Apparatus and method for reconstituting a pharmaceutical and preparing the reconstituted pharmaceutical for transient application
An apparatus for preparing a pharmaceutical for transient application includes a tray having a sealed compartment, a vial of an ophthalmic formulation of mitomycin-C, a diluent carrier containing sterilized water, and a syringe that are all contained together in a single package. The component parts of the apparatus are used together to reconstitute the contents of the vial with the water in the diluent carrier, and then draw the reconstituted drug into the sealed compartment of the tray by a suction force produced by the syringe. In the tray compartment, the reconstituted drug is absorbed in an absorbent pad. The tray is opened to remove the pad and the absorbed drug from the tray compartment for use of the pad in transient application of the drug.
1. An apparatus for reconstituting a pharmaceutical for transient application, the apparatus comprising:
a pharmaceutical container containing a pharmaceutical in a condition to be reconstituted;
a diluent carrier containing an amount of sterile water, the diluent carrier being configured and adapted to be operatively connected to the pharmaceutical container in a manner such that the sterile water can mix with, and thereby reconstitute, the pharmaceutical;
a sterile syringe;
a tray having an interior compartment, the interior compartment of the tray containing at least one pad of absorbent material, the tray having a first passageway that is configured and adapted to operatively connect to the diluent carrier in a manner such that at least some of the reconstituted pharmaceutical can be transferred into the interior compartment of the tray where it can be absorbed by the pad of absorbent material, the tray also having an access opening and a cover, the access opening being configured and adapted to allow the pad of absorbent material to be removed from the interior compartment of the tray, the cover being movable relative to the access opening in a manner such that cover can selectively open and close the access opening, the tray having a second passageway, the second passageway being adapted and configured to be operatively connected to the syringe in a manner such that at least some of the reconstituted pharmaceutical can be transferred from the interior compartment of the tray into the syringe, the tray and the pad of absorbent material being sterile;
a packaging container, the packing container comprising an internal volume that is sealed, the internal volume housing the diluent carrier, the pharmaceutical container, the syringe, and the tray in a sterile environment.
2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cover is pivotally connected to the remainder of the tray such that the cover remains attached to the tray when the cover opens the access opening of the tray.
3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical is a chemotherapeutic agent.
4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical is mitomycin-C.
5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the internal volume of the packaging container comprises noncontiguous regions.