CN109731203B - Hand-held scent releasing device - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a hand-held scent release device comprising: a housing comprising a cavity for receiving a replaceable wick and an opening for venting sniffer from within the replaceable wick; the replaceable core body is mounted in the cavity of the shell in a replaceable mode and comprises liquid sniffer and sniffer releasing ports, and the sniffer releasing ports release the sniffer under the action of external force of an operator. Thereby, a controllable, multiple discharge of the sniffine from the scent release device can be achieved. The device can also be matched with an odor presentation device and a complete set of replaceable core body for use, so that the requirements of various odor presentation scenes for olfactory training/detection are met, and pollution and taint of odor can be prevented.

Description

Hand-held scent releasing device

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of olfaction disorder diagnosis and treatment, in particular to a handheld odor release device.

Background

Olfaction plays an extremely important role in human behavior, social interaction, and daily life. The ability to smell a variety of odors and distinguish odor categories from each other is associated with mood, nutrition, quality of life, even with the avoidance of dangerous situations such as distinguishing spoiled foods, detecting natural gas leaks and fires. Therefore, loss of smell or reduction in the ability to smell significantly affects daily life, and may also lead to affective disorders such as depression and psychiatric disorders.

Research shows that the olfactory decline is an early warning signal of cognitive dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases, the symptoms occur before other body symptoms, and the degree of the olfactory decline is in direct proportion to the severity of dementia along with the gradual worsening of the disease. Even studies have reported that senile olfactory disorders are closely associated with high mortality.

In the course of the diagnosis of olfactory disorders, in addition to performing a specialist test (e.g., direct visualization of nasal anatomy via an intranasal scope), it is often necessary to perform a subjective assessment of the degree of olfactory dysfunction that the subject self-reports. Olfactory psychophysical test the olfactory function of a subject is judged by the subject's response to an odor stimulus, and mainly includes an Odor Threshold Test (OTT), an Odor Discrimination Test (ODT), and an Odor Identification Test (OIT). The most common clinical test is the odor detection threshold and recognition ability test, wherein the odor detection threshold refers to the lowest concentration at which a subject can just detect a certain odor; odor recognition capability refers to the ability to pinpoint a name of a certain odor as it is smelled.

In the field of treatment of olfactory disorders, efficacy in improving olfactory function and cognitive ability of patients through olfactory training has been demonstrated in clinical and animal models, respectively. Small-scale clinical experiments show that olfactory function of patients with olfactory disorder after senile, traumatic and viral infection can be effectively improved by olfactory training. A plurality of animal experiments prove that olfactory stimulation can influence cognitive functions such as memory, learning and the like. Research shows that the olfactory system is related to complex brain activity, and olfactory training can improve the olfactory function to a certain extent and can indirectly influence the cognitive functions of the brain, such as memory, learning and the like.

Scent release to a subject or patient is required during both a diagnostic phase (e.g., olfactory detection phase) and a therapeutic phase (e.g., olfactory training phase) of an olfactory disorder. There are a variety of olfactory-related detection or treatment devices. One example is an olfactory testing and training device manufactured by Burghart corporation, which includes a plurality of tubular containers having an odorant therein and a wicking member extending from the end of the tube but covered by an end cap. In use, the end cap needs to be removed to expose the wicking member and the scent determined by sniffing the wicking member. Both the test element and the training element have the disadvantages of being expensive, not easily stored and the wicking member being easily contaminated by the subject's breath.

To this end, there is a need for an improved scent release device that can be used during diagnosis and/or treatment of olfactory disorders.

Disclosure of Invention

To address at least one of the problems described above, the present invention proposes a hand-held scent release device. The device may be particularly applicable to olfactory testing and/or olfactory training. By using the replaceable olfactory element core body and being capable of releasing the liquid olfactory element under the action of external force, the olfactory element releasing device realizes the release of the olfactory element according to the requirement, thereby reducing the use cost, improving the storability and reducing the possibility of pollution.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand-held scent release apparatus comprising: a housing comprising a cavity for receiving a replaceable wick and an opening for venting sniffer from the replaceable wick; the replaceable core body is mounted in the cavity of the shell in a replaceable mode and comprises liquid sniffer and sniffer releasing ports, and the sniffer releasing ports release the sniffer under the action of external force of an operator. Thereby, a controllable, multiple discharge of the sniffine from the scent release device can be achieved.

