Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material applied to or removed from external...
Patent
1997-12-05
1999-05-11
Weiss, John G.
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material applied to or removed from external...
600300, A61M35/00
Patent
active
059022922
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application relates to an improved bottle for dispensing liquid eye drops.
Liquid eye drops are commonly used to introduce over-the-counter and prescription medications into the eyes of human patients. The most common container in which these eye drops are supplied is simply a bottle with a tapered dropper. Notwithstanding the ubiquitous nature of such containers, it has been recognized that a container with a tapered nozzle does not provide for optimum means for administering drops into the eye. In fact, people using such bottles frequently bring their fingers into contact with their eye and eye lids to hold the eye open for administration of the eye drops which increases the risk of eye infection. In addition, traditional elongated eye dropper bottle tips may come in contact with eye secretions increasing the risk of contamination. Furthermore, the tendency of many persons to blink or flinch away during the application of the eye drops makes the administration of a consistent dosage of eye drops difficult for many.
Many different styles of eye drop bottles have been proposed to overcome the difficulties of the standard eye drop bottle. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,058,466; 3,279,466; 3,598,121; 3,872,866; 4,085,750; 4,543,096; 4,605,398; 4,834,727; 4,973,322; 5,064,420; 5,154,710 and 5,295,981, which are incorporated herein by reference, each disclose removable attachments which are affixed to a conventional dropper bottle. None of these devices have found commercial acceptance, however, perhaps because they all are complicated designs involving several separable parts and removable lids. U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,168, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a variety of different designs for an eye drop applicator which incorporate eye lid retractors of various types. In one embodiment, the eye lid retractor is pivotally moveable with respect to the dispensing orifice, and is said to achieve sealing of the orifice when pivoted into a closed position. No structure for accomplishing this sealing is disclosed, however.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved design for an eye drop applicator with an eye lid retractor, and in particular to provide a design for an eye drop applicator in which no separation or assembly of pieces is necessary to use or store the applicator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a bottle for administering liquid eye drops, comprising: container and having a passage therethrough for dispensing of the liquid eye drops from the container; and the passage in the dispensing assembly disposed on an interior surface thereof and means for retracting the lower eye lid of an individual to whom the eye drops are being administered disposed on the exterior surface thereof. The closure assembly is pivotally mounted on the dispensing assembly to permit movement of the closure assembly between a first position in which the passage in the dispensing assembly is sealed by the means for sealing the passage in the dispensing assembly and a second position in which the passage in the dispensing assembly is open to permit dispensing of the liquid eye drops. A locking mechanism is provided such that the closure assembly is fixed in the second position when pressure sufficient to retract an eyelid is applied. The dispensing assembly and the closure assembly may also be provided as a separate unit for attachment to a conventional eye drop bottle, and such a cap is a further aspect of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of an eye drop bottle in accordance with the invention with the closure assembly in the open and closed positions, respectively;
FIG. 2 shows an individual using an eye drop applicator in accordance with the invention;
FIGS. 3A and 3B shows a closure assembly in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 4 shows an exterior view of a dispensing assembly in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 5 shows a cross section of an
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Cho David J.
Weiss John G.
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