DISPENSER DEVICE

DISTRIBUTEUR

English Abstract

0716H/6052A
18343
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
DISPENSER DEVICE
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A single chambered plastic bottle is
provided with a dislodgeable holder device having a
recess to hold a solid medicament free of contact
with a liquid filling the bottle, whereby components
of a mixture may be maintained separately until
comingling is desired. The holder device is
dislodged by means of a plunger activated by
depression of the flexible bottom of the bottle.

Claims

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The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-
1. A single chamber bottle having top
liquid dispensing means, a neck, a shoulder and a
bellows bottom, support means extending downwardly
from the upper region of the bottle and joined to a
seating member, receiving means to receive a solid
medicament seated within the seating member, and
means disposed between the receiving means and the
bellows bottom for unseating the receiving means.
2. A bottle according to claim 1 wherein
the seating member and the receiving member are
complementary in shape.
3. A bottle according to claim 2 wherein
the receiving member comprises an elongated member
having constant or tapered cylindrical, or
non-cylindrical cross-section.
4. A bottle according to claim 3 wherein
the receiving member is a frustoconical or
cylindrical member.
5. A bottle according to claim 4 wherein
the receiving member is frustoconical.
6. A bottle according to claim 1 wherein
the support means extend downwardly from about the
shoulder of the bottle.
7. A bottle according to claim 1 wherein
the unseating means comprises an elongated member
disposed between the receiving member and the bellows
bottom.

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8. A bottle according to claim 1 wherein
the chamber is filed with an ophthalmic liquid.
9. A bottle according to claim 1 wherein
the receiving means contains a solid medicament.
10. A bottle according to claim 9 wherein
the medicament is an opthalmic medicament.
11. A bottle according to claim 9 wherein
the medicament is in the form of a tablet.
12. A single chamber bottle having top
dropper dispensing means, a neck, a shoulder and a
bellows bottom, support means extending downwardly
from the shoulder of the bottle supporting a
frustoconical seating member, a frustoconical
receiving member having means to receive a solid
medicament seated within the seating member, and an
elongated member for unseating the seating member
disposed between the frustoconical receiving member
and the bellows bottom.
13. A bottle according to claim 12 wherein
the chamber is filled with an ophthalmic liquid.
14. A bottle according to claim 12 wherein
the receiving means contains a solid medicament.
15. A bottle according to claim 9 wherein
the medicament is an ophthalmic medicament.
16. A bottle according to claim 9 wherein
the medicament is in the form of a tablet.

Description

0716H/6052A
18343
TITLE OF T~E ~NVENTION
DISPENSER DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF TX~ INVENTIO~
Dispenser devices having multiple
compartments for separately enclosed materials to be
mixed prior to use are disclosed in U.S. patents
3,340,873, 3,354,883, 3,397,694, 3,~11,503~
4,331,14~, 4,412,836, 4,330,531 and 4,950,237. These
systemæ are complex, contain many parts, and are
expensive to manufacture.
QBJECTS OF TE~ INVEMTI~N
It is an object of the invention to provide
a single-compartment dispenser device having means to
hold a solid and a liquid separately until the time
of administration. Another object is to provide a
less expensive dispenser deYice for maintaining a
solid and a liquid ~eparately until the time of
administration. Still another object is to provide a

