Claims
- 1. A method of intranasally delivering at least one substance in at least two doses, comprising the steps of:grasping a pre-assembled drug delivery system with a thumb and two forefingers of one hand, said drug delivery system including a drug container and a holder, with the drug container including a barrel, a first end extending from the barrel, and a stopper slidably positioned within the barrel and the holder having a distal portion and a proximal portion, with the distal portion being assembled to the proximal portion, with the drug container secured therein, and the proximal portion acting as a plunger rod during activation of the system; inserting an end of said drug container into a first nostril of a person to whom the substance is to be intranasally delivered; squeezing together the thumb and two forefingers of the one hand to apply sufficient force to break a first frangible bridge extending across a slot to insure the application of a minimum force; moving the proximal portion of the holder towards the distal portion of the holder a first predetermined distance during a first motion as a result of continuing to squeeze together the thumb and two forefingers to cause a first displacement of the stopper and expulsion of a first predetermined amount of a substance contained in the chamber of the drug container barrel into said first nostril; removing the end of said drug container from said first nostril while relaxing the squeezing force being applied and inserting the end of said drug container into a second nostril of the person to whom the substance is to be intranasally delivered; squeezing together the thumb and two forefingers to apply sufficient force to break a second frangible bridge extending across the slot to insure application of a minimum force; and moving the proximal portion of the holder towards the distal portion of the holder a second predetermined distance during a second motion as a result of continuing to squeeze together the thumb and two forefingers to cause a second displacement of the stopper and expulsion of a second predetermined amount of the substance contained in the chamber of the drug container barrel into said second nostril.
- 2. The method described in claim 1 wherein said first predetermined distance is approximately equal to said second predetermined distance and said first predetermined amount of substance expelled is approximately equal to said second predetermined amount of substance expelled.
- 3. The method described in claim 1, further comprising the step of visually inspecting the substance in the drug container located within the holder through at least one window located in said distal portion of said holder.
- 4. The method described in claim 1, wherein relaxing the force being applied during said first motion causes the proximal portion of the holder to rotate about a longitudinal axis by a force exerted by biasing means.
- 5. The method described in claim 1, wherein the step of grasping the drug delivery includes placing each of the two forefingers on a flange extending from the distal portion of the holder and placing the thumb on a closed end of the proximal portion of the holder.
- 6. The method described in claim 1, further comprising the step of removing a tip cap from said first end of said barrel of said drug container before inserting the end of said drug container into said first nostril of the person to whom the substance is to be intranasally delivered.
- 7. A system for delivering at least one substance in at least two doses, comprising:a drug container including an open end and a stopper slideably positioned with said container; a holder surrounding said drug container including a first generally tubular body portion having an open end and a second generally tubular body portion having an open end telescopically received in said open end of said first generally tubular body portion; one of said generally tubular body portions including at least two circumferentially spaced ribs and the other of said generally tubular body portions including two generally axially extending circumferentially spaced slots receiving said circumferentially spaced ribs including a first slot including a first axially extending slot portion adjacent said open end and a second axially extending slot portion circumferentially offset from said first axially extending slot portion; and a second slot of said generally axially extending circumferentially spaced slots including a deflectable side wall extending into said second slot generally circumferentially aligned with an intersection of said first and second axially extending slot portions of said first slot, said deflectable side wall rotating said other of said generally tubular body portions to align said rib in said first axially extending slot portion with said second axially extending slot portion when said rib in said second slot is generally circumferentially aligned with said intersection of said first and second axially extending slot portions.
- 8. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said deflectable side wall of said second slot is formed by a deflectable arm having a first end portion integral with said other of said generally tubular body portions and a second free end portion extending into said second slot.
- 9. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said intersection of said first and second axially extending slot portions of said first slot includes an integral frangible bridge portion at said intersection.
- 10. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said first slot includes an opening through said open end of said other of said generally tubular body portions and an integral frangible bridge portion located between said opening through said open end of said other of said generally tubular body portions and said first axially extending slot portion.
- 11. A system for delivering at least one substance in at least two doses, comprising:a drug container including an open end and a stopper slideably positioned within said container; a holder surrounding said drug container including a first generally tubular body portion having an open end and a second generally tubular body portion having an open end telescopically received in said open end of said first generally tubular body portions; one of said generally tubular body portions including at least two circumferentially spaced ribs and the other of said generally tubular body portions including two generally axially extending circumferentially spaced slots receiving said circumferentially spaced ribs including a first slot having an opening through said open end of said other of said generally tubular body portions, a first axially extending slot portion adjacent said opening and a second axially extending slot portion circumferentially offset from said first axially extending slot portion; and an integral frangible bridge portion extending between said opening through said open end of said other of said generally tubular body portions and said first axially extending slot portion.
- 12. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein a second slot of said generally axially extending circumferentially spaced slots includes a deflectable side wall extending into said second slot generally circumferentially aligned with an intersection between said first and second axially extending slot portions of said first slot, said deflectable side wall rotating said other of said generally tubular body portions to align said rib with said second axially extending slot portion when said rib is located in said second slot, said deflectable side wall generally circumferentially aligned with said intersection of said first and second axially extending slot portions.
- 13. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein said intersection of said first an second axially extending slot portions of said first slot includes an integral frangible bridge portion.
- 14. A method of intranasally delivering at least one substance in at least two doses, comprising the following steps:grasping a pre-assembled drug delivery system with a thumb and forefingers, said drug delivery system including a drug container and a holder, with said drug container including an open end, a stopper slideably received in the container and a drug in the drug container between the stopper and the open end, and said holder surrounding said drug container including a first body portion telescopically received in a second body portion and telescopic movement of the second body portion into the first body portion drives said stopper toward said open end upon actuation of the system, said first body portion including a radial rib and said second body portion including a generally axially extending slot receiving said rib including a first slot portion and a second slot portion circumferentially offset from said first slot portion; inserting said open end of said drug container in a first nostril of a person to whom said drug is to be intranasally delivered; applying a squeezing force by squeezing together said first and second body portions of said holder to drive said rib through said first slot portion, driving said stopper toward said open end of said container a predetermined distance equal to the length of said first slot portion to deliver a first dose of said drug into said first nostril; removing said open end of said drug container from said first nostril while relaxing said squeezing force applied to said first and second body portions; said first and second body portions then relatively rotating without manual manipulation to receive said radial rib opposite said second slot portion; inserting said open end of said drug container in a second nostril of the person to whom said drug is to be intranasally delivered; and squeezing together said first and second body portions of said holder to drive said stopper toward said open end of said container a distance equal to said second slot portion to deliver a second dose of said drug to said second nostril.
- 15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein said slot includes an opening receiving said rib and a first integral frangible bridge located between said opening and said first slot portion, wherein said method includes squeezing together said first and second body portions with sufficient force to break said first integral frangible bridge to receive said rib in said first slot portion.
- 16. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein said generally axially extending slot includes a second integral frangible bridge located between said first and second slot portions, wherein said method includes squeezing together said first and second body portions with sufficient force to break said second integral frangible bridge to receive said rib in said second slot portion.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/417,346, filed Nov. 14, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,204.
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Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/417346 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/993098 |
|
US |