Dispenser with sealed chamber and one-way valve for providing metered amounts of substances

• US 20030089743A1
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medinstill Development, LLC
• Original Assignee: Medical Instill Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Chan, Julian V., Py, Daniel, Assion, Norbert M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,957,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/386
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/26 Appliances specially adapted for applying pasty paint, e.g. using roller, using a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31586 performed by rotationally moving or pivoted actuator, e.g. an injection lever or handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31595 Pre-defined multi-dose administration by repeated overcoming of means blocking the free advancing movement of piston rod, e.g. by tearing or de-blocking
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/50 having means for preventing re-use, or for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile retractable needles or needle protectors with means for preventing re-use A61M5/321
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/502 for blocking the piston
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 35/06 from metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 35/08 from plastics material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 35/38 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 35/44 Closures closure members of interest apart from this application B65D39/00 - B65D55/00; forming bottom closures after filling B65B7/14
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2031 the element being formed by a slit, narrow opening or constrictable spout, the size of the outlet passage being able to be varied by increasing or decreasing the pressure B65D47/2025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/027 of the syringe type

Abstract

A syringe is provided for the delivery of controlled, metered amounts of any of numerous different substances to humans or animals, such as medicaments, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food products, or to deliver materials which may react upon exposure to air, such as glue. The syringes include a body and a plunger. Means are provided in the syringe body and the plunger to effect controlled movement of the plunger into the syringe to permit delivery of a predetermined amount of the substance contained in the syringe. A one-way valve is provided at the dispensing tip of the syringe to hermetically seal the portion of the syringe containing the substance to be dispensed.

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising:

a body defining therein a chamber for receiving a substance;

a dispensing tip defining at least one opening coupled in fluid communication with the chamber for providing a path for dispensing the substance from the chamber;

a one-way valve coupled in fluid communication with the opening of the dispensing tip for preventing the ingress of air through the opening and into the chamber;

a plunger received within the body for dispensing the substance through the dispensing tip and one-way valve upon movement of at least one of the plunger and body relative to the other; and

wherein at least one of the plunger and the body defines at least one drive surface and the other defines at least one recessed surface for receiving therein the at least one drive surface for effecting step-wise axial movement of at least one of the plunger and body relative to the other.

2. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, further defining a plurality of discrete recessed surfaces extending axially and angularly along at least one of the plunger and body, and a plurality of interruptions between discrete recessed surfaces for effecting the step-wise movement.

3. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one drive surface is defined by at least one cam-like member located on at least one of the plunger and the body, and the at least recessed surface is defined by a plurality of steps located on the other of the plunger and the body and engageable with the at least one cam-like member to effect step-wise movement of the cam-like member relative to the steps upon relative movement of at least one of the plunger and the body relative to the other.

4. A dispenser as defined in claim 3, wherein the steps define an approximately helical path.

5. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one drive surface is defined by at least one first thread, and the at least one recessed surface is defined by at least one second thread.

6. A dispenser as defined in claim 5, wherein the at one first thread includes a plurality of axially-extending first thread portions, and the at least one second thread includes a plurality of axially-extending second thread portions.

7. A dispenser as defined in claim 6, wherein at least one of the first thread portions defines a diameter greater than a diameter of at least one second thread portion to effect step-wise movement of at least one of the plunger and body relative to the other.

8. A dispenser as defined in claim 5, wherein each of the first and second threads defines a pre-determined pitch set to dispense a pre-determined volume of substance through the dispensing tip with each incremental movement of at least one of the plunger and body relative to the other.

9. A dispenser as defined in claim 5, wherein the first thread is located on the plunger and the second thread is located on the body, and a diameter of the first thread is greater than a diameter of the second thread to laterally expand the body upon threadedly engaging the first and second threads.

10. A dispenser as defined in claim 5, wherein the first thread is located on the plunger and the second thread is located on the body, and the body defines a plurality of axially extending second thread portions and a plurality of axially-extending slots formed between second thread portions.

