodiments, be positioned within the channel adjacent to the outlet of the hub member. The insert may include a proximal end and an opposing distal end and a channel extending entirely through the insert from the proximal end to the distal end. The channel of the insert may be in coaxial alignment with the channel of the hub member, such that the fluid pathway extends entirely from the inlet port of the hub member, through the one-way valve, and through the channel of the insert towards the distal end of the insert. The administration member (e.g., needle, nozzle, etc.) may be received and retained within the channel of the insert, such that, upon delivery of the fluid agent from the BFS vial and through the fluid pathway of the delivery assembly, the fluid agent will flow out of the administration member, thereby allowing for delivery of the fluid agent to the patient.

In some embodiments, the delivery assembly may include a safety cover for covering the administration member to prevent contamination and further reduce the risk of needlestick injuries, and thus reduce the potential for spreading blood-borne diseases. The delivery assembly may generally be packaged and delivered in a fully assembled state, including the safety cover provided over the needle or nozzle. Accordingly, a user does not have to deal with an exposed needle or nozzle when first attaching a BFS vial to the delivery assembly. Rather, the user need only remove the safety cover once the BFS vial has been securely attached to the delivery assembly to thereby expose the needle or nozzle for fluid agent delivery. The user may then replace the cover once delivery is complete.

The modular construction of the delivery assembly allows for rapid manufacturing reconfigurations of one or more components with minimal costs to create new delivery assembly configurations that meet specific needs (i.e., different modes of delivery depending on agent to be delivered, such as subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, intravenous injection, spray, or droplet delivery). For example, the hub member and the one-way valve may remain the same construction (dimensions and material), while the insert may be changed to account for different needle sizes and/or nozzle types, depending on the type of delivery and/or type of fluid agent to be delivered.

The delivery assembly itself may not be not prefilled. As such, the delivery assembly may not be required to be maintained at a certain temperature (e.g., two to eight degrees Celsius (2° C.-8° C.)) during shipment or storage, thus cutting down on the overall costs. Rather than maintaining the delivery assembly at a constant temperature, as is the case with current devices, only the source containing the fluid agent (e.g., single dose supply provided in a BFS vial) need by maintained at a constant temperature. Accordingly, a plurality of empty delivery assemblies may be shipped and stored, at a reduced cost, and then filled directly on-site and on an as-needed basis, such that only the single-dose BFS vials need be stored and maintained. Additionally, in the case that the delivery device is not prefilled, it may be sterilized at any point prior to being filled with the fluid agent, which further improves the bulk shipping and storage of such devices.

According to some embodiments, the delivery assembly may be configured to allow delivery of the agent to the patient in a relatively simple manner, without requiring specialized training for administering the agent. In particular, the delivery assembly may be designed such that a person administering the fluid agent (e.g., administrator), which could also include self-administration, need only position the device upon the administration site (e.g., shoulder, arm, chest, nose, ear, eye, etc.), and then fully compress the BFS vial body containing the dose of fluid agent, thereby delivering the correct predefined dosage to the patient. The delivery assembly may also or alternatively be configured such that, in the event that a needle is required (i.e., because the delivery method is an injection), needle penetration is limited to the correct length and orientation within the administration site. For example, in some embodiments, the needle may be positioned substantially perpendicular relative to a plane along which the distal end of the insert lies, such that the needle is configured to be inserted into a patient's skin at a substantially perpendicular angle and the distal end of the insert is configured to contact the patient's skin indicating adequate depth of penetrating for injection of the fluid agent. Accordingly, embodiments of the modular delivery assembly described herein may not require a trained, skilled healthcare profession for administration of vaccines or drugs. As such, the delivery assembly may be particularly useful in situations in which vaccines or drugs are being administered in non-healthcare related facilities (e.g., outside of clinics or hospitals) and given to large numbers of individuals over a short period of time by a non-professional.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures depict embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the systems and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles described herein, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of BFS vial package according to some embodiments;

FIG. 1B is a perspective close-up view of a portion of a BFS vial package according to some embodiments

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are right-side views of a fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D are right-side views of a portion of the fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2E is an exploded right-side view of a hub assembly of the fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2F is a right-side cross-sectional view of the fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2G is a right-side cross-sectional assembly view of the hub assembly of the fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2H is a right-side cross-sectional view of the hub assembly of the fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2I is a right-rear perspective cross-sectional view of the hub assembly of the fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2J is a right-side perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2K is a right-side cross-sectional view of a portion of the fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2L is a right-front perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the fluid delivery system according to some embodiments;

FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C, FIG. 3D, FIG. 3E, FIG. 3F, FIG. 3G, and FIG. 3H are right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, back, and front cross-sectional views of a modular hub according to some embodiments;

FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C, FIG. 4D, FIG. 4E, FIG. 4F, FIG. 4G, and FIG. 4H are right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, back, and front cross-sectional views of a modular valve according to some embodiments;

FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, FIG. 5C, FIG. 5D, FIG. 5E, FIG. 5F, FIG. 5G, and FIG. 5H are right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, back, and front cross-sectional views of a modular insert according to some embodiments;

FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, FIG. 6D, FIG. 6E, FIG. 6F, and FIG. 6G are right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, and views of a modular BFS vial according to some embodiments;

FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, FIG. 7C, FIG. 7D, FIG. 7E, FIG. 7F, and FIG. 7G are right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, and views of a modular BFS vial according to some embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a perspective flow diagram of a method according to some embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a method according to some embodiments; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of variations of hub assemblies according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
I. Introduction

Embodiments of the present invention provide a modular delivery system that overcomes the drawbacks of current delivery devices and methods. For example, the delivery system of some embodiments includes a modular delivery assembly configured to be coupled to a source containing a fluid agent (e.g., vaccine, drug, medicament, etc.) and further facilitate delivery of a single dose of the fluid agent from the source to a patient. The delivery assembly may be configured to be filled on-site and in the field with a single dose of a fluid agent, while remaining sterile and preventing the potential for contamination during the filling process. The delivery assembly may also or alternatively be capable of delivering the fluid agent in a controlled manner and without requiring specialized skill in administering delivery of such agent.

The delivery assembly in accordance with some embodiments may be configured to be coupled to a source containing the fluid agent, including, but not limited to, a BFS vial. The delivery assembly may generally include a modular design consisting of separately constructed components cooperatively arranged and coupled to one another. The components of the delivery assembly may include, for example, a hub member configured to be securely coupled to the BFS vial, a one-way valve member positioned within the hub member and configured to limit fluid flow to an antegrade direction, and/or an insert positioned within the hub member and configured to receive and retain an administration member for receiving the fluid agent from the BFS vial and administering the fluid agent into a patient. The administration member may include, for example, a needle (for subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, or intravenous injection of the fluid agent) or a nozzle (e.g., spray nozzle to facilitate dispersion of the fluid agent into a spray or a droplet nozzle for formation of droplets).

The modular construction of the delivery assembly may allow for rapid manufacturing reconfigurations of one or more components with minimal costs to create new delivery assembly configurations that meet specific needs (i.e., different modes of delivery depending on agent to be delivered, such as subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, intravenous injection, spray, or droplet delivery). For example, the hub member and the one-way valve may remain the same construction (dimensions and material), while the insert may be changed to account for different needle sizes and/or nozzle types, depending on the type of delivery and/or type of fluid agent to be delivered.

The delivery assembly may generally be configured to allow delivery of the agent to the patient in a relatively simple manner, without requiring specialized training for administering the agent. In particular, the delivery assembly is designed such that a person administering the fluid agent (e.g., administrator), which could also include self-administration, need only position the device upon the administration site (e.g., shoulder, arm, chest, nose, ear, eye, etc.), and then fully compress the BFS vial body containing the dose of fluid agent, thereby delivering the correct predefined dosage to the patient.

The delivery assembly itself may not be prefilled. As such, the delivery assembly according to some embodiments may not require the maintenance of a certain temperature (e.g., two to eight degrees Celsius (2° C.-8° C.)) during shipment or storage, thus cutting down on the overall costs. Rather than maintaining the delivery assembly at a constant temperature, as is the case with current devices, only the source containing the fluid agent (e.g., single dose supply provided in a BFS vial) need by maintained at a constant temperature, for example. Accordingly, a plurality of empty delivery assemblies may be shipped and stored, at a reduced cost, and then filled directly on-site and on an as-needed basis, such that only the single-dose BFS vials need be stored and maintained. Additionally, in the case that the delivery device is not prefilled, it may be sterilized at any point prior to being filled with the fluid agent, which further improves the bulk shipping and storage of such devices.

II. Fluid Delivery Systems

Referring initially to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, a perspective view of a BFS vial package 102 and a perspective close-up view of a portion of the BFS vial pack or package 102 according to some embodiments are shown. The BFS vial package 102 may, for example, comprise a plastic and/or other molded, extruded, and/or formed manifold 104. In some embodiments, the manifold 104 may comprise a plurality of attachment points 106 via which a plurality of BFS units, containers, and/or vials 110a-e are connected e.g., via a breakaway detachment design. FIG. 1B depicts an enlarged perspective view of the breakaway detachment design of a first BFS vial 110a. As shown, each BFS vial 110a-e may contain a single dose of fluid agent and, when a user is ready, a single vial such as the first BFS vial 110a may be removed from the manifold 104 via a tear-away type connection disposed between a first, outlet, or proximate end 110a-1 of the first BFS vial 110a (the proximate end 110a-1 being proximate to the manifold 104 and a second or distal end 110a-2 being distal therefrom) and the respective attachment point 106. According to some embodiments as depicted, for example, the proximate end 110a-1 (e.g., that may comprise and/or define an outlet; not separately labeled in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B) of the first BFS vial 110a may be coupled to the manifold 104 at the attachment point 106. In some embodiments, by simply pulling the desired first BFS vial 110a away from the attachment point 106, a user is able to separate the first BFS vial 110a from the remaining BFS vials 110b-e and use only the single dose that is required and/or desired, rather than using a larger source of fluid agent (multiple dose syringe or vial; not shown), thereby completely preventing the risk of contaminating the single source of fluid agent disposed in the first BFS vial 110a.

According to some embodiments, each BFS vial 110a-e may comprise and/or define various features such as features molded, formed, cut, glued, and/or otherwise coupled thereto. As depicted in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, for example, the first BFS vial 110a may comprise a neck 112a (e.g., near the proximate end 110a-1) upon which various mating features are formed (or otherwise coupled). In some embodiments, the neck 112a may comprise a first exterior radial flange 114a, a second exterior radial flange 116a, and/or a mating tab 118a. According to some embodiments, the mating tab 118a may comprise a wedge-shaped radial protrusion (e.g., with an incline increasing from near the proximate end 110a-1 and towards the distal end 110a-2) disposed on, with, or as part of the second exterior radial flange 116a. In some embodiments, the first BFS vial 110a may comprise a fluid reservoir 120a in communication with the neck 112a. According to some embodiments, the fluid reservoir 120a may store, house, and/or accept the single dose of fluid and/or may be coupled to a grip plate 122a. The grip plate 122a may, for example, comprise a flat element that permits axial force to be applied to the first BFS vial 110a without causing such axial force to be applied to the fluid reservoir 120a.

In some embodiments, the package 102 may comprise an indicia imprinting on the manifold 104 itself and/or upon each individual BFS vial 110a-e (e.g., on the grip plate 122a of the first BFS vial 110a). Exemplary indicia may include, but is not limited to, lot number, expiration date, medication information, security stamp (color changing temperature sensor to provide indication of whether BFS vials 110a-e have or have not been maintained at required temperature), as well as the dose line provided on each BF vial 110a-e. While five (5) BFS vials 110a-e are depicted in FIG. 1A as being coupled to the manifold 104, fewer or more BFS vials 110a-e may be coupled to the manifold 104 as is or becomes desirable and/or practicable.

According to some embodiments, because BFS manufacturing tolerances are not as precise as injection molding and other manufacturing techniques, the configuration of the BFS vials 110a-e, such as including the first exterior radial flange 114a, the second exterior radial flange 116a, and/or the mating tab(s) 118a, may permit the BFS vials 110a-e to be coupled to a modular delivery system (not shown) as described herein, while enabling functionality despite a wide range of manufactured dimensions. In such a manner, for example, reduced costs may be achieved by employing BFS technology while maintaining modular fluid delivery functionality that previous systems could not achieve.

In some embodiments, fewer or more components 104, 106, 110a-e, 110a-1, 110a-2, 112a, 114a, 116a, 118a, 120a, 122a and/or various configurations of the depicted components 104, 106, 110a-e, 110a-1, 110a-2, 112a, 114a, 116a, 118a, 120a, 122a may be included in the BFS vial package 102 without deviating from the scope of embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the components 104, 106, 110a-e, 110a-1, 110a-2, 112a, 114a, 116a, 118a, 120a, 122a may be similar in configuration and/or functionality to similarly named and/or numbered components as described herein. In some embodiments, the BFS vial package 102 (and/or portion and/or component 104, 106, 110a-e, 110a-1, 110a-2, 112a, 114a, 116a, 118a, 120a, 122a thereof) may be utilized in accordance with the methods 800, 900 of FIG. 8 and/or FIG. 9 herein, and/or portions or combinations thereof.

