US20140048569A1 - Drop dispenser - Google Patents

Drop dispenser Download PDF

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Publication number
US20140048569A1
US20140048569A1 US13/955,346 US201313955346A US2014048569A1 US 20140048569 A1 US20140048569 A1 US 20140048569A1 US 201313955346 A US201313955346 A US 201313955346A US 2014048569 A1 US2014048569 A1 US 2014048569A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
drop
formation surface
drop formation
liquid
limiting contour
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US13/955,346
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English (en)
Inventor
Matthias Wochele
Juergen Greiner-Perth
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Aptar Radolfzell GmbH
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Assigned to APTAR RADOLFZELL GMBH reassignment APTAR RADOLFZELL GMBH ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: GREINER-PERTH, JUERGEN, WOCHELE, MATTHIAS
Publication of US20140048569A1 publication Critical patent/US20140048569A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
    • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
    • B65D47/06—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages
    • B65D47/18—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages for discharging drops; Droppers
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
    • A61F9/00—Methods or devices for treatment of the eyes; Devices for putting-in contact lenses; Devices to correct squinting; Apparatus to guide the blind; Protective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand
    • A61F9/0008—Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
    • B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
    • B05B11/04—Deformable containers producing the flow, e.g. squeeze bottles

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a liquid dispenser for dispensing drops, including a housing, a liquid reservoir, a discharge opening through which the liquid from the liquid reservoir can be discharged, and a drop formation surface surrounding the discharge opening, where the liquid accumulates in order to be discharged as a drop from the drop formation surface.
  • Such liquid dispensers formed as drop dispensers are known from the prior art, for example from DE 102010048085 A1 and DE 102008001313 B3.
  • the object of the invention is to provide an alternative or additional option for reducing the volume of the remaining drop.
  • the drop formation surface includes an outer limiting contour, the shape of which deviates from a circular shape.
  • the drop dispenser according to the invention includes, in accordance with drop dispensers of such type, a housing, which accommodates the liquid reservoir and from which housing the liquid can be delivered to the drop formation surface through the discharge opening.
  • a housing which accommodates the liquid reservoir and from which housing the liquid can be delivered to the drop formation surface through the discharge opening.
  • different types of delivery mechanisms can be considered for that purpose.
  • other mechanisms such as a piston pump, for example, are conceivable and covered by the invention.
  • the aforementioned drop formation surface of a drop dispenser of such type as well as according to the invention is the surface provided externally relative to the discharge opening, which surface is completely wetted during the discharge of liquid through the discharge opening and beyond which formation surface a wetting does not take place on the external side of the housing. It will be explained in the following by what the outer limiting contour of the drop formation face is defined.
  • said limiting contour is not circular with respect to a view direction in the direction of the discharge axis defined by the discharge opening.
  • the size of the drop formation surface or of the area enclosed by the limiting contour depends on the size of the drops to be obtained. It is considered to be particularly advantageous when the area enclosed by the limiting contour, which area is formed by the drop formation surface together with the cross-sectional area of the discharge opening, has a size between 1 mm 2 and 5 mm 2 , in particular a size between 1.5 mm 2 and 2.5 m 2 . As a result, drops in the range between approximately 35 ⁇ l and 40 ⁇ l may be obtained.
