Patent Application
20220097087
The invention relates to a dispenser for applying liquid, in particular for applying a pharmaceutical liquid, and to a set comprising such a dispenser.
A dispenser of the generic type, like a dispenser according to the invention, possesses a housing having an applicator opening through which liquid from a liquid reservoir of the dispenser can be delivered. This can take place, for example, in that the liquid reservoir is configured as a squeeze bottle and is manually compressed for the purpose of the application.
As a result of the application, a negative pressure by virtue of the dispensed liquid volume is generated in the liquid reservoir in dispensers of the generic type or according to the invention. In order for this liquid volume to be compensated, the dispenser has a ventilation duct by way of which air can be inducted into the liquid reservoir. For the purpose of the avoidance of contamination, the ventilation duct can be provided with a filter assembly.
Depending on the design embodiment of such a dispenser, the latter can be configured for applying a dose of liquid as defined by the construction of said dispenser per activation, or for applying a quantity of liquid which can be freely determined by the type of activation by the user.
In a dispenser of the generic type or according to the invention it can be desirable for the applied quantity of liquid, or the number of applied doses of liquid, to be detected, in particular by electronic measuring means. This can be desirable both in the typical operation of such a dispenser at the end-user or else in a trial phase by special product testers. The purpose may be, for example, to estimate the residual quantity of liquid in the liquid reservoir, or to enable the user to be reminded when an envisaged application has not been performed.
Diverse measuring systems for liquid dispensers in which the activation per se is detected and processed in particular in the form of counting are already known from the prior art. However, in such systems it is not guaranteed in every case that a correct application has actually been performed, for example not when the dispenser when activated was not aligned according to the intended use.
It has likewise already been considered to detect the flow of liquid per se, thus to add a sensor to a suitable measuring installation in an applicator duct between the liquid reservoir and the applicator opening. This however is often difficult to implement in terms of construction and leads to a substantial change in the construction of a dispenser. Depending on the materials used in a corresponding sensor system, the contact between the liquid and this sensor system is also disadvantageous in terms of the sensor system and/or the liquid.
it is an object of the invention to provide a dispenser which in an advantageous manner permits the detection of the liquid application and herein avoids or minimizes the above-mentioned issues of the prior art.
Proposed according to the invention to this end is a dispenser for applying liquid, in particular for applying a pharmaceutical liquid.
In accordance with dispensers of the generic type, such dispensers according to the invention have a housing having an applicator opening for applying liquid, and a liquid reservoir for storing the liquid prior to the application. The dispensers according to the liquid are portable dispensers for the end-user and in particular for patients, hereunder collectively referred to as users. The maximum volume of the liquid reservoir therefore is usually between 5 ml and 500 ml, in particular between 5 ml and 50 ml.
Upon activation by the user, the liquid in the liquid reservoir is conveyed through an applicator duct to the applicator opening. An outlet valve which only opens upon reaching a defined threshold pressure is preferably disposed upstream of the applicator opening. The form of application can in particular be that of a liquid flow, an atomized spray jet mixed with air, or the form of individual drops. In the case of a drop dispenser, the applicator opening is surrounded by a drop-forming surface to which the liquid to be delivered adheres until the quantity of liquid is sufficiently large to be released in the form of drops from the drop-forming surface. The drop-forming surface externally is preferably delimited by a tear-off edge, so as to guarantee a particularly uniform size of drop.
A manually activatable pump installation, having a pump chamber and pump valves on the input side and the output side can in particular be provided for conveying the liquid from the liquid reservoir to the applicator opening. A particularly substantial alternative thereto is the design of the dispenser as a squeeze-bottle dispenser. In this case, the liquid reservoir, or a surrounding activation member, is elastically compressible so that a positive pressure which causes conveying in the direction of the applicator opening is generated in the liquid.
In a dispenser according to the invention it is provided that, upon completing an application and when resetting the liquid reservoir or the surrounding activation member, air from the environment is inducted into the liquid reservoir so as to compensate for the previously applied liquid volume and to adapt the pressure in the liquid reservoir to the ambient pressure again.
For this purpose, a dispenser according to the invention possesses a ventilation duct by means of which an ambient atmosphere is connected to the liquid reservoir so as to, after the application of liquid, permit an inflow of air from the atmosphere.
According to the main aspect of the invention, the dispenser furthermore possesses a detection installation for detecting an application procedure, wherein the detection installation is configured for detecting the air flowing in through the ventilation duct.