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more easily manufactured dispenser device ~or
maintaining a solid and a liquid separately until the
time of administration. A further object is to
provide a simpli~ied and inexp~ensive ophthalmic
dispenser. There and other objects of th present
invention will be apparent from the following
description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to fluid dispensing
devices in which constituents of the fluid migture
can be maintained in isolation from one another and
in which the separated constituents can be mixed in
vitro, when desired, by placing the conætituents in
communication with one another. A dislodgeable
holder serves to maintain separation of the mixture
components but can be dislodged by a plunger which is
activated by the depression of the flexible bottom of
the device. Thereby a mi~ture having a limited
effective life once mixed may be preserved
indefinitely by maintaining separate components until
use is desired. While one of the constituents must
be liquid the other component i6 a solid, for example
a pharmaceutical tablet. The valve is operated
manually by the patient and the dispenser either
inverted or shaken to cause the until now separated
substances to mix.
The body of the dispenser, which may be
provided with a removable cap, can thereafter be
squeezed thereby causing droplet, flow or jet of
mixed fluid to be emitted from an outlet nozzle of
the dispenser. Alternatively, the dispenser includes
a septum to permit withdrawal of the mi~ed æubstances
using a hypodermic needle or the like.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side elevation
of the dispenser device of this invention before
mixing the components.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation
of the dispenser device of this invention a~ter
mixing the components.
It should be understood that the drawings
are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments
are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom
lo lines, dia~rammatic representations and fragmentary
views. In certain instances, details which are not
necessary for an understanding of the present
invention or which render other details difficult to
perceive may have been omitted. It should be
understood, of course, that the invention is not
necessarily limited to the particular embodiments
. i~lustrated herein.
DETAILED ~SCRIPTION
The dispenser device of the pre~ent
invention preferably is made of a plastic material,
for example, lo~ density polyethylene, by a
conventional blow molding technique to produce the
bottom and mid body section, inserting the tablet
containing meanæ, and subsequently molding the body
section to produce the upper section of the dispenser
device. If, however, the neck is sufficiently wide
to permit insertion of the holder device, the entire
bottle can be made In one step. It is to be
understood that the present invention is not limited
to the specific material from which the di~penser
device of the present invention is made, or the

0716H/6052A - 4 - 18343
particular process by which it is made as it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that many
different materials and various manufacturing
techniques may be employed.
The dispensing device of the present
invention has a bellows bottom to permit in situ
mixing of the contents at time of use, and a dropper
dispenser tip calibrated to deliver predetermined
amount of solution. Both bellows bottom vials and
dropper dispenser tips are known in the art.
The dispensing device of the present
invention comprises a bottle means 10 having bellows
bottom 11 and dispenser means 12, for example, a
dropper tip. Bottle 10 is filled with a liquid 13,
such as, for example, a physiologically acceptable
ophthalmic liquid. Tablet holding means 14 i~ an
enlongated member having a cut-out section 15 for
holding a solid medicament 16. The holding means 14
may have a constant, or tapered cross section and the
circumference or outer wall of holding means 14 may
be circular or non-circular, e.g., cylindrical or
oval. The holding 14 means 14 preferably has a
tapered cross section, such as, for example, a
frustoconical member, to facilitate both seating and .
unseating against seating means 19. A push member 17
extends from the bottom of member 15 to or near to
the bottom of bottle 10.
Seating means 19 has inner wall 20 that is
complementary in shape to the outer wall of member 14
and is thereby adapted to form a seal preventing
liquid 13 from contacting medicament 16. Seating
means 19 is held by one or more eupport means 21
extending from shoulder 22 of bottle 10 to the member

0716~/6052A - 5 - 18343
lS. The bottom of support 21 is provided with flange
means 23 to prevent seating means 19 from movement.
In this position cut-out section 15 is surrounded by
inner walls 20 of seating means 21 and is not in
contact ~ith liquid 13.
To dissolve the medicament 16, as æhown in
figure 2, the bellows bottom 11 of bottle 10 ie
pushed up thereby moving push Imember 17 in the same
direction and li~ting member 14 away from its seated
position. The cut-out section of member 14 and
lo medicament 16 are now in contact with liquid 13.
When medicament 16 i3 fully dissolved, the medicament
solution is ready to be dispersed from dispenser
means 12.
As indicated previously, the drawings are
not necessarily to scale and the solid medicament
supporting and receiving means within the bottle have
been enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the
invention. These means, however, are preferably
small enough to pass through the neck of the bottle
whereby the bottle iæ conveniently manufactured in
one step.

Representative Drawing