  • the aforementioned limiting contour which limits the drop formation surface towards the exterior and which represents the line for the liquid contained in the drop dispenser up to which line the liquid accumulates beyond the discharge opening prior to being discharged as a main drop, can be defined in different ways and means.
  • the limiting contour is formed by a sharp edge, where the plane and only slightly curved drop formation surface merges into an adjacent, conical or cylindrical housing section.
  • said edge preferably has a curvature radius of less than 0.2 mm, in particular less than 0.1 mm, and in particular advantageously has an edge angle of at least 30°.
  • the drop formation surface up to the limiting line has a more hydrophilic surface characteristic compared to surrounding housing parts.
  • the liquid wets only the drop formation surface arranged within the limiting contour due to the comparatively hydrophobic design outside of the limiting contour.
  • the different hydrophilicity can be obtained by means of surfaces of the external faces of the dispensers which surfaces have preferably been manufactured from synthetic material. Also the structure of the dispenser or the structure of its discharge head being composed of a plurality of parts made of different synthetic material can cause the desired discontinuity in the hydrophilicity.
  • the shape of the drop formation surface deviates significantly from the circular shape. That means that at least by the factor 1.2, preferably at least by the factor 1.5, the limiting contour is partly more distant from the discharge axis defined by the discharge opening than from a part of the limiting contour having a minimum distance to the discharge axis.
  • the area enclosed by the limiting contour is preferably at least 10% smaller than the inside area of a circle having a diameter corresponding to the maximum extension of the area enclosed by the limiting contour.
  • said area is even by at least 15% smaller than a corresponding circular area, particularly preferable by at least 20%.
  • a particularly simple shape is that where all partial sections of the limiting contour are configured either straight or curved with outward convexity.
  • the limiting contour as a whole is formed curved with outward convexity.
  • that is achieved by a quadratic or triangular shape of the drop formation surface that is achieved by a quadratic or triangular shape of the drop formation surface.
  • the corners of such a square shape or triangle shape may preferably be rounded-off.
  • an oval shape of the drop formation surface belongs to said category of shapes of the drop formation surface.
  • a design is particularly advantageous where at least partial sections of the limiting contour form notches that are curved with inward concavity and thus curved towards the discharge opening. It turned out that a shape of the drop formation surface where the limiting contour at least sectionally is curved inwards and thus towards the discharge axis, results in a particularly small remaining drop.
  • the notches are preferably distributed uniformly over the circumference.
  • the drop formation surface is plane.
  • concave or convex designs are appropriate as well.
  • a convex design with a drop formation surface slightly curved outwards is suitable to further reduce the volume of the remaining drop.
  • the curvature of the drop formation surface is designed such that a normal vector always includes an angle ⁇ 15° with the discharge axis of the discharge opening.
  • a drop formation surface of the described type in the case of drop dispensers having an outlet valve preventing the return flow of the liquid into the liquid reservoir.
  • the contamination of the remaining drop remaining at the external face is particularly disadvantageous.
  • the dispenser according to the invention is in particular provided for pharmaceutical liquids, in particular for ophthalmic liquids, and thus filled therewith in the delivery state.
  • these are pharmaceutical liquids for treatment of increased intraocular pressure (glaucoma treatment), for treatment of dry eyes and for treatment of allergies and inflammations.
  • these are in particular the molecule groups alpha-2-agonists, e.g. brimonidine, prostaglandin analogues (tafluprost, latanoprost, bimatoprost, travoprost), beta blockers, e.g. timolol, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, e.g.