According to the main aspect of the invention it is accordingly proposed that neither the activation of the dispenser nor a direct detection of the applied liquid volume is utilized for detecting the application, but instead the ventilation procedure which follows the application and in the context of which air, in particular from an ambient atmosphere, flows into the liquid reservoir or a surrounding activation member.
It has been demonstrated that an application can be reliably identified herewith, wherein only the performance of the application per se or else the applied liquid is able to be indirectly detected, depending on the design embodiment. Contact between the liquid and a corresponding sensor system can be avoided here. Any activation of the dispenser which has not led to an application of liquid, and therefore also does not lead to an inflow of air, correctly does not result in a detection.
A detection installation in the most general form is a mechanism which varies the state thereof in a reproducible manner when an event, presently the induction of air, takes place. While purely mechanical construction modes appear to be conceivable here, an electronic detection installation is preferably provided in a dispenser according to the invention, thus a detection installation having a sensor and a memory, the latter as a consequence of the application procedure detected indirectly by sensors changing the state of its memory. A sensor according to the invention is disposed in or on the periphery of the ventilation duct and directly detects the air flow directed thereby into the liquid reservoir, and thus indirectly the previously performed application of liquid.
Various sensors can be considered for detecting the inflow of air.
The detection installation can thus have a sensor assembly for detecting the air flowing in through the ventilation duct, said sensor assembly being configured for detecting a differential pressure between two locationally spaced apart reference points of the ventilation duct. This can take place in particular in that a bypass piece which is closed off by means of a deflectable surface portion is provided in the ventilation duct or a particular part thereof (measuring duct). This membrane is deflected as a function of the differential pressure, which can be electronically detected. A deflectable surface portion can also directly form a wall part of the ventilation duct, and be deflected as a function of the pressure prevailing therein. A further design which can be utilized in the context of the invention provides that the sensor assembly comprises at least two temperature sensors and at least one heating element which are disposed in the ventilation duct, wherein the two temperature sensors are provided upstream and downstream of the heating element. The detection installation can draw a conclusion pertaining to the quantity of inflowing air from the temperature difference of the temperature sensors and the output of the heating element.
A potential design of the dispenser according to the invention and the detection installation thereof provides that the detection installation determines the quantity of liquid previously applied indirectly by way of the air flowing in through the ventilation duct, and displays the determined applied quantity of liquid, or the quantity of liquid remaining in the liquid reservoir calculated from the former, on a display installation. The display installation can be designed as a display, for example an LC display. Depending on the specific application, a simple LED may be sufficient, in particular when the display installation is intended to display only whether the determined applied quantity of liquid corresponds to a predetermined quantity of liquid, or exceeds the latter or is deficient in terms of the latter.
Another design provides that the detection installation is configured for identifying application procedures as such indirectly by way of the air flowing in through the ventilation duct, wherein it is not required to this end here that the applied quantity of liquid is mandatorily also detected in terms of the quantity of the latter. Such a design of a detection installation, and the sensor system of the latter, are easier to design in technical terms, but are sufficient depending on the field of application.
In a dispenser which for reasons of construction always dispenses doses of liquid of identical size, the information that an application has been performed can thus be sufficient for counting. Such a detection installation in conjunction with an integrated clock can also be configured for comparing planned utilization times and performed application procedures and, in the event of outstanding application procedures at planned utilization times, to emit a preferably acoustic warning signal by way of a signaling installation.
The detection installation described can be integrated directly in an applicator head of a dispenser according to the invention. In the case of single-use dispensers this is however in most instances rather avoided for reasons of ecology and economy. Instead, the disposal in an external module and the disposal in the protective cap, as will yet be explained hereunder, are preferable.
First for the disposal of the detection installation in an external detection module, wherein this detection module is comprised by the invention both in combination with a dispenser (set) to which said detection module is attached, as well as a standalone item.
Such an external detection module can be attached to the housing of the dispenser, preferably in a tool-free manner, and be released from said housing preferably in a tool-free manner. Depending on the specific application, the potential of attaching said detection module only by means of a tool may however be sufficient. Even when fixedly attached to the dispenser, the module does however not represent an integral part of said dispenser. This means that the module is removable without preventing the functional capability of the dispenser for applying liquid.
The external detection module can be attached to the housing of the dispenser in such a manner that said external detection module sits firmly thereon and can no longer be inadvertently released. Simple handling is advantageous if the external module is to be handled by end-users. In this case, the external module is preferably pushed onto the housing in a force-fitting manner, or secured in a form-fitting manner, in particular by means of the thread, against being pulled off.