Turning now to FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, FIG. 2C, FIG. 2D, FIG. 2E, FIG. 2F, FIG. 2G, FIG. 2H, FIG. 2I, FIG. 2J, FIG. 2K, and FIG. 2L, various views of a fluid delivery system 200 according to some embodiments are shown. In particular, FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are right-side views of the fluid delivery system 200, FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D are right-side views of a portion of the fluid delivery system 200, FIG. 2E is an exploded right-side view of a portion of the fluid delivery system 200, FIG. 2F is a right-side cross-sectional view of the fluid delivery system 200, FIG. 2G is a right-side cross-sectional assembly view of a portion of the fluid delivery system 200, FIG. 2H is a right-side cross-sectional view of a portion of the fluid delivery system 200, FIG. 2I is a right-rear perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the fluid delivery system 200, FIG. 2J is a right-side perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the fluid delivery system 200, FIG. 2K is a right-side cross-sectional view of a portion of the fluid delivery system 200, and FIG. 2L is a right-front perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the fluid delivery system 200.

In some embodiments, the fluid delivery system 200 may comprise various inter-connected and/or modular components such as a BFS vial 210 (e.g., having a first end 210-1 and a second end 210-2) comprising and/or defining a vial neck 212, a first flange 214, a second flange 216, a plurality of locking tabs 218a-b, a collapsible reservoir 220, and/or a grip plate 222. According to some embodiments, the fluid delivery system 200 may comprise a delivery or hub assembly 226 comprising a safety cover or cap 228 (e.g., comprising and/or defining a cylindrical cap body 228-1, an interior void 228-2, a tapered cap body 228-3, and/or head space 228-4), a hub 230 (e.g., comprising a hub body 232, a hub bore 232-1 defining a hub bore diameter 232-2, a vial bevel 232-3, a plurality of locking slots 234a-b, an assembly flange 236, a valve slot 238, a fluid outlet bore 240 defining a fluid outlet bore diameter 240-1, a valve seat 240-2, an insert bore 242 defining an insert bore diameter 242-1, an insert bevel 242-2, an insert recess 242-3, and/or an insert seat 244), a valve 250 (e.g., comprising and/or defining a valve body 252, a valve channel 252-1, a valve flap 252-2, a mounting wing 254a, a riser 256, an antegrade void 258, a vial flange 260, and seating surface 262), an insert 270 (e.g., comprising and/or defining an insert body 272, a fluid channel 272-1, a channel stop 272-2, an outlet funnel 274, an inlet funnel 276, a seating flange 278, and/or a seating flange collar 278-1), and/or an administration member 280 (e.g., comprising and/or defining an elongate body 282, a fluid bore 282-1, a first end 282-2, a second end 282-3, and/or a needle, point, or tip 284). According to some embodiments, the fluid delivery system 200 and/or the hub assembly 226 may include a modular design consisting of separately constructed components 228, 230, 250, 270, 280 cooperatively arranged and coupled to one another. The components 228, 230, 250, 270, 280 of the hub assembly 226 may include, for example, the hub 230 being configured to be coupled to a source containing the fluid agent, including, but not limited to, the BFS vial 210, a one-way valve 250 positioned within the hub 230 and configured to limit fluid flow to an antegrade direction, and the insert 270 positioned within the hub 230 and configured to receive and retain the administration member 280 for receiving the fluid agent from the BFS vial 210 and administering the fluid agent into a patient (not shown).

In some embodiments, the administration member 280 may include the needle 284 for at least one of subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, and intravenous injection of the fluid agent into the patient. For ease of explanation and description, the figures and the description herein generally refer to the administration member 280 as a needle 284. However, it should be noted that, in other embodiments, the administration member 280 may include a nozzle (not shown) configured to control administration of the fluid agent to the patient. The nozzle may include a spray nozzle, for example, configured to facilitate dispersion of the fluid agent into a spray. Accordingly, a hub assembly 226 fitted with a spray nozzle may be particularly useful in the administration of a fluid agent into the nasal passage, for example, or other parts of the body that benefit from a spray application (e.g., ear canal, other orifices). In other embodiments, the nozzle may be configured to facilitate formation of droplets of the fluid agent. Thus, a hub assembly 226 including a droplet nozzle may be useful in the administration of a fluid agent by way of droplets, such as administration to the eyes, topical administration, and the like.

As generally understood, the fluid agent may include any type of agent to be injected into a patient (e.g., mammal, either human or non-human) and capable of producing an effect. Accordingly, the agent may include, but is not limited to, a vaccine, a drug, a therapeutic agent, a medicament, or the like.

According to some embodiments, the hub 230 may include a hub body 232 defining a hub bore 232-1 having a first end defining an inlet port and a second end defining an outlet, e.g., along an axis “A-A” as depicted in FIG. 2E. In some embodiments, the hub bore 232-1 may provide a fluid pathway between the inlet and outlet ports. The hub 230 may include a specialty, non-standard (non-Luer-type) connection fitting such as the locking slots 234a-b configured to be coupled with a corresponding specialty, non-standard connection fitting of the BFS vial 210 (shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2F) such as the locking tabs 218a-b. For example, a portion of the hub body 232 adjacent the first end may include recesses, depressions, or complete apertures (e.g., the locking slots 234a-b) of a particular shape or geometry which are shaped and/or sized to receive correspondingly shaped and/or sized protrusions, projections, or the like (e.g., the locking tabs 218a-b) of the BFS vial 210. In some embodiments, the hub body 232 may include two locking slots 234a-b defining opposing apertures on either side of the hub body 232 and adjacent to the first end, the locking slots 234a-b being shaped and/or sized to receive and retain corresponding locking tabs 218a-b defined on the neck 212 of a BFS vial 210. According to some embodiments, the hub 230 may comprise one or more window or port portions such as the valve slot 238 formed on the hub body 232 and configured to provide a means for receiving and retaining a portion (e.g., the mounting wing 254a) of the valve 250 within.

For example, the valve 250 may be generally positioned within the hub bore 232-1 and/or may be formed from a polymer material, such rubber, synthetic rubber, latex, and/or other elastomeric polymer material. In some embodiments, the valve 250 may be press-fit into the hub bore 232-1 such that portions (e.g., the mounting wing 254a) of the valve 250 may extend through the valve slot(s) 238 and fill in any gaps so as to provide at least a watertight seal. The exposed one or more portions of the valve 250 (and/or of the mounting wing 254a thereof) extending to the outer surface of the hub 230 through the valve slot(s) 238 may generally provide a friction fit for an interior surface interior void 228-2 of the cap 228 in the case that the cap 228 is placed over and/or coupled to the hub assembly 226. In other words, the exposed polymer material of the valve 250 (and/or of the mounting wing 254a thereof) may generally provide sufficient friction with the cap 228 so as to keep the cap 228 retained on to the hub assembly 226. In some embodiments, the valve 250 may comprise and/or define a valve channel 252-1 extending therethrough and in coaxial alignment with the hub bore 232-1, e.g., along axis “A-A”. According to some embodiments, the valve 250 may comprise a valve flap 252-2 provided within the valve channel 252-1 and configured to limit fluid flow to an antegrade direction from the hub 230 towards the administration member 280, thereby ensuring that fluid flows in a single direction when the fluid agent is delivered from the BFS vial 210.

In some embodiments, the insert 270 may be positioned within the hub bore 232-1 adjacent to the second end of the hub 230. The insert 270 may, according to some embodiments, comprise and/or define a fluid channel 272-1 extending entirely axially through the insert 270. The fluid channel 272-1 may be in coaxial alignment with the hub bore 232-1 and/or the valve channel 252-1, e.g., along axis “A-A”, such that a fluid pathway extends entirely from the first end of the hub 230, through the hub bore 232-1, through the valve channel 252-1 of the valve 250, and through fluid channel 272-1 of the insert 270. According to some embodiments, the seating flange collar 278-1 of the insert 270 may be configured to be fitted within the valve channel 252-1, e.g., in the riser 256. The administration member 280 (e.g., needle 284) may, in some embodiments, be received and/or retained within the fluid channel 272-1 of the insert 270, such that, upon delivery of the fluid agent from the BFS vial 210 and through the fluid pathways of the hub assembly 226, the fluid agent will flow out of the fluid bore 282-1 of the needle 284, thereby allowing for delivery of the fluid agent to the patient.

According to some embodiments, the hub assembly 226 may include the cap 228 for covering the needle 284 to prevent contamination and further reduce the risk of needlestick injuries, and thus reduce the potential for spreading blood-borne diseases. In some embodiments, the hub assembly 226 may generally be packaged and delivered in a fully assembled state, including the cap 228 provided over the needle 284. Accordingly, a user does not have to deal with an exposed needle 284 when first attaching the BFS vial 210 to the hub assembly 226. Rather, the user need only remove the cap 228 once the BFS vial 210 has been securely attached to the hub assembly 226 to thereby expose the needle 284 for fluid agent delivery. The user may then replace the cap 228 once delivery is complete.

In some embodiments, the hub 230, the valve 250, the insert 270, and/or the cap 228, may be composed of a medical grade material. In some embodiments, the hub 230, the insert 270, and/or cap 228, may be composed of a thermoplastic polymer, including, but not limited to, polypropylene, polyethylene, polybenzimidazole, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, PVC, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, right-side views of the fluid delivery system 200 illustrate attachment of the BFS vial 210 to the hub assembly 226. As shown in an unassembled state in FIG. 2A, for example, the hub assembly 226 may be urged axially along the axis “A-A” (e.g., to the left in FIG. 2A) in accordance with the arrow such that it engages with and/or becomes selectively indexed and/or coupled to the BFS vial 210. In some embodiments, the BFS vial 210 may define the collapsible reservoir 220 that may generally include a flexible body having an interior volume sufficient to contain at least one dose of the fluid agent within. The BFS vial 210 may, in some embodiments, comprise the neck 212 extending from the body of the collapsible reservoir 220 and terminating at the first end 210-1 defining an outlet for dispensing the fluid agent upon squeezing of the body of the collapsible reservoir 220 (e.g., in accordance with the radially inward-pointing arrows of FIG. 2F). According to some embodiments, the BFS vial 210 may be formed by BFS technology. BFS technology is a manufacturing technique used to produce liquid-filled containers. The BFS vial 210 may be formed by BFS technology, in that the collapsible reservoir 220, the neck 212, and first and second ends 210-1, 210-2 are formed, filled within a fluid agent, and sealed in a continuous process without human intervention, in a sterile enclosed area inside a machine. Accordingly, this process can be used to aseptically manufacture sterile pharmaceutical liquid dosage forms. BFS technology may be particularly attractive in the market, as it reduces personnel intervention making it a more robust method for the aseptic preparation of sterile pharmaceuticals.

According to some embodiments, the hub body 232 may generally include a specialty, non-standard connection fitting (locking slots 234a-b) configured to be coupled with a corresponding specialty, non-standard connection fitting (e.g., locking tabs 218a-b) of the BFS vial 210. For example, the BFS vial 210 may include the two (2) locking tabs 218a-b defined on opposing sides of the neck 212 adjacent to the first end 210-1 and having a general shape corresponding to the locking slots 234a-b on the hub 230. Upon a user inserting the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 into the hub 230, the locking tabs 218a-b may be shaped (e.g., wedge-shaped) so as to slide into engagement with the corresponding locking slots 234a-b, respectively, such engagement as illustrated in FIG. 2B and FIG. 2F. FIG. 2F is a perspective view, partly in section, illustrating the BFS vial 210 attached to the hub assembly 226 and showing engagement between the connection fittings (e.g., locking tabs 218a-b and locking slots 234a-b) of the BFS vial 210 and the hub 230 of the hub assembly 226, respectively. As depicted, the locking tabs 218a-b on the neck 212 of the BFS vial 210 may be in engagement with the corresponding locking slots 234a-b of the hub 230. In some embodiments, the locking tabs 218a-b may be shaped to prevent or inhibit withdrawal of the BFS vial 210 from the hub 230, thereby effectively locking themselves within the locking slots 234a-b and effectively locking the BFS vial 210 into engagement with the hub assembly 226. By securing the BFS vial 210 to the hub assembly 226, a user need only apply force to (e.g., squeeze) the collapsible reservoir 220, e.g., as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2F, to cause the fluid agent to flow along the axis “A-A” and out of the fluid bore 282-1 at the needle 284, the fluid agent traveling from the BFS vial 210, through the hub assembly 226 including through the needle 284, and into the patient (not shown).

