METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING, MIXING AND DELIVERING BONE CEMENT

摘要

A flexible container for packaging liquid and powder components that are to be mixed within the container to form a bone cement comprises a divider for dividing the container into first and second compartments and for isolating the components from one another, the first compartment containing the liquid component and the second compartment containing the powder component under vacuum, and a vacuum reservoir in communication with the second compartment, the vacuum reservoir being of sufficient size to receive substantially all residual interstitial gases from the powder component and thereby ensure thorough admixing of the liquid and powder components upon release of the divider. In an exemplary embodiment, the reservoir comprises an elongated cylinder which is either hollow and closed at least at one end by a respective filter element or formed of an open-cell foam, the interior of the hollow cylinder or the open-cell foam being of sufficient free volume to receive and hold under reduced pressure the interstitial air.