The detection module is configured for coupling externally to that location of the housing of the dispenser where an induction opening into the dispenser-proximal part of the ventilation duct is provided.
The detection module per se has a measuring duct, and at the end thereof a coupling port, wherein the coupling port is positioned in such a manner that the measuring duct, upon attaching the detection module, is coupled so as to communicate with the induction opening on the housing of the ventilation duct of the dispenser. An external side of the housing and an internal side of the detection module conjointly preferably delimit an encircling duct to which the induction opening as well as the coupling port are connected in a communicating manner. The measuring duct, upon coupling, forms part of the ventilation duct.
The detection module preferably but not mandatorily has an annular module housing which surrounds a central recess such that said module housing can be pushed onto the dispenser housing so as to surround the latter.
The design of the detection installation as part of an external detection module in construction terms is in most instances advantageous in comparison to a solution in which the housing is integrated in the dispenser. This permits the production and/or the use of the dispenser in a design with the detection installation and a design without the detection installation, without the dispenser components which are required for the application of the liquid, and in particular the housing, of said designs having to be specially designed. Moreover, even dispensers which already commercially available nowadays can be retrofitted with a detection module as long as the induction opening is provided at a location of the housing that is suitable for coupling a detection module.
Furthermore, an external detection module can be removed in a simple, and particularly preferably tool-free, manner from an emptied single-use dispenser, and be placed onto a new dispenser, which is advantageous in terms of economy and ecology. A particular design embodiment of the detection module can therefore be configured having a sensor system in order to register such a dispenser replacement and utilize this information for a reset procedure. For example, a counter can be reset to zero.
As has already been mentioned above, the design of a protective cap having an integrated detection installation is also advantageous. Before this will be discussed in detail, the design of an inventive dispenser according to a second aspect of the invention will first be explained, wherein this design serves in particular as the foundation for the use of a protective cap having a detection installation.
In this second design, a dispenser of the generic type is equipped with a protective cap for covering the applicator opening in the state placed thereon. The protective cap is removed by the user of the dispenser before the dispenser is used, and subsequently replaced. Said protective cap can in particular be a plug-fit cap or a screw cap.
The dispenser according to this second aspect of the invention in the ventilation duct has a switch valve which can be opened by activating a push-button provided on the external side of the housing. The ventilation duct is thus closed when the switch valve is not activated. An induction of air is suppressed. The switch valve is preferably provided in the region of an external surface of the housing of the dispenser such that said switch valve suppresses the ingress of air into the ventilation duct.
In order for the mentioned push-button to be activated it is provided that the housing and the protective cap are mutually adapted in such a manner that the protective cap acts on the push-button in the state placed on the housing or when the protective cap is being placed on the latter, thus opening the switch valve. This means that the procedure of placing the protective cap, at least in the interim, has the effect of opening the switch valve, thus permitting the inflow of air.
In such a design of the dispenser it is thus not provided that solely the application of liquid, and the negative pressure arising as a result in the liquid reservoir, enables the induction of air. Instead, the negative pressure is initially maintained, and is optionally even reinforced by activating the dispenser multiple times, and accordingly by a multiple application of liquid. The ventilation can take place only once the protective cap is placed onto the housing again.
This has a plurality of advantages. Independently of the presence of a detection installation, a negative pressure which tends to be more intense, and a greater air flow of the inflowing air caused as a result, can be advantageous, for example in order to release remnants of liquid from a liquid filter at the end of the ventilation duct.
A design embodiment of this type of a dispenser is however particularly advantageous in particular when said dispenser has a detection installation of the type described above. Such a detection installation in terms of the sensor system thereof is easier to design in technical terms when a greater air flow is detected, such as can be achieved by blocking the ventilation duct by means of the switch valve in the interim.
It is particularly advantageous for the detection installation to be integrated in the protective cap. This results in the advantages which have already been discussed above in the context of the external detection module, in particular the re-usability and the possibility of being able to offer dispensers with and without a detection installation while having a high degree of identical construction.
In the case of the detection installation being integrated in the protective cap, said detection installation is preferably designed as has likewise been described in the context of the external detection module, thus having a measuring duct in or on which the sensor system is provided, and which by placing the protective cap thereon becomes part of the ventilation duct. The activation surface for activating the push-button of the switch valve which is provided on the protective cap is preferably disposed in such a manner that the measuring duct of the protective cap and the ventilation duct in the housing are connected in a communicating manner and so as to be tight in relation to an environment in the transition region, such that the cap-proximal detection installation can directly detect the air flow as soon as the switch valve is opened by means of the protective cap when the latter is put in place.
