Dispensing – Including timer – For timing dispensing period
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-22
2001-05-22
Bomberg, Kenneth (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Including timer
For timing dispensing period
C222S153130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234366
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a control for controlling the discharge of media from a dispenser. Such dispensers permit operation or actuation with one hand, for example, by a stroke for opening a valve, or by a pumping action. Such dispensers may be gripped or actuated single-handedly. Thereby two fingers of the hand press against remote end faces to squeeze the upper and lower ends of the dispenser towards each other and actuate the control. A return spring, then returns the control of the dispenser from the actuated end position to the initial or rest position. The dispenser may also be constructed for a single dose usage in which it is unnecessary to return the dispenser to the initial or rest position.
Numerous media, such as pharmaceutical media, need to be administered only at specific points in time, in given regular or irregular periods on the basis of special variables, such as medical body values or the like. Strictly maintaining this schedule is achievable only by few people, as experience shows, especially when their capabilities are reduced by illness.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus with which disadvantages of known dispenser controls are avoided or advantageous effects as explained below are achieved. Another object of the invention is to substantially automatically define the points in time of medium discharge or periods during which no medium is to be discharged. A still further object is to configure the control simply or to make it applicable to already existing dispensers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention the control comprises a switching device which is actuated by a timed control signal, such as a pacing circuit, for actuating a dispenser lock, and for actuating an indicator, such as an audible or mechanical warning signal. Thus, the person using or carrying the dispenser is alerted, i.e., that the medium is to be discharged or that no medium is to be discharged. The control is suitable both for solid objects such as pills or the like, and for fluid media which may be liquid, gaseous, powdered and/or pasty. The medium may contain opiates such as morphine for oral or nasal administration.
The control could be actuated from a unit separate from the dispenser by receiving a signal. Otherwise it forms a unit with the dispenser in its operating state, thus disabling and enabling repeated opening or actuation. In this enabling or release action, however, the control may still disable discharge by conveying the medium only within and not out of the dispenser when actuated. For this, a valve is actuated by the control. The signal generator for the signal may be included within the control unit or located remotely therefrom, for example, when a telecontrol signal is employed.
For being transferred to the various indicator or working postures a drive such as a rotary or linear motor is provided within the control unit. The energy storage element is suitably a spring, such as a coil spring, a battery, such as a button-type cell, a rechargeable battery or the like.
The catch or locking member may be fully rotatable, pivotable and/or linearly displaceable. Thereby this member is movable in one direction only or is reversible, the same applying also to all other moving parts, for example an indicator, a counter and the like. The travel from one disabling or locking position to the next is in each case only a portion of travel possible as a whole.
A mechanical or electronic storage device, namely an integrated circuit, such as a chip, is provided as the information storage for emitting a signal. This data storage is replaceable or removable from the control unit at least in part for programming. The, storage unit has two or more connecting contacts for entering the digital program. The contacts are accessible for connecting a programming appliance when the storage is totally encapsulated or located within the control or dispenser.
The control may serve for adjusting or altering the actuating stroke of the dispenser. Thus the dispensers stop-limited stroke length can be varied. For example, several unidirectional substrokes may follow in direct sequence. Each substroke is only permitted after unlocking by the control. Also, the energy storage device driving the control, may be chargeable from the outside, while still being located inside the locking unit. Charging can be mechanical and/or electrical or as a result of the energy manually exerted by the actuating stroke.
A counter or some other sensing means can be provided for sensing the medium dosages discharged from the dispenser and indicating their number to be visible from without. These means may be separate from the control unit or thereon. In the first case, the display is readable on an actuating cap having the medium outlet or is actuated by a mechanical step-by-step system located within the actuating cap. In another case, the control drive may also drive the counting means. Thus, to distinguish a signaled, but missed discharge, this event is either not sensed or is displayed differently than an actual medium discharge. The electronic storage may store these data for later recall.
The control has a support or protective housing for the dispenser so that the latter may be replaced after emptying. The housing comprises two telescopically nested housing parts or caps. Only one of them has a passage through which the head juts outside, which has the medium outlet. Only one housing part accommodates the volumetric majority of the control elements of the control means. The other housing part almost entirely receives the dispenser unit and, at the most, the locking device. Commonly with the medium outlet and a medium impeller this housing part is displaceable relative to a medium reservoir or a pressure space and that housing part which houses the control means. The locking members may be provided directly on the dispenser. They act directly on the two housing parts. If the control unit is entirely removed from the dispenser after opening, the latter may nevertheless be directly manually actuated in the way described for discharging the media.
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German Search Report dated May 17, 1999 for 198 07 921.4.
Bomberg Kenneth
Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH
Quarles & Brady LLP
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