In some embodiments, a specialty, non-standard connection fitting between the hub assembly 226 and the BFS vial 210 allows for only approved sources (e.g., single-dose BFS vials 210) with a corresponding agent to be used with the fluid delivery system 200, thereby adding a layer of security. For example, a method of delivery is generally dependent on the type of fluid agent to be delivered. For example, some medicaments are best delivered intravenously while some vaccines are best delivered intradermally, and yet still, some fluid agents are administered via droplets or spray. Accordingly, the hub assembly 226 may be configured for delivery of a specific fluid agent and thus the connection fitting on the hub assembly 226 may be designed so as to only accept and engage a corresponding connection fitting of a BFS vial 210 containing that specific fluid agent. Accordingly, the specialty connection fitting design may ensure that only the matching BFS vial 210 (which contains the correct fluid agent for that specific delivery assembly) is able to be connected to the hub assembly 226, thereby ensuring safety and reducing risk.

FIG. 2G is an exploded, perspective sectional view of the hub assembly 226. FIG. 2H is a perspective sectional view of the hub assembly 226 illustrating the components assembled to one another and forming a continuous fluid pathway there-between and FIG. 2I is another perspective sectional view of the hub assembly 226 illustrating the components assembled to one another. As shown, and in accordance with some embodiments, the hub 230 may comprise and/or define the hub bore 232-1 extending therethrough. The hub 230 may also or alternatively comprise a fluid outlet bore 240 to which the valve 250 and insert 270 are coupled. In some embodiments, the riser 256 of the valve 250 may be positioned on one side of the fluid outlet bore 240 (e.g., on the left side as-depicted) and the seating flange collar 278-1 of the insert 270 may generally protrude through or into the fluid outlet bore 240 (and/or through or into the riser 256 of the valve 250) and may be positioned on the other side of the fluid outlet bore 240 (e.g., on the right side as-depicted). According to some embodiments, the seating flange collar 278-1 of the insert 270 may be received within the valve channel 252-1 of the riser 256 of the valve 250 and extend may generally abut the valve flap 252-2. In some embodiments, the administration member 280 comprises the elongate body 282 which may be hollow and/or otherwise define the fluid bore 282-1, and/or may comprise a generally blunt second end 282-3 and the piercing tip 284 at the first end 282-2. In some embodiments, the second end 282-3 of the administration member 280 may be positioned within the fluid channel 272-1 of the insert 270, wherein the fluid channel 272-1 may comprise the channel stop 272-2 or end portion (e.g., interior flange or tapered to a decreasing diameter) which prevents the second end 282-3 of the administration member 280 from traveling too far down the fluid channel 272-1. Once fully assembled, a fluid pathway may extend entirely through the hub assembly 226, from the hub 230 to the tip 284 of the administration member 280, and passing through each of the components therebetween (e.g., through the hub 230, the valve 250, and the insert 270).

FIG. 2J is an enlarged, perspective view, partly in section, illustrating the locking engagement between the connection fittings of the BFS vial 210 and the hub 230 of the hub assembly 226. In some embodiments, the hub body 232 may generally include a specialty, non-standard connection fitting (locking slots 234a-b) configured to be coupled with a corresponding specialty, non-standard connection fitting of the BFS vial 210. For example, the BFS vial 210 may include two (2) locking tabs 218a-b and/or other protrusions or features defined on opposing sides of the neck 212 adjacent to the first end 210-1 and having a general shape corresponding to the locking slots 234a-b on the hub 230. Upon a user inserting the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 into the hub 230, the locking tabs 218a-b may be shaped so as to slide into engagement with the corresponding locking slots 234a-b, respectively. As shown, the locking tabs 218a-b on the neck of the BFS vial 210 may be in engagement with the corresponding locking slots 234a-b of the hub 230. The locking tabs 218a-b may, in some embodiments, be further shaped to prevent withdrawal of the BFS vial 210 from the hub 230, thereby effectively locking themselves within the locking slots 234a-b and effectively locking the BFS vial 210 into engagement with the hub assembly 226.

FIG. 2K and FIG. 2L are enlarged, perspective views, partly in section, illustrating engagement between the first end 210-1 (and outlet) of the BFS vial 210 with the valve 250 of the hub assembly 226 when the BFS vial 210 is securely coupled to the hub assembly 226. By securing the BFS vial 210 to the hub 230, the outlet of the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 is, according to some embodiments, disposed in direct alignment (e.g., axial alignment) with the valve flap 252-2 of the valve 250. Accordingly, the outlet of the BFS vial 210 may be in direct axial alignment with the fluid pathway (e.g., along axis “A-A”). It should be noted that, due to some minor variations that commonly occur during the BFS manufacturing process, BFS vial dimensions may be imprecise. For example, the second end 210-1 of any given BFS vial 210 may have different dimensions when compared to one another (on a microscale). In order to compensate for such variation, connection fittings between the BFS vial 210 and the hub 230 further ensure that the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 is positioned against and into engagement with the valve 250 (e.g., the vial flange 260 thereof). In some embodiments, due to the polymer material of the valve 250, a seal may be created between the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 and the vial flange 260 of the valve 250, thereby accounting for any imprecise manufacturing of the BFS vial 210.

According to some embodiments, and as depicted in FIG. 2A, the fluid delivery system 200 may be assembled by application of opposing axial forces that urge the hub assembly 226 onto the BFS vial 210 (in accordance with the arrow shown). In some embodiments, a user (not shown) may take hold of the grip plate 222 and the hub 230 (and/or the cap 228) and push the BFS vial 210 into the hub bore 232-1 of the hub assembly 226. The grip plate 222 may permit the user to apply an axial force in the direction of the hub assembly 226 without requiring force to be applied to the collapsible reservoir 220 (e.g., preventing accidental expelling of the fluid stored in the collapsible reservoir 220). According to some embodiments, the user may apply axial force to the assembly flange 236 of the hub 230 and an opposing axial force to the grip plate 222, causing a coupling or mating of the BFS vial 210 with the hub assembly 226, e.g., as depicted in FIG. 2B.

Referring to FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D, the cap 228 may be selectively engaged to couple to the hub assembly 226. The hub assembly 226 may be disposed in the interior void 228-2 of the cylindrical cap body 228-1, for example, and/or the administration member 280 thereof may be disposed in the head space 228-4 of the tapered cap body 228-3, such that the needle 284 is protected and/or shrouded—e.g., for cleanliness and safety. In some embodiments, an outside diameter of the hub body 232 may be sized to fit within the interior void 228-2 (e.g., may be configured with an outside diameter that is smaller than an inside diameter of the interior void 228-2). According to some embodiments, one or more portions of the valve 250 may extend through the side of the hub body 232 causing a localized increase in outside diameter of the hub assembly 226. In some embodiments, this localized maximum outside diameter of the hub assembly 226 may be configured to provide a transition fit (e.g., an “H7/j6” or “tight fit”) between the hub body 232 and the cap 228, allowing the cap 228 to be selectively removed (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 2D) and/or installed by hand, as desired. According to some embodiments, such as in the case that the valve 250 comprises rubber or another frictional surface, the friction coefficient of such material and/or a compression of the material inside of the interior void 228-2 may provide and/or enhance the nature of the fit.

According to some embodiments, and as depicted in the assembly view of FIG. 2E, the fluid delivery system 200 may comprise a hub assembly 226 that is composed of a plurality of modular components such as the hub 230, the valve 250, the insert 270, and the administration member 280. As depicted in FIG. 2F, the modular components 230, 250, 270, 280 may be coupled together and attached to a BFS vial 210 to form the fluid delivery system 200. As depicted in the cross-sectional assembly view of FIG. 2G, the modular components 230, 250, 270, 280 may be assembled along an axis “A-A” by alignment and/or coupling of various portions and/or features thereof. The hub 230 may comprise the hub body 232 (which may be substantially cylindrical in some embodiments) that may comprise and/or define the hub bore 232-1 having an inside hub bore diameter 232-2, and/or may define a vial bevel 232-3 that engages with the BFS vial 210 upon insertion thereof. The first flange 214 of the BFS vial 210 and/or the locking tabs 218a-b may, for example, extend radially outward beyond the hub bore diameter 232-2 and may accordingly engage with the side walls of the hub bore 232-1 as they are inserted deeper into the vial bevel 232-3. In some embodiments, such engagement may cause the neck 212 of the BFS vial 210 (and/or the first flange 214 and/or the locking tabs 218a-b thereof) to compress radially inward and/or may cause the hub body 232 to expand radially outward (e.g., elastically), to allow continued advancement of the BFS vial 210 into the hub 230, e.g., in accordance with a tight fit and/or interference fit engagement. According to some embodiments, the radial pressure exerted by forcing the neck 212 of the BFS vial 210 into the hub 230 may impart a radial spring effect to the locking tabs 218a-b such that when axial advancement aligns the locking tabs 218a-b with the corresponding locking slots 234a-b, the locking tabs 218a-b spring radially outward and into the corresponding locking slots 234a-b, thereby reducing and/or removing the radial pressure exerted thereon by the difference between the interior hub bore diameter 232-2 and the outside diameter and/or radial extents of the locking tabs 218a-b.

In some embodiments, the hub 230 may comprise the fluid outlet bore 240 having a fluid outlet bore diameter 240-1. According to some embodiments, as-depicted in FIG. 2G, the fluid outlet bore diameter 240-1 may be smaller than the hub bore diameter 232-2. The difference in the fluid outlet bore diameter 240-1 and the hub bore diameter 232-2 may, for example, provide for and/or define the valve seat 240-2 and/or the insert seat 244. In some embodiments, the valve 250 may be inserted into the hub bore 232-1 and may comprise the valve body 252 having an outside diameter sized to fit within the hub bore 232-1. According to some embodiments, the diameter of the valve body 252 may be larger than the hub bore diameter 232-2 such that the valve 250 must be compressed for an interference fit into the hub bore 232-1. According to some embodiments, the valve 250 may be seated into the valve seat 240-2 and/or the mounting wing 254a may be engaged to fit within and/or through the valve slot 238 in the side wall of the hub body 232, e.g., creating a water-tight seal between the valve body 252 and the hub body 232. In some embodiments, the hub 230 may comprise the insert bore 242 having an insert bore diameter 242-1. According to some embodiments, the insert 270 may comprise the seating flange 278 that may have an outside diameter larger than the inside diameter of the insert bore 242-1. Axial advancement or insertion of the insert 270 into the insert bore 242 may accordingly cause the seating flange 278 to engage the insert bevel 242-2 of the hub 230, which may exert a radially outward force on the insert bevel 242-2 that may cause the hub body 232 to expand (e.g., elastically) radially to accommodate the seating flange 238. In some embodiments, the insert recess 242-3 of the hub 230 may be sized to accommodate the seating flange 238 and accordingly, upon advancement of the insert 270 into the insert bore 242 such that the seating flange 238 aligns axially with the insert recess 242-3, the insert 270 may snap into place and the hub body 232 may return to the original diameter thereof. According to some embodiments, the seating flange 278 and/or the seating flange collar 278-1 may engage with and/or create a water-tight seal with the insert seat 244 in the case that the seating flange 238 is seated in the insert recess 242-3. In some embodiments, the insert 270 may comprise the inlet funnel 276 configured to funnel fluid traveling in an antegrade direction into the fluid channel 272-1. According to some embodiments, the administration member 280 may be inserted into the insert 270 by entering the outlet funnel 274 and extending into the fluid channel 272-1 up to the channel stop 272-2.

Referring to FIG. 2H and FIG. 2I, the seating and sealing between the hub 230, the valve 250, and the insert 270 is depicted. In FIG. 2H, for example, the seating flange collar 278-1 of the insert 270 is shown having a smaller outside diameter than the inside diameter of the valve channel 252-1 in the riser 256 of the valve 250, and in the case that the seating flange 238 is seated in the insert recess 242-3, the seating flange collar 278-1 is disposed within the valve channel 252-1 in the riser 256 of the valve 250. In some embodiments, the fit between the seating flange collar 278-1, the riser 256, and the fluid outlet bore 240 may be configured to provide for a water-tight seal such that any fluid directed axially through the valve 250 in an antegrade direction must pass into the inlet funnel 276 and through the fluid bore 282-1 of the administration member 280. As depicted in FIG. 2H and FIG. 2I in accordance with some embodiments, the valve flap 252-2 may comprise a pliant portion of the valve 250 centered in the path of fluid flow and being free to bend in an antegrade direction by being unencumbered due to free space provided between the valve flap 252-2 and the inlet funnel 276 of the insert 270 and/or may be permitted to travel into the inlet funnel 276 itself.