Specifically, the odor releasing device may include an odor releasing mechanism for causing the replaceable core to release odor via the odor releasing port under an external force acting directly on the odor releasing mechanism, for example, a pushing mechanism located at the rear or side of the housing for pushing a plunger rod inside the replaceable core towards the front direction of the housing under the external force to perform releasing odor via the odor releasing port; the extension structure is directly connected with the piston core rod in the replaceable core body and can move in the axial direction of the shell under the action of external force; or the housing itself, wherein the hand-held odor releasing device is in the shape of a writing pen and the olfactory element releasing port serves as a pen tip or a refill, and the olfactory element is released when the operator holds the housing with his hand so that the olfactory element releasing port is pressed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a scent presentation device for use in cooperation with a handheld scent release device as described above is proposed for presenting a scent of a sniff released via the sniff release opening. The odour presentation device may comprise a water absorbent material that absorbs released olfactory to present the odour, wherein the water absorbent material is a disposable material for a single olfactory training or olfactory examination. Further, the water absorbent material may be arranged for olfactory training or olfactory examination and post-use replacement without contact with the human body to avoid contamination and taint.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the exchangeable wicks for use with the hand-held scent release or scent presentation device are a set of exchangeable wicks each comprising one scent and/or a corresponding concentration required for olfactory training or olfactory examination. The replaceable wick group may include a combination of each of the following sniffers: phenyl ethyl alcohol; methyl cyclopentenone; isovaleric acid; undecalactones; skatole; acetic acid; amyl acetate; menthol; ethanol; n-butanol; eugenol; and 3-methylindole, and/or benzene series; a sulfide; a nitrogen-containing compound; aldehydes and esters; and acids.

The handheld type smell releasing device is provided with the replaceable core body which can discharge the smelling element in a controlled manner under the action of external force of an operator, so that the controllable release of the smell is realized. The above-mentioned smell release can combine together with the smell presentation device to the accurate of ensureing is presented and can all-round avoid smelling plain pollution and contaminated.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing in greater detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which like reference numerals generally represent like parts throughout.

Fig. 1 shows an external schematic view of a scent release apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the various components making up the scent release apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a specific configuration example of an alternative core according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 shows a specific configuration example of the pushing mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows a specific configuration example of the housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 shows an example of the cooperation of the nib 40 with the odour presentation device 70.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic view of the blocking structure cooperating with the sniffer release hole when the cap body is covered.

It will be appreciated that the various components may vary in the sizes presented between the different figures in order to illustrate the structure clearly.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. A specific structure of a hand-held scent-releasing device or components thereof constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and generally designated 10 is shown in fig. 1-7. Although only corresponding implementations are shown in the figures, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention encompasses a variety of similar devices to perform scent release, and may contain different scents of olfactory and/or concentrations.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic external view of a scent release apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the various components making up the scent release apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The scent release apparatus 10 generally includes a housing 12, the housing 12 including an opening 16, the opening 16 defining a chamber therein. The chamber may be used to accommodate a replaceable wick 20 and the opening 16 is used for the replaceable wick 20 to exhaust the sniffer. As shown, the housing 12 may assume an elongated shape, for example, may have a cylindrical outer surface 18. The overall shape and appearance of the device 10 may resemble a writing pen and be constructed and arranged for grasping and hand-held operation. Where the device 10 has a cover (e.g., cover 50) for covering the opening, the cover 50 may include a gripping structure 52 to prevent roll-off. In other embodiments, to prevent roll-off, the housing 12 and/or cover 50 may be configured with a polygonal cross-section (e.g., hexagonal). In the case where the housing 12 has an elongated shape (preferably, a pen shape), for convenience of description, the longitudinal direction of the housing is regarded as the axial direction, the cross-sectional direction is regarded as the radial direction, and the opening portion near the olfactory release opening is the front portion and the opening portion far from the olfactory release opening is the rear portion in the axial direction. It should be understood that the housing 12 may have an elongated shape or other shape than a writing pen shape, so long as it is convenient to hold it in the hand.

A replaceable core 20 is replaceably mounted within the cavity of the housing 12. A liquid sniffer 22 is contained in the core 20, and the core 20 includes an sniffer release port 24 for releasing sniffer. By "replaceable" it is meant that the wick 20 is not non-removably mounted within the housing 12, but can be replaced, for example, if the wick 20 is completely used or if another wick needs to be installed. Preferably, each replaceable wick 20 can be used for multiple scent presentations.