11. A dispenser as defined in claim 10, further comprising an elastic member coupled to the second thread portions.

12. A dispenser as defined in claim 10, wherein the plunger defines a plurality of discrete first thread portions, at least one first thread portion defines a diameter greater than a diameter of a second thread portion for laterally moving the respective second thread portion upon threadedly engaging said threads, and the elastic member biases the respective second thread portion inwardly in response to such lateral movement.

13. A dispenser as defined in claim 10, wherein the plunger defines a plurality of discrete first thread portions, at least one first thread portion defines a diameter greater than a diameter of a second thread portion for laterally moving the respective second thread portion upon threadedly engaging said threads, and the larger diameter first thread portion is receivable in a slot formed between adjacent second thread portions to thereby define a rest position of the plunger.

14. A dispenser as defined in claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second thread defines on a trailing edge thereof a stop surface for preventing rearward movement of at least one of the plunger and body relative to the other.

15. A dispenser as defined in claim 5, wherein the plunger defines a plurality of discrete first thread portions, and wherein at least one first thread portion defines a gradually increasing diameter forming an interference fit with the second thread upon threadedly engaging said threads.

16. A dispenser as defined in claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second threads defines a diameter less than the other for allowing axial movement of at least one of the plunger and body relative to the other in a rest position.

17. A dispenser as defined in claim 16, further defining a plurality of first thread portions angularly spaced relative to each other on the plunger and a plurality of second thread portions angularly spaced relative to each other on the body, and wherein at least one first thread portion defines a diameter less than a diameter of at least one second thread portion to thereby allow axial movement of said threads relative to each other.

18. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein a tip of the plunger is defined by a resilient stopper including a peripheral surface for slidably contacting an inner wall of the body and forming a seal therebetween.

19. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein the one-way valve comprises:

an axially-elongated valve seat, and an axially-elongated flexible valve member secured to the valve seat and defining a normally-closed valve opening at the interface of the valve member and valve seat.

20. A dispenser as defined in claim 19, wherein the axially-elongated flexible valve member defines a decreasing wall thickness in the axial direction from the inside to the outside of the dispenser.

21. A dispenser as defined in claim 20, wherein the axially-elongated flexible valve member encircles and forms an interference fit with the valve seat.

22. A dispenser as defined in claim 21, wherein the at least one opening of the dispensing tip defines an axis extending in approximately the axial direction of the valve seat.

23. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one first drive surface is defined by a plurality of first thread portions angularly spaced relative to each other, wherein at least one first thread portions defines a varying thread diameter relative to another first thread portion, and the at least one recessed surface is defined by plurality of second thread portions engageable with the first thread portions to effect step-wise movement of at least one of the plunger and body relative to the other.

24. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein the plunger is substantially enclosed within the body, and further comprising a rotatable drive member drivingly coupled to the plunger for rotating at least one of the plunger and body relative to the other.

25. A dispenser as defined in claim 24, wherein the plunger defines at least one aperture formed therethrough, and the drive member is received within the aperture for rotating the plunger and allowing axial movement of the plunger relative to the drive member.

26. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein the one way valve includes an axially extending valve seat, and a flexible, axially-extending valve member overlying the valve seat and forming an interference fit therebetween, and wherein at least one of the valve cover and valve seat define one of (i) a substantially convex external contour, (ii) a substantially concave external contour, and (iii) a substantially frusto-conical external contour.

27. A dispenser as defined in claim 5, wherein the first and second threads each define a thread angle of approximately 90°

.

28. A dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein the plunger and one-way valve hermetically seal the substance within the chamber of the body from the first to last dose of substance dispensed therefrom.