Referring to FIG. 2J and FIG. 2K, the mating and/or sealing between the BFS vial 210 and the hub assembly 226 is shown. The first flange 214 of the BFS vial 210 is depicted having an outside diameter and/or radial extent equal to or greater than the hub bore diameter 232-1, for example, thus creating a fluid-tight seal within the hub bore 232. The second flange 216 and/or the locking tabs 218a-b are depicted as being seated in the hub 230 and as being shaped to prevent retrograde axial movement of the BFS vial 210 with respect to the hub 230, by having features that project radially outward to engage with the side walls of the hub body 232. In some embodiments as-depicted, the spatial configuration of the locking tabs 218a-b and the hub bore 232 may cause the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 to contact, coupled with, and/or seat against the vial flange 260 of the valve 250, thereby creating a fluid-tight seal therebetween. According to some embodiments, the valve 250 may create a seal with the valve seat 240-2 and/or the insert 270 (and/or the seating flange 238 thereof) may create a seal with the insert seat 244. In some embodiments, the valve flap 252-1 may be positioned over and/or biased against the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 such that it prevents any retrograde flow of fluid into the BFS vial 210. The first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 may, as positioned against the valve 250 and seated in the vial flange 260 in FIG. 2K for example, prevent retrograde movement or axial displacement of the valve flap 252-2 in the direction of the BFS vial 210, thereby preventing any opening in the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 from being uncovered in response to a any retrograde force (while the valve flap 252-2 is otherwise free to bend or move in an antegrade direction at least by not being blocked by any objects in the valve channel 252-1. Such a configuration in accordance with some embodiments is depicted in FIG. 2L, where the collapsible reservoir 220 may provide fluid via the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 by such fluid flow forcing an antegrade displacement of the hinged/flapped valve flap 252-2, while a retrograde flow would not be possible by nature of the first end 210-1 of the BFS vial 210 blocking or preventing retrograde displacement of the valve flap 252-2.

In some embodiments, fewer or more components 210, 210-1, 210-2, 212, 214, 216, 218a-b, 220, 222, 226, 228, 228-1, 228-2, 228-3, 228-4, 230, 232, 232-1, 232-2, 232-3, 234a-b, 236, 238, 240, 240-1, 240-2, 242, 242-1, 242-2, 242-3, 244, 250, 252, 252-1, 252-2, 254a, 256, 258, 260, 262, 270, 272, 272-1, 272-2, 274, 276, 278, 278-1, 280, 282, 282-1, 282-2, 282-3, 284 and/or various configurations of the depicted components 210, 210-1, 210-2, 212, 214, 216, 218a-b, 220, 222, 226, 228, 228-1, 228-2, 228-3, 228-4, 230, 232, 232-1, 232-2, 232-3, 234a-b, 236, 238, 240, 240-1, 240-2, 242, 242-1, 242-2, 242-3, 244, 250, 252, 252-1, 252-2, 254a, 256, 258, 260, 262, 270, 272, 272-1, 272-2, 274, 276, 278, 278-1, 280, 282, 282-1, 282-2, 282-3, 284 may be included in the fluid delivery system 200 without deviating from the scope of embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the components 210, 210-1, 210-2, 212, 214, 216, 218a-b, 220, 222, 226, 228, 228-1, 228-2, 228-3, 228-4, 230, 232, 232-1, 232-2, 232-3, 234a-b, 236, 238, 240, 240-1, 240-2, 242, 242-1, 242-2, 242-3, 244, 250, 252, 252-1, 252-2, 254a, 256, 258, 260, 262, 270, 272, 272-1, 272-2, 274, 276, 278, 278-1, 280, 282, 282-1, 282-2, 282-3, 284 may be similar in configuration and/or functionality to similarly named and/or numbered components as described herein. In some embodiments, the fluid delivery system 200 (and/or portion and/or component 210, 210-1, 210-2, 212, 214, 216, 218a-b, 220, 222, 226, 228, 228-1, 228-2, 228-3, 228-4, 230, 232, 232-1, 232-2, 232-3, 234a-b, 236, 238, 240, 240-1, 240-2, 242, 242-1, 242-2, 242-3, 244, 250, 252, 252-1, 252-2, 254a, 256, 258, 260, 262, 270, 272, 272-1, 272-2, 274, 276, 278, 278-1, 280, 282, 282-1, 282-2, 282-3, 284 thereof) may be utilized in accordance with the methods 800, 900 of FIG. 8 and/or FIG. 9 herein, and/or portions or combinations thereof.

Turning now to FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C, FIG. 3D, FIG. 3E, FIG. 3F, FIG. 3G, and FIG. 3H, right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, back, and front cross-sectional views of a modular hub 330 according to some embodiments are shown. In some embodiments, the modular hub 330 may comprise a modular component of a fluid delivery system as described herein. The modular hub 330 may comprise, for example, a cylindrical hub body 232 defining a hub bore 332-1 therethrough, the hub bore 332-1 having an inside hub bore diameter 332-2. According to some embodiments, the modular hub 330 may comprise a vial bevel 332-3 disposed at an opening of the hub bore 332-1 and/or may comprise a plurality of locking slots 334a-b disposed in the sides of the hub body 332. In some embodiments, the modular hub 330 may comprise an assembly flange 336 disposed at an opening of the hub bore 332-1 and/or may comprise a plurality of valve slots 338a-b disposed in the sides of the hub body 332.

According to some embodiments, the modular hub 330 may comprise a fluid outlet bore 340 having an interior fluid outlet bore diameter 340-1. In some embodiments, a valve seat 340-2 may be formed or disposed in the hub bore 332-1 and/or between the hub bore 332-1 and the fluid outlet bore 340. In some embodiments, the modular hub 330 may comprise an insert bore 342 having an interior insert bore diameter 342-1 and/or may comprise and/or define an insert bevel 342-2 and/or an insert recess 342-3. According to some embodiments, the insert recess 342-3 may define and/or the insert bore 342 may comprise and/or define an insert seat 344.

In some embodiments, as best seen in FIG. 3C, the hub bore 332-1 may comprise a non-circular cross-section such as an oval, square, rectangle, triangle, and/or other shape such as an “eye” shape as shown. In such a manner, for example, only BFS vials having similarly-shaped necks (not shown) may be inserted into the hub bore 332-1 and/or may be inserted and seated properly seated to form a water-tight seal therein. According to some embodiments, the hub bore diameter 332-2 may be equal to the insert bore diameter 342-1 and/or the fluid outlet bore diameter 340-1 may be smaller than either or both of the hub bore diameter 332-2 and the insert bore diameter 342-1. In some embodiments, the valve seat 340-2 and/or the insert seat 344 may be shaped to accept a valve and an insert (neither shown), respectively. According to some embodiments, the valve seat 340-2 may be positioned axially adjacent to the valve slots 338a-b such that a portion of a valve inserted into the hub bore 322-1 may seat and/or seal with the valve seat 340-2 while another portion of the valve seats within, protrudes into, and/or is otherwise engaged with each respective valve slot 338a-b. According to some embodiments, the vial bevel 332-3 and the insert bevel 342-2 may be conically-shaped portions that act upon objects inserted axially therein. In the case a pliable and/or compressible object (not shown) having an outside diameter and/or radial extent that exceeds the hub bore diameter 332-2 is urged axially into the hub bore 332-1, for example, the vial bevel 332-3 may provide or exert a radially inward opposing force thereon, causing object to compress, retract, and/or deform—e.g., increasingly as the diameter of the vial bevel 332-3 decreases along the axial insertion path.

According to some embodiments, fewer or more components 332, 332-1, 332-2, 332-3, 334a-b, 336, 338, 340, 340-1, 340-2, 342, 342-1, 342-2, 342-3, 344 and/or various configurations of the depicted components 332, 332-1, 332-2, 332-3, 334a-b, 336, 338, 340, 340-1, 340-2, 342, 342-1, 342-2, 342-3, 344 may be included in the modular hub 330 without deviating from the scope of embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the components 332, 332-1, 332-2, 332-3, 334a-b, 336, 338, 340, 340-1, 340-2, 342, 342-1, 342-2, 342-3, 344 may be similar in configuration and/or functionality to similarly named and/or numbered components as described herein. In some embodiments, the modular hub 330 (and/or portion and/or component 332, 332-1, 332-2, 332-3, 334a-b, 336, 338, 340, 340-1, 340-2, 342, 342-1, 342-2, 342-3, 344 thereof) may be utilized in accordance with the methods 800, 900 of FIG. 8 and/or FIG. 9 herein, and/or portions or combinations thereof.

Turning now to FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C, FIG. 4D, FIG. 4E, FIG. 4F, FIG. 4G, and FIG. 4H, right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, back, and front cross-sectional views of a modular valve 450 according to some embodiments are shown. In some embodiments, the modular valve 450 may comprise a modular component of a fluid delivery system as described herein. The modular valve 450 may comprise, for example, a cylindrical and/or annular-shaped valve body 452 defining a valve channel 452-1 therethrough, having a valve flap 452-2 disposed therein, and/or one or more mounting wings 454a-b protruding radially from the valve body 452. According to some embodiments, the modular valve 450 may comprise a cylindrical riser 456 extending axially from the valve body 452 and/or an antegrade void 458 formed at the base of the riser 456. In some embodiments, the modular valve 450 may comprise a vial flange 460 formed and/or disposed on an axial-facing surface of the valve body 452 and/or may comprise a seating surface 462 disposed and/or formed on an opposite axial-facing surface of the valve body 452.

According to some embodiments, the valve body 452 may be shaped to fit within a bore of a modular hub member (not shown). The valve body 452 may be substantially cylindrically or circularly-shaped, for example, or may be “eye” or “almond”-shaped, as depicted in FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4C. In some embodiments, the valve flap 452-2 may comprise a portion of pliable material attached along only a portion of a circumference of the interior of the valve channel 452-1 such that it may be selectively and temporarily axially displaced upon application of an axial force thereto. In some embodiments, more rigid rubber or plastic compounds may be utilized to construct the valve flap 452-2 such that larger amounts of axial force are required to bend the valve flap 452-2 and/or such that the valve flap 452-2 may comprise an increased natural spring-effect that urges or biases the valve flap 452-2 to a default or “closed” position, e.g., normal to an axis of the modular valve 450.

In some embodiments, fewer or more components 452, 452-1, 452-2, 454a-b, 456, 458, 460, 462 and/or various configurations of the depicted components 452, 452-1, 452-2, 454a-b, 456, 458, 460, 462 may be included in the modular valve 450 without deviating from the scope of embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the components 452, 452-1, 452-2, 454a-b, 456, 458, 460, 462 may be similar in configuration and/or functionality to similarly named and/or numbered components as described herein. In some embodiments, the modular valve 450 (and/or portion and/or component 452, 452-1, 452-2, 454a-b, 456, 458, 460, 462 thereof) may be utilized in accordance with the methods 800, 900 of FIG. 8 and/or FIG. 9 herein, and/or portions or combinations thereof.

Turning now to FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, FIG. 5C, FIG. 5D, FIG. 5E, FIG. 5F, FIG. 5G, and FIG. 5H, right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, back, and front cross-sectional views of a modular insert 570 according to some embodiments are shown. In some embodiments, the modular insert 570 may comprise a modular component of a fluid delivery system as described herein. The modular insert 570 may comprise, for example, a cylindrical-shaped insert body 572 defining a fluid channel 572-1 therethrough, having an outlet funnel 574 and/or an inlet funnel 576 disposed at opposing ends thereof. According to some embodiments, the outlet funnel 574 may comprise an inside diameter 574-1 configured for various desired fluid delivery applications as described herein (e.g., for acceptance of different gauge needles, nozzles, and/or other delivery methods or applications). In some embodiments, the modular insert 570 may comprise a seating flange 578 and/or a seating flange collar 578-1. As depicted, the seating flange collar 578-1 may house and/or define the inlet funnel 576. According to some embodiments, the seating flange 578 may be rounded at the radial extents thereof, such as to facilitate insertion of the seating flange 578 into a bore (not shown) with a smaller diameter than that of the seating flange 578.

In some embodiments, fewer or more components 572, 572-1, 572-2, 574, 574-1, 576, 578, 578-1 and/or various configurations of the depicted components 572, 572-1, 572-2, 574, 574-1, 576, 578, 578-1 may be included in the modular insert 570 without deviating from the scope of embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the components 572, 572-1, 572-2, 574, 574-1, 576, 578, 578-1 may be similar in configuration and/or functionality to similarly named and/or numbered components as described herein. In some embodiments, the modular insert 570 (and/or portion and/or component 572, 572-1, 572-2, 574, 574-1, 576, 578, 578-1 thereof) may be utilized in accordance with the methods 800, 900 of FIG. 8 and/or FIG. 9 herein, and/or portions or combinations thereof.

Turning now to FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, FIG. 6D, FIG. 6E, FIG. 6F, and FIG. 6G, right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, and views of a modular BFS vial 610 according to some embodiments are shown. The BFS vial 610 may, for example, comprise a generally flask-shaped element comprising a bottom 610-2 at one end and comprising a neck 612, a distal or first flange 614, a proximate or second flange 616, and/or a plurality of indexing or coupling elements 618a-b at an opposite end thereof. The first flange 614, second flange 616, and/or coupling elements 618a-b may, in some embodiments, be operable to mate and/or couple with a hub assembly for fluid delivery (not shown), as described herein. In some embodiments, the modular BFS vial 610 may comprise a flask-shaped fluid reservoir 620 disposed between the bottom 610-2 and the neck 612, and/or a compression foot 622 disposed adjacent to and/or at the bottom 610-2.