In the present invention, the olfactory release port 24 releases olfactory under external force. More specifically, it is the external force exerted on the device 10 by a person operating the device 10 that causes the sniffin release port 24 to release sniffin a single use of the device 10 (e.g., for a certain olfactory test or olfactory training). Since sniffin is released on site at the time of this use, sniffin is not prone to deterioration and can be used for accurate scent presentation (e.g. threshold measurement). In addition, since the release of sniff is controlled by external forces (e.g. by an operator), the release capacity of sniff is usually also controllable.

An external force may act directly on the sniff release mechanism for causing the replaceable wick 20 to release the sniff 22 via the sniff release port 24 under the external force acting on the sniff release mechanism. In an embodiment of the present invention, the sniffer release mechanism may be the push mechanism 30 shown in the figures (as shown in fig. 2 and 3) as a separate component from the housing 12 and the core 20, may be a push member protruding from the core 20, or may even be the housing 12 itself. Various implementations of the sniff release mechanism will be detailed below.

Fig. 3 shows a specific configuration example of an alternative core according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the replaceable wick 20 may have a piston configuration, such as the syringe-like configuration shown in the figures. The above-described configuration can be coordinated with the pushing mechanism 30 serving as the sniff release mechanism shown in fig. 4, for example, to achieve precise release of the sniff under the action of an external force. Fig. 4 shows a specific configuration example of the pushing mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention.

In the case of using the pushing mechanism 30 as the sniff release mechanism directly subjected to force, an external force directly exerted on the pushing mechanism 30 by the operator may be conducted to the replaceable core 20, thereby pushing the plunger core rod 26 and causing the internal pressure of the space in the replaceable core 20 accommodating the sniff 22 to rise, thereby causing the sniff 22 to be released via the sniff release port 24.

For ease of operation, and to ensure the structural integrity of the device 10, the pushing mechanism 30 may also serve as an end cap at the rear of the housing. Where the device 10 has a pen-like shape, the pushing mechanism 30 may serve as a tail cap. Preferably, the pushing mechanism 30, or at least a portion thereof, is fixed with the housing 12 to each other, or at least in one direction (e.g., axially), when the device 10 is fitted with the replaceable core 20 and is in normal use. The fastening can be effected, for example, by screwing or snapping. Since the pushing mechanism 30 needs to push the plunger core pin 26 forward, at least a portion thereof needs to maintain relative movement with the housing 12 when force is applied (even if a portion thereof is fixed with the housing 12).

In one embodiment, the pushing mechanism may have a press-down member differently from the example of fig. 4, such that the force of the operator acting on the axial direction of the press-down member can be directly conducted down to the plunger core rod 26, such that the plunger core rod 26 moves towards the front and pushes the release of the liquid sniffer. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the pushing mechanism 30 may have a rotating member 32 that moves radially, thereby converting the radial force via threads into a depression force of the plunger rod 26. To this end, the pushing mechanism 30 and the replaceable core 20 may have a linkage structure that moves in cooperation with each other after the replaceable core 20 is installed in place within the housing 12. In one embodiment, the linkage structure is realized as a snap-fit structure in which the pushing mechanism 30 and the replaceable core 20 are arranged in the axial direction of the housing. Fig. 3 and 4 show axial grooves 29 and 39 on the core 20 and the push mechanism 30, respectively, which fit into each other, the core 20 being snapped into the push mechanism 30 in the mounted position, whereby upon an operator rotating the trailing end of the push mechanism radially, the above-mentioned rotational force can be converted via the threaded push portion 28 of the core 20 shown in fig. 3 into a downward pressure on the plunger rod 26, thereby causing the release of the sniffer.

The external force transformation scheme via threads shown in fig. 3 and 4 is particularly suitable for situations where it is desirable to present a precise odor concentration (e.g., threshold testing) due to the ability to precisely control the amount of olfactory released. Further, the above-described threaded solution is easier to avoid misoperations (e.g. misexpulsion of the sniffer due to squeezing during transport and storage) and makes the preservation of the sniffer by the core more secure compared to a direct-press conduction solution. Additionally, the rotating members 32 of the pushing mechanism 30 may also have a textured outer surface as shown in FIG. 4 to facilitate force application.

