Multi-chamber intravenous bag apparatus

Claim 1

In a multi-chamber intravenous bag apparatus of the type including a collapsible bag and means to block passage of fluid between chambers, the improvement comprising: -the collapsible bag having upper and lower edges and walls extending therebetween and forming a chamber of substantially non-reduced cross-dimension along substantially the entire bag, said walls having inner and outer surfaces; and -interengaging linear members removably engaging the outer surfaces across the chamber to pinch the walls together and divide the chamber into first and second subchambers, said subchambers containing separate medical fluids to be mixed just prior to intravenous injection; said linear members including: -a female member which is hollow and substantially C-shaped in cross-section along its length and has opposed first and second parallel edges and an inner surface; -a male member dimensioned to be force-fit between said parallel edges of the female member and thereby tightly received and held by said female member with said bag walls pinched therebetween; and -the female and male members having at least two spaced contact lines extending therealong at which said bag walls are pinched, said linear members defining a non-contact space along the female member inner surface between said contact lines thereby facilitating complete sterilization of the intravenous bag including along and between the contact lines of bag pinching, whereby the medical fluid in one subchamber is isolated from the medical fluid in the other until combination is desired, whereupon removal of the linear members recreates the chamber from the first and second subchambers, allowing quick and easy mixture of the two medical fluids.