Method and apparatus for application of eye drops
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An eye drop dispenser comprising:
- housing means defining a small passageway terminating in a nozzle and adapted to contain an eye drop liquid to be dispensed,means engaging said housing means for directing said nozzle toward an eye to be injected,a plunger slideably mounted in said housing for movement into the said passageway,a spring engaging said housing and plunger for urging said plunger into said passageway under spring pressure, andcontrollable release means for restraining said plunger from moving into said passageway rotatably mounting said plunger relative to said housing and including visually obstructed engaging surfaces of said plunger and housing with each of said surfaces having at least one abruptly varying contour about said plunger and means for rotating said plunger to release said plunger at least once each revolution thereof to rapidly move under spring pressure into said passageway for forcibly ejecting liquid from the open end of said passageway at an indeterminate point of operation of the release means whereby a user does not blink at eye drop injection.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for applying therapeutic eye drops to the eye by metering a predetermined volume of fluid and rapidly applying a pressure to one end of the metered fluid for forcing the fluid from a nozzle of means defining a small passageway such as an open-ended tube as a droplet having sufficient velocity to travel a generally horizontal distance in space to the eye. Unit dose application and multiple dose application are included and provision is made for preventing anticipatory blinking of the eye during self-administration.
-
Citations
14 Claims
-
1. An eye drop dispenser comprising:
-
housing means defining a small passageway terminating in a nozzle and adapted to contain an eye drop liquid to be dispensed, means engaging said housing means for directing said nozzle toward an eye to be injected, a plunger slideably mounted in said housing for movement into the said passageway, a spring engaging said housing and plunger for urging said plunger into said passageway under spring pressure, and controllable release means for restraining said plunger from moving into said passageway rotatably mounting said plunger relative to said housing and including visually obstructed engaging surfaces of said plunger and housing with each of said surfaces having at least one abruptly varying contour about said plunger and means for rotating said plunger to release said plunger at least once each revolution thereof to rapidly move under spring pressure into said passageway for forcibly ejecting liquid from the open end of said passageway at an indeterminate point of operation of the release means whereby a user does not blink at eye drop injection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A multiple dose eye drop dispenser comprising
a body having a bore extending therein from an open end, a cylinder adapted to carry a container of eye drop liquid and having an open end, means extending from said body for engaging said cylinder about the open end thereof, and for controllably advancing said cylinder toward said body, a pointed tube extending from the bore in said body at a distance from the open end of the bore in position to enter a container of liquid carried by said cylinder engaging said body and to supply liquid to said bore as said cylinder is advanced, resilient means communicating with said bore at a distance from the open end thereof, and means applying a force to said resilient means to store energy therein, and means rapidly releasing said resilient means for applying a sudden pressure to liquid in said bore to eject the liquid therefrom.
-
5. An eye drop dispenser comprising,
a small open-ended tube adapted to contain an eye drop liquid to be dispensed, aligning means engaging said tube for directing the open tube end toward an eye to be injected, means defining a chamber for containing air, piston means communicating with said chamber for compressing air therein, and valve means connecting said chamber and said tube for suddenly applying compressed air from the chamber to the tube for forcibly ejecting said liquid from the tube end.
-
6. A liquid eye drop dispenser comprising
a thin elongated tube adapted to contain a predetermined amount of liquid, pressure valving means connected to a first end of said tube, and an injector compressing air and applying the compressed air to said pressure valving means for opening same at a predetermined pressure for rapidly applying the compressed air to the tube through said first end thereof for ejecting a fluid in the tube from a second end thereof.
-
11. Apparatus for injecting drops into the eye comprising
a housing having a small chamber therein and an opening through a wall thereof, a plunger associated with said chamber for compressing air therein, a mounting block movably mounted on said housing and adapted to releasably engage a thin elongated dispensing tube which in turn is adapted to contain an ophthalmic fluid, said mounting block being controllably movable to place the rear end of said dispensing tube in communication with said housing opening, means limiting the pressure of air compressed in said chamber for application to said tube to eject fluid from the front end thereof, and aligning means for directing said tube into the eye at a short distance therefrom whereby fluid ejected from the tube is injected into the eye.
Specification