Unlike the pushing mechanism of the previous example, the operator can also apply force directly to the replaceable wick and effect the release of the olfactory through the internal structure of the wick. For example, the replaceable core may include a protruding structure that protrudes from the housing. The projecting structure is directly connected to the piston core rod in the replaceable core body and can move in the axial direction of the shell under the action of external force.

In various implementations, the projecting structure described above can project from a trailing or lateral end of a housing (e.g., an elongated housing) as desired. For example, the rear end of the casing may leave an opening for the protruding structure of the core to protrude, whereas the tail end of the core (or a variant thereof) as shown in fig. 3 may protrude directly, which by being rotated radially by the operator pushes the plunger rod forward via a screw mechanism to release the sniffer. The replaceable wick may also have a press-down structure that protrudes from the housing and the operator may push the plunger rod by direct pressing to release the sniffer. Since the trailing end of the replaceable wick is now movable relative to the housing, the leading portion of the wick may preferably be secured to the leading end of the housing via a nib 40 (or other leading end connection means) as shown in figures 2 and 7. Preferably, the nib 40 may have a threaded configuration that mates with the front end of the housing to prevent forward movement of the core itself relative to the housing. In other implementations, the shell may have a structure with no opening at the rear, while at the sides there may be narrow slits, e.g. extending in the axial direction, from which the laterally projecting structures of the replaceable core may project. The operator can push or toggle the protruding structure downwards, thereby pushing the plunger rod forward to release the sniffer.

In some embodiments, the handheld scent release apparatus of the present invention may also have a more pen-like construction. For example, the sniffer release port may be configured like a ballpoint pen, a fountain pen, a water color pen or a pen nib or refill, whereby the elongated housing itself may serve as the sniffer release mechanism. That is, when the operator holds the housing with a hand to perform a writing operation on, for example, a flat surface of the absorbent paper, or otherwise abuts the olfactory element releasing port against an object (for example, an absorbent material), the structure of, for example, a ball (similar to a ballpoint pen tip), a two-piece structure (similar to a pen tip), or a refill structure similar to a water color pen of the olfactory element releasing port releases the olfactory element under pressure, for example, causing the olfactory element to flow onto the absorbent paper.

It should be understood that the sniffer release device may also have other implementations than the examples described above, as long as it is capable of transferring an external force directly received from an operator to the replaceable wick such that the sniffer release opening performs a corresponding sniffer release based on the pressure received.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sniffer release ports of the replaceable core are preferably sniffer release holes 24. The olfactory organ releasing port is made to be porous, so that olfactory organ releasing amount under pressure can be accurately controlled, large-area contact between the stored olfactory organ and air can be avoided, and the olfactory organ releasing port is convenient to close when not in use. Here, "release" preferably refers to "expelling", i.e. expelling the sniff-in itself from the core to the outside of the core (e.g. on an odour presentation device as will be described in detail below), rather than just releasing the smells emitted by the sniff-in. In other words, what the object (for example, the subject or the trainee) smells is not the sniffer release port itself but the object (preferably, a single-time sniffing disposable object) carrying or absorbing the sniffer, thereby preventing the sniffer release device from being contaminated by the sniffer of the subject or the trainee.

Corresponding to the above-mentioned release holes, the replaceable core 20 includes a needle tube 23 extending outward, and the sniffing release holes 24 are opened at the side of the distal end or the proximal end of the needle tube 23. Fig. 3 shows an example of the sniffer release hole 24 on the side of the needle side in detail. The slender and protruding needle tube can further avoid large-area contact of the olfactory element stored in the core body and air, and the discharge of the olfactory element in a non-use state is reduced or avoided. The side opening then facilitates the blocking of the release aperture in the non-use state and also facilitates the absorption or carrying of the expelled olfactory, for example by the odour presentation device (as will be described in more detail below).

Preferably, the odor releasing device of the present invention further comprises a structure for preventing the olfactory releasing port from being exposed to the outside.

