Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc.

Other

Blinky Bones, Inc.

Travenol European Research and Development Centre (teradec)

Trend Plastics Ii, Inc.

Stephen J Pearson

David A Winchell

Jerry D Martin

Gary A Ward

Jean Kersten

Michael Karel Lindsey

Steffen A Lyons

Jacques R Bocquet

Jean-Marie Mathias

Richard P Goldhaber

An ostensibly solid electronic die presents visual and/or sound effects when in use. Unlike known electronic dice, the disclosed electronic die retains the weight, feel and ruggedness of conventional non-electronic dice. The die includes an outer shell defining its shape. Electronics for producing the effects are located inside the shell. The shell is preferably filled with potting material and sealed shut. The use of potting material is a unique aspect of the invention that represents a significant advance over known electronic dice. The potting material gives the inventive die added weight and safely encases the electronics. Using miniaturized electronics and batteries, the die can have physical dimensions and weight that are the same as or similar to a conventional hand-tossed gaming die.

Electronic die

A generally cylindrical container comprised of three parts including a top shell, a bottom shell, and a rotatable ring. The top and bottom shells are affixed to each other and hold the ring captive in a race formed by the outer sidewalls and annular retaining edges of the top and bottom shell. A discharge opening in the ring can be aligned with one or more openings in the sidewalls to allow passage of objects in or out of the container. The ring opening can similarly be aligned away from the sidewall opening(s) to prevent the passage of objects. The container disclosed herein represents a significant advance over known hand-operated containers because, among other things, it is simpler to manufacture, provides more reliable operation, and offers reduced friction against stored objects.

Container having a rotatable ring

A display-stand has a separate, clear-plastic base-section defining an upper, horizontal groove off, lot. The display-stand has a separate vertical section, which, in the preferred embodiment, consists of two, vertical, clear-plastic panels. The two panels are inserted through the slot of the base-section, and are held in place by retaining elements integral to the panels themselves, which also force the upper ends of the panels toward each other to firmly retain a printed sheet therein. Each vertical panel also has a sloping, lower surface-portion that contacts against a respective portion of the base-section, whereby the lower surface-portion and the respective, juxtapositioned portion of the base-section sandwich therebetween an advertising display card or paper, which may be replaced upon disassembly of the display-stand.

Advertising display stand

Menu holder

A light-up coaster for beer bottles, and the like, has an outer housing in which is vertically-slidable an inner housing. The upper surface of the inner housing is used to support a bottle thereon, and a spring biases the inner housing upwardly. A pair of switches are controlled by the movement of the inner housing. The first switch is a normally-closed switch, and the second switch is a normally open switch. The two switches are arranged in series with a light bulb and battery power-source. When there is no bottle supported on the upper surface of the inner housing, the upper surface of the inner housing is raised by the spring to its highest level and into abutting contact with an interior, upper, annular lip of the outer housing. In this state, the first switch is closed but the second switch is open. When a full bottle of beer, or the like, is supported on the upper surface of the inner housing, the inner housing is lowered against the force of the spring, and the first switch is open and the second switch is closed. When the bottle is empty, then the inner housing is raised slightly to close the first switch again but still keeping the second switch in its closed state, whereby the light bulb is illuminated.

Light-up coaster for beverage containers

A cannula assembly especially for medical use is disclosed which virtually eliminates coring during the piercing of a barrier. The cannula assembly includes a hollow cylindrical shank and a piercing tip removably mounted in and closing one end of the shank. Pressurized introduction of fluid through the shank forces the piercing tip out of engagement with the shank, placing opposite sides of the barrier in fluid communication.