The detection of the inflowing air in the context of placing the protective cap can also be advantageous because said detection requires only a brief phase during which the electronics of the detection installation are activated. It is therefore particularly advantageous for the detection installation to possess a switch which is activatable by placing the protective cap on the housing.
The triggering of this switch, which in a detection installation within the housing of the dispenser may also form a common functional unit with the switch valve, activates the detection installation. The detection installation can be deactivated again as soon as the air flow, which is subsequently detected by sensors, is closed off and has been evaluated. Only a small amount of electric power is thus consumed. A battery as part of the detection installation can therefore offer power for the operation of the detection installation over a long time, optionally a plurality of years.
Further advantages and aspects of the invention are derived from the claims and from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention which are explained hereunder by means of the figures in which.
The liquid dispenser 10 possesses an applicator device 12 which represents the primary component of the liquid dispenser 10 and in turn possesses a housing 20 which at the distal end is penetrated by an applicator opening 22. In order for this applicator opening 22 to be protected, the dispenser 10 comprises a protective cap 14 which is presently configured as a ventilated protective cap so as to in the placed state allow remnants of liquid remaining on the applicator opening 22 to escape rapidly through ventilation holes 16.
The applicator device 12 possesses a liquid reservoir 30, the walls of the latter representing a squeeze bottle, as is yet to be explained hereunder. An applicator head, which apart from the applicator opening 22 already mentioned provides an applicator duct 24 which connects the liquid reservoir 32 to the applicator opening 22 is placed on the liquid reservoir 30. An outlet valve 26 which at a sufficient liquid pressure in a valve chamber opens and thus permits the liquid to exit through the applicator opening 22 is disposed upstream of the applicator opening 22. The dispenser 10 is presently configured as a drop dispenser and beyond the applicator opening 22 possesses a drop-forming surface 23 which externally is delimited by a tear-off edge.
As has already been mentioned, the liquid reservoir 30 is a liquid reservoir 30 configured in the manner of a squeeze bottle. This means that the activation of the dispenser, in the manner highlighted by
The detection installation 50 furthermore possesses a sensor assembly 52 in the ventilation duct 40, said sensor assembly 52 being provided in particular on the wall of said ventilation duct 40. This sensor assembly 52 comprises two temperature sensors 56 and a heating element 58 disposed therebetween. When air now flows through the ventilation duct 40 while air is being inducted according to the phase of
The result of the measurements thereof can be evaluated by the microprocessor 64. For example, in the event of an excessively small air flow and consequently an earlier excessively low liquid application, the microprocessor 64 can indicate by way of the loudspeaker 67 that the application has not been performed in an orderly manner. The microprocessor 64, when delivery times have been stored in the memory thereof, can also indicate by way of the loudspeaker 67 that a planned application has not been performed. The user is thus reminded to make up for this application.
The disposal of the sensor assembly 52 in the ventilation duct 40 results in an application being able to be reliably identified without the sensor assembly to this end having to be in direct contact with the liquid.
The fundamental principle in the design embodiment according to
The detection module 80 likewise comprises a battery 62 and a microprocessor 64. However, an LC display 66, which enables more complex information to be relayed to the user than is usually the case with a loudspeaker corresponding to
The sensor assembly 52 in the exemplary embodiment of
As has already been mentioned, the sensor assembly 52 is illustrated in the same manner as in the exemplary embodiment of
The design embodiment of
The protective cap 14 moreover likewise possesses a switch 69 which however has a somewhat different technical significance than the switch 69 in the case of
Because the protective cap is obviously not attached to the applicator device 12 during the application of liquid, the applicator device 12 possesses a switch valve 42 which in the state of
A detection can only take place once the protective cap 14 is placed on the applicator device 12, in the manner highlighted by
The microprocessor 64 of the detection installation 50 can then display pertinent data on the LC display 66, in particular the overall quantity of liquid applied to date, or else the quantity of liquid still remaining in the liquid reservoir 30. The shock-like pressure equalization is moreover advantageous for separating potential remnants of liquid which remain on the filter assembly 48 from the latter.
As soon as the sensor assembly 52 can no longer detect an air flow in the measuring duct 44, said sensor assembly 52 can change to a power saving mode or completely deactivate itself until the switch 69 is triggered the next time. As a result of the latter, the protective cap 14 can assume the function thereof as a protective cap recording the application over a long time, even in the case of only a small battery 62.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19152388.5 | Jan 2019 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2019/084741 | 12/11/2019 | WO | 00 |
