Surgery – Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-19
2004-01-20
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
C128S203150, C128S203210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06679248
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a discharge apparatus for media in accordance with the preamble of claim
1
and such as is e.g. known from EP 245 895 A1.Such a discharge apparatus for media is particularly intended for the discharge of media containing at least one pharmaceutical substance.
With such discharge apparatuses the medium to be discharged is stored in a container having chambers separated from one another. Into each of the chambers is introduced a single medium component and the media components together give the medium to be discharged. The container is placed in a casing, which has a discharge opening for discharging the medium. An actuating means movable relative to the casing is provided. Through actuation of the actuating means firstly a connection is formed between the container chambers.
In the case of discharge apparatuses for media the media to be discharged are stored in a container. Media exist, which cannot be permanently stored and which are not permanently stable in their ready-to-use administration form. To make it possible to store such media over long periods, which in particular includes an appropriate time for intermediate storage, for the distribution of the medium produced via the manufacturer to the wholesaler and then to the retailer, e.g. pharmacies, together with an adequate consumption period of the medium, it has been proposed that the medium be separately stored in the form of individual, in each case stable or more stable media components and to effect the mixing of the media components immediately prior to application or use. As the mixing of the components usually requires a precise dosing of said components, this cannot be readily independently performed by a non-expert. Usually at least a trained person is needed to carry out this action and then subsequently administer the medium to the final consumer, i.e. the patient.
Examples of media which can be kept for longer periods broken down into the different partial components and which as a mixture are not permanently stable, frequently occur in connection with pharmaceutical applications. Particularly if part of the medium is a lyophilized powder (a so-called lyophilizate), which has to be dissolved in an aqueous carrier liquid or discharged together with the latter, the substance mixture is unstable. However, there are also numerous applications in which the two liquid media components when mixed are not stable, whereas each individually and separately can be stored for long periods.
A dispenser in which the media components are stored separately from one another in a container and are dischargeable together in mixed form is e.g. known from the preamble-forming EP 245 895 A1. In the case of such a dispenser an actuating means is provided in order to perform the mixing process of the media components and then discharge the medium. For mixing together the media components it is necessary to perform several pump strokes with the actuating means. At the end of the pump strokes and when the media components are fully mixed, there is a discharge stroke and during the latter the total medium quantity is discharged.
However, it is tedious that numerous pump strokes have to be performed in order to mix the media components.
It has proved that it can be advantageous to discharge a medium in several, clearly defined partial batches or charges. This is e.g. the case if the medium is to be administered nasally and a uniform quantity of medium is to be introduced into both nostrils. It has been found that e.g. when administering anticephalalgics a nasal application is advantageous, because it leads to a rapid absorption of the substance by the body. Simultaneously this makes it possible to administer substances, which otherwise in certain circumstances could not be administered in tablet form, but instead would have to be administered in spray form and therefore only by trained personnel. However, the application of such a medicament administration is not limited to anticephalalgics. It is also possible to administer nasally other forms of analgesics and further pharmaceutical substances. The only important factor is that the body can absorb the substance administered through the nose.
It is not known that prior to the performance of the partial discharges of the medium there must be a mixing process of the media components in order to produce the medium to be discharged.
Therefore the problem of the invention is to provide a discharge apparatus for media through which on the one hand the separate storage is possible of media components in separate chambers and on the other the medium to be discharged can be discharged in clearly defined partial charges.
On the basis of the preamble features, this problem is solved by the characterizing features of claim
1
.
A discharge apparatus for media according to the invention and which is in particular intended for the discharge of a medium containing at least one pharmaceutical substance, has a container, which stores the medium in the form of media components, said media components being introduced into chambers separated from one another. Together the media components give the medium to be discharged. The container is located in a casing having a discharge opening for medium discharge purposes. An actuating means is possible, which is movable relative to the casing. This is also understood to cover an arrangement in which the container is placed indirectly in a sleeve, which is contained in the casing, the actuating means being movable relative to the sleeve. An actuation of the actuating means initially leads to the formation of a connection between the container chambers. The actuating path or course of the actuating means is, according to the invention, subdivided into a first partial actuating path and into a plurality, i.e. at least two, of following partial actuating paths. During the first actuating path the media components are mixed to form the medium to be discharged. With each of the following partial actuations of the actuating means is associated the preferably atomized discharge of a clearly defined partial charge of the medium. There are advantageously at least two and in particular two following partial actuations. However, it is also possible for there only to be one following partial actuation, i.e. all the medium to be discharged is discharged in a following partial actuation. It is appropriate if the first partial actuation and the first, following partial actuation takes place by means of an uninterrupted, continuous actuation of the actuating means. It is particularly advantageous with such a construction of the discharge apparatus that a plurality of partial actuations of the actuating means is unnecessary in order to mix the media components to form the medium and instead this can take place through a single partial actuation. The further actuations in each case serve to discharge a clearly defined partial charge.
According to an advantageous development of the invention the container chambers are separated from one another by plugs located in the container. It is also advantageous to form on the container overflow channels, which are positioned in such a way that during the first partial actuation of the actuating means the plugs separating the chambers from one another can be brought into a position in the vicinity of the overflow channels, so that the latter interconnect the chambers.
According to a preferred construction of the invention for subdividing the actuating path into partial actuating paths a connecting link guide is provided. The connecting link guide preferably has pressure point means and at the beginning of each following partial actuation it is necessary to overcome the pressure point means. Advantageously the connecting link guide has a linear guide portion for each partial actuation, the guide portions being so mutually displaced that they are in each case limited by a stop and that between two partial actuations it is necessary to perform a reversing actuation differing from the partial actuation. Preference is g
Ing. Erich Pfeiffer GmbH
Lo Weilun
Mendoza Michael G.
Quarles & Brady LLP
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