  • dorzolamide or hyaluronic acid based compounds film formers, e.g. methylcellulose compounds and cyclosporine or antihistamines, e.g. olopatadine and levocabastine, steroids, e.g. loteprednol and dexamethasone, as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), e.g. ketorolac.
  • film formers e.g. methylcellulose compounds and cyclosporine or antihistamines, e.g. olopatadine and levocabastine
  • steroids e.g. loteprednol and dexamethasone
  • NSAID non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • FIG. 1 shows a drop dispenser according to the invention in an overall illustration
  • FIGS. 2 and 3 show the discharge head of the dispenser according to FIG. 1 in a partially sectional side view and in a plan view
  • FIGS. 4 a to 4 f show a drop formation surface of the dispenser of the FIGS. 1 to 3 as well as five alternative shapes of such a drop formation surface.
  • FIG. 1 shows a drop dispenser 10 according to the invention in an overall illustration.
  • Said drop dispenser 10 comprises a housing, which is formed by a bottle body 12 , which represents the external wall of a liquid reservoir, and a discharge head 14 .
  • a discharge opening 20 is provided which is surrounded by a drop formation surface 30 .
  • the use according to the invention of the dispenser 10 of FIG. 1 provides that said dispenser, in a position with the discharge opening 20 facing downwards, is pressed together by force application to the bottle body 12 in the type of a squeeze bottle, wherein the volume reduction in the liquid reservoir results in liquid being fed through the discharge opening 20 and accumulating at the drop formation surface 30 .
  • the liquid Upon progressing volume reduction of the bottle body 12 during the actuation, the liquid continues accumulating at the drop formation surface 30 until it disengages for the most part from the drop formation surface 30 in the form of a main drop. A remaining drop remains at the drop formation surface 30 .
  • the drop formation surface has a shape that accelerates said drying process by causing that the volume of the remaining drop remains comparatively small after detachment of the main drop.
  • the shape of the drop formation surface can be seen in FIG. 3 and in particular also in FIG. 4 a .
  • Said drop formation surface 30 is limited outwards by means of a limiting contour 32 , which forms a sharp edge to the adjacent, conical housing external faces 14 a.
  • said limiting contour 32 is provided with a total of six notches 32 a and thus has almost the shape of a six-pointed star or of a six-leafed flower.
  • the drop formation of the main drop is hardly influenced by said geometry.
  • the dispenser of FIGS. 1 to 3 is capable of producing main drops of a volume of more than 40 ⁇ l, while the remaining drop has a volume of less than 4 ⁇ l. That is a very good volume ratio.
  • FIGS. 4 b to 4 f show alternative shapes of a drop formation surface 30 .
  • Said drop formation surfaces correspond to the drop formation surface of FIG. 4 a in that likewise the maximum spaced apart parts of the limiting contour are significantly more distant from a discharge axis 2 than the parts having the minimum distance thereto.
  • FIGS. 4 b , 4 c and 4 f oval, triangular and quadratic base shapes were used. Along their respective edges, also the quadratic and the triangular shape are convexly curved, that not being mandatory.
  • the embodiment according to FIG. 4 e provides a star-shaped shape with 4 rays facing away from the discharge opening 20 , between which rays correspondingly shaped notches 32 a are provided.
  • the drop formation surface 30 comprises notches merely at two opposing sides.
  • FIGS. 4 b to 4 f all result in a significant volume reduction of the remaining drop.
  • the volume of the remaining drop is reduced by between approximately 20% (drop formation surfaces of FIGS. 4 b , 4 c and 4 f ) and up to 50% (drop formation surfaces of FIG. 4 a ).
  • drop formation surfaces 30 of FIGS. 4 a to 4 f may be limited by means of a sharp edge, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 , and/or by means of a discontinuity in the hydrophilicity of the surfaces inside and outside of the limiting contours 32 .