29. A dispenser comprising:

a body defining first means for receiving a pre-determined substance to be dispensed therefrom;

second means coupled in fluid communication with the first means for providing a path for dispensing the substance from the first means;

third means coupled in fluid communication with the second means for preventing the ingress of air therethrough and into the first means;

fourth means for dispensing the substance through the second and third means upon movement of at least one of the fourth means and body relative to the other; and

fifth means for effecting step-wise movement of at least one of the fourth means and body relative to the other to, in turn, dispense a pre-determined amount of substance from the first means through the second means.

30. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, wherein the first means is defined by a chamber formed within the body.

31. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, wherein the second means is defined by a dispensing tip of the body including at least one outlet orifice therethrough.

32. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, wherein the third means is defined by a one-way valve.

33. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, wherein the fourth means is defined by a plunger received within the body.

34. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, wherein the fifth means is defined by at least one drive surface located on one of the body and fourth means, and at least one recessed surface for receiving therein the at least one drive surface located on the other of the body and fourth means, for effecting step-wise axial movement of at least one of the body and fourth means relative to the other.

35. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, further comprising sixth means for preventing residual seepage of substance through the second means.

36. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, wherein the body defines a plurality of first threads and the fourth means defines a plurality of second threads engageable with the first threads for moving at least one of the fourth means and body relative to the other, and the means for preventing residual seepage is defined by an axial spacing formed between first and second threads.

37. A dispenser as defined in claim 36, wherein the axial spacing is sufficient to allow at least one of the plunger and body to move axially relative to the other after dispensing a metered amount of substance from the first means and, in turn, reduce any pressure differential between the first means and exterior of the dispenser.

38. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, further comprising means for hermetically sealing the substance within the chamber of the body from the first to last dose of substance dispensed therefrom.

39. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, wherein the first means is defined by a chamber formed within the body and the fourth means is defined by a plunger received within one end of the chamber, and the means for hermetically sealing is defined by a one-way valve coupled in fluid communication with another end of the chamber and defining an axially-extending valve seat and an axially-extending flexible valve cover overlying the valve seat and forming a normally closed valve opening therebetween, and a flexible tip of the plunger that slidably engages an interior wall of the body defining the chamber and forms a seal therebetween.

40. A dispenser as defined in claim 34, wherein the at least one drive surface is defined by at least one first thread, and the at least one recessed surface is defined by at least one second thread.

41. A dispenser as defined in claim 40, wherein the at one first thread includes a plurality of axially-extending first thread portions, and the at least one second thread includes a plurality of axially-extending second thread portions.

42. A dispenser as defined in claim 41, wherein at least one of the first thread portions defines a diameter greater than a diameter of at least one second thread portion to effect step-wise movement of at least one of the plunger and body relative to the other.

43. A dispenser as defined in claim 29, further comprising means for dispensing a pre-determined volume of substance through the second means tip with each step-wise movement of at least one of the fourth means and body relative to the other.

44. A dispenser as defined in claim 43, wherein the fifth means is defined by at least one first thread formed on the body and at least one second thread formed on the fourth means, and the means for dispensing a pre-determined volume of substance is defined by a pre-determined thread pitch of each of the first and second threads.

45. A dispenser as defined in claim 32, wherein the one-way valve includes an axially extending valve seat and an axially-extending, flexible valve cover overlying the valve seat and defining a normally closed valve opening therebetween, and wherein the axial length of each of the valve seat, valve cover and valve opening formed therebetween is sufficiently long to always maintain an annular segment of the valve cover in contact with the valve seat when dispensing substance through valve opening.

46. A dispenser as defined in claim 45, wherein the valve cover defines an aperture therethrough, the valve seat is received within the aperture to form the normally-closed valve opening at the interface between the valve seat and valve cover, and a diameter of the valve seat is greater than a diameter of the aperture in the cover to thereby form an interference fit and normally-closed valve opening therebetween.

47. A dispenser as defined in claim 45, wherein the degree of interference between the valve cover aperture and valve seat decreases in the axial direction of the valve seat from the interior toward the exterior of the dispenser.