Cannula assembly having closed, pressure-removable piercing tip

A sterile, closed drug delivery system (10) is provided comprising a flexible container (12), a capsule (22) coupled to the flexible container and a standard glass drug vial (36) positioned within the capsule. The flexible container has a liquid diluent therein. The capsule has supporting legs (32-35) which extend inwardly from the capsule to support the vial and also a highly flexible, pleated cap (28) which enables the drug vial to be manually moved relative to the supporting legs. The capsule is coupled to the flexible container by means of a hollow spike (54) located within the capsule and a frangible member (58) located within the flexible container, which frangible member allows fluid passage only when it is broken. Manual pressing of the pleated cap moves the drug vial downwardly onto the spike, piercing the stopper of the drug vial. Once the frangible member is broken, there is sterile communication between the drug vial and the liquid diluent contents of the flexible container.

Closed drug delivery system

A sterile coupling enabling the selective establishment of a sterile pathway between two separate receptacles. A preferably injection molded plastic junction is made about at least the end portions of access means to each of the separate receptacles. The junction provides a sterile coupling so as to selectively bring the access means into pathway communication and thereby establish a sterile pathway between the receptacles through the access means. Also disclosed are methods for manufacturing a sterile coupling and methods for establishing a sterile pathway between the receptacles, as well as a method for low pressure injection molding.

Sterile coupling

A closed system for separately storing and selectively mixing two components, such as a drug and a diluent, under sterile conditions. The closed system can incorporate a drug vial of standard construction. A unique junction of the closed system permits a drug vial with a drug therein to be connected in a sterile manner with a compressible chamber having a diluent therein, after the drug and diluent have been separately sterilized. The junction encloses the end portions of access means to each of the receptacles, maintaining the end portions in sterile, spaced relation and providing for the selective establishment of a sterile pathway between the drug and diluent for mixing in a closed environment. The compressible chamber is of a unique design including gas-trapping and reservoir compartments in open communication. The compressible chamber is utilized with the junction to provide an efficient, sterile storage and mixing system.

An administration port (14) for medical fluid containers (10) is provided which creates a proper seal with a broad dimensional range of cannulas. The port includes an inwardly tapered end 28 which can flex outwardly during insertion of a cannula (16). The inwardly tapered end 28 works in conjunction with an inner surface (32) of the sidewall (18) and end (28) to provide a unique sealing construction, to minimize friction between the port (14) and the cannula (16) during insertion of the cannula (16) and to inhibit inadvertent removal of the cannula. Selective removal of the associated cannula requires relatively little force, however.

Universal administration port

A molded collapsible solution container defines a chamber-defining body portion wall having an integral neck portion and a shoulder portion at one end thereof. The container defines a pair of opposed gusset portions adjacent the shoulder portion at opposite ends of the shoulder portion, with the shoulder portion defining opposed shoulder edges extending between the gusset portions. A pair of opposed lines of flexing weakness are defined in the collapsible solution container and exhibit an arcuate cross section which extends inwardly of the container. The opposed lines of flexing weakness are positioned on each side of the container in generally parallel relation to the opposed shoulder edges with the opposed lines of flexing weakness being longitudinally spaced from the shoulder edges by a distance which is proportioned to cause the opposed lines of flexing weakness to abut one another as the container collapses inwardly about the opposed shoulder edges. Accordingly, the abutting lines of flexing weakness inhibit further collapse of the container under the pressure of suction, to slow the rate of subsequent collapse.

Collapsible solution container having reduced collapse rate at the end

A molded collapsible solution container which container defines a chamber-defining body portion wall having an integral neck portion and shoulder portion at one end thereof. The container defines, in its normal, unstressed state, a transverse cross section which tapers from the shoulder portion progressively along a major portion of its length to a flat, sealed end portion at the end of the container opposite to the one end. In accordance with this invention, the shoulder portion is rectilinear in shape, with the wall circumferences of transverse cross sections preferably progressively decreasing in length along the container from adjacent the shoulder portion toward the opposite end. Opposed triangular gusset portions are preferably present in which the side of the gusset portion which is parallel to the shoulder edge is positioned directly against the shoulder edge, and the shoulder edge defines the shape of an enlarged, generally cylindrical section for ease of flexing. Flat areas are defined in the container wall between the gussets.

Growing community of inventors

Ingleside, IL, United States of America

Stephen J Pearson