Medicine vial cap for needleless syringe

Abstract

According to the present invention, a vial cap is provided which has two openings, one for receiving the neck of a syringe and allowing medicine to flow into the syringe, and another for allowing air to flow into the vial as medicine is extracted. A safety lid to the vial cap is preferably provided for assuring sterility. A membrane may also be provided to cover the interior surface of the vial cap so that no medicine leaks into the region between the vial cap and its safety lid while the medicine is being transported and stored. The shape and size of the two openings may be varied according to the application, in particular according to the material used for the cap and the medicine being stored in the vial.

We claim: 
     
       1. A vial cap for allowing medicine to be extracted from a vial by a syringe comprising: said vial cap defining a fast opening having an upper end sized to mate with a neck of a syringe and a lower end sized to prevent flow of medicine of a viscosity with which said cap is to .[.e.]. .Iadd.be .Iaddend.used in response to gravity and to allow flow of said medicine upon application of pressure; and   said vial cap further defining a second opening sized to allow flow of air but prevent flow of said medicine.   
     
     
       2. A vial cap in claim 1 further comprising a cover attached to an upper surface of said vial cap, said cover closing said first and second openings. 
     
     
       3. A vial unit for allowing medicine to be extracted from a vial by a syringe comprising: a vial cap defining a first opening having an upper end sized to mate with a neck of a syringe and a lower end sized to prevent flow of medicine of a viscosity with which said cap is to be used in response to gravity and to allow flow of said medicine upon application of pressure;   said vial cap further defining a second opening sized to allow flow of air but prevent flow of said medicine; and   a vial having a neck opening to which said vial cap is attached.   
     
     
       4. A vial cap as in claim 1 in which said cap has a round cross section and said first opening is formed in the center of said round cross section. 
     
     
       5. A vial cap as in claim 1 in which said vial cap has an upper surface including said upper end and a lower surface including said lower end, said lower surface being covered by a membrane which covers said lower end, said membrane comprising means for being opened adjacent said lower end in response to suction applied to said first opening. 
     
     
       6. A vial cap as in claim 5 in which said membrane further covers said second opening and includes means for allowing air to pass from said second opening to said vial when medicine is being removed from said vial. 
     
     
       7. A vial cap for allowing medicine to be extracted from a vial by a syringe comprising: said vial cap defining a first opening having an upper end sized to mate with a neck of a syringe and a lower end sized to prevent flow of medicine in response to gravity and to allow flow of medicine upon application of pressure; and   said vial cap further defining a second opening sized to allow flow of air but prevent flow of medicine; mid vial cap having an upper surface including said upper end and a lower surface including said lower end, said lower surface being covered by a membrane which covers said lower end, said membrane comprising means for being opened adjacent said lower end in response to suction applied to said first opening. .Iadd.   
     
     
       8.  An apparatus, comprising: a medicine vial;   a liquid medicine suitable for intravenous injection into a patient; and   a cap sealing the liquid medicine in the medicine vial, the cap defining an opening, the opening formed such that a seal is established when a neck of a syringe is inserted into the opening, a portion of the cap being rupturable under a pressure exerted by the syringe so that the liquid medicine can pass from the medicine vial and into the syringe when the neck of the syringe is disposed in the opening in the cap and a plunger of the syringe is moved. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. An apparatus, comprising:   a medicine vial;   a liquid medicine suitable for intravenous injection into a patient; and   a cap sealing the liquid medicine in the medicine vial, a rupturable portion of the cap being rupturable under a pressure exerted by a syringe having a plunger when no needle is attached to a neck of the syringe, the cap defining an opening, the rupturable portion forming bounding surface of the opening. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the opening is formed to engage the neck of the syringe when the rupturable portion is ruptured by the syringe and after the rupturable portion is ruptured by the syringe. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A method, comprising the steps of:   (a) forcing a neck of a syringe into an opening in a cap of a medicine vial, no needle being attached to the neck of the syringe when the neck of the syringe is forced into the opening in the cap, the medicine vial having a neck, a portion of a cylindrical inside surface of the neck of the medicine vial having an axis, the syringe having a plunger movable in an axial dimension of the syringe;   (b) after step (a) and when the neck of the syringe is disposed in the opening in the cap so that the axial dimension of the syringe is substantially parallel to or collinear with the axis of the portion of the inside surface of the neck of the medicine vial, extracting medicine from the medicine vial by moving the plunger in the axial dimension; and   (c) introducing the medicine extracted from the medicine vial into a patient by coupling the syringe to an intravenous system and then injecting the medicine from the syringe and into the intravenous system.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.12.  A method, comprising the steps of: (a) rupturing a portion of a cap of a medicine vial using a syringe, no needle being attached to a neck of the syringe;   (b) after step (a), extracting a medicine from the medicine vial using the syringe by moving a plunger of the syringe; and   (c) introducing the medicine extracted from the medicine vial into a patient by coupling the syringe to an intravenous system and then injecting the medicine from the syringe and into the intravenous system. .Iaddend.