According to some embodiments, the flask-shaped fluid reservoir 620 may be axially compressed and/or collapsed to expel any fluid stored therein, such as by application of an axial force urging the compression foot 622 toward the neck 612. In some embodiments, the flask-shaped fluid reservoir 620 may be advantageously ergonomic by lending itself to easy operation by a user (not shown) by the user placing two (2) or more fingers (not shown) over the top of the flask-shaped fluid reservoir 620 with their thumb (also not shown) disposed beneath the compression foot 622 at the bottom 610-2. A squeezing motion compressing the fingers toward the thumb may then, in some embodiments, compress and/or deform the flask-shaped fluid reservoir 620 such that it achieves a substantially disk-shaped collapsed appearance and accordingly reduces the volume of the flask-shaped fluid reservoir 620 to substantially zero by expelling substantially all fluid previously stored therein.

In some embodiments, fewer or more components 610-2, 612, 614, 616, 618a-b, 620, 622 and/or various configurations of the depicted components 610-2, 612, 614, 616, 618a-b, 620, 622 may be included in the modular BFS vial 610 without deviating from the scope of embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the components 610-2, 612, 614, 616, 618a-b, 620, 622 may be similar in configuration and/or functionality to similarly named and/or numbered components as described herein. In some embodiments, the modular BFS vial 610 (and/or portion and/or component 610-2, 612, 614, 616, 618a-b, 620, 622 thereof) may be utilized in accordance with the methods 800, 900 of FIG. 8 and/or FIG. 9 herein, and/or portions or combinations thereof.

Turning now to FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, FIG. 7C, FIG. 7D, FIG. 7E, FIG. 7F, and FIG. 7G, right-front perspective, top, bottom, left, right, front, and views of a modular BFS vial 710 according to some embodiments are shown. The BFS vial 710 may, for example, comprise an accordion or “concertina”-shaped element comprising a top or outlet 710-1 and a bottom 710-2. In some embodiments, the BFS vial 710 may comprise (e.g., at or adjacent to the outlet 710-1) a neck 712, a distal or first flange 714, a proximate or second flange 716, and/or a plurality of indexing or coupling elements 718a-b. The first flange 714, second flange 716, and/or coupling elements 718a-b may, in some embodiments, be operable to mate and/or couple with a hub assembly for fluid delivery (not shown), as described herein. In some embodiments, the modular BFS vial 710 may comprise a “concertina”-shaped fluid reservoir 720a-b disposed between the top 710-1 and the bottom 710-2, and/or a compression foot 722 disposed adjacent to and/or at the bottom 710-2. In some embodiments, the “concertina”-shaped fluid reservoir 720a-b may comprise and/or define a plurality of segments, volumes, and/or lobes such as an upper or first lobe 720a and a lower or second lobe 720b formed and/or joined therebetween. Fewer or more lobes 720a-b may be utilized in some embodiments.

According to some embodiments, the lobes 720a-b may be axially compressed and/or collapsed to expel any fluid stored therein, such as by application of an axial force urging the compression foot 722 toward the neck 712 and/or the top 710-1. In some embodiments, the lobes 720a-b may be advantageously ergonomic by lending themselves to easy operation by a user (not shown) by the user placing two (2) or more fingers (not shown) over the top of the first lobe 720a with their thumb (also not shown) disposed beneath the compression foot 722 at the bottom 710-2. A squeezing motion compressing the fingers toward the thumb may then, in some embodiments, compress and/or deform each of the lobes 720a-b such that they each achieve a substantially disk-shaped collapsed appearance and accordingly reduce the volume of the “concertina”-shaped fluid reservoir 720a-b to substantially zero by expelling substantially all fluid previously stored therein.

In some embodiments, fewer or more components 710-1, 710-2, 712, 714, 716, 718a-b, 720a-b, 722 and/or various configurations of the depicted components 710-1, 710-2, 712, 714, 716, 718a-b, 720a-b, 722 may be included in the modular BFS vial 710 without deviating from the scope of embodiments described herein. In some embodiments, the components 710-1, 710-2, 712, 714, 716, 718a-b, 720a-b, 722 may be similar in configuration and/or functionality to similarly named and/or numbered components as described herein. In some embodiments, the modular BFS vial 710 (and/or portion and/or component 710-1, 710-2, 712, 714, 716, 718a-b, 720a-b, 722 thereof) may be utilized in accordance with the methods 800, 900 of FIG. 8 and/or FIG. 9 herein, and/or portions or combinations thereof.

III. Fluid Delivery Methods

FIG. 8 is a perspective flow diagram of a method 800 according to some embodiments. The method 800 may, for example, illustrate an exemplary use of the various fluid delivery systems and/or components thereof, as described herein. The process diagrams and flow diagrams described herein do not necessarily imply a fixed order to any depicted actions, steps, and/or procedures, and embodiments may generally be performed in any order that is practicable unless otherwise and specifically noted. While the order of actions, steps, and/or procedures described herein is generally not fixed, in some embodiments, actions, steps, and/or procedures may be specifically performed in the order listed, depicted, and/or described and/or may be performed in response to any previously listed, depicted, and/or described action, step, and/or procedure.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the delivery system may be delivered with a pack of BFS vials 802 and a corresponding number of fully assembled delivery assemblies 826 (e.g., with safety covers 828), at 801. A user may then, according to some embodiments, simply tear away one of the vials 810 from the pack 802 when ready to deliver the single dose of fluid agent, at 803. In some embodiments, the user may then attach the removed vial 810 to one of the delivery assemblies 826 by pressing (e.g., axially) them together, e.g., until the vial 810 snaps, clicks, and/or locks into place in the delivery assembly 826, at 805. According to some embodiments, the user may then remove the safety cover 828 from the combined vial 810 and delivery assembly 826, thereby exposing the needle 880 (or other appropriate administration member), at 807. In some embodiments, the user may then administer the fluid agent (either self-administration or administration to another person), at 809. Once finished, the safety cover 828 may be placed back on to the delivery assembly 826 and the contents can be discarded in the appropriate biohazard waste receptacle, at 811.

The delivery assembly 826 is generally configured to allow delivery of the agent to the patient in a relatively simple manner, without requiring specialized training for administering the agent. In some embodiments, the delivery assembly 828 is designed such that a person administering the fluid agent (e.g., administrator), which could also include self-administration, need only position the device upon the administration site (e.g., shoulder, arm, chest, nose, ear, eye, etc.), and then fully compress the BFS vial 810 (and/or a fluid reservoir thereof) containing the dose of fluid agent, thereby delivering the correct predefined dosage to the patient. The delivery assembly 826 may be further configured such that, in the event that a needle 880 is required (i.e., because the delivery method is an injection), needle penetration is limited to the correct length and orientation within the administration site. For example, in some embodiments, the needle 880 is positioned substantially perpendicular relative to a plane along which the distal end of the insert lies, such that the needle 880 is configured to be inserted into a patient's skin at a substantially perpendicular angle and the distal end of the insert is configured to contact the patient's skin indicating adequate depth of penetrating for injection of the fluid agent.

Accordingly, the delivery assembly 826 may not require a trained, skilled healthcare profession for administration of vaccines or drugs. As such, the delivery assembly 826 may be particularly useful in situations in which vaccines or drugs are being administered in non-healthcare related facilities (e.g., outside of clinics or hospitals) and given to large numbers of individuals over a short period of time by a non-professional.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a flow diagram of a method 900 according to some embodiments is shown. The method 900 may comprise, for example, separating a BFS vial from a BFS manifold, at 902. A user may grab an individual vial and twist or bend it to separate it from the BFS manifold at one or more preconfigured breakage or junction points, for example. According to some embodiments, the method 900 may comprise coupling the BFS vial to a delivery hub, at 904. The coupling may comprise, for example, applying axial force (e.g., via a grip plate of the BFS vial and an assembly flange of the assembly hub) that urges a BFS vial axially into a bore of a modular assembly hub (e.g., as described herein), e.g., until engagement elements integral to the BFS vial click or snap into appropriately indexed retention features of the assembly hub. In some embodiments, the method 900 may comprise removing a safety cap, at 906. Axial force may be applied to separate the cap from the assembly hub, for example, exposing an administration member such as a needle, nozzle, dropper, or the like. According to some embodiments, the method 900 may comprise administering a dose of fluid, at 908. The administration element of the assembly hub may be engaged with a patient, for example, and a collapsible and integral reservoir of the BFS vial may be squeezed (e.g., via application of inward radial force) to force fluid therefrom. According to some embodiments, the fluid may be forced in an antegrade axial direction such that it displaces a valve flap of a one-way valve, thereby allowing the fluid to proceed axially into the administration element and be delivered to the patient. In some embodiments, the method 900 may comprise replacing the safety cap, at 910. According to some embodiments, the method 900 may comprise disposing of the delivery system, at 912. In such a manner, for example, a low-cost, easily transported and more easily stored fluid delivery system may be provided that allows unskilled users to administer and/or self-administer.

IV. Additional Embodiments

FIG. 10 shows perspective views of modular delivery or hub assemblies 1026a-d configured for different methods of delivery (e.g., intramuscular, subcutaneous, intravenous, and intradermal injection). In some embodiments, each modular hub assembly 1026a-d may comprise a respective modular hub element 1030a-d, a modular valve element 1050a-d, a modular insert element 1070a-d, and/or a modular needle (or other administration) element 1080a-d. As depicted in FIG. 10, the various respective needle elements 1080a-d may be configured for different delivery/administration requirements. For example, the needle elements 1080a-d may have varying lengths in the range of about one and one half millimeters (1.5 mm) to twenty-five millimeters (25 mm)—e.g., with a first needle element 1080a being the longest, a second needle elements 1080b being shorter than the first needle element 1080a, a third needle elements 1080c being shorter than the second needle element 1080b, and/or a fourth needle elements 1080d being shorter than the third needle element 1080c. According to some embodiments, lengths of the needle elements 1080a-d may be in the range of one half millimeter (0.5 mm) to fifty millimeters (50 mm). In some embodiments, the only structural differences between the various hub assemblies 1026a-d may be the lengths (and/or thicknesses) of the needle elements 1080a-d. Each of the other modular components 1030a-d, 1050a-d, 1070a-d may, for example, be identical. Accordingly, the modular construction of the delivery assemblies 1026a-d may allow for rapid manufacturing reconfigurations of one or more components with minimal costs to create new delivery assembly configurations that meet specific needs (i.e., different modes of delivery depending on agent to be delivered, such as subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, intravenous injection, spray, or droplet delivery). For example, the modular hub element 1030a-d and the modular valve element 1050a-d may remain the same construction (dimensions and material), while the modular insert element 1070a-d may be changed to account for different sized needle elements 1080a-d and/or nozzle types, depending on the type of delivery and/or type of fluid agent to be delivered.

V. Rules of Interpretation

Throughout the description herein and unless otherwise specified, the following terms may include and/or encompass the example meanings provided. These terms and illustrative example meanings are provided to clarify the language selected to describe embodiments both in the specification and in the appended claims, and accordingly, are not intended to be generally limiting. While not generally limiting and while not limiting for all described embodiments, in some embodiments, the terms are specifically limited to the example definitions and/or examples provided. Other terms are defined throughout the present description.

Numerous embodiments are described in this patent application, and are presented for illustrative purposes only. The described embodiments are not, and are not intended to be, limiting in any sense. The presently disclosed invention(s) are widely applicable to numerous embodiments, as is readily apparent from the disclosure. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the disclosed invention(s) may be practiced with various modifications and alterations, such as structural, logical, software, and electrical modifications. Although particular features of the disclosed invention(s) may be described with reference to one or more particular embodiments and/or drawings, it should be understood that such features are not limited to usage in the one or more particular embodiments or drawings with reference to which they are described, unless expressly specified otherwise.

Devices that are in communication with each other need not be in continuous communication with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise.

A description of an embodiment with several components or features does not imply that all or even any of such components and/or features are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present invention(s). Unless otherwise specified explicitly, no component and/or feature is essential or required.

Further, although process steps, algorithms or the like may be described in a sequential order, such processes may be configured to work in different orders. In other words, any sequence or order of steps that may be explicitly described does not necessarily indicate a requirement that the steps be performed in that order. The steps of processes described herein may be performed in any order practical. Further, some steps may be performed simultaneously despite being described or implied as occurring non-simultaneously (e.g., because one step is described after the other step). Moreover, the illustration of a process by its depiction in a drawing does not imply that the illustrated process is exclusive of other variations and modifications thereto, does not imply that the illustrated process or any of its steps are necessary to the invention, and does not imply that the illustrated process is preferred.

The present disclosure provides, to one of ordinary skill in the art, an enabling description of several embodiments and/or inventions. Some of these embodiments and/or inventions may not be claimed in the present application, but may nevertheless be claimed in one or more continuing applications that claim the benefit of priority of the present application. Applicants intend to file additional applications to pursue patents for subject matter that has been disclosed and enabled but not claimed in the present application.

