WO2010018118A1

WO2010018118A1 - Bottle with double chamber for liquid drugs

Info

Publication number: WO2010018118A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/060189
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michele Allamprese
Original assignee: Duotech S.R.L.
Priority date: 2008-08-11
Filing date: 2009-08-06
Publication date: 2010-02-18
Also published as: ITMI20081515A1

Abstract

Flexible bottle (1) for administering liquid drugs, having at least two chambers (2, 3), in particular at least one first chamber (2) and at least one second chamber (3) not communicating with each other, for the separate containment of liquid drugs, and each of these chambers is provided with an independent opening (4) for the outlet of the liquid drugs from chambers (2, 3), without any mixing before the instillation of the liquid drugs.

Description

"Bottle with double chamber for liquid drugs"

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DESCRIPTION

The present invention concerns a bottle for liquid drugs. It is known that some liquid drugs, for example (without limiting effect) eye-lotions, comprise several chemically combined active principles, but it is also known that the majority of them comprise a single active principle.

Clinical practice, especially in the case of more complex pathologies, often demands the use of several eye-lotions, to be instilled in rapid succession; this practice, especially in chronic treatments, as demonstrated by numerous clinical studies, leads to an increase in the complexity of administration, with a reduction in the patient's adjustment to the treatment, and a consequent aggravation of the pathological picture. The instillation in rapid succession of several eye-lotions, each contained in a single bottle, is usually done by the patient himself/herself, and currently requires each bottle to be opened, the orifice for the outlet of the liquid to be positioned over the eye, and the liquid to be instilled into the eye. Attention is drawn to the fact that centring the bottle over the eye is done, by the patient, with the eye open, and that once the first eye-lotion is instilled, inevitably either the eye and the eyelid are cleaned by the eye- lotion, and the eye-lotions are not administered simultaneously with each other, or the precision of centring reduces. Furthermore, the entire operation of opening and closing the bottles appears laborious, and discourages the less persevering patient. A possible consequence of this is the aggravation of the pathology from lack of compliance on the patient's part.

It would be desirable to mix the active principles in a single instilling bottle, with a single outlet, but doing so would mean that the eye-lotions were mixed from the start, and this is not always desirable, for example because they could be chemically immiscible (for example substances with - ? -

an aqueous base and a fatty base), and therefore not ensure the appropriate dosage (for example one eye-lotion could float on another with a higher specific gravity, thus obstructing the dosage of the lighter eye-lotion).

The eye-lotions might not mix to the desired degree, again causing uncertainties of dosage, or again mixing them at the wrong moment might result in the chemical reaction between them giving rise to substances not acceptable in the treatment, for example because their therapeutic effect decays very rapidly.

Or else, combining substances which require difficult and complex pharmacological techniques to combine them with each other could potentially discourage their production.

In the field of surgical administration, too, it would be useful to instil several eye-lotions without having to open all the respective bottles.

The above considerations can also be extended by analogy to medical applications of other types, such as those, by way of non-restrictive example, in the ear, nose and throat field.

US-2005/0263618 shows an atomizer for dispensing liquids for medical purposes, with two chambers not communicating with each other.

An object of the present invention is therefore to create a bottle for liquid drugs which permits a simultaneous dosage of several liquid drugs.

In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved with a bottle as disclosed in claim 1.

These and other characteristics of the present invention will be made more clearly evident from the following detailed description of an example of a practical embodiment thereof, illustrated without limiting effect in the attached drawings, in which: figure 1 shows a lateral view of a bottle according to the invention; figure 2 shows a view on plan from above of figure 1 ; figure 3 shows a view in longitudinal section of figure 1 along the line III-III; figure 4 shows a view on plan from below of figure 1 ; figure 5 shows a view in longitudinal section of figure 3 along the line V-V; figure 6 shows a transverse section of figure 5 along the line VI-VI; figure 7 shows a view in longitudinal section along the line VII-VII in figure 3; figure 8 shows an enlarged view of the detail in circle A in figure 5.

With reference to figures 1, 2 and 4 we note a bottle 1 for liquid drugs comprising two independent chambers 2, 3 of flexible material: a first chamber 2 and a second chamber 3, not communicating with each other, running alongside distinct respective surfaces 18 and 81, and used for the separate containment of liquid drugs. As explained above, on some occasions it is not desirable to mix the drugs except at the moment of instillation. Each of the two chambers 2, 3 is provided with an opening 4, used for the outlet of liquid drugs from chambers 2, 3.

In figures 3, 5, 6 and 7 a sealing sleeve 7 is visible, capable of easily assembling together chambers 2, 3.

The sleeve 7 comprises integrally with it an internal neck 8 and an external neck 9 suitable for cooperating with one another and with chambers 2, 3 to facilitate the radial assembly of the two chambers 2, 3 to sleeve 7. The dimensions of the internal neck 8 are such as to ensure radial support for the openings 4, and similarly the external neck 9 at point 19 (figure 3) provides radial support for the two chambers 2, 3.

