ORAL MEDICINE DISPENSING SYSTEM

• US 20150150760A1
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alexander Markus Oelz, Robert James Martin
• Original Assignee: Alexander Markus Oelz, Robert James Martin
• Inventors: Oelz, Alexander Markus, Martin, Robert James
• Granted Patent: US 9,974,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0053 Syringes, pipettes or oral dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2407 from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2411 from the front
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/247 with fixed or steady piercing means, e.g. piercing under movement of ampoule
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/2477 comprising means to reduce play of ampoule within ampoule holder, e.g. springs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3121 via the proximal end of a syringe, i.e. syringe end opposite to needle cannula mounting end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31506 formed as a single piece, e.g. moulded
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/31516 reducing dead-space in the syringe barrel after delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6045 having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/001 Apparatus specially adapted for cleaning or sterilising syringes or needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/19 having more than one chamber , e.g. including a manifold coupling two parallelly aligned syringes through separate channels to a common discharge assembly surgical glue applicators A61B17/00491
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2466 by piercing without internal pressure increase A61M5/2429 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/315 Pistons; Piston-rods; Guiding, blocking or restricting the movement of the rod or piston; Appliances on the rod for facilitating dosing ; Dosing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile

Abstract

A liquid dispensing system for oral administration comprises a dispenser and cartridges from which medicine is dispensed. Each cartridge includes a hollow shell with a septum at one end, a piston at the other end, and the medicine in a cavity between the septum and the piston. The dispenser includes receiver in which a cartridge is received, a plunger that can slide relative to the receiver and that has a plunging head that can drive the piston, and a barrel in which the cartridge, receiver and plunger can be received, at least partly. Once a cartridge has been inserted into the receiver, the receiver and cartridge are inserted into the barrel and a piercing head ruptures the septum. The plunger is pushed to drive the piston and the medicine is dispensed by the piston, through a discharge passage of the barrel.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing liquid medicine for oral administration, said system comprising:

at least one cartridge that includes;

a hollow, elongate shell that has a longitudinal axis and that defines an internal cavity and that is closed at one end with a septum, at least part of said septum being thin enough to rupture when pricked with a sharp object;

a piston that is disposed inside the shell and that can slide axially inside the cavity, while sealing against the inside of the shell; and

a liquid medicine, which is held inside the cavity between the closed end and the piston; and

a dispenser that includes;

a body defining a receiving formation in which at least the closed end of the shell of the cartridge is receivable;

a sharp protuberance disposed in the receiving formation and configured to rupture the septum if the cartridge is moved far enough in the axial direction; and

a plunger that is displaceable in the axial direction towards the protuberance

wherein said dispenser includes a receiver defining a recess in which the cartridge is receivable, at least in part, said plunger being attachable to the receiver, to slide relative to the receiver and cartridge shell in the axial direction.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge is held in place in the recess of the receiver, by releasable lock formations.

3. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the receiver includes a first detent that is biased towards a locked position in which it prevents sliding movement between the plunger and the receiver, said first detent being displaceable against its bias, by the body, when the receiver engages the body.

4. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the receiver includes a second detent that is biased towards a locked position in which it prevents sliding movement between the plunger and the receiver, said second detent being displaceable against its bias, by the cartridge, when the cartridge is received inside the recess of the receiver.

5. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the receiving formation of the body is a cavity in which the receiver and cartridge are receivable to engage the receiver and body.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the sharp protuberance is defined inside the cavity.

7. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the body defines a stop formation adjacent the sharp protuberance to inhibit the receiver and cartridge from sliding in the axial direction to a point at which the sharp protuberance can rupture the septum, unless the receiver and cartridge are inserted into the body with a correct orientation.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein a recess is defined in the receiver, that corresponds to the stop formation, said recess being able to receive the stop formation with interference, so that the receiver and cartridge can slide in the axial direction against said interference, while the sharp protuberance ruptures the septum.

9. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the piston has a leading side, which faces towards the closed end of the cartridge shell and a recess that is defined in the leading side of the piston, which is shaped and dimensioned to receive an end of the sharp protuberance when the septum has been ruptured.

10. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the piston is welded to the shell, said weld being small enough to be ruptured when the plunger pushes the piston in the axial direction.

11. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the shell, piston and dispenser are made from recyclable plastics materials.

12. A dispenser for dispensing liquid medicine for oral administration, said dispenser comprising:

a body defining a receiving formation in which at least the closed end of the shell of a cartridge is receivable;

a sharp protuberance disposed in the receiving formation and configured to rupture a septum of the cartridge if the cartridge is moved far enough in an axial direction; and

a plunger that is displaceable in the axial direction towards the protuberance;

wherein said dispenser includes a receiver defining a recess in which the cartridge is receivable, at least in part, said plunger being attachable to the receiver, to slide relative to the receiver and cartridge shell in the axial direction.