Patent Application
20220387735
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a spray device and particularly to a spray canister device for the delivery of water, medication, solutions and/or a pharmaceutical formulation to a surface area of a human subject. More specifically, aspects of the present invention provide a method and device for delivering and applying water, medication, and/or a cleaning solution to a region of a human body (e.g., skin, genital or anal area, intimate parts, perianal region).
People who have problems controlling their urine or bowels and suffer from incontinence are at risk of skin problems around the buttocks, hips, genitals, and the area between the pelvis and rectum (perineum). Excess moisture in these areas may result in skin problems (e.g., redness, peeling, irritation, and yeast infections, etc.), and if the person spends most of his or her day in a wheelchair, or bed, it is likely that bedsores may also develop. Such skin problem may be worse if the person uses diapers and other products, which allow urine or stool to be in constant contact with the skin. As such, special care by cleaning and drying the area right away after urinating or having a bowel movement, and/or cleaning the skin with mild, dilute soap and water then rinsing well and gently patting dry.
In addition, moisturizing creams can help keep the skin moist. Also, a skin sealant or moisture barrier, barrier creams or ointments that contain occlusive, barrier-type topical, such as zinc oxide, lanolin, or petrolatum can form a protective barrier on the skin. Some skin care products, often in the form of a spray or a towelette, create a clear, protective film over the skin. A doctor or nurse can recommend barrier creams to help protect the skin. There are a wide variety of ointments, creams, barrier sprays, or lotions known and available in the market for the treatment of diaper rash or incontinence. Most of these products include ingredients that offer some beneficial property to the product, for example, by acting as a skin protectant, water repellant, emollient, neutralizer or antibiotic.
In applying skin protection paste, ointments, barrier sprays, lotions, solutions, and fluids to an individual's skin. If the individual is alone, this is impossible since an individual cannot adequately apply skin protection fluid onto hard-to-reach areas of his or her own back and bottom. Accordingly, it is necessary to utilize the services of a second individual to apply the skin protection fluid on hard-to-reach areas such as the back and upper neck. Thus, there is a need for an easy-to-grip and easy-to-handle spray device for applying fluids, solutions, suspensions, or paste to the skin area of a person.
The present invention generally provides a method and small-scale apparatus that is easy to grip and easy to handle for the delivery of water, medication, cleaning solutions, moisturizing creams, skin sealant, moisture barrier, medicaments, and/or a pharmaceutical formulation to a surface area of a human subject. In one embodiment, a spray canister device is provided and includes a sleeved cover element and an inner canister element. In one aspect, the sleeved cover element is removable to be separated from the inner canister element.
In one embodiment, the sleeved cover element includes a top cap portion, an opening, a sleeve portion, a handle grip, and a trigger bar. In another embodiment, the inner canister element includes a top outlet and a canister body. In one aspect, the canister body of the inner canister element is covered by the sleeved portion of the removable sleeved cover element and the top outlet is fitted to channels inside the top cap portion of the removable sleeved cover element.
In still another embodiment, the canister element further includes a ring portion and a bottom portion. In one aspect, the interior content of the canister element is sprayed out by triggering the trigger bar of the sleeved cover element against the canister element and moving the bottom portion of the canister element to be closer to the opening of the sleeved cover element.
Still further, the sleeved cover element further includes a top flat surface portion. In one aspect, the interior content of the canister element is sprayed out by pushing down the top flat surface portion of the sleeved cover element.
Embodiments of the invention further provide a method for easy gripping and easy handling of the spray canister device. The method includes positioning a spray canister device, which includes a sleeved cover element, an opening on the sleeved cover element, and a canister element, near a surface area of a human subject, moving the sleeved cover element against the canister element of the spray canister device, and spraying out droplets of a solution from the spray canister device. The method may further include shaking the spray canister device prior to being used.
In one aspect, droplets of a solution are sprayed out from the spray canister device by pushing the bottom portion of the spray canister device against one or more trigger bars on a sleeved cover element of the spray canister device. In another aspect, droplets of a solution are sprayed out from the spray canister device by pushing down a top flat surface portion of the sleeved cover element and spraying out droplets of the solution from the spray canister device.
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
Embodiments of the present invention include a method and an apparatus for providing easy application of skin protection paste, ointments, barrier sprays, lotions, solutions, and fluids to an individual's skin. For maximum protection it is necessary to apply the skin protection fluid/solution or barrier materials over the entire exposed surface area of the individual's skin by using a spraying mechanism. If the individual is alone, this is impossible since an individual cannot adequately apply skin protection fluid onto hard-to-reach areas of his or her own back and bottom. The invention provides a canister spray device to be applied for a person to apply on his or her own or with the services of a second individual to apply and spray the skin protection fluid/solution on hard-to-reach areas such as the back, the bottom, and/or upper neck of the person. The spray canister device contains a handle grip which allows for the benefits of easy-to-grip, easy to carry, and easy to hang, among others. The spray canister device as described herein is easy-to-handle and easy to apply and spray fluids, solutions, suspensions, or paste of a barrier chemical or medicament to the skin area of a person.
The spray canister device with the removable sleeved cover element is easy to carry and easy to spray, and can be handled manually or functions together with other devices.
As shown in
For example, the canister element 120 can be used to store a cleaning solution or a medicated solution to a surface area of a human body to be sprayed out by the opening 116 of the sleeved cover element of the spray canister device 100 so that it is easy to operate and use. Examples of ingredients that are commonly included inside the inner canister element of the spray canister device 100 are ointment, paste or solutions of mineral oil, silicone fluids (e.g. dimethicone and cyclomethicone), petrolatum, cod liver oil, lanolin, zinc oxide, talc, calamine, kaolin, topical starch and allantoin. For example, Desitin® ointment (Pfizer, Inc.) is probably the most common topical used in treating diaper rash and other rashes. It contains common barrier materials (zinc oxide and petrolatum) and additionally contains two common skin conditioning agents (cod liver oil and lanolin).
The handle grip 112 of the sleeved cover element 110 is used for easy-to-grip, easy to carry, and easy to hang the whole device, among others, and the trigger bar 114 of the sleeved cover element 110 is used to assist in spraying the content inside the canister body 120 such that the spray canister device 100 as described herein is easy-to-handle and easy to apply and spray fluids, solutions, suspensions, or paste of a barrier chemical or medicament to the skin area of a person.
At step 720, the spray canister device is positioned near a surface area of the subject. The spray canister device includes a sleeved cover element, an opening on the sleeved cover element, and a canister element. One example of the spray canister device is the spray canister device 100 as described herein.
At step 730, the sleeved cover element is moved against the canister element of the spray canister device. In one aspect, a human subject operates the spray canister device by pushing the bottom portion of the canister element of the spray canister device against one or more trigger bars on a sleeved cover element of the spray canister device.
In an alternate aspect, at step 740, a human subject operates the spray canister device by pushing down a top flat surface portion of the sleeved cover element.
Finally, at step 750, a barrier material or medicated solution or any other suitable solution stored at the canister element of the spray canister device is sprayed out of the spray canister device into droplets of the solution.
In one embodiment, the spray canister device 100 may further includes a power switch such that various motors and electric circuits can be used to tum on or powering up the spray canister device 100.
Accordingly, a method and a spray canister device that is easy to carry and operate are provided for applying a barrier, protectant or medicated solution to protect, clean or cure a skin area of a human body.
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/649,564, filed on Jul. 13, 2017, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/363,232, filed on Jul. 16, 2017, the entire content of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62363232 | Jul 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15649564 | Jul 2017 | US |
| Child | 17890363 | US |