It will be understood that various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present disclosure herein without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting the disclosure, but merely as embodiments thereof. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present disclosure is/are used.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the disclosure described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described (or portions thereof), and it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all such equivalents.

Various modifications of the invention and many further embodiments thereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of this document, including references to the scientific and patent literature cited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information, exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of this invention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A delivery system for delivery of a fluid agent, the delivery system comprising: a blow-fill-seal (BFS) vial containing a single dose of a fluid agent, the BFS vial defining (i) a cylindrical neck and (ii) two shaped radial protrusion disposed on opposite sides of the BFS vial; anda delivery assembly configured to be securely coupled to said BFS vial and to deliver said single dose of said fluid agent, said delivery assembly comprising: a hub member having a proximal end defining an inlet port and a distal end defining an outlet port and a channel providing a fluid pathway from said inlet port to said outlet port, said inlet port having two apertures disposed in opposite sides of the inlet port, each aperture configured to receive and retain one of the two shaped radial protrusions of the BFS vial thereto, said inlet port configured to receive the fluid agent from the BFS vial; andan administration member for administering said fluid agent into a patient, said administration member being retained by the hub member.
2. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein said BFS vial has an interior volume configured to expel said fluid agent into said fluid pathway and through said channel of said insert member and into said administration member in response to a compression force applied thereto.
3. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein said administration member comprises a needle for at least one of subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, and intravenous injection of said fluid agent into said patient.
4. The delivery system of claim 3, wherein said needle is a micro-needle having a length in the range of 0.5 mm to 4 mm.
5. The delivery system of claim 3, wherein said needle has a length in the range of 4 mm to 15 mm.
6. The delivery system of claim 3, wherein said needle has a length in the range of 15 mm to 30 mm.
7. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein said administration member comprises a nozzle configured to control administration of said fluid agent to said patient.
8. The delivery system of claim 7, wherein said nozzle is configured to facilitate dispersion of said fluid agent into a spray.
9. The delivery system of claim 7, wherein said nozzle is configured to facilitate dispersion of said fluid agent into one or more droplets.
10. The delivery system of claim 1, wherein an interior volume of said BFS vial is in the range of 0.05 ml to 15.0 ml.
11. A modular injectable delivery system for injection of a fluid agent from a BFS vial into a patient, the modular injectable delivery system comprising: an administration member for injecting the fluid agent into the patient, the administration member comprising a needle defining a distal end and a proximate end, the distal end comprising a point for piercing the patient; anda fluid delivery hub defining a cylindrical body comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the second end retains the administration member, the fluid delivery hub defining a bore between the first and second ends, and comprising a plurality of apertures, each aperture formed within a portion of a side wall of the bore that extends axially towards, and ends proximate to the first end thereof, the bore at the first end being shaped to receive a neck of the BFS vial, wherein the BFS vial comprises a plurality of external radially projecting mating features and wherein the BFS vial contains the fluid agent, and the plurality of apertures being shaped to receive the plurality of external radially projecting mating features of the BFS vial.
12. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 11, further comprising: a removable cap selectively coupled to cover the distal end of the needle.
13. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 11, wherein a neck of the BFS vial is cylindrically shaped, in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir containing the fluid agent, and comprises a seal at an end thereof.
14. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 13, wherein the fluid reservoir defines an interior volume configured to expel the fluid agent into the administration member in response to a compression force applied thereto.
15. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 11, wherein the administration member comprises a needle for at least one of subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal, and intravenous injection of said fluid agent into said patient.
16. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 15, wherein the needle is a micro-needle having a length in the range of 0.5 mm to 4 mm.
17. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 15, wherein the needle has a length in the range of 4 mm to 15 mm.
18. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 15, wherein the needle has a length in the range of 15 mm to 30 mm.
19. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 11, wherein the administration member comprises a nozzle configured to control administration of the fluid agent to the patient.
20. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 19, wherein the nozzle is configured to facilitate dispersion of the fluid agent into a spray.
21. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 19, wherein the nozzle is configured to facilitate dispersion of the fluid agent into one or more droplets.
22. The modular injectable delivery system of claim 11, further comprising: the BFS vial.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit and priority to, and is a Continuation of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/169,983 filed on Oct. 24, 2018 and titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FLUID DELIVERY” and which issues as U.S. Pat. No. 11,382,833 on Jul. 12, 2022, and which itself claims benefit and priority to, and is a Continuation-in-Part (CiP) of, International Patent Application PCT/162017/000549 filed on Apr. 25, 2017 and titled “MEDICAL DELIVERY SYSTEM”, which itself claims benefit and priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/326,977 filed on Apr. 25, 2016 and to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/474,096 filed on Mar. 21, 2017, the contents of each of such previous applications of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

US Referenced Citations (346)

