Fluid pump without dead volume

• US 5,746,728 A
• Filed: 09/27/1995
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medical Instill Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Instill Corp. (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Py, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cho, David J.
• Application Number:
  US08/534,609
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 604/294-302, 222/378, 222/207, 222/209, 222/211
• US Class Current: 604/298
• 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 11/0037 Containers for several components B05B11/0078
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/007 being opened by deformation of a sealing element made of resiliently deformable material, e.g. flaps, skirts, duck-bill valves
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0072 A valve member forming part of an outlet opening
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1001 Piston pumps B05B11/1087, B05B11/1088, B05B11/109 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/107 Gate valves; Sliding valves
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1074 located outside pump chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1077 characterised by a particular shape or material B05B11/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/109 the dispensing stroke being affected by the stored energy of a spring B05B11/1088 takes precedence

Abstract

A pump for delivering a fluid contained in an elastic phial includes a pump body and a movable piston fitted inside the pump body. The front end of the pump body is located on a fluid-outlet side, and the front end includes an outlet orifice (11) sealed off by an elastic membrane (24). The outlet orifice is connected to a pump duct (18) inside the pump body, and the pump duct 18 is in turn connected to a fluid-inlet orifice (15). An end (2) of the movable piston is hermetically fitted within the pump duct (18) with slight friction, and the displacement of the end (2) of the piston relative to the portion of the pump body between the inlet orifice (15) and the a stop position (16) near the outlet orifice (11) determines the quantity of fluid expelled from the pump body. The inlet orifice allows a predetermined quantity of fluid to be trapped at the end of the pump duct (18) before being expelled through the outlet orifice (11). With the exception of the front end of the pump body, the pump body and the movable piston are totally enveloped by the elastic phial.

Claims

1. A pump for the delivery of a fluid contained in an elastic phial, comprising:

a pump body having a front end on a fluid outlet side, said front end comprising an outlet orifice (11) normally sealed off by an elastic membrane (24), and continuing backwards through a pump duct (18) with a fluid inlet orifice (15);

a movable piston fitted inside the pump body, the relative displacement of an end (2) of the piston in relation to the pump body between the inlet orifice (15) and a stop (16) position located towards the outlet orifice (11) thus determining the quantity of fluid expelled on displacement, the end (2) of the piston fitting hermetically by slight friction against the pump duct (18), the inlet orifice (15) being of a sufficient size for only the preset quantity of fluid to be trapped in an end of the pump duct (18) for its expulsion through the outlet orifice (11) and a separable seam defined by interface of said outlet orifice (11) and said elastic membrane (24), the pump body and the piston being totally enveloped by the elastic phial, with the exception of the front end of the pump body.

2. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the outlet orifice (11) is a channel positioned axially along the length of the pump.

3. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the pump has an elastic means of returning the piston to the stop position.

4. The pump according to claim 3, wherein the elastic means of returning the piston to the stop position comprises the elastic phial itself.

5. The pump according to claim 4, wherein the elastic means of returning the piston to the stop position comprises a concertina part of sufficient thickness to form a means of return.

7. The pump according to claim 5, wherein the elastic means of returning the piston to the stop position comprises two concertinas (22, 23) located either side of a retaining ring (5) integral with the piston.

8. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the elastic membrane (24) and the elastic phial form a single piece.

9. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the elastic phial has at least one part such as a thickening, adapted to filling the phial with the aid of a hollow needle, of such a type that after piercing, filling and withdrawing said hollow needle, the piercing is hermetically sealed.

10. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the pump body has a front ring (13a) and a rear ring (8).

11. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the piston has a ring (13).

6. A pump for the delivery of a fluid contained in an elastic phial, comprising:

a pump body having a front end on a fluid outlet side, said front end comprising an outlet orifice (11) sealed off by an elastic membrane (24), and continuing backwards through a pump duct (18) with a fluid inlet orifice (15); and

a movable piston fitted inside the pump body, the relative displacement of an end (2) of the piston in relation to the pump body between the inlet orifice (15) and a stop (16) position located towards the outlet orifice (11) thus determining the quantity of fluid expelled on displacement, the end (2) of the piston fitting hermetically by slight friction against the pump duct (18), the inlet orifice (15) being of a sufficient size for only the preset quantity of fluid to be trapped in an end of the pump duct (18) for its expulsion through the outlet orifice (11), the pump body and the piston being totally enveloped by the phial, with the exception of the front end of the pump body;

wherein the pump has an elastic means of returning the piston to the stop position, and wherein the elastic means of returning the piston to the stop position comprises the elastic phial itself, and wherein the elastic means of returning the piston to the stop position comprises two concertinas (22,

     23) located either side of a retaining ring (5) integral with the piston.

12. The pump according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the ring (15), a body (8) and a disc (13a) is integral with the end of a concertina of the elastic phial.

13. A pump for the delivery of a fluid contained in an elastic phial, comprising:

a pump body having a front end on a fluid outlet side, said front end comprising an outlet orifice (11) sealed off by an elastic membrane (24), and continuing backwards through a pump duct (18) with a fluid inlet orifice (15); and

a movable piston fitted inside the pump body, the relative displacement of an end (2) of the piston in relation to the pump body between the inlet orifice (15) and a stop (16) position located towards the outlet orifice (11) thus determining the quantity of fluid expelled on displacement, the end (2) of the piston fitting hermetically by slight friction against the pump duct (18), the inlet orifice (15) being of a sufficient size for only the preset quantity of fluid to be trapped in an end of the pump duct (18) for its expulsion through the outlet orifice (11), the pump body and the piston being totally enveloped by the phial, with the exception of the front end of the pump body;

wherein the piston is an elongated element having a plurality of radial elements (4) as anchors which have arc-shaped elements (5) at their ends, the pump body is cylindrical and comprises a front ring (13a), a cylindrical rear ring (8), of larger diameter than the diameter of the arcs (5), the front base of the rear cylindrical ring being cut away so that the above anchors can pass through the base of said cylinder thus enabling, by means of slots corresponding to the radial elements, and made in the cylinder comprising the pump body, the longitudinal displacement of the piston.

14. A pump, for projecting a consistently reproducible volume of fluid into the conjunctival sac of an eye essentially without causing any sensation of pain or discomfort, comprising:

a reservoir made of elastic material,

a pump body in fluid communication with the reservoir, said pump body having a front end on a fluid outlet side, said front end comprising an outlet orifice (11) sealed off by an elastic membrane (24),

a piston arranged to move inside the pump body and an elastic means for returning the piston to the stop position, said elastic means of return being calibrated so as to project a predetermined volume of fluid through the outlet orifice (11) and a separable seam defined by interface of said outlet orifice (11) and said elastic membrane (24); and

an elastic phial enveloping the pump body and piston, with the exception of the front end of the pump body.