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)
  • Medical Preparation Storing Or Oral Administration Devices (AREA)
US13/955,346 2012-08-14 2013-07-31 Drop dispenser Abandoned US20140048569A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102012214426A DE102012214426B3 (de) 2012-08-14 2012-08-14 Tropfenspender
DE102012214426.9 2012-08-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20140048569A1 true US20140048569A1 (en) 2014-02-20

Family

ID=48783053

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US13/955,346 Abandoned US20140048569A1 (en) 2012-08-14 2013-07-31 Drop dispenser

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US20140048569A1 (zh)
EP (1) EP2698134B1 (zh)
JP (1) JP2014036845A (zh)
CN (1) CN103587806A (zh)
DE (1) DE102012214426B3 (zh)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11618618B2 (en) 2019-04-26 2023-04-04 Aptar Radolfzell Gmbh Vented protective cap for a liquid dispenser, venting insert, in particular for a protective cap, liquid dispenser having such a protective cap or such a venting insert, and method for producing a protective cap or a venting insert

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102022102476B3 (de) 2022-02-02 2023-02-02 Silgan Dispensing Systems Hemer Gmbh Tropfenspender zur Abgabe einer pharmazeutischen Flüssigkeit

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2798644A (en) * 1955-11-22 1957-07-09 Bradley Container Corp Squeeze container with drop forming spout
US4553686A (en) * 1984-05-17 1985-11-19 St. Luke's Hospital Drop dispenser
US5505712A (en) * 1994-04-13 1996-04-09 Mcmillian; Ray M. Medicament applicator with spatulate tip
US20060172433A1 (en) * 2005-01-28 2006-08-03 Arta Motadel Liquid sampling utilizing ribbed pipette tip for barrier penetration
US7165701B2 (en) * 2003-09-26 2007-01-23 Shinko Chemical Co., Ltd. Droplet nozzle for use in eye drop container
US7490744B2 (en) * 2004-02-05 2009-02-17 Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. Backflow preventing mouth plug and container
US7794664B2 (en) * 2006-11-16 2010-09-14 Idexx Laboratories, Inc. Pipette tip
US8770448B2 (en) * 2011-09-23 2014-07-08 Aptar Radolfzell Gmbh Drop dispenser

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1984000707A1 (en) * 1982-08-12 1984-03-01 American Hospital Supply Corp Dispensing bottle and method
EP0222944A1 (en) * 1985-11-07 1987-05-27 Delford O. Dougherty Drop dispenser
FR2696997B1 (fr) * 1992-10-21 1995-01-06 Kerplas Snc Embout goutte-à-goutte pour flacon, et flacon équipé d'un tel embout.
US6105828A (en) * 1998-04-22 2000-08-22 Atrion Medical Products, Inc. Non-bubble forming dropper tip
DE102008001313B9 (de) * 2008-04-22 2009-11-12 Stella Kunststofftechnik Gmbh Tropfkappe
DE102009016788A1 (de) * 2009-02-17 2010-08-19 Elvira Ahrens Mehrbereichs-Tropfer
DE102010048085A1 (de) * 2010-10-04 2012-04-05 Ing. Erich Pfeiffer Gmbh Austragvorrichtung

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2798644A (en) * 1955-11-22 1957-07-09 Bradley Container Corp Squeeze container with drop forming spout
US4553686A (en) * 1984-05-17 1985-11-19 St. Luke's Hospital Drop dispenser
US5505712A (en) * 1994-04-13 1996-04-09 Mcmillian; Ray M. Medicament applicator with spatulate tip
US7165701B2 (en) * 2003-09-26 2007-01-23 Shinko Chemical Co., Ltd. Droplet nozzle for use in eye drop container
US7490744B2 (en) * 2004-02-05 2009-02-17 Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. Backflow preventing mouth plug and container
US20060172433A1 (en) * 2005-01-28 2006-08-03 Arta Motadel Liquid sampling utilizing ribbed pipette tip for barrier penetration
US7794664B2 (en) * 2006-11-16 2010-09-14 Idexx Laboratories, Inc. Pipette tip
US8770448B2 (en) * 2011-09-23 2014-07-08 Aptar Radolfzell Gmbh Drop dispenser

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11618618B2 (en) 2019-04-26 2023-04-04 Aptar Radolfzell Gmbh Vented protective cap for a liquid dispenser, venting insert, in particular for a protective cap, liquid dispenser having such a protective cap or such a venting insert, and method for producing a protective cap or a venting insert

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP2698134B1 (de) 2015-06-03
JP2014036845A (ja) 2014-02-27
EP2698134A3 (de) 2014-06-11
EP2698134A2 (de) 2014-02-19
CN103587806A (zh) 2014-02-19
DE102012214426B3 (de) 2013-08-01

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: APTAR RADOLFZELL GMBH, GERMANY

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WOCHELE, MATTHIAS;GREINER-PERTH, JUERGEN;REEL/FRAME:030921/0387

Effective date: 20130718

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION