Ocular treatment
First Claim
1. Electrodynamic spraying apparatus for dispensing a measured unit does of an opthalmically active liquid formulation for application to the corneal surface of an eye, said apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
at least one spray nozzle attached to said housing having a liquid outlet of sufficiently small interior cross section to retain therein a measured unit does of formulation;
means within said housing for supplying said measured unit dose of formulation to said nozzle outlet;
means within said housing for causing said formulation to flow from said nozzle through said outlet;
at least one electrode adjacent said nozzle outlet, which electrode is spaced from said outlet and electrically insulated from said nozzle; and
means for applying an electrical potential difference between said spray nozzle outlet and said electrode of sufficient magnitude to draw said formulation from said outlet, and to atomize said formulation into a spray of electrically charged droplets;
said apparatus being adapted, when said nozzle outlet is in a spaced relationship with said corneal surface, to cause said measured unit dose of formulation to be drawn to said corneal surface in the form of electrically charged droplets and uniformly deposited thereon.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of administering less than 20 μl of a solution of an ophthalmically effective substance to the eye characterized in that the formulation has a viscosity and resistivity which makes it suitable for electrodynamic spraying, and the formulation is supplied to a spray nozzle wherein a sufficiently large electrical potential, relative to earth, is applied to the formulation that a sufficient electrical gradient is provided at the spray nozzle to atomize the formulation as a spray of electrically charged droplets. Also liquid solution formulations of opthalmically effective substances for use in the method of the invention; and electrodynamic spraying apparatus, convenient for hand held use, for use in the method of the invention.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. Electrodynamic spraying apparatus for dispensing a measured unit does of an opthalmically active liquid formulation for application to the corneal surface of an eye, said apparatus comprising:
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a housing; at least one spray nozzle attached to said housing having a liquid outlet of sufficiently small interior cross section to retain therein a measured unit does of formulation; means within said housing for supplying said measured unit dose of formulation to said nozzle outlet; means within said housing for causing said formulation to flow from said nozzle through said outlet; at least one electrode adjacent said nozzle outlet, which electrode is spaced from said outlet and electrically insulated from said nozzle; and means for applying an electrical potential difference between said spray nozzle outlet and said electrode of sufficient magnitude to draw said formulation from said outlet, and to atomize said formulation into a spray of electrically charged droplets; said apparatus being adapted, when said nozzle outlet is in a spaced relationship with said corneal surface, to cause said measured unit dose of formulation to be drawn to said corneal surface in the form of electrically charged droplets and uniformly deposited thereon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification