Fluid cartridge and dispension device

• US 9,296,551 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medic Activ Vertriebs GmbH
• Original Assignee: Medic Activ Vertriebs GmbH
• Inventors: Klein, Thomas, Zimmer, Andreas, Trinker, Martin, Brunner, Peter, Lindena, Bernd Heiko, Behne, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Chorbaji, Monzer R
• Application Number:
  US14/241,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20140212334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 422/28, 422/256, 422/261, 422/292, 422/300, 222/129, 221/92, 221/287, 220/694
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/002 by flow deviation causing inertial separation of transported particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0043 Non-destructive separation of the package, e.g. peeling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0083 Timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/108 before being humidified or mixed with a beneficial agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/109 the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/14 by mixing different fluids, one of them being in a liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0216 Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/122 using evacuated interfaces to enhance contact
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/123 with incorporated reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/265 the liquid or other fluent material being symmetrically deflected about the axis of the nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/36 Outlets for discharging by overflow
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0054 : Cartridges, i.e. containers specially designed for easy attachment to or easy removal from the rest of the sprayer attachment arrangements between pump and container B05B11/1043
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/65 : Mounting arrangements for fluid connection of the spraying apparatus or its outlets to flow conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 16/00 : Spray booths arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material in spray booths B05B14/40
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0012 : Apparatus for achieving spraying before discharge from the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1626 : at the moment of mixing
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2405 : using an atomising fluid as carrying fluid for feeding, e.g. by suction or pressure, a carried liquid from the container to the nozzle B05B7/2459 - B05B7/247 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/303 : using extension tubes located in or at the outlet duct of the nozzle assembly
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/66 : first separated, but finally mixed , e.g. in a dispensing head
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/72 : with heating or cooling devices , e.g. heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/753 : characterised by details or accessories associated with outlets

Abstract

A fluid cartridge (100) for dispensing a fluid, the fluid cartridge (100) comprising a casing (102) for accommodating the fluid, a pressure feed interface (104) configured for being coupled to a pressure feed unit (106) for feeding the fluid in the casing (102) with pressurized medium, a fluid dispensing unit (108) configured for generating particles, particularly fluid particles, upon feeding the fluid in the casing (102) with pressurized medium, and a fluidic path (110) in the casing (102) being opened or openable for enabling the particles, particularly fluid particles, to leave the casing (102) through the fluidic path (110).

Claims

1. A fluid cartridge for dispensing a fluid, the fluid cartridge comprising:

a casing for accommodating the fluid, the casing comprising a top part;

a pressure feed interface configured for being coupled to a pressure feed unit for feeding the fluid in the casing with pressurized medium;

a fluid dispensing unit configured for generating particles upon feeding the fluid in the casing with pressurized medium;

a fluidic path in the casing being opened or openable for enabling the particles to leave the casing through the fluidic path;

wherein the top part has at least one predetermined breaking structure configured for being broken by applying a breaking force so as to open the fluidic path in the casing upon breaking; and

wherein the at least one predetermined breaking structure comprises at least one slanted plate located in an upper surface of the top part so as to be broken by bending or kinking the at least one slanted plate upon applying the breaking force.

2. The fluid cartridge of claim 1, wherein the casing further comprises a bottom part, the bottom part and the top part being integrally connected to one another.

3. The fluid cartridge of claim 2,

wherein the top part has at least one recess as the fluidic path;

wherein the fluid cartridge further comprises a peelable layer being removable from the top part by peeling so as to expose the fluidic path.

4. The fluid cartridge of claim 1, wherein an anchoring section anchoring the at least one predetermined breaking structure in an upper surface of the top part is selectively mechanically weakened as compared to an environment of the upper surface.

5. The fluid cartridge of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises or consists of one of the group consisting of:

a thermoplastic material;

elastomeric material;

polyoxymethylene;

a copolymer of Acrylonitrile, Butodiene, and Styren; and

(C₃H₃N, C₄H₆, C₈H₈)_x.

6. The fluid cartridge of claim 1, wherein the fluid cartridge comprises the pressure feed unit.

7. The fluid cartridge of claim 6, wherein the pressure feed unit is a pressurized medium accommodating unit comprising the pressurized medium, wherein the casing is mounted on the pressurized medium accommodating unit so that the pressure feed interface is supplyable with the pressurized medium from the pressurized medium accommodating unit.

8. The fluid cartridge of claim 6, comprising one of the following features:

the casing is detachably mountable on the pressure feed unit;

or

the casing is integrally formed with the pressure feed unit.

9. The fluid cartridge of claim 1, comprising a cartridge data carrier wherein the cartridge data carrier carries information assigned to the fluid cartridge and being readable by a reader unit.

10. The fluid cartridge of claim 1, wherein the casing accommodates the fluid, wherein the fluid particularly comprises at least one of the group consisting of hyaluronic acid, a mixture of hyaluronic acid and sodium chloride solution, olive oil, an essential oil, dead sea salt, dead sea salt with L-ascorbate, evening primpose oil, black cumin oil, aloe vera, algae extract, cucumber, avocado oil, panthenol, an oil-coated active agent, a human medication, a veterinary medication, a wellness preparation, citric acid, ozone, and any combination of the above fluids.