The internal neck 8 delimits connection pipes 50 which are coupled to form a seal with openings 4, and is constituted by two pair of curved rims 88 which are able to embrace rims 41 of the openings 4 sealing the connection.

On said sleeve 7 is mounted a cover 5 (figures 3, 5, 6 and 7) comprising pipes 6 for the outlet of liquid drugs; said pipes 6 do not communicate with each other and are located in proximity to the connection - A -

pipes 50 for sleeve 7.

The successive coupling to form a seal of the openings 4 of each chamber 2, 3, of the connection pipes 50 and of the outlet pipes 6, ensures that simultaneously pressing with the fingers the two chambers 2, 3 of the bottle 1 makes the respective liquid drugs flow out simultaneously from the pipes 6.

The openings 4 of the chambers 2, 3 furthermore have prominences

10 (figure 8) on said rims 41, and the sleeve 7 has complementary elements

11 on said curved rims 88, which are capable of cooperating with each other for the axial assembly of chambers 2, 3 to sleeve 7. In particular, prominence 10 of chambers 2, 3 is chamfered, so that when the chamber is thrust into sleeve 7, the sleeve 7 expands until the complementary element 11 slides onto the chamfer 21 and surmounts it, locking chamber 2 or 3 in an axial direction with respect to sleeve 7. Advantageously the external neck 9 is provided with a portion 15 substantially threaded, suitable for engaging in a complementary groove 16 (figure 7) situated on a closure cap 17 (figure 1), allowing the closure cap 17 to be screwed onto sleeve 7.

Advantageously the first chamber 2 and the second chamber 3 have on their reciprocal contact surfaces 18 and 81 embanked paths 13 and relief paths 14, complementary to one another, for a better holding of the assembly of bottle 1. In particular, the assembly can be effected by gluing, and the adhesive is placed on said paths 13, 14, which increase the glued surface area, and confer on it greater resistance to tangential actions. In particular, on contact surfaces 18 and 81 (figures 5 and 7) there are two embanked paths 13, and two relief paths 14, mirror images with respect to a longitudinal axis.

Advantageously, the outlet pipes 6 of the cover 5 are provided with a countersink 22 and a draft portion 23, to ease the outlet of the liquid drugs without the formation of air bubbles. The present invention allows the problems described above to be overcome, and in particular reduces the number of instillations, thus favouring the correspondence between the treatment assigned to the patient and the treatment actually followed. The reduction in the number of instillations leads to reduced use of the preservative Benzalkonium Chloride, resulting in an appreciable reduction in cytotoxic effects.

The bottle according to the present invention increases control of pathology and in surgical use enables a reduction in operating theatre times; it also opens the way to numerous combinations of liquid drugs hitherto unthinkable for reasons of compliance, with consequent improved efficiency of treatment of many pathologies.

Advantageously a handling cup 90 (not disclosed in the figures) could be provided to be engaged with the base of the bottle formed by the two bases of each container.

Said cup 90 comprises a lower surface with connection means for an handling machine in order to move the bottle during the filling of the chambers by the proper liquid or similar.

Claims

1. Bottle (1) for administering liquid drugs, comprising at least two chambers (2, 3), particularly at least a first chamber (2) and at least a second chamber (3) without communication between each other for the separate containment of liquid drugs, and each of these chambers is provided with an independent opening (4) for the outlet of said liquid drugs from chambers (2, 3), without any mixing before the instillation of liquid drugs, characterized in that it comprises a sealing sleeve (7) with connection pipes (50) suitable for easily assembling said chambers (2, 3) one another and on which a cover (5) is mounted which comprises pipes (6) for the outlet of liquid drugs, said pipes (6) are not in communication one another and are placed in correspondence with openings (4) of each chamber (2, 3) and sealed to them by means of said connection pipes (50), said sleeve (7) comprising integral with it an internal neck (8) around the connection pipes (50) constituted by two pair of curved rims (88) to embrace rims (41) of the openings (4) sealing the connection between the connection pipes (50) of the sleeve (7) and the openings (4) of the chambers (2, 3).

2. Bottle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said openings (4) of the chambers (2, 3) have prominences (10) on said rims (41), and the sleeve (7) has complementary elements (11) on said curved rims (88), which are capable of cooperating with each other for the axial assembly of chambers (2, 3) to sleeve (7).

3. Bottle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first chamber (2) and said second chamber (3) show on respective reciprocal contact surfaces (18, 81) embanked paths (13) and relief paths (14), complementary one another, for a better holding of the assembly of bottle (1) preferably by means of glueing means.

4. Bottle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that sleeve (7) is provided with an essentially threaded portion (15) suitable to engage with a complementary groove (16) situated on a closure cap (17) of the cover (5).

5. Bottle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that outlet pipes (6) of cover (5) are provided with a countersink (22) and a draft portion (23), to ease the outlet of the liquid drugs without air bubbles.

6. Bottle (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with a handling cup (90) engaging the base of the bottle, with a lower surface with connection means for a handling machine in order to move the bottle during the filling of the chambers (2, 3) by the proper liquid or similar.