OSMOTIC DISPENSER WITH COLLAPSIBLE SUPPLY CONTAINER

• US 3,760,805 A
• Filed: 01/13/1971
• Issued: 09/25/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Takeru Higuchi
• Original Assignee: Takeru Higuchi
• Inventors: Higuchi, Takeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGowan, J. C.
• Application Number:
  US05/106,131
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 128/127-131,172,213,260,261,272,271 222/193,389,386.5,386,130,105,106,94,95,97 210/23
• US Class Current: 604/892.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/06 Treatment of growing trees or plants, e.g. for preventing decay of wood, for tingeing flowers or wood, for prolonging the life of plants
• CPC Class Codes: A61D 7/00 Devices or methods for introducing solid, liquid, or gaseous remedies or other materials into or onto the bodies of animals for reproduction or fertilisation A61D19/00 ; devices for implanting pellets, radon seeds or the like A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0004 Osmotic delivery systems; Sustained release driven by osmosis, thermal energy or gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/04 using osmotic pressure using membranes, porous plates
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/04 Multi-cavity bottles

Abstract

An osmotic dispenser is comprised of (1) a water porous housing member confining (2) a first flexible bag of relatively impervious material containing an active agent and provided with active agent dispensing head, and (3) a second bag of controlled permeability to moisture containing a solution which exhibits an osmotic pressure gradient against water. The first and second bags are disposed within the housing member such that water permeates from the external environment through the housing and migrates by osmosis into the solution contained in the second bag which increases in volume thereby generating mechanical force on the first bag, which mechanical force in turn ejects the active agent out of the apparatus.

Claims

2. The osmotic dispnser as defined by claim 1, wherein the active agent is selected from the group consisting of a drug and a bio-affecting composition.

3. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 1, wherein the active agent contained therein is in the form of a semisolid formulation.

4. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 1, wherein the solution exhibiting an osmotic pressure gradient against water is a saturated aqueous salt solution.

5. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 4, wherein the saturated salt solution contains excess solute in solid form.

6. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 1, wherein the first flexible bag (2) is comprised of a member selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, metal-foil polyethylene laminate, neoprene rubber, natural gum rubber and rubber hydrochloride.

7. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 1, wherein the second bag (3) is comprised of a member selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate, silicone rubber, polxurethane, natural rubber and hydrolyzed ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer.

8. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 1, wherein the housing member (1) is comprised of a member selected from the group consisting of perforated polystyrene, perforated polyethylene, perforated polypropylene, perforated polymethylmethacrylate, perforated polyvinyl chloride, perforated reinforced epoxy resin, perforated sheet metal, metallic screen, perforated galvanized pipe, porous sintered brass tubing, porous styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer, and porous sintered polyethylene.

9. The osmotic dispenser of claim 2 wherein the said housing member (1) is in the configuration of an intravaginal device, ring-shaped, and adapted to be placed around the cervix.

10. The osmotic dispenser of claim 2 wherein the said housing member (1) is in the configuration of a veterinary bolus.

11. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 1, wherein the bags (2) and (3) are disposed in an essentially parallel configuration.

12. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 1, wherein the bags (2) and (3) are disposed in an essentially concentric configuration.

13. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 1, wherein the osmotically effective solute is selected from the group consisting of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulphate, sodium chloride, potassium sulphate, sodium carbonate, sodium sulphite, sodium sulphate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium acid phthalate, calcium bicarbonate, potassium acid phosphate, raffinose, tartaric acid, succinic acid, calcium succinate, calcium lactate and magnesium succinate.

14. The osmotic dispenser as defined by Claim 1, further comprising ballast means to adjust the specific gravity of the device.

15. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 14 having a specific gravity of greater than 1.5.

16. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 1, further comprising separator means disposed between the said housing member (1) and the said second bag (3).

17. The osmotic dispenser as defined by claim 9, further comprising a plurality of duct-like fine tubule connections through the said housing member (1) thereof.

18. An osmotic active agent dispenser comprising a shape retaining injector divided into two compartments by a flexible diaphragm, one of said compartments having an outer wall of relatively impervious material containing an active agent and provided with means for releasing the active agent to the exterior of the dispenser, and the other compartment having an outer wall of membrane material having controlled permeability to water, being at least in part non-planar in configuration, and containing an osmotically effective solute which, in solution, exhibits an osmotic pressure gradient against water whereby as water flows into the solute compartment in a tendency towards osmotic equilibrium with its environment, said diaphragm expands to continuously squeeze active agent from the dispenser at an osmotically controlled rate over a prolonged period of time.