In one embodiment, the blocking structure may be used to close the olfactory release opening when no olfactory release is taking place. For example, a separate plug (e.g., a polypropylene PP sleeve) may be used to close the sniffine release hole. Preferably, the blocking structure may be located within a structure that can be integrally assembled with the scent release apparatus. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the scent release apparatus 10 of the present invention may further include a cap body 50 similar to a pen cap. As described above, the lid body 50 can close the opening 16 of the housing 12 while closing the sniff release port 24 that protrudes from the opening 16 or discharges the sniff through the opening 16. Fig. 7 shows a schematic view of the cooperation of the blocking structure and the sniffer release hole when the cap body is closed. As shown in fig. 7, a stopper structure 62 (e.g., a PP sleeve) may be disposed within the cover 50, preferably within the cover liner 60 of the cover 50. When the cap 50 is snapped (e.g., tightened) onto the housing 12 (i.e., the device 10 is not in use), the distal end of the needle cannula 23 can just extend into the blocking structure 62 of the cap 50. Thus, the distal or proximal discharge port 24 of the needle cannula 23 is closed, for example, with PP material, to form a closed configuration A, indicated by the oval circle in FIG. 7. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in the exploded view of fig. 2, the obstruction feature 62 may be located within the cover liner 60, or as part of the cover liner 60, which cover liner 60 itself may be made of an obstruction material, such as a PP material, and disposed within the cover 50, such as being made of metal.

The blocking structure described above may also be combined with the cap of the delivery port (e.g., needle cannula cap) as an alternative or in addition to the cap 50 or its lining structure covering the opening 16 itself.

In another embodiment, the scent release apparatus 10 can take the sniffin release opening into a retrieval structure within the elongated housing when sniffin release is not taking place. For example, the scent release device 10 may be provided with a push-down structure (not shown in the figures) at the tail, connected with a spring, to achieve the extension and retraction of the olfactory releasing opening. The push down structure may also be in linkage with the opening closure structure, e.g., by pushing down the push down structure, the opening of the housing is opened and the release port is extended, and by pushing down the push down structure again, the release port is retracted and the opening of the housing is closed.

As mentioned above, the scent release apparatus 10 of the present invention is a controlled release of the sniffins under external force, i.e. a single action by the operator is usually not able to expel all of the sniffins inside the core. Therefore, preferably, with the scent release apparatus of the present invention, it is also possible to control the amount of sniff released per operation. To this end, the scent release means may comprise a volume defining structure for releasing or indicating the release of a specific volume of the sniff-in.

In one embodiment, the sniffing elements within the core are continuously and controlled expelled under continuous operation by the operator. Thus, the operator's operation can be guided by informing the operator whether the current release has released the required amount of the sniff (e.g., the capacity indicating structure). Here, the capacity definition structure is an indication structure for indicating how much the capacity sniffer is released, for example, a scale. In particular, the above-mentioned capacity indication structure may comprise a structure capable of displaying the current capacity of the sniffer, for example, a transparent or translucent shell of a replaceable wick for displaying the remaining sniffer capacity, and an indication opening on the shell for displaying the remaining sniffer capacity, or a transparent or translucent shell portion. Further, the transparent or translucent shell on the replaceable core or shell is marked with a scale. Fig. 5 shows a specific configuration example of the housing according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the example of fig. 5, the housing itself may be made of a non-transparent material, such as a metal housing, but the outer surface 18 of the housing 12 is provided with axially extending elongated slots in which a graduated transparent or translucent material is mounted, thereby forming the indicator structure 14 on the housing for the amount of olfactory remaining in the replaceable core 20. In other embodiments, a transparent housing, for example made of plastic, may also be used, and is numbered on one side. The scale may be numbered 1-5 as shown in the figures, corresponding to the amount required to be released each time in five uses; it may also be a more dense or sparse scale to accommodate the need to release the same or different amounts of sniff elements each time. Since how much sniffer remains inside the core can be observed from the outside via the transparent or translucent core and the housing, and an accurate indication of the remaining amount can be made by means of the scale, the operator can continuously apply an external force (e.g., continuously rotate the rotating part 32 of the pushing mechanism 30) to release the sniffer 22 until the remaining sniffer reaches the predetermined scale line.

Alternatively or additionally, other mechanisms may also be utilized to achieve a quantitative release of sniff. In one embodiment, the scent release apparatus of the present invention may further comprise a volume defining structure for releasing a specific volume of the sniff-ins, which structure may for example be realized by a sniff-ins release mechanism capable of quantitatively releasing the sniff-ins. The pushing mechanism or protruding structure may for example have a mechanical structure that releases a certain amount of sniffers in response to each operation by the user.