11. A method of dispensing a fluid, the method comprising:

accommodating the fluid in a casing;

coupling a pressure feed interface of the casing to a pressure feed unit to thereby feed the fluid in the casing with pressurized medium;

generating particles in the casing upon feeding the fluid in the casing with pressurized medium;

opening a fluidic path of the casing by breaking at least one predetermined breaking structure in a top part of the casing, wherein the at least one predetermined breaking structure comprises at least one slanted plate located in an upper surface of the top part so as to be broken by bending or kinking the at least one slanted plate upon applying a breaking force;

providing the fluidic path in the casing being open for enabling the particles to leave the casing through the fluidic path.

12. A dispenser device for dispensing a fluid from a fluid cartridge the dispenser device comprising:

a cartridge accommodation unit configured for accommodating the fluid cartridge;

a pressure feed unit configured for feeding the fluid in a casing of the fluid cartridge with a pressurized medium upon accommodating the fluid cartridge in the cartridge accommodation unit to thereby generate particles leaving the casing through a fluidic path in the casing upon feeding the fluid in the casing with the pressurized medium;

the fluidic path in the casing being openable by breaking at least one predetermined breaking structure, wherein the at least one predetermined breaking structure comprises at least one slanted plate located in an upper surface of a top part of the casing so as to be broken by bending or kinking the at least one slanted plate upon applying the breaking force.

13. The dispenser device of claim 12, wherein the dispenser device, comprises a read and/or write unit configured for reading data from and/or writing data to a cartridge data carrier of the fluid cartridge upon accommodating the fluid cartridge at the cartridge accommodation unit.

14. The dispenser device of claim 12, further comprising:

a further cartridge accommodation unit configured for accommodating a further fluid cartridge having a further fluid in a further casing;

a further pressure feed unit configured for feeding the further fluid in the further casing with a further pressurized medium upon accommodating the further fluid cartridge in the further cartridge accommodation unit to thereby generate further particles leaving the further casing upon feeding the further fluid in the further casing with the further pressurized medium.

15. The dispenser device of claim 12, wherein the pressure feed unit comprises

a pressure supply pin coupled to a pressure medium reservoir and being configured for penetrating a surface of the fluid cartridge for feeding the pressurized medium to the fluid in a casing of the fluid cartridge, and

a drive unit configured for driving the pressure supply pin into the surface of the fluid cartridge.

16. The dispenser device of claim 12, wherein the pressure feed unit comprises

a pressure supply pin coupled to a pressure medium reservoir and being configured for penetrating a surface of the fluid cartridge for feeding the pressurized medium to the fluid in a casing of the fluid cartridge, and

a lever mechanism actuable by a user, wherein the pressure supply pin penetrates the surface of the fluid cartridge upon actuating the lever mechanism.

17. A method of dispensing a fluid from a fluid cartridge, the method comprising:

accommodating the fluid cartridge in a cartridge accommodation unit;

feeding the fluid in the casing with a pressurized medium upon accommodating the fluid cartridge in the accommodation unit to thereby generate particles leaving the casing upon feeding the fluid in the casing with the pressurized medium.

18. An arrangement for dispensing a fluid, the arrangement comprising:

a fluid cartridge having a casing for accommodating the fluid;

a pressure feed interface configured for being coupled to a pressure feed unit for feeding the fluid in the casing with pressurized medium;

a fluid dispensing unit configured for generating particles upon feeding the fluid in the casing with pressurized medium;

a fluidic path in the casing being opened or openable for enabling the particles to leave the casing through the fluidic path;

the fluidic path in the casing being openable by breaking at least one predetermined breaking structure, wherein the at least one predetermined breaking structure comprises at least one slanted plate located in an upper surface of a top part of the casing so as to be broken by bending or kinking the at least one slanted plate upon applying the breaking force;

a dispenser device having a cartridge accommodation unit configured for accommodating the fluid cartridge;

a pressure feed unit configured for feeding the fluid in a casing of the fluid cartridge with a pressurized medium upon accommodating the fluid cartridge in the cartridge accommodation unit to thereby generate particles leaving the casing through a fluidic path in the casing upon feeding the fluid in the casing with the pressurized medium.

19. The arrangement of claim 18,

wherein the fluid cartridge comprises a tamper-proof feature being indicative of an origin of the fluid cartridge;

wherein the dispenser device comprises a tamper-proof verification unit corresponding to the tamper-proof feature and being configured for verifying whether a fluid cartridge accommodated by the dispenser device has a tamper-proof feature being indicative of an approved origin of the fluid cartridge;

wherein the dispenser device is further configured to enable generation of particles only upon successful verification that the fluid cartridge has the tamper-proof feature.

20. A method of using an arrangement of claim 18 for treating a physiological subject by the dispensed fluid, the dispensed fluid particularly being a non-medical preparation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the arrangement is configured as a portable device dimensioned so that a human being, as the physiological subject, is treated with the particles, particularly fluid particles, by manually handling the device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the arrangement is used for disinfecting a room.