Container for storing a drug such as insulin

Abstract

A polymeric container for storing a drug such as insulin which comprises a hard shell (2) and a flexible film (1), wherein both elements are made from the same material.

1 : A polymeric container for storing a drug
 comprising:
 a hard shell made from a first material: and 
 a flexible film made from a blend of the first material and a second material, 
 wherein the second material is an elastomer made of the first material, and 
 wherein the hard shell and the flexible film are connected to each other to form the polymeric container, the polymeric container forming a deformable enclosure having a variable volume for the drug, the deformable enclosure defined by a peripheral edge of the hard shell connected to a peripheral edge of the flexible film, such that the variable volume for the drug is located between an inner surface of the hard shell and the inner surface of the flexible film. 
   
     
     
         2 : The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the hard shell is made of a single layer. 
     
     
         3 : The container according to  claim 1  wherein the first material of the flexible film is a non-elastomeric material. 
     
     
         4 : The container according to  claim 3  wherein the second material forms less than 25% of the blend. 
     
     
         5 : The container according to  claim 1  wherein the first material is a cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). 
     
     
         6 : The container according to  claim 1  wherein a thickness of the flexible film is between 5 μm and 100 μm. 
     
     
         7 : The container according to  claim 1  wherein the flexible film
 exerts a pressure within +/−20 mbar during a steady state. 
 
     
     
         8 : The container according to  claim 1  wherein the flexible film is a monolayer. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 : The container according to  claim 1  wherein the container is transparent. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 : The container according to  claim 1  wherein the drug is insulin. 
     
     
         13 : The container according to  claim 1  wherein the container is connected to a pumping mechanism to infuse the drug into a patient. 
     
     
         14 : The container according to  claim 1  wherein the deformable enclosure is configured to expand upon overfilling by the drug, and configured to collapse upon depletion of the drug. 
     
     
         15 : The container according to  claim 14  wherein in a collapsed state, the flexible film is configured to closely fit a shape of the hard shell to be in contact with the hard shell. 
     
     
         16 : The container according to  claim 14  wherein the flexible film of the polymeric container provides for deformation of the deformable enclosure by being configured to expand and collapse. 
     
     
         17 : The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the flexible film and the hard shell are welded together. 
     
     
         18 : The container according to  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the flexible film and a thickness of the hard shell are substantially the same.