Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material applied to or removed from external...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-04
2001-07-17
Lewis, Kim M. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material applied to or removed from external...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261274
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a fluid or a powder, and more particularly it relates to such a device provided with means enabling it to be used at a determined distance from the location to be treated.
2. Description of the Relate Art
A mechanically-actuated device for spraying or dispensing a fluid is known from document FR-2 682 305. In that device, a pump is cocked by means of an actuator spring, the device including spring-locking means, trigger means, and a cap for protecting the housing and provided with means for re-cocking the device, which means become operative while said cap is being closed.
Because it is triggered independently of the user, that prior device operates in satisfactory manner, in particular by guaranteeing that reproducible quantities are dispensed, however it does not make it possible to comply with certain requirements that can arise as a function of the type of substance to be dispensed and the type of use to which the device is put.
Thus, for certain substances, e.g. substances for systemic use such as hormone replacement therapy, the area to be sprayed must be defined as accurately as possible in order to make bioavailability reproducible. In particular, for transdermal use, it is important to distribute the sprayed liquid over an area that is predetermined, reproducible, and uniform, in order to favor reproducible absorption by the skin.
Also, in ophthalmological use, in order to promote compliance, it is important to ensure that the substance, e.g. a drop of liquid, reaches the eye under the same dynamic conditions.
In addition, for pulmonary use, in order to reduce side-effects, it can sometimes be important to ensure that sprayed particles of small size only are breathed in by the patient, and to avoid any large particles (which cannot be inhaled because of their size) becoming deposited in the patient's mouth, where they could generate undesirable effects, such as candidosis, for example. For this purpose, it is necessary to spray from a distance that is large enough to ensure that heavy large particles do not reach the mouth, while being small enough to ensure that small particles are breathed in.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser device which satisfies the above-specified requirements and which does not have the above-mentioned drawbacks. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser device with which the effectiveness and/or the therapeutic benefit of the dispensed substance is maximal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser device which simultaneously guarantees reproducibility of the dose, reproducibility of the area to be treated, and reproducibility of the dynamics of the dispensed substance, i.e. which guarantees reproducibility of the action and the effectiveness of the substance on the patient.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a device which promotes compliance and/or optimizes bioavailability and/or reduces side-effects.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a device which is simple to make and to use, and which in particular ensures maximum efficiency for the user on each actuation.
The present invention thus provides a device for dispensing a fluid or a powder onto a surface to be treated and/or into an organ presenting an entrance, the device comprising:
a dispenser member having a dispenser orifice, said dispenser member being associated with a reservoir containing the substance to be dispensed and being movable between a rest position and a dispensing position; and
actuator means for moving said dispenser member towards its dispensing position to dispense a dose of substance;
the device being characterized in that it further comprises:
distance-gauging means movable between a rest position and an in-use position, and being disposed in the in-use position in such a manner that on each use of the device, the dispenser orifice is situated at a predetermined fixed distance from the surface to be treated and/or from the organ presenting an entrance, the act of moving said distance-gauging means from their in-use position to their rest position causing said dispenser member to be returned from its dispensing position to its rest position.
Preferably, said actuator means comprise resilient means acting on the dispenser member while it is in the rest position, urging it towards the dispensing position in which it dispenses a measured quantity of the substance in full, locking means for locking said resilient means to hold the dispenser member in its rest position, and trigger means actuatable by the user to release said locking means and thereby bring the dispenser member towards its dispensing position. Thus, triggering and dispensing of the measured quantity are independent of the actuation force, and reproducibility is guaranteed, even if the user is very weak.
Advantageously, said distance-gauging means include re-cocking means which, when said distance-gauging means are returned from the in-use position to the rest position, act on the dispenser member to return it to its own rest position against the force of the resilient means, after which said resilient means are locked by said locking means.
Advantageously, said distance-gauging means are implemented in the form of a sheath including a cap, said cap closing the dispenser orifice of the dispenser member and said sheath covering said trigger means, thereby preventing the device from being actuated while said distance-gauging means are in the rest position. The device of the invention thus also makes it possible to protect the dispenser orifice during storage, e.g. against dust, and to prevent undesired actuation of the device.
Preferably, said distance-gauge means are permanently connected to said device, movement of said distance-gauging means between the rest position and the in-use position being constituted by a translation movement parallel to the central axis of the device and a rotation movement about an axis perpendicular to the central axis of the device, said re-cocking means acting during said translation movement while the distance-gauging means are being returned to the rest position.
Advantageously, said distance-gauging means include two arms connected to the body of the device, said arms sliding in two grooves provided in said body, said two arms also being capable of pivoting through about 90° about an axis of rotation extending transversely to the central axis of the device level with the top ends of the two grooves.
Preferably, the device includes a nozzle upstream from said dispenser orifice, thereby defining the spatial configuration with which the measured quantity of substance is sprayed. This makes it possible to predetermine the area to be treated even better, and to reproduce it exactly on each actuation.
Advantageously, the surface to be treated and/or the organ presenting an entrance is a portion of the human body.
Advantageously, the dispenser member is a pump.
Advantageously, the dispenser member is a metering valve.
Advantageously, the resilient means are implemented in the form of a spring.
In an advantageous embodiment, the dispenser device is a powder dispenser, such as an active or a passive inhaler. Naturally, any other type of powder dispenser can be envisaged.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said distance-gauging means are adapted to press against the body of the patient in the vicinity of said surface to be treated, the substance acting in transdermal manner and/or in systemic manner on said surface to be treated.
Advantageously, the substance includes replacement hormones.
Advantageously, the substance includes estrogens.
In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the substance is a liquid, the surface to be treated is an eye, and said distance-gauging means are adapted to press beneath or around said eye.
In yet another advantageous embodiment of the invention,
Arghyris Laurent
Bedos Michel
Lewis Kim M.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Valois S.A.
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