In certain embodiments, the amount of olfactory to be emitted per scent release operation may be the same. As shown in fig. 5, the sniff can be discharged one scale at a time in a defined amount to meet the odor release required for one sniffing. In other embodiments, the olfactory release mechanism may release different amounts of olfactory in a single olfactory training or olfactory examination to meet different concentrations of odor presentation requirements. The odour presentation can for example be coordinated with the odour presentation means described below to fulfil the requirements of different concentrations.

As described above, the release of the odor of the present invention is preferably achieved based on "discharge" of the olfactory from the olfactory releasing port. Thus, in a broader embodiment, the sniffer can be "discharged" onto any object, e.g. be released onto a normal paper towel, even dripping on a table or floor, as long as the sniffing is convenient. However, for reasons of operational regulation, control of the concentration of released odor, avoidance of contamination or contamination of the olfactory component, or prevention of cross-contamination between different olfactory components (a complete olfactory training and test usually requires the smell of a plurality of odors), it is preferred to provide an odor presentation device which can be used in conjunction with the above-described hand-held odor release device. The scent presentation device may be for presenting a scent of the sniffin released via the sniffin release opening.

The scent presentation means may comprise a disposable component that absorbs released sniff to present the scent. The disposable component is made of a water absorbent material and is used for a single olfactory training or olfactory examination (or one sniff release and sniffing per training or examination). Here, the water-absorbent material may be absorbent cotton, absorbent paper, absorbent sponge, and other materials that can be used to absorb liquid.

Preferably, the water-absorbent material can be arranged for olfactory training or olfactory examination and replacement after use without contact with the human body. The disposable absorbent article may be suitably shaped, have a complementary packaging and/or be capable of mating with other suitable components to prevent contact with the body during use and disposal, thereby preventing contamination.

In case of a vending, the scent release apparatus of the invention is preferably sold in a kit with the scent presentation apparatus. In some embodiments, the scent release apparatus and the scent presentation apparatus may have structural integrity. For example, the scent presentation means may be part of the scent release means 10, or may be combined with the scent release means 10 when presenting the scent.

Fig. 6 shows an example of the cooperation of the nib 40 with the odour presentation device 70. Here, the odor presenting device 70 is in the shape of a disk with an open center, and is composed of a disposable water absorbent material 71 and an outer wrapping material 72 (e.g., rubber, silicone). The rubber package prevents the water-absorbing material from contacting the device 10 after absorbing the odorant, thereby preventing the pen point 40 from being polluted and preventing the odor of the odorant from being mixed. As shown in fig. 2 and 6, the edge of the wrapping material 72 is provided with a pull-off extension body, which facilitates the taking and placing of the odor presenting device 70, and can ensure that the water-absorbent material 71 does not contact the hand, thereby ensuring the effectiveness of sterility.

In a specific implementation, the operator can open the individual package containing a piece of absorbent material 71 and outer wrapping material 72 and press it into the recess of the nib 40 through the package to prevent contamination of the absorbent material 71 by contact with the human body. Subsequently, the needle tube 23 is inserted into the pen tip 40 and the olfactory releasing hole 24 is projected into the hole of the water-absorbent material 71. Thereby, a specific amount (for example, one grid indicated by a scale on fig. 5) of the sniff is discharged into the water-absorbent material 71 under the action of an external force. Subsequently, the pen tip 40 can be held in hand to smell the water-absorbent material 71 having absorbed the sniffin 22. Although the water-absorbent material 71 and the wrapping material 72 are shown in the exploded view of fig. 2, it is to be understood that the above illustration is only for clarifying the location of the above-mentioned odor-presenting material when performing odor presentation, and does not imply that the odor releasing device 10 of the present invention also comprises the above-mentioned water-absorbent material 71 and wrapping material 72 in the daily storage state shown in fig. 1.

In other embodiments, the cover 50 (in case the scent release apparatus 10 is implemented in the shape of a writing pen, the cover 50 may be in the shape of a pen cap) may also be used as scent presentation apparatus. When sniffing is required, a water-absorbent material 71 like that shown in fig. 6 and a wrapping material 72 may be disposed within the cover 50 (or cover liner 60). Then, the olfactory element can be discharged to the water-absorbent material in the cover 50 by applying an external force with the cover 50 covering the opening 16, for example, with the case 12 being engaged. In other embodiments, when the cover 50 is separated from the housing 12, the sniff release port may be aligned with the opening of the cover 50 to release the sniff. However, for the sake of preventing diffusion of odor, avoiding contamination, and facilitating cleaning, it is preferable to perform release of the olfactory when the lid body 50 is closed (for example, under the scale indication shown in fig. 5).