Number	Name	Date	Kind
2667165	Smith	Jan 1954	A
2717598	Krasno	Sep 1955	A
2828743	Ashkenaz	Apr 1958	A
3073307	Stevens	Jan 1963	A
3192925	Cunningham	Jul 1965	A
3251915	Pechthold	May 1966	A
3406686	Keller	Oct 1968	A
3491757	Arce	Jan 1970	A
3640388	Ferrari	Feb 1972	A
3917120	Larenz	Nov 1975	A
3989045	Van Eck	Nov 1976	A
4018222	McAleer	Apr 1977	A
4022206	Hilleman	May 1977	A
4130117	Van Eck	Dec 1978	A
4502616	Meierhoefer	Mar 1985	A
4539172	Winchell	Sep 1985	A
4643309	Evers	Feb 1987	A
4671763	Weiler	Jun 1987	A
4883473	Thomas	Nov 1989	A
4955871	Thomas	Sep 1990	A
4966581	Landau	Oct 1990	A
4979630	Rose	Dec 1990	A
4995519	Rose	Feb 1991	A
5112311	Utterberg	May 1992	A
5135514	Kimber	Aug 1992	A
5139489	Hollister	Aug 1992	A
5217480	Haber	Jun 1993	A
5222948	Austin	Jun 1993	A
5242422	Schneberger	Sep 1993	A
5261881	Riner	Nov 1993	A
5356052	Poynter	Oct 1994	A
5370626	Farris	Dec 1994	A
5374263	Weiler	Dec 1994	A
5395365	Weiler	Mar 1995	A
5409125	Kimber	Apr 1995	A
5427275	Hansen	Jun 1995	A
5503885	Anderson	Apr 1996	A
5509906	Poynter	Apr 1996	A
5533505	Goeran	Jul 1996	A
5624407	Claro	Apr 1997	A
5636640	Staehlin	Jun 1997	A
5761885	Hansen	Jun 1998	A
5944699	Barrelle	Aug 1999	A
6050400	Taskis	Apr 2000	A
D425617	Snedden	May 2000	S
6065270	Reinhard	May 2000	A
6068148	Weiler	May 2000	A
6120478	Moore	Sep 2000	A
6134866	Schoenewolff	Oct 2000	A
6173852	Browne	Jan 2001	B1
6200296	Dibiasi	Mar 2001	B1
6231559	Loretti	May 2001	B1
6241124	Hoyt	Jun 2001	B1
6258063	Haar	Jul 2001	B1
D447560	Hellberg	Sep 2001	S
6332876	Poynter	Dec 2001	B1
6357626	Zhang	Mar 2002	B1
6379342	Levinson	Apr 2002	B1
6383166	Farris	May 2002	B1
D458366	Hellberg	Jun 2002	S
D462760	Ahlgrim	Sep 2002	S
D467336	Gilbard	Dec 2002	S
6517768	Weiler	Feb 2003	B1
D471628	Louviere	Mar 2003	S
6585134	Farris	Jul 2003	B2
6626308	Weiler	Sep 2003	B2
D492407	Masuda	Jun 2004	S
6764463	Farris	Jul 2004	B1
6777052	Kai	Aug 2004	B2
6860405	Poynter	Mar 2005	B1
6918418	Farris	Jul 2005	B1
D517207	Poynter	Mar 2006	S
7028862	Poynter	Apr 2006	B2
7029465	Heyes	Apr 2006	B2
7100600	Loeffler	Sep 2006	B2
7188750	Vogel	Mar 2007	B2
7308782	Hansen	Dec 2007	B2
7357893	Hansen	Apr 2008	B2
D573710	Goodman	Jul 2008	S
7425207	Miller	Sep 2008	B2
7438704	Kawashima	Oct 2008	B1
7487894	Zahn	Feb 2009	B2
7513397	Zahn	Apr 2009	B2
7562796	Zahn	Jul 2009	B2
7632253	Tetsuya	Dec 2009	B2
D618339	Hansen	Jun 2010	S
7832594	Yamada	Nov 2010	B2
7832601	Zahn	Nov 2010	B2
7866514	Hansen	Jan 2011	B1
7883660	Matsuda	Feb 2011	B2
7892211	McCulloch	Feb 2011	B2
7892614	Radermacher	Feb 2011	B2
7993304	Kriesel	Aug 2011	B2
8087524	Hansen	Jan 2012	B2
8133202	Marsh	Mar 2012	B2
D674481	Decoste	Jan 2013	S
8377029	Nagao	Feb 2013	B2
D681196	Henrikson	Apr 2013	S
8431068	Hansen	Apr 2013	B2
8434643	Harris	May 2013	B2
8464918	Harris	Jun 2013	B1
8486043	Laxmi	Jul 2013	B2
8486501	Manabe	Jul 2013	B2
8551053	Hansen	Oct 2013	B2
8640873	Nakano	Feb 2014	B2
8652096	Alvey	Feb 2014	B2
8663188	Genosar	Mar 2014	B2
8672885	Kriesel	Mar 2014	B2
D710993	Decoste	Aug 2014	S
8795226	Kuhn	Aug 2014	B2
D721434	Mulvey	Jan 2015	S
8967140	Denyer	Mar 2015	B2
8986236	Slokovic	Mar 2015	B2
D731642	Cehajic	Jun 2015	S
9079686	Domkowski	Jul 2015	B2
9095500	Brandenburger	Aug 2015	B2
9108777	Santamarta	Aug 2015	B1
9132238	Ferreri	Sep 2015	B2
9150317	Hansen	Oct 2015	B2
9168201	McAffer	Oct 2015	B2
9216477	Gibson	Dec 2015	B2
9242051	Jugl	Jan 2016	B2
9248076	Sullivan	Feb 2016	B2
9265889	Thornton	Feb 2016	B2
D753292	Oates, II	Apr 2016	S
9314403	Smith	Apr 2016	B2
9358738	Wolters	Jun 2016	B2
9364393	Grabowski	Jun 2016	B1
9399102	Dewoolfson	Jul 2016	B2
9526839	Chia	Dec 2016	B2
D776266	Dombrowski	Jan 2017	S
9533065	Foreman	Jan 2017	B2
D779653	Habig	Feb 2017	S
9592354	Sullivan	Mar 2017	B2
9597259	Becker	Mar 2017	B2
9737664	Gardner	Aug 2017	B2
9808608	Webb	Nov 2017	B2
9820913	Genosar	Nov 2017	B2
9828148	Schreckenhoefer	Nov 2017	B2
9908682	McAffer	Mar 2018	B2
9918900	Hansen	Mar 2018	B2
9987790	Suyama	Jun 2018	B2
10018536	Huschke	Jul 2018	B2
10039884	Ferreri	Aug 2018	B2
10064785	Spallek	Sep 2018	B2
10086984	Colangelo	Oct 2018	B2
10098814	Spallek	Oct 2018	B2
10105491	Gelblum	Oct 2018	B2
10117994	Holtwick	Nov 2018	B2
10118000	Schraga	Nov 2018	B2
10147268	Walker	Dec 2018	B2
10149939	Giambattista	Dec 2018	B2
10155088	Basile	Dec 2018	B2
10155829	Destro	Dec 2018	B2
10207053	Groskopf	Feb 2019	B2
10278896	Brandenburger	May 2019	B2
10315788	Consolaro	Jun 2019	B2
10335507	Reed	Jul 2019	B2
10342735	Chou	Jul 2019	B2
10351272	Colangelo	Jul 2019	B2
10363369	Cosman	Jul 2019	B2
D859647	Chang	Sep 2019	S
10456328	Brandenburger	Oct 2019	B2
10464708	Geser	Nov 2019	B2
10471244	Dombrowski	Nov 2019	B2
10500338	Berenshteyn	Dec 2019	B2
10512591	Oshgan	Dec 2019	B2
10525212	Thornton	Jan 2020	B2
10543317	Basile	Jan 2020	B2
10543944	Batema	Jan 2020	B2
10583256	Berry	Mar 2020	B2
10589075	Wills	Mar 2020	B2
10639839	Consolaro	May 2020	B2
10716901	Genosar	Jul 2020	B2
10737840	Oates, II	Aug 2020	B2
10765849	Chiang	Sep 2020	B2
D898901	De Malibran-Santibanez	Oct 2020	S
10793323	Cosman	Oct 2020	B2
10821053	Rajagopal	Nov 2020	B2
10828860	Vaes	Nov 2020	B2
10874588	Schabbach	Dec 2020	B2
10888454	Yehuda	Jan 2021	B2
10918809	Ferreri	Feb 2021	B2
10928236	Adler	Feb 2021	B2
10933190	Berry	Mar 2021	B2
10940633	Schubert	Mar 2021	B2
10961003	Banuelos	Mar 2021	B2
10967126	Holtwick	Apr 2021	B2
10981713	Genosar	Apr 2021	B2
11027862	Wong	Jun 2021	B2
11059638	Spallek	Jul 2021	B2
11077263	Loenner	Aug 2021	B2
11123499	Basile	Sep 2021	B2
11136148	Rehbein	Oct 2021	B2
11167889	Naohiro	Nov 2021	B2
11173022	De Malibran-Santibanez	Nov 2021	B2
11185634	Genosar	Nov 2021	B2
11191910	Hoekman	Dec 2021	B2
11198243	Beck	Dec 2021	B2
D943092	Buehrle	Feb 2022	S
11279098	Groh	Mar 2022	B2
11285504	Wilkerson	Mar 2022	B2
D952137	Chandrapati	May 2022	S
11324660	Geser	May 2022	B2
D954943	Byron	Jun 2022	S
11351090	Brandenburger	Jun 2022	B2
11351715	Sauter	Jun 2022	B2
11353406	Prinz	Jun 2022	B2
11377263	Gydesen	Jul 2022	B2
11382833	Koska	Jul 2022	B2
11396123	Hoshino	Jul 2022	B2
11400241	Patton	Aug 2022	B2
11400637	Shiokawa	Aug 2022	B2
11400638	Hoshino	Aug 2022	B2
11419984	Schabbach	Aug 2022	B2
11446209	Barkman	Sep 2022	B2
11446856	Furlotti	Sep 2022	B2
11534551	Ferreri	Dec 2022	B2
11565838	Meier	Jan 2023	B2
11591126	Köppel	Feb 2023	B2
11607369	Koska	Mar 2023	B2
11638783	Consolaro	May 2023	B2
11648180	Genosar	May 2023	B2
20020104856	Clark	Aug 2002	A1
20030050602	Pettis	Mar 2003	A1
20030186456	Stroup	Oct 2003	A1
20040015131	Flaherty	Jan 2004	A1
20040118477	Desmond	Jun 2004	A1
20050049560	Hauri	Mar 2005	A1
20060032189	Giacobbe	Feb 2006	A1
20060073173	Banach	Apr 2006	A1
20060108385	Zahn	May 2006	A1
20070167904	Zinger	Jul 2007	A1
20070191780	Modi	Aug 2007	A1
20070260188	Kelly	Nov 2007	A1
20080000798	Gutmann	Jan 2008	A1
20080083691	Poynter	Apr 2008	A1
20080228162	Trager	Sep 2008	A1
20080243077	Bivin	Oct 2008	A1
20080258334	Hansen	Oct 2008	A1
20080262466	Smith	Oct 2008	A1
20090025823	Hansen	Jan 2009	A1
20090171311	Genosar	Jul 2009	A1
20090216212	Fangrow, Jr.	Aug 2009	A1
20090230077	Poynter	Sep 2009	A1
20090230080	Hansen	Sep 2009	A1
20100163577	Hansen	Jul 2010	A1
20100249716	Wong	Sep 2010	A1
20110031157	Nakano	Feb 2011	A1
20110131929	McAffer	Jun 2011	A1
20110135720	Seabrook, Jr.	Jun 2011	A1
20110160677	March	Jun 2011	A1
20110186451	Pontus	Aug 2011	A1
20110224640	Bernd	Sep 2011	A1
20120027818	Glausch	Feb 2012	A1
20120074001	Genosar	Mar 2012	A1
20120083744	Finke	Apr 2012	A1
20120179109	Takemoto	Jul 2012	A1
20120238962	Chin	Sep 2012	A1
20130015204	Gol	Jan 2013	A1
20130098864	Fontana	Apr 2013	A1
20130104324	Greer, Jr.	May 2013	A1
20130110053	Yoshino	May 2013	A1
20130345672	Ferreri	Dec 2013	A1
20130345673	Ferreri	Dec 2013	A1
20140008366	Genosar	Jan 2014	A1
20140039444	Akihito	Feb 2014	A1
20140046270	Thornton	Feb 2014	A1
20140054295	Holtwick	Feb 2014	A1
20140069839	Colin	Mar 2014	A1
20140188502	Defrank	Jul 2014	A1
20140224815	Gallem	Aug 2014	A1
20140231456	Marshall	Aug 2014	A1
20140291278	Colin	Oct 2014	A1
20140323975	Thornton	Oct 2014	A1
20150136622	Genosar	May 2015	A1
20150165123	Thornton	Jun 2015	A1
20150202372	Ali	Jul 2015	A1
20150283332	Woehr	Oct 2015	A1
20150359708	Boomgard	Dec 2015	A1
20160022541	Dalal	Jan 2016	A1
20160063215	Zamer	Mar 2016	A1
20160074586	Mernøe	Mar 2016	A1
20160120749	Hansen	May 2016	A1
20160144130	Thornton	May 2016	A1
20160175544	Koska	Jun 2016	A1
20160206417	Levine	Jul 2016	A1
20160246943	Lake	Aug 2016	A1
20170007767	Schabbach	Jan 2017	A1
20170128676	Spallek	May 2017	A1
20180072480	Genosar	Mar 2018	A1
20180193565	Koska	Jul 2018	A1
20180193571	Koska	Jul 2018	A1
20180193572	Koska	Jul 2018	A1
20180197143	Daub	Jul 2018	A1
20180235839	Johnson	Aug 2018	A1
20180235840	Genosar	Aug 2018	A1
20180280234	Brevik-Andersen	Oct 2018	A1
20190009068	Margoosian	Jan 2019	A1
20190046402	Desbrosses	Feb 2019	A1
20190060168	Koska	Feb 2019	A1
20190060573	Consolaro	Feb 2019	A1
20190156931	Skoda	May 2019	A1
20190214116	Eberting	Jul 2019	A1
20190224424	Helmer	Jul 2019	A1
20200100985	Auerbach	Apr 2020	A1
20200118164	Defrank	Apr 2020	A1
20200129698	Chowdhury	Apr 2020	A1
20200164563	Spallek	May 2020	A1
20200172271	Colangelo	Jun 2020	A1
20200246547	Glenting	Aug 2020	A1
20200276082	Koska	Sep 2020	A1
20200384186	Consolaro	Dec 2020	A1
20210030965	Koska	Feb 2021	A1
20210128835	Koska	May 2021	A1
20210244888	Ryan	Aug 2021	A1
20210353538	Humeniuk	Nov 2021	A1
20220024616	Lema Martinez	Jan 2022	A1
20220041317	Hammer	Feb 2022	A1
20220133695	Terraz Mendoza	May 2022	A1
20220203596	Yoshino	Jun 2022	A1
20220273923	Zeira	Sep 2022	A1
20220273924	Kamen	Sep 2022	A1
20220315296	Gamboa Burgos	Oct 2022	A1
20220323301	Koska	Oct 2022	A1
20220336074	Bakos	Oct 2022	A1
20220336076	Albertini	Oct 2022	A1
20220371873	Hayakawa	Nov 2022	A1
20220401300	Ikeda	Dec 2022	A1
20220409830	Shahaf	Dec 2022	A1
20230045719	Koska	Feb 2023	A1
20230064428	Price	Mar 2023	A1
20230081577	Walker et al.	Mar 2023	A1
20230087192	Ferreri	Mar 2023	A1
20230099753	Genosar	Mar 2023	A1
20230141404	Price	May 2023	A1
20230158255	Federico	May 2023	A1
20230173178	Clapham	Jun 2023	A1
20230190581	Hover	Jun 2023	A1
20230192346	Bouteloup	Jun 2023	A1
20230192367	Luigi	Jun 2023	A1
20230201387	Wendy	Jun 2023	A1
20230226276	Amiri	Jul 2023	A1
20230226743	Schnell	Jul 2023	A1
20230248897	Murray	Aug 2023	A1
20230248957	Juergen	Aug 2023	A1

Foreign Referenced Citations (136)

Number	Date	Country
2337470	Jun 1972	AU
2019203408	Sep 2020	AU
2105031	Mar 1994	CA
1196023	Oct 1998	CN
104640594	May 2015	CN
112829265	May 2021	CN
115259051	Nov 2022	CN
217891819	Nov 2022	CN
217894251	Nov 2022	CN
218020077	Dec 2022	CN
0310227	Apr 1989	EP
0388360	Sep 1990	EP
0685400	Dec 1995	EP
0849173	Jun 1998	EP
0903180	Mar 1999	EP
0930238	Jul 1999	EP
1726285	Nov 2006	EP
2554201	Feb 2013	EP
2554207	Feb 2013	EP
2571553	Mar 2013	EP
2665502	Nov 2013	EP
2919834	Sep 2015	EP
3173113	May 2017	EP
3518860	Aug 2019	EP
2990687	Nov 2013	FR
2490111	Oct 2012	GB
2495741	Apr 2013	GB
2495741	Apr 2013	GB
201741030340	Jan 2019	IN
2009183909	Aug 2009	JP
2015109883	Jun 2015	JP
2019034072	Mar 2019	JP
200345715	Mar 2004	KR
100615527	Aug 2006	KR
2643432	Feb 2018	RU
1989007462	Aug 1989	WO
1993017728	Sep 1993	WO
1997010156	Mar 1997	WO
1998025660	Jun 1998	WO
1999043549	Sep 1999	WO
0018648	Apr 2000	WO
2001043799	Jun 2001	WO
2004055143	Jul 2004	WO
2007007178	Jan 2007	WO
2008086552	Jul 2008	WO
2010081174	Jul 2010	WO
2011008190	Jan 2011	WO
2011026050	Mar 2011	WO
2011035503	Mar 2011	WO
2011075798	Jun 2011	WO
2012011115	Jan 2012	WO
2012026551	Mar 2012	WO
2012064761	May 2012	WO
2012099898	Jul 2012	WO
2012137945	Oct 2012	WO
2012148043	Nov 2012	WO
2012156822	Nov 2012	WO
2013114357	Aug 2013	WO
2013149042	Oct 2013	WO
2014035935	Mar 2014	WO
2014135108	Sep 2014	WO
2014135108	Sep 2014	WO
2014184121	Nov 2014	WO
2014189761	Nov 2014	WO
2015036536	Mar 2015	WO
2015045740	Apr 2015	WO
2015074087	May 2015	WO
2015134307	Sep 2015	WO
2015145902	Oct 2015	WO
2015187518	Dec 2015	WO
2015200261	Dec 2015	WO
2016032814	Mar 2016	WO
2016097872	Jun 2016	WO
2017001918	Jan 2017	WO
2017001919	Jan 2017	WO
2017001921	Jan 2017	WO
2017001922	Jan 2017	WO
2017001923	Jan 2017	WO
2017001925	Jan 2017	WO
2017103954	Jun 2017	WO
2017125859	Jul 2017	WO
2017187262	Nov 2017	WO
2017187262	Nov 2017	WO
2018002113	Jan 2018	WO
2018028820	Feb 2018	WO
2019040575	Feb 2019	WO
2019099954	May 2019	WO
2019108577	Jun 2019	WO
2019154600	Aug 2019	WO
2019164478	Aug 2019	WO
2019246435	Dec 2019	WO
2021059213	Apr 2021	WO
2021079404	Apr 2021	WO
2021186485	Sep 2021	WO
2021186485	Sep 2021	WO
2021207040	Oct 2021	WO
2021226564	Nov 2021	WO
2022002863	Jan 2022	WO
2022005310	Jan 2022	WO
2022026275	Feb 2022	WO
2022053948	Mar 2022	WO
2022091003	May 2022	WO
2022112543	Jun 2022	WO
2022117361	Jun 2022	WO
2022120269	Jun 2022	WO
2022133283	Jun 2022	WO
2022135945	Jun 2022	WO
2022115598	Aug 2022	WO
2022180376	Sep 2022	WO
2022180488	Sep 2022	WO
2022185350	Sep 2022	WO
2022186886	Sep 2022	WO
2022186888	Sep 2022	WO
2022204408	Sep 2022	WO
2022207136	Oct 2022	WO
2022208318	Oct 2022	WO
2022208488	Oct 2022	WO
2022256834	Dec 2022	WO
2022268253	Dec 2022	WO
2022269651	Dec 2022	WO
2023281194	Jan 2023	WO
2023018840	Feb 2023	WO
23045589	Mar 2023	WO
23045590	Mar 2023	WO
23049213	Mar 2023	WO
2023039126	Mar 2023	WO
2023045589	Mar 2023	WO
2023045590	Mar 2023	WO
2023049213	Mar 2023	WO
2023086515	May 2023	WO
2023091358	May 2023	WO
2023102008	Jun 2023	WO
2023104995	Jun 2023	WO
2023122619	Jun 2023	WO
2023147491	Aug 2023	WO
2023244561	Dec 2023	WO

