Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ashin P Modak

Ian W Hunter

Nora Catherine Hogan

A needle-free adaptor for removing liquid from a vial comprises a cannula adapted to piece a septum of a vial, a plurality of legs surrounding the cannula to secure the adaptor to the vial when the cannula has pieced the septum, an elastomeric membrane having a normally closed pinhole orifice, and a conforming surface having an orifice connected to the cannula. The elastomeric membrane has a stable convex shape and is adapted to receive a nozzle of a needle-free device. Pressed against the elastomeric membrane, the nozzle deflects the elastomeric membrane from the convex shape to an unstable or pseudo-stable inverted position against the conforming surface. Buckling of the elastomeric membrane opens the pinhole orifice and enables fluid communication between the vial and the nozzle by interfacing the pinhole orifice with the orifice on the conforming surface.

Adaptor for removal of fluid from vial using a needle-free syringe

A method and apparatus for detecting and removing air from a syringe containing a volume of liquid and a volume of gas is described. The method includes moving a piston in the syringe to expel gas through an orifice of the syringe, sensing a movement of the piston in the syringe, and determining when the volume of gas is expelled from the syringe based on a change in the sensed movement. Moving the piston may include applying oscillating force to the piston using an electromagnetic actuator, and displacement and speed of the piston during each oscillation may be sensed. Determining when the volume of gas is expelled may be based on a change in the sensed movement of the piston during one or more oscillations of the piston or based on a comparison to a given reference value.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Ashin P Modak