GB2507101A

GB2507101A - Oral liquid drug dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2507101A
Application number: GB1218814.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Holland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-10-19
Filing date: 2012-10-19
Publication date: 2014-04-23
Also published as: GB201218814D0

Abstract

A liquid drug dispenser which can deliver variable volume of doses wherein the user can control the dosage, preferably the dispenser will only dispense a maximum volume over a specific preset time period. The preset time period may be changed. The maximum volume may be changed. The preset time period may start after the first dose of drug has been dispensed. The device may be self contained and portable. The device may contain a syringe 2 and plunger mechanism 3 with a lock mechanism 6 which prevents use after the maximum dosage has been reached over the preset time period.

Description

A Dosing Device This invention relates to a dosing device that dispenses controlled volumes of oral liquid drugs.

People often take painkillers as and when required. People often take varying doses at different times throughout each day depending upon how much pain they are experiencing. It is difficult for people to remember when they took previous doses and what dose they took. As a result people may take a dose of painkiller when they have already taken the maximum safe dose. Alternatively, people may be in pain but not take a dose of painkiller because they are unsure if they can safely take a further dose.

To overcome this, the present invention proposes a dosing device that contains an oral liquid drug and allows people to administer variable doses of the oral liquid drug up to a preset maximum volume. Once the preset maximum volume has been dispensed the dosing device does not allow any further volume to be dispensed until a preset time period has passed. Each time the preset time period passes a dose up to the preset maximum volume can be dispensed again.

The dosing device will consist of two parts. One part of the dosing device is a container with a mouthpiece. The container will contain the liquid drug. This could be a syringe. Another part of the dosing device is a control device that controls the dose of drug delivered.

The container will be airtight other than the mouthpiece. The container will be able to have its internal volume changed. The internal volume of the container can be reduced by squashing it. Alternatively, the container could be made in such a way that its internal volume can be changed by components of the container being moved. An example of this could be a syringe with a plunger that can be depressed reducing the syringes internal volume. When the internal volume of the container is reduced its liquid contents will be ejected from the mouthpiece.

The mouthpiece will be a hollow structure that can be inserted into the users mouth and the drug can be swallowed directly from it. There could be a non-return valve as part of the mouthpiece to prevent contamination of the containers contents.

The control device will have a squeezing mechanism. This will squash the drug container reducing its internal volume ejecting liquid drug out of its mouthpiece.

The squeezing mechanism will only be able to reduce the volume of the container and not increase the volume of the container during its use as a drug dispensing device. As such liquid will only be able to be ejected out of the container and liquids or gasses will not be able to be drawn into the container.

The control device and container will be constructed and assembled in such a way that when being used as a drug dispensing device the volume of the container will only be able to be changed by the control device. Therefore, a volume of drug could not be dispensed, without movement of the control device squeezing mechanism.

The squeezing mechanism could be compressed manually such as occurs when the plunger on a syringe is pressed by a persons hand. Alternatively) the squeezing mechanism could be powered mechanically such as by an electronic motor.

The control device will have a brake that will stop further squeezing by the squeezing mechanism once the preset maximum volume has been dispensed from the container within a preset time period.

The brake will be controlled by an electronic processor. This electronic processor receives input as to how much drug has been dispensed and the electronic processor also times the preset time period. The output from the electronic processor will control the activation of the brake and so control the maximum volume of liquid that can be dispensed from the interior of the container outwardly through the mouthpiece.

The preset time period is a fixed period of time. This could be sixty minutes for example. The preset time period starts once any volume of liquid has been ejected from the container by the squeezing mechanism. Once the preset time period has started varying volumes of drug, determined by the user, can be dispensed. Once the total volume dispensed has reached a preset maximum volume the brake mechanism will prevent any further liquid being dispensed until the preset time period has passed. Each time the preset time period passes a volume up to the preset maximum volume can be dispensed in the next preset time period. The next preset time period does not start immediately after the previous preset time period. The next preset time period only starts once a volume of drug has been dispensed following the completion of the previous preset time period.

The preset time period and the maximum volume that can be dispensed within the preset time period can be adjusted on the dosing device.

The dosing device could be refilled by removing the container and refilling it.

Alternatively, the container could be replaced with another prefilled container.

Preferably, the dosing device will be self contained and portable.

Preferably, the dosing device will have a visual indicator to indicate if a dose is available.

As will be appreciated, painkillers are not the only liquid drug that may need to be dispensed in variable doses. The term "dosing device" is accordingly intended herein to encompass devices that dispense any liquid where dose control is required for example anti nausea drugs.

The invention will now be described solely by way of an example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an open control device containing a container in the form of a syringe which contains the liquid drug, Figure 2 shows a closed control device, In figure 1) the control device is opened at hinge 1. It encases a syringe 2 which contains the liquid drug. The syringe can be removed, refilled and placed back into the control device. The syringe plunger 3 is depressed when squeezing mechanism 4 is pushed manually by the user. This causes ejection of liquid drug out of the syringe mouthpiece 5. The braking mechanism 6 is a mobile blocking device. The position of the mobile blocking device is changed mechanically by the control device to allow up to the preset maximum volume of liquid drug to be dispensed within each preset time period. Each time a preset time period passes the mobile blocking device is repositioned to allow up to the preset maximum volume to be dispensed in the next preset time period. Both the preset maximum volume to be dispensed and the preset time period can be adjusted on a control panel 7.

The squeezing mechanism is attached to the syringe plunger with a clamp 8 and so the syringe plunger cannot be moved without movement of the squeezing mechanism. The squeezing mechanism is attached to a ratchet so it can only be advanced and cannot be withdrawn during use as a dosing device. The squeezing mechanism cannot be withdrawn until the ratchet is disenabled.

In figure 2 the dosing device is closed showing the indicator light 9, the depressor 4 and the mouthpiece 5. The liquid drug is dispensed when the user pushes the depressor. Simultaneously, the liquid medicine is swallowed from the mouthpiece. The indicator light indicates if a dose is available to be taken.

An example of the dosing device settings could be that the dosing device is set to dispense a maximum often milliliters every sixty minutes. If the user administers a five milliliter dose the time period would start and if the user then administers a second five milliliter doses ten minutes later they would then need to wait for fifty minutes before further doses were available. After this time the user could take further doses up to a total often millimeters over sixty minutes.

The timing of the next sixty minutes would start when they take their next dose.

The maximum volume available would return to ten milliliters each time sixty minutes passes.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A device that dispenses variable doses of a liquid drug where the user controls the dose.
2. A device according to claim 1, where no more than a maximum preset volume can be dispensed over a preset time period.
3. A device according to claim 2, where each time that the preset time period passes the volume of liquid drug that is available to be administered returns to the preset maximum volume.
4. A device according to claim 3 where each preset time period starts once the first dose of drug has been dispensed after the previous preset time period.
5. A device according to claim 4, where the preset maximum volume and the preset time period can be changed.
6. A device according to claim 5, in which the drug is swallowed directly from the device.
7. A device according to claim 6, which is self contained and portable.