Non-Patent Literature Citations (127)

Entry
Written Opinion for Application PCT/IB2021/059993 dated Nov. 22, 2021; 10 pps.
Written Opinion for Application PCT/US2021/025683 dated Jul. 8, 2021; 4 pps.
Written Opinion for Application PCT/US21/042671 dated Nov. 5, 2021; 9 pps.
Written Opinion for Application PCT/US21/31452 dated Sep. 1, 2021; 15 pps.
Written Opinion for Application PCT/US21/61991 dated Feb. 16, 2022; 9 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IB2016/001026 dated Nov. 7, 2016; 5 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IB2016/001027 dated Nov. 2, 2016; 5 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IB2016/001033 dated Dec. 7, 2016; 6 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IB2016/001050 dated Nov. 14, 2016; 5 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IB2021/058168 dated Nov. 22, 2021; 9 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IB216/001042 dated Dec. 20, 2016; 6 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IIB2016/001034 dated Dec. 9, 2016; 6 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/US21/064155 dated Mar. 21, 2022; 3 pps.
Written Opinion for WO 2016097872 dated May 9, 2016; 2 pps.
Written Opinion for WO2017/187262 dated Sep. 4, 2017; 7 pps.
Written Opinion or PCT/US18/61696 dated Mar. 7, 2019; 3 pps.
Written Opinion or PCT/US2019/038302 dated Dec. 19, 2019; 4pps.
Office Action (Notice of Allowance and Fees Due (PTOL-85)) dated May 17, 2022 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/169,983 (pp. 1-7).
Office Action (Notice of Allowance and Fees Due (PTOL-85)) dated Jun. 2, 2022 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/169,983 (pp. 1-3).
Office Action (Non-Final Rejection) dated Jun. 8, 2022 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/876,417 (pp. 1-9).
International Search Report for Application PCT/IB2021/058168 dated Nov. 11, 2021; 6 pps.
Written Opinion for Application PCT/IB2021/058168 dated Nov. 11, 2021; 9 pps.
Office Action for Mexican Application MX/a/2018/000258 dated Jul. 6, 2022; 3 pps.
Office Action for Mexican Application MX/a/2018/000258 dated Jul. 18, 2022; 5 pps.
Allowance Notification for Chinese Application 201680050853.3 dated Jun. 8, 2021; 1 pp.
Allowance Notification for Chinese Application 201780025582.0 dated Jun. 21, 2021; 1 pp.
Examination Report for PCT/IB2015/002531 dated May 28, 2020; 5 pps.
International Preliminary Report on Patentability for PCT/US18/61696 dated May 28, 2020; 4pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/IB2016/001033 dated Dec. 9, 2016; 4 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/IB2016/001034 dated Dec. 13, 2016; 3 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/IB2016/001042 dated Dec. 22, 2016; 3 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/IB2021/058168 dated Nov. 22, 2021; 6 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/IB2021/059993 dated Nov. 22, 2021; 8 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/US2021/025683 dated Jul. 8, 2021; 2 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/US21/042671 dated Nov. 5, 2021; 2 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/US21/064155 dated Mar. 21, 2022; 2 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/US21/31452 dated Sep. 1, 2021; 2 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/US21/61991 dated Feb. 16, 2022; 2 pps.
International Search Report for PCT/IB2016/001027 dated Jan. 5, 2017; 2 pps.
International Search Report for PCT/IB2016/001050 dated Nov. 15, 2016; 2 Pps.
International Search Report for PCT/US18/61696 dated Mar. 7, 2019; 2 pps.
International Search Report for PCT/US2019/038302 dated Dec. 19, 2019; 2 pps.
International Search Report for WO 2016097872 dated May 9, 2016, 1 pps.
International Search Report for WO2017/187262 dated Sep. 4, 2017; 3 pps.
International Search Report or PCT/IB2016/001026 dated Nov. 8, 2016; 3 pps.
Notice of Acceptance for Australian Application 2017256152 dated Apr. 11, 2022; 3 pps.
Notice of Grant for 16774977.9 dated Mar. 12, 2020; 2 pps.
Office Action (Final) for U.S. Appl. No. 14/575,635 dated Dec. 14, 2017; 44 pps.
Office Action (Non-Final Rejection) dated Jan. 12, 2022 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/169,983 (pp. 1-12).
Office Action (Non-final) for U.S. Appl. No. 14/575,635 dated Mar. 23, 2017; 44 pps.
Office Action (Non-final) for U.S. Appl. No. 14/575,635 dated Oct. 9, 2018; 39 pps.
Office Action (Non-final) for U.S. Appl. No. 15/741,009 dated Oct. 2, 2019; 6 pps.
Office Action (Non-final) for U.S. Appl. No. 15/741,011 dated Oct. 2, 2019; 8 pps.
Office Action (Notice of Allowance and Fees Due (PTOL-85)) dated Feb. 23, 2022 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/169,983 (pp. 1-7).
Office Action (Notice of Allowance and Fees Due (PTOL-85)) dated Jul. 10, 2020 for U.S. Appl. No. 15/741,012 (pp. 1-6).
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 15/741,011 dated Oct. 2, 2019; 8pps.
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 15/741,012 dated Oct. 2, 2019; 7pps.
Office Action for Australian Application 2017256152 dated Jul. 29, 2021; 6 pps.
Office Action for Australian Application 2017256152 dated Nov. 12, 2021; 4 pps.
Office Action for Chinese Application 201680050853.3 dated Mar. 18, 2020; 3 pps.
Office Action for Chinese Application 201680050853.3 dated Nov. 27, 2020; 3 pps.
Office Action for Chinese Application 201780025582.0 dated Oct. 30, 2020; 2 pps.
Office Action for Chinese Application 201880087016.7 dated Feb. 24, 2022; 7 pps.
Office Action for Chinese Application 201880087016.7 dated Sep. 14, 2021; 3 pps.
Office Action for Indian Application 201827038286 dated Aug. 6, 2021; 6 pps.
Office Action for Indian Application 201827038286 dated Jul. 2, 2021; 8 pps.
Office Action for Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-7030866 dated Mar. 30, 2022; 4 pps.
Office Action for Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-7030866 dated Sep. 24, 2021; 17 pps.
Office Action for Mexican Application MX/a/2018/000257 dated Mar. 2, 2022; 5 pps.
Search Report for European Application 18877931.8 dated Jul. 7, 2021; 9 pps.
Search Report for European Application 18877931.8 dated Oct. 19, 2021; 10 pps.
Supplemental European Search Report for European Application No. 19823345.4 dated Feb. 7, 2022; 6 pps.
Syrette “https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrette” download date: Apr. 23, 2020; 2 pps.
Communication prusuant to Article 94(3) EPC for EP 17730256.9 dated Aug. 31, 2022; 5 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/US22/40006 dated Nov. 7, 2022; 5 pps.
International Search Report for Application PCT/US22/44291 dated Dec. 22, 2022; 5 pps.
Office Action (Final Rejection) dated Dec. 28, 2022 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/876,417 (pp. 1-6).
Office Action (Notice of Allowance and Fees Due (PTOL-85)) dated May 17, 2022 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/169,983; 7 pps.
Written Opinion for Application PCT/US22/44291 dated Dec. 22, 2022; 5 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/US22/40006 dated Nov. 7, 2022; 6 pps.
Bufus Plastic Drop https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-bufus-plastic-drop-ampoule-vial-spray-the-medicine-cast-resin-sealed 131358830.html Nov. 10, 2015 (Year: 2015).
International Search Report for Application PCT/US2022/49608 dated Feb. 21, 2023; 3 pps.
Notice of Allowance dated Mar. 21, 2023 for U.S. Appl. No. 29/803,121 (pp. 1-9).
Notice of Allowance dated May 5, 2023 for U.S. Appl. No. 29/803,121 (pp. 1-2).
Office Action (Notice of Allowance and Fees Due (PTOL-85)) dated Feb. 2, 2023 for U.S. Appl. No. 16/876,417 (pp. 1-5).
Woodstock Sterile Solutions https://woodstocksterilesolutions.com/manufacturing-capability/ Date Accessed Mar. 3, 2023 (Year: 2023).
Written Opinion for Application PCT/US2022/49608 dated Feb. 16, 2023; 6 pps.
Australian Application 2022203652 dated Oct. 20, 2023; 7 pps.
Final Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 15/741,012 dated Oct. 2, 2019; 7 pps.
Final Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 14/575,635 dated Dec. 14, 2017; 16 pps.
Final Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 16/876,417 dated Dec. 28, 2022; 6 pps.
International Search Report for PCT Application No. PCT/US21/064155 dated Mar. 21, 2022; 2 pps.
International Search Report for PCT/IB2015/002531 dated Jan. 5, 2017; 3 pps.
International Search Report for PCT/IB2016/001026 dated Jan. 5, 2017; 4 pps.
International Search Report for PCT/IB2016/001027 dated Jan. 5, 2017; 3 pps.
International Search Report for PCT/US23/25123 dated Sep. 29, 2023; 2 pps.
International Written Opinion for PCT Application No. PCT/US21/064155 dated Mar. 21, 2022; 3 pps.
Notice of Allowance for U.S. Appl. No. 17/072,498 dated Jun. 30, 2023; 7 pgs.
Notice of Allowance dated Jun. 30, 2023 for U.S. Appl. No. 17/072,498 (pp. 1-7).
Notice of Allowance for U.S. Appl. No. 15/741,012 dated Jul. 10, 2020; 7 pps.
Notice of Allowance for U.S. Appl. No. 16/876,417 dated Feb. 2, 2023; 5 pps.
Notice of Hearing for Indian Application 201827038286 dated Jan. 17, 2024; 2 pps.
Office Action (Non-Final Rejection) dated Feb. 7, 2023 for U.S. Appl. No. 17/072,498 (pp. 1-9).
Office Action (Notice of Allowance and Fees Due (PTOL-85)) dated Jun. 30, 2023 for U.S. Appl. No. 17/072,498 (pp. 1-7).
Office Action for Australian Application 2022203652 dated Jun. 23, 2023; 5 pps.
Office Action for Australian Application 2022203652 dated Oct. 20, 2023; 7 pps.
Office Action for Canadian Application 3021989 dated May 18, 2023; 3 pps.
Office Action for Chinese Application 201880087016.7 dated Jun. 15, 2022; 10 pps.
Office Action for European Patent Application 18877931.8 dated May 23, 2023; 4 pps.
Office Action for Indian Patent Application 201827038286 dated Jun. 8, 2021; 6 pps.
Office Action for Indian Patent Application 202027021653 dated May 6, 2022; 5 pps.
Office Action for Korean Patent Application 10-2018-7003178 dated Feb. 20, 2023; 2 pps.
Office Action for Korean Patent Application 10-2020-7017317 dated Aug. 1, 2023; 2 pps.
Office Action for Mexican Patent Application MX/a/2017/008000 dated Apr. 26, 2022; 6 pps.
Office Action for Mexican Patent Application MX/a/2018/000257 dated Mar. 2, 2022; 4 pps.
Office Action for Mexican Patent Application MX/a/2018/012967 dated Nov. 1, 2022; 3 pps.
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 14/575,635 dated Mar. 3, 2017; 25 pps.
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 14/575,635 dated Oct. 9, 2018; 16 pps.
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 15/741,009 dated Oct. 2, 2019; 6 pps.
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 15/741,011 dated Oct. 2, 2019; 7 pps.
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 16/876,417 dated Jun. 8, 2022; 9 pps.
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 17/072,498 dated Feb. 7, 2023; 9 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/US23/25123 dated Sep. 29, 2023; 9 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IB2015/002531 dated Jun. 23, 2016; 6 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IB2016/001026 dated Jan. 5, 2017; 5 pps.
Written Opinion for PCT/IB2016/001027 dated Jan. 5, 2017; 5 pps.
Office Action dated Apr. 23, 2024 for U.S. Appl. No. 17/129,593 (pp. 1-20).

Related Publications (1)

	Number	Date	Country
	20220323301 A1	Oct 2022	US

Provisional Applications (2)

	Number	Date	Country
	62474096	Mar 2017	US
	62326977	Apr 2016	US

Continuations (1)

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	16169983	Oct 2018	US
Child	17849780		US

Continuation in Parts (1)

	Number	Date	Country
Parent	PCT/IB2017/000549	Apr 2017	WO
Child	16169983		US

Systems and methods for fluid delivery

Information

Patent Number

Date Filed

Date Issued

Inventors

Original Assignees

Examiners

Agents

CPC

Field of Search

CPC

International Classifications

Disclaimer

Term Extension

Abstract