Preassembled unit dose dispenser having a compressible container and a tube prefilled with a unit dose of opthalmic gel.

• US 5,048,727 A
• Filed: 04/30/1990
• Issued: 09/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcon Laboratories Incorporated (Alcon Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alcon Laboratories Incorporated (Alcon Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vlasich, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huppert, Michael S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEROSA, KENNETH
• Application Number:
  US07/522,393
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 222/206, 222/209, 222/632, 222/633, 222/215, 222/394, 604/294-296, 604/299, 401/183-187
• US Class Current: 222/209
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0008 Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein putting in contact lenses A61F9/0061; introducing or retaining media in cavities of the body in general A61M31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/04 Deformable containers producing the flow, e.g. squeeze bottles
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 35/00 Pliable tubular containers adapted to be permanently or temporarily deformed to expel contents, e.g. collapsible tubes for toothpaste or other plastic or semi-liquid material; Holders therefor

Abstract

A unit dose dispenser for dispensing a composition includes a compressible, air filled container in communication with an open end of a tube filled with the composition. The opposite end of the tube through which the composition is dispensed is sealed with a removable closure cap to maintain sterility of the composition prior to use. By removing the cap and applying external pressure to compress the container, air is forced to enter the tube and eject, by displacement, composition from the tube. To completely eject the predetermined dosage that completely fills the tube, the volume of air or other gaseous propellant within the compressible container is greater than the volume of the unit dose.

Claims

1. A preassembled, disposable, ophthalmic gel dispensing device, comprising:

(a) a predetermined unit dosage of said ophthalmic gel;

(b) a compressible container containing a gaseous propellant; and

(c) a tube prefilled for containing said predetermined dose of gel, said tube having a discharge opening through which said predetermined gel dose is dispensed upon application of external pressure to the compressible container, causing the propellant to enter the tube and eject, by displacement, the gel from said tube, wherein said tube is substantially entirely prefilled with said unit dosage of gel which is contained only in the tube, said tube having one end permanently and directly fixed to an outlet formed directly in a side wall of said compressible container and an opposite end establishing said discharge opening, wherein said tube has a tubular side wall formed of a material that is sufficiently rigid to prevent the product stored therein from entering the compressible container when external finger pressure is applied to the tubular side wall, the volume of said tube as defined between opposite ends thereof being less than the volume of said compressible container so that substantially entirely all prefilled product in said tube is expelled in a single dosage by propellant; and

a closure cap for sealing the discharge opening to protect the sterility of the prefilled product.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said propellant is air.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said compressible container includes a side wall formed of a flexible material, one end of said container side wall being closed by sealing together portions of said side wall, side wall portions forming the other end of the container establishing an opening receiving, in sealing contact, an end of said tubular side wall.