초록 ▼

Sterile solutions containing pharmaceuticals suitable for use in low and micro-gravity environments are prepared with unit dose pharmaceutical dispensers having a pre-measured quantity of medicament. A compressed air reservoir may be activated to rupture the dispenser and positively expel the unit d

Sterile solutions containing pharmaceuticals suitable for use in low and micro-gravity environments are prepared with unit dose pharmaceutical dispensers having a pre-measured quantity of medicament. A compressed air reservoir may be activated to rupture the dispenser and positively expel the unit dose into solution. This can be accomplished by inverting a bag containing the pharmaceutical or by operation of a piston which pushes all the pharmaceutical from the dispenser. A robot either places the pharmaceutical dispensers inside a mixing chamber or connects the dispensers to the mixing chamber, which comprises a flexible bag expandable to receive sterile water and pharmaceuticals. The mixing chamber may collapse under cabin pressure to drive prepared solutions from the chamber through a sterilization filter into an intravenous bag or dispensing unit. Sterile water or saline solution is contained in pre-measured dispensing units employing similar principles to the pharmaceutical dispensers, with a positive expulsion bladder similar to that employed in a zero gravity fuel tank. A robotic, manually activated, or squib-activated valve injects a pre-determined quantity of air into the solution container, where the air expands again a membrane or the surface of the fluid, causing it to flow through a check valve into the mixing container. The mixing container is mounted on a vibrating arm driven by a rotary electric motor or a piezoelectric motor which causes agitation until the mixture is uniformly mixed. A sensor may monitor the progress of dissolution of the pharmaceutical suspension through observing optical index of refraction.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A method for remotely preparing solutions for administration to humans comprising the steps of:extracting a mixing bag from a store of mixing bags;introducing a container of a predetermined amount of a medicament into the mixing bag in response to a remotely transmitted signal;intro

[ I claim:] [1.] A method for remotely preparing solutions for administration to humans comprising the steps of:extracting a mixing bag from a store of mixing bags;introducing a container of a predetermined amount of a medicament into the mixing bag in response to a remotely transmitted signal;introducing water into the mixing bag from an attached liquid supply bag;breaking the container to eject the medicament into the mixing bag;mixing the water and the medicament to form a solution; anddetecting the degree of mixing of the medicament and the water by a sensor positioned exterior to the mixing bag;after a desired level of mixture has been obtained as detected by the sensor, applying negative pressure to a second bag connected to the mixing bag through a filter to draw a filtered solution into the second bag.