Drop dispenser for the delivery of uniform droplets of viscous liquids
Inventors
Poisson, Patrick • Bowman, Lyle M.
Assignees
Sun Pharma Global FZE • Insight Vision Inc • Catalent USA Woodstock Inc • Catalent USA Paintball Inc • Catalent USA Packaging LLC • Woodstock Sterile Solutions Inc
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Publication Number
US-7758553-B2
Publication Date
2010-07-20
Expiration Date
Abstract
A drop dispenser has a substantially conical sleeve member with a narrow upper end and a wide lower end. Centrally located at the apex of the upper end of the sleeve member is an aperture which has an inner diameter and is circumscribed by a raised ridge. The aperture and the ridge form a nozzle. The interior space of the substantially conical sleeve member forms a substantially conical chamber between the narrow upper end and wide lower end of the sleeve member. The nozzle is in liquid communication with the chamber through the aperture. The drop dispenser may have external threads at the lower end of the sleeve member for engaging a cap having a protuberance centrally located at its internal top end for hermetically engaging the aperture of the nozzle when the cap fully engages the sleeve member.
Core Innovation
A drop dispenser for dispensing a viscous liquid is provided with a substantially conical sleeve member having an upper end and a lower end, where an aperture is centrally located at the apex of the upper end and is circumscribed by a raised ridge that forms a nozzle at the upper end. The lower end of the sleeve member is wider than the upper end, and the sleeve member includes an interior space forming a substantially conical chamber between the upper end and the lower end.
The nozzle is in liquid communication with the chamber by way of the aperture. The chamber volume is at least 5 times the volume of a drop formed from the drop dispenser, and the conical chamber has a volume of from 500 microliters to about 1000 microliters. The nozzle is dimensioned and configured to deliver drops of the viscous liquid with each drop having a volume of about 25–40 microliters.
The drop dispenser includes a lower end comprising means for engaging a container, and the container comprises a resilient material selected from a squeezable bottle, a squeezable vial, a squeezable tube, and a syringe. The viscous liquid has a viscosity from about 100 to about 10,000 centipoises, and the aperture and raised ridge are dimensioned such that the inner diameter of the aperture is from about 0.010 to about 0.060 inches, the outer diameter of the raised ridge is the inner diameter plus about from 0.020 to about 0.060 inches, and the thickness of the entire ridge is from about 0.005 to about 0.040 inches.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim defines a single drop dispenser structure with four inventive features: the substantially conical sleeve and nozzle, the conical chamber volume relationship, the drop volume and viscosity range, and container engagement for resilient containers.
Substantially conical sleeve with central nozzle aperture circumscribed by raised ridge
A substantially conical sleeve member having an upper end with an aperture centrally located at the apex, where the aperture is circumscribed by a raised ridge such that the aperture and raised ridge form a nozzle at the upper end, with the lower end wider than the upper end and with ridge geometry defined by outer diameter relationships and ridge thickness extending parallel to a longitudinal axis.
Conical chamber volume relationship with nozzle in liquid communication
An interior space of the substantially conical sleeve member forms a substantially conical chamber between the upper end and the lower end, where the nozzle is in liquid communication with the chamber by way of the aperture, and where the conical chamber has a volume at least 5 times the volume of a drop formed and is from 500 microliters to about 1000 microliters.
Drop volume and viscous liquid viscosity range delivered by dimensioned nozzle
The nozzle is dimensioned and configured for delivering drops of the viscous liquid with each drop having a volume of about 25–40 microliters, with the viscous liquid having a viscosity from about 100 to about 10,000 centipoises, and with the aperture and raised ridge dimensions defined by the specified inner diameter of the aperture, the outer diameter of the raised ridge, and the thickness of the entire ridge.
Container engagement with resilient container types
The lower end of the sleeve member comprises means for engaging a container, where the container comprises a resilient material and is one of a squeezable bottle, a squeezable vial, a squeezable tube, and a syringe.
Overall claim coverage is centered on a conical drop-dispenser body with a central nozzle defined by an aperture and raised ridge, a conical chamber having a specified volume relationship to the drop volume, dimensioned delivery of 25–40 microliter drops from viscous liquid having 100–10,000 centipoises viscosity, and engagement to resilient squeezable containers.
Stated Advantages
Uniform droplet size/volume for viscous liquids.
Avoidance of air bubbles and ribboning.
Improved suitability for medicament/ophthalmic delivery.
Documented Applications
Delivery of medicaments.
Delivery of ophthalmic eye drops.
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