Dispensing – With filter
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-26
2004-03-23
Mancene, Gene (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With filter
C222S105000, C222S213000, C222S481500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06708850
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a discharging container having a filter and adapted for use as an aseptic eyedropper, and also to a stopper for closing the container. Particularly, the invention relates to a discharging container comprising a stopper and a laminated bottle including a delaminatable inner layer such that a liquid medicine stored therein can flow out without allowing any amount of ambient air to flow into the bottle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Collyria are solutions or liquid suspensions of ophthalmologic medicines, that may alternativey be dissolved or suspended in time of use. Such collyria are kept sterilized for application to conjunctival sac, and the term “collyria” used herein includes eyewashes.
Collyria are dozes to eyes that are one of the most delicate organs in ever human body, and inflamed eyes are most sensitive to foreign matters. Therefore, preparation of collyria has to be done very carefully in order to keep an aseptic condition such that not only any pathogenic bacteria are alive but also any harmless bacteria are shut out completely. Even such an aseptic condition is not satisfactory, but collyria must be prepared milch more carefully lest they should be contaminated with any pyrogens and/or any amount of insoluble foreign matters.
Generally, eyedropping squeeze-bottles (viz., eyedropping containers) contain therein collyria to be distributed to users for use as eyedroppers The bodies of such eyedropping bottles are usually formed of plastics, and proper examples thereof are polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polycarbonates, polyarylates and polyethylene terephthalates. In case of such collyrium-containers, it is very important requirements that they be transparent to such a degree as enabling visual check of foreign matters from outside, and has a low permeability for vapor so as to avoid concentration of collyria due to vaporization loss of water in the container. In addition, many proposals were made to improve the prior art eyedropping containers so as to surely prevent bacteria or the like foreign matters from entering the containers and thereby rendering them non-sterilized in usage as well as in distribution. Further, those prior proposals were designed to disinfect any bacteria accidentally present in the collyria being dropped into eyes.
For the purpose of sterilizing containers once unsealed, certain reserving agents may be added to collyria (viz., contents of the containers). Examples employable as such reserving agents are polymixin sulfates, quarternary ammonium compounds, chlorobutanols, organic mercury compounds, esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and alcoholic derivatives thereof. These reseving agents will, despite their excellent effect of killing microbe and bacteria, possibly cause various ophthalmogical inflammation or other serious damages after repeated use. Allergic reaction may be caused to some contact lens wearers even by reserving agents contained in low concentration.
Certain filters have been proposed to selectively remove such medically ineffective additives. These filters will remove said ineffective additives from the liquid medicine (viz., a collyrium) flowing through a dispensing passage in a bottle before discharged in a dropping manner. Japanese Patent Laying-Open Gazettes No. 4-297264 and No. 6-14972 describe such a filter that is disposed in the dispensing passage formed through each eyedropper. These prior art eyedroppers will however fail to diminish the concentration of the reserving agents sufficiently if they are contained rich enough to ensure a satisfactory sterilization effect. Since those prior art eyedroppers are of such a structure that bacteria are not shut out but carried by ambient air into the collyria, concentration of the reserving agents cannot be made low but has to be high enough to disinfect such a contaminated collyria. As a result, a noticeable amount of the reserving agents will unavoidably remain in the collyria having passed the filter before dropped.
On the other hand, Japanese Utility Model Gazette No. 63-184037 discloses a certain hydrophilic permeable membrane that is disposed in a discharging aperture through which eye drops filled in a container body arc exuded. This membrane allows the eye drops to pass through it, but stops bacteria and air not to flow into the container body. The container body in this utility model may be a tube having a depressed end, or be shaped foldable into a depressed configuration so that inner volume of said body gradually decreases as its content is consumed. In this type of prior art eyedropper, flow of ambient air into the container is prevented perfectly, protecting the liquid medicine from contamination with bacteria, thus realizing a lowest possible concentration of reserving agents to be added to said medicine. Since the container body of a monolayer structure has to deform itself plastically, it will be difficult to mold it using any plastics. Thus, aluminium tubes or the like must be used to manufacture such container bodies, thereby rendering them untransparent against the general rules prescribed for eyedroppers in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia. In addition, such container bodies that will become depressed more and more along the course of usage are difficult to stand upright during storage and less convenient to use.
An object of the present invention made in view of these drawbacks is therefor to provide a discharging container comprising a squeeze-bottle adapted for use as eyedroppers and capable of satisfying the transparency requirement. This discharging container must be improved to perfectly shut off ambient air and bacteria not to flowing into a liquid content retained in the container. This means that such container has to be kept sterilized even after unsealed for use. Another object of the invention is to provide a stopper designed to be used in such a discharging container.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A discharging container with a filter provided herein comprises a laminated bottle and a stopper attached to a finish of the laminated bottle, wherein the bottle is composed of an outer layer and an inner layer delaminatable therefrom. A vent hole is formed in the outer layer so as to introduce ambient air in between the outer and inner layers. A discharging passage is formed in the stopper to exude therethrough a liquid content retained inside the inner layer, with the filter being disposed together with a check valve in the discharging passage.
In use, the check valve will inhibit ambient air from entering the space defined by and in the inner layer. Consequently, the inner layer will deflate as the liquid content is consumed, with the liquid content being protected from contamination with bacteria which would otherwise be carried by ambient air into that space. Ambient air is however allowed to flow inwards in between the outer and inner layers through the vent hole, so that the outer layer once pressed with fingers or the like to exude the liquid content will restore its normal shape due to elastic recovery, until the container becomes empty. The container of the invention maintains its outer configuration unchanged from the beginning to end of usage, thereby enabling it to stand upright during storage and rendering it more convenient to use. Since the inner layer deflates and ambient air is prevented from flowing into the inner layer as mentioned above, despite gradual consumption of the liquid content, any reserving agents need not be added for the purpose of durable sterilization. Further, any resin materials may be employed to manufacture the inner and outer layers, if they are transparent to the required degree and do function as a good gas barrier and a good water vapor barrier. Thanks to these features, the container will show excellent performances as an eyedropper.
Preferably, a further check valve may be disposed in the vent hole so as to permit ambient air to flow in a space defined by and between the inner and outer layers and to prevent the ambient air having entered this space from flowing o
Hamamoto Keiji
Shiraishi Yasuyuki
Uetake Yorihisa
Mancene Gene
Nicolas Frederick C.
Taisei Kako Co., Ltd.
Wood Phillips Katz Clark & Mortimer
LandOfFree
Discharging container with a filter and a bottle stopper for... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Discharging container with a filter and a bottle stopper for..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Discharging container with a filter and a bottle stopper for... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3240695