The odor presenting device can thus be a cover body in which the opening of the elongated housing of the water-absorbent material is arranged when performing olfactory training or olfactory examination, wherein the water-absorbent material absorbs the released olfactory with the opening covered by the cover body and is used for sniffing when the cover body is opened. To avoid cross-contamination, the gas presentation device as a whole may be disposable, e.g. a disposable (e.g. plastic) cover with a water absorbing material arranged at the bottom. The gas-presenting means may, for example, be of similar shape and size to the lid liner 60 shown in fig. 2 (but preferably made of a less expensive disposable material), and have a water-absorbent material (e.g., a centrally perforated cylindrical material) disposed at the corresponding location of the liner 60 where the obstruction 62 is disposed. In use, if the odor presenting device has a shape and arrangement similar to that of the liner 60, the cover body 50 is first opened, the cover body liner 60 is removed therefrom, a disposable odor presenting device having a shape similar to that of the cover body liner 60 is fitted into the cover body 50, the cover body 50 is closed (so that the release hole is aligned with the water-absorbent material), an external force is applied to discharge and absorb a specific amount of the odorant 22 by the water-absorbent material, the cover body 50 is opened for sniffing, and the used odor presenting device is removed for disposal after sniffing. On the other hand, if the odor presenting device has a shape and arrangement similar to the whole of the cover body (i.e., the cover body 50 is not required to be externally sheathed at the time of injecting the sniffer, or the cover body 50 does not include a separate lining member), after opening the cover body 50, the odor presenting device is directly used for covering, an external force is applied to discharge a specific amount of the sniffer 22 and to be absorbed by the water absorbing material, the odor presenting device is opened for sniffing, and the used odor presenting device is directly discarded after sniffing.

The gas release device of the invention comprises a replaceable wick in use. The replaceable wick needs to be used in conjunction with the gas release device and/or the odor presentation device described above to achieve the odor release required for olfactory training and testing. In other words, the replaceable wick needs to have a shape and operational configuration that matches the gas release device. However, in order to be suitable for olfactory training and testing, it is necessary to produce a plurality of replaceable wicks each comprising one odor and/or a corresponding concentration required for olfactory training or olfactory examination. When an olfactory examination scheme is selected for a testee or an olfactory training plan is designed for a patient, a group of replaceable cores can be selected to cooperate with olfactory examination so as to achieve the purpose of corresponding examination or training.

In one embodiment, a set of replaceable wicks may include a combination of at least three of the following sniffers: phenyl ethyl alcohol; methyl cyclopentenone; isovaleric acid; an undecanoic acid lactone; skatole; acetic acid; amyl acetate; menthol; ethanol; n-butanol; eugenol; and 3-methylindole. Alternatively or additionally, a set of replaceable wicks may be selected according to a classification, which may include, for example, at least two of the following classes of sniffs: a benzene series; a sulfide; a nitrogen-containing compound; aldehydes and esters; and acids.

For ease of distinction, each wick of a set of replaceable wicks may have an indication thereon of the odor, number, name, and/or corresponding concentration of the sniffin contained therein.

The hand-held scent release device of the invention is particularly suitable for scent sniffing in olfactory training, in particular olfactory training performed by the patient at home (or with the help of a family) at the direction of a training program prescribed by a doctor. For example, a doctor prescribed a training program for a patient to train on five flavors of floral (eugenol), vinegar (acetic acid), wine (ethanol), mint (menthol) and offensive (3-methylindole). For training convenience, the patient may choose to use five hand-held scent delivery devices (e.g., the device of the present invention embodied as a scent training pen) to deliver and sniff each scent separately (i.e., each pen is fitted with a replaceable wick for only one scent, relying on a wick that replaces only the same scent when the scent is not remaining in the wick). In order to save cost, the patient can also choose to use only one olfactory training pen, and perform core body replacement for four times during each training to finish the training.

