Disposable cartridge for holding compressed medical gas

Abstract

A disposable cartridge for holding compressed medical gas includes a substantially cylindrical canister. The canister is delivered by an elongate cylindrical body that is tapered to a reduced diameter end portion having a discharge port or opening formed therein. The discharge port is covered by a pierceable tip that seals the canister to hold compressed medical gas with an interior chamber of the canister. The tip is selectively punctured to discharge the medical gas through the opening for use in a medical procedure.

Claims

1. A disposable cartridge used in conjunction with a portable medical gas delivery system in the performance of radiological applications, said cartridge is filled with medical carbon dioxide, wherein said cartridge is disposable and therefore does not have to be refilled or cleaned between uses, said cartridge comprising: an elongate, cylindrical body having an interior chamber comprising compressed and sterile medical grade carbon dioxide therein, said cylindrical body being inwardly tapered proximate one end thereof and joined to a reduced diameter and cylindrical leading end portion, said leading end portion including an opening communicably connected to said interior chamber of said cylindrical body, said opening includes a pierceable foil tip positioned over said opening to seal said opening after pressurized medical carbon dioxide has been introduced into the interior chamber to hold said compressed and sterile medical grade carbon dioxide within said interior chamber of said cylindrical body under pressure, said tip being selectively punctured to open said cartridge, whereby a seal as previously defined by said pierceable foil tip is ultimately destroyed when pierced for use, such that said compressed and sterile medical grade carbon dioxide contained within said interior chamber of said cylindrical body is deliverable through said pierceable foil tip for use in a medical procedure, all of which maintain sterility and purity of the compressed and sterile medical grade carbon dioxide therein.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 in which said end portion of said cylindrical body is encircled by a thread for attaching said cartridge to a medical apparatus requiring compressed carbon dioxide of the type contained by said cartridge.

3. The cartridge of claim 2 in which said thread is at least (6.35 mm) and not greater than 1 (25.4 mm).

4. A supply of pressurized medical carbon dioxide used in conjunction with a portable medical gas delivery system in the performance of radiological applications, wherein said supply of pressurized medical carbon dioxide is disposable and therefore does not have to be refilled or cleaned between uses, said supply of pressurized medical gas comprising: a cartridge including an elongate, cylindrical body with an interior chamber formed therein, said cylindrical body having an inwardly tapered section that interconnects said cylindrical body to a cylindrical reduced diameter end portion, said end portion including an opening formed therethrough, which opening communicates with said interior chamber of said cylindrical body, wherein said cylindrical body and said end portion include a construction which maintains sterility and purity of compressed and sterile medical grade carbon dioxide therein, for holding medical grade carbon dioxide within said interior chamber of said cylindrical body under pressure; and the compressed and sterile medical grade carbon dioxide contained within said interior chamber, said cartridge including an opening with a pierceable foil tip positioned over the opening to seal the opening after pressurized medical carbon dioxide has been introduced into the interior chamber to hold said compressed and sterile medical grade carbon dioxide within said interior chamber of said cylindrical body under pressure, whereby a seal as previously defined by the pierceable foil tip is ultimately destroyed when pierced for use to open said cartridge such that said compressed and sterile medical grade carbon dioxide contained within said interior chamber of said cylindrical body is deliverable through said pierceable foil tip for use in a medical procedure, all of which maintain sterility and purity of the compressed and sterile medical grade carbon dioxide therein.

Description

(1) Other objects, features and advantages will occur from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred disposable cartridge for accommodating compressed medical gas in accordance with this invention.

(3) There is shown in FIG. 1 a disposable aluminum cartridge 10 for accommodating a compressed medical gas. It should be understood that cartridge 10 is suitable for holding a wide variety of medical gases including, but not limited to, carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrous oxide. Cartridge 10 is capable of holding virtually any type of medical gas in a pressurized condition for use in various types of medical procedures. The type of gas and the type of medical applications involved are not limitations of this invention.

(4) Cartridge 10 includes a generally cylindrical canister body 12 having an elongate shape with a rounded bottom 14. The canister body encloses an interior chamber 13 for holding a compressed medical gas. The body includes a tapered neck portion 16 that is joined to and terminates in a reduced diameter cylindrical end portion 18. Body 12, tapered portion 16 and reduced diameter portion 18 thereby define a canister 20 that is preferably composed of aluminum. The end portion is preferably encircled by a thread 21 that allows canister 20 to be screwed into a complementary threaded opening of a piece of medical equipment with which the canister is engaged. The optimum thread size is although it can vary from to 1 within the scope of this invention.

(5) In radiological applications, canister 20 may be used to hold carbon dioxide in chamber 13 and the threaded reduced diameter end portion 18 may be engaged with the portable medical gas delivery system produced under the trademark CO.sub.2mmander as disclosed in pending application Ser. Nos. 13/068,680 and 12/652,845, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Although the cartridge is particularly convenient and effective for use with this system, it may be used in a wide variety of other medical applications and for holding various other types of compressed medical gases.

(6) Reduced diameter portion 21 includes an opening 22 in communication with interior chamber 13. The distal end of reduced diameter portion 21 of canister 20 carries a pierceable tip 23 that seals opening 22 after pressurized medical gas has been introduced into the interior of canister 12. Tip 23 may comprise a fairly thin and flexible foil that is securely sealed over opening 22 in end portion 18. Tip 23 is readily punctured in a conventional manner to open canister 12 so that compressed gas within the canister is made available for delivering through opening 22 to a desired medical application or use.

(7) Canister 12 is composed and constructed to provide significant advantages. In particular, the canister has a relatively compact size and configuration and is extremely lightweight especially when compared with standard full-sized tanks conventionally used to contain compressed medical gases. In particular, the preferred weight of canister 12 is 25 grams, although it can range from 12 to 50 grams. The canister employs a triple-washed aluminum construction, which maintains the sterility and purity of gases contained within the canister. In particular, the triple-washed canister resists the formation of mold and rust, as well as the collection of other types of debris within the interior chamber 13 of the canister. As a result, the integrity of the canister is maintained so that the contained gas is suitable for medical use wherein high levels of purity and sterility are indispensable.

(8) The compact and relatively small size of the cartridge allows the cartridge to be transported and manipulated easily and conveniently. Replacement and disposal of the cartridge are facilitated. Bulky, heavy and cumbersome tanks are avoided.

(9) The compact cartridge is disposable and therefore does not have to be refilled or cleaned between uses. This reduces the time, logistic complexity and tedium required so transport and refill conventional tanks. It also helps to maintain the sterility and purity of the compressed medical gas contained within the cartridge. The lightweight, disposable aluminum cartridge disclosed herein therefore provides for a number of significant advantages over the large bulky and cumbersome tanks used in the prior art.

(10) From the foregoing it may be seen that the apparatus of this invention provides for a disposable aluminum cartridge for accommodating compressed medical gases such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrous oxide and the like. While this detailed description has set forth particularly preferred embodiments of the apparatus of this invention, numerous modifications and variations of the structure of this invention, all within the scope of the invention, will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is understood that this description is illustrative only of the principles of the invention and is not limitative thereof.

(11) Although specific features of the invention are shown in some of the drawings and not others, this is for convenience only, as each feature may be combined with any and all of the other features in accordance with this invention.