The odour release device according to the present invention, together with its associated odour presentation device and replaceable wick, have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. The handheld type smell releasing device is provided with the replaceable core body which can discharge the smelling element in a controlled manner under the action of external force of an operator, so that the controllable release of the smell is realized. The above-mentioned smell release can be combined with the smell presentation device to the accurate presentation of assurance and can all-round avoid smelling the plain pollution and be polluted.

Having described embodiments of the present invention, the foregoing description is intended to be exemplary, not exhaustive, and not limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. For example, while a separate nib 40 and cap liner 60 are shown in the exploded view of FIG. 2, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above structure is not required, and may be omitted, or may be incorporated into the housing 12 and cap 50, respectively. The terminology used herein is chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or improvements made to the technology in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims (18)

1. A hand-held scent release device, comprising:

a housing comprising a cavity for receiving a replaceable wick and an opening for venting sniffer from within the replaceable wick;

a cavity for accommodating a replaceable core and an opening for discharging sniffing elements in the replaceable core;

the replaceable core body is replaceably installed in the cavity of the shell and comprises liquid sniffer and a sniffer releasing port, and the sniffer releasing port releases the sniffer under the action of external force of an operator; and

a cover body in which a water-absorbent material is arranged for carrying the liquid sniffer released from the sniffer release port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a sniff release mechanism for causing the replaceable wick to release sniff via the sniff release port under an external force acting directly on the sniff release mechanism.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the sniff release mechanism is at least one of:

the pushing mechanism is positioned at the rear part or the side part of the shell and used for pushing the piston core rod in the replaceable core body towards the front direction of the shell under the action of external force so as to release the olfactory element through the olfactory element releasing port;

a projecting structure directly connected to the piston core rod in the replaceable core body and capable of moving in the axial direction of the housing under the action of an external force;

a housing itself, wherein the hand-held odor releasing device is in a writing pen shape and the olfactory element releasing port functions as a pen tip or a pen core, and releases the olfactory element when the operator holds the housing with his hand so that the olfactory element releasing port is pressed.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the pushing mechanism and the replaceable core have linkages that move in cooperation with each other after the replaceable core is installed in place within the housing.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the linkage structure is a snap-fit structure in which the pushing mechanism and the replaceable core are disposed in an axial direction of the housing.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the plunger pin of the replaceable core is threadably pushed upon radial rotation of the pushing mechanism.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a capacity defining structure for releasing or indicating the release of a specific capacity of sniffers.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the capacity limiting structure is at least one of:

a transparent or translucent shell of a replaceable core for displaying remaining sniffer capacity; and

an indication opening or a transparent or translucent housing on the housing for displaying the remaining sniff volume, wherein,

the replaceable core or the transparent or semitransparent shell on the shell is marked with scales.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the volume-defining structure is realized by the sniff release mechanism capable of quantitatively releasing sniff.

10. The device of claim 2, wherein the sniff release mechanism releases different amounts of sniff in a single olfactory training or olfactory examination to meet different concentrations of scent presentation requirements.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the olfactory release orifice is an olfactory release orifice.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the replaceable core comprises a needle tube extending outwards, and the sniffer release holes are open at the side end of the distal or proximal end of the needle tube.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an occlusion structure that occludes the olfactory release orifice when olfactory release is not occurring; and/or

A recovery structure for receiving the olfactory element releasing port into the case when the olfactory element is not released.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the water absorbent material is a disposable material for a single olfactory training or olfactory examination.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the water absorbent material is arranged for olfactory training or olfactory testing and post-use replacement without contact with a human body.

16. A replaceable wick for use with a hand-held scent-releasing device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, the replaceable wick being a set of replaceable wicks each comprising one scent and/or a corresponding concentration required for performing olfactory training or olfactory examination.

17. The wick of claim 16, wherein the set of replaceable wicks comprises a combination of at least three of the following sniffins:

phenyl ethyl alcohol; methyl cyclopentenone; isovaleric acid; an undecanoic acid lactone; skatole; acetic acid; amyl acetate; menthol; ethanol; n-butanol; eugenol; and 3-methylindole, and/or

The set of replaceable wicks includes at least two of the following sniff classes:

a benzene series; a sulfide; a nitrogen-containing compound; aldehydes and esters; and acids.

18. A wick according to claim 16, wherein each wick of the set of replaceable wicks has an indication thereon of the odour, number, name and/or corresponding concentration of the olfactory element contained therein.

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