FR2970955A1 - Device for dispensing pharmaceutical fluid product to patient for treating pain of patient in hospital, has air egress to send air through passage unit and orifice at end of dispensing product for purging residual fluid product - Google Patents

Abstract

The device has a container (10) for containing a fluid product, and a dispensing head (20) provided with a dispensing orifice (21). A dispensing unit formed of plugs (25, 26) dispenses a portion of the product through the orifice. A passage unit (40) connects the container to the orifice during actuation of the dispensing unit. An air egress (50) is adapted to send air through the passage unit and the orifice at the end of dispensing the product for purging a residual fluid product. An actuation body (30) initially actuates the dispensing unit and the egress.

Description

The present invention relates to a fluid dispenser device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fluid dispenser device for dispensing a pharmaceutical fluid product to a user, for example via a nasal spray. The present invention, however, also applies to perfume dispensing devices or cosmetic products. In this type of device, the fluid product, generally substantially liquid, is dispensed or sprayed through a dispensing orifice during the manual actuation of this device. After each actuation, there may remain fluid at the dispensing orifice and inside the channels and passages that connect the reservoir to said dispensing orifice. Especially in the pharmaceutical field, this can cause problems. On the one hand, these residues can dry and close the orifice and / or the fluid passages and thus prevent subsequent actuation of the device. On the other hand, these residual volumes of active product can be a source of contamination. Especially in bidose type devices, i.e., adapted to dispense two doses, if the second dose is not dispensed immediately after the first, there is a risk of contamination of this second dose. In addition, in the case of highly active substances, such as for example Fentanyl, which is a product used for the treatment of pain a hundred times more powerful than morphine, it is necessary to avoid the risks of use of the volume. residual by a third party for which the consequences would be dramatic. In hospital use, this is professionally managed, but there is now a large number of such products that are used directly in the patient, resulting in greater risk exposure. Regulatory authorities are very sensitive to this aspect and systematically ask laboratories to put in place means to reduce access to the residual volume. The present invention aims to provide a fluid dispensing device that does not reproduce the aforementioned drawbacks.

More particularly, the present invention aims to provide a fluid dispensing device that avoids or limits the risk of clogging of the device, as well as the risk of contamination of the fluid product. Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which avoids or limits the residual volumes of fluid product after use. The present invention also aims to provide such a device that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. The present invention therefore relates to a device for dispensing a fluid product, comprising a reservoir containing fluid, a dispensing head provided with a dispensing orifice, dispensing means for dispensing at least a portion of said fluid product to through said dispensing orifice, and passage means for connecting said reservoir to said dispensing orifice during the actuation of said dispensing means, is device comprising a flush of air adapted to send a flow of air through said means of passage and said dispensing orifice at the end of distribution of the fluid, to purge the residual fluid product. Advantageously, said device comprises actuating means for first actuating said dispensing means and then said flushing. Advantageously, said flushing comprises a compressible air volume. Advantageously, said passage means comprise a hollow needle penetrating into said reservoir during the actuation of said dispensing means and into said compressible air volume during the actuation of said flushing. Advantageously, said needle is fixed relative to said dispensing orifice. Advantageously, said reservoir comprises a first chamber 30 containing the fluid and a second chamber containing air, said first and second chambers being separated by a sealed separation plug.

Advantageously, said passage means comprise a hollow needle fixed relative to said dispensing orifice, said hollow needle being displaced when the device is actuated firstly in said first chamber to dispense the fluid and then into said second chamber to distribute said airflow. Advantageously, said separation cap is movable in said reservoir to compress the air contained in said second chamber during the dispensing of the fluid contained in said first chamber. Advantageously, said flush of air is formed in said tank. In a variant, said flush of air is formed outside said tank. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly in the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples, and in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view. in cross section of a fluid dispenser device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in the rest position before actuation, Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the device being dispensed FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, showing the device at the end of actuation after fluid dispensing and at the moment when the flushing is actuated. FIGS. 4 and 5 are views schematic details of embodiments of a needle according to the present invention, Figure 6 is a view similar to that of Figure 1, showing a second FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, showing the device of FIG. 6 at the end of actuation. FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1. showing a third alternative embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 9 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, showing the device of Fig. 8 being dispensed with fluid, and Fig. 10 is a view similar to that of Figure 3, showing the device at the end of actuation, at the time of distribution of the air flow. With reference to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a first alternative embodiment of the present invention. In this variant, a reservoir 10 containing fluid to be dispensed, typically a liquid, is disposed inside a body forming a dispensing head 20. This dispensing head 20 comprises a dispensing orifice 21, which in The example of FIGS. 1 to 3 is oriented radially. This dispensing orifice 21 serves to dispense a dose of fluid product from said dispensing head 20. The reservoir 10 is in this example formed by a hollow body and blind, having a single opening closed by a first cap 25. A second cap 26 is disposed inside the tank 10 between the first plug 25 and the bottom of said tank. This second separation cap 26 thus separates the contents of the reservoir 10 into two chambers, a first chamber 11 containing fluid to be dispensed, and a second chamber 51 which contains air. The dispensing head 20 comprises passage means 40 which, during actuation, connect the reservoir 10 to the dispensing orifice 21. These passage means 40 advantageously comprise a needle 41 adapted to pierce the first plug 25 at moment of actuation. This needle is hollow, and can be formed in a conventional manner. However, Figures 4 and 5 show two alternative embodiments which will be detailed further below. Preferably, this needle 41 is fixed relative to the dispensing head 20 and in particular with respect to the dispensing orifice 21. Actuating means 30 are provided to allow actuation of the device. In this case, these actuating means 30 comprise a body movable relative to the dispensing head 20, said body cooperating with said reservoir 10 to move it relative to the dispensing head 20 and therefore with respect to the Needle 41. Conventionally, in the device shown in Figures 1 to 3, the user places two fingers on the radial supports formed on the dispensing head 20, and presses with the thumb on said actuating body 30. When of such an actuation, the reservoir 10 is thus biased axially upwards in the figures, so that the needle 41 will pierce the first cap 25. The contents of the reservoir of the first chamber 11 of the reservoir 10 is then connected to the dispensing orifice 21 and the support of the user on the actuating means 30 moves the first plug 25 into the reservoir to ensure the distribution of the fluid product. This first cap 25 then acts as a piston by displacing the fluid product out of the first chamber 11, through the needle 41. FIG. 2 illustrates the device being dispensed with fluid product. Simultaneously, the air contained in the air chamber 51 being compressible, the actuation of the device will slightly move the second separator plug 26 into the reservoir 10 to compress the air contained in the second compressible air chamber 51 Thus, when the user reaches the end of the actuating stroke, all or almost all of the fluid has been dispensed through the needle 41 and this needle is facing the second separating plug 26. In the last part upon actuation of the device, this needle 41 will pierce said second separating plug 26, to connect the compressible air chamber which now contains compressed air 51 with the passage means 40 and the dispensing orifice 21. This will therefore send a flow of compressed air through said needle 41 and the passage means 40 and the dispensing orifice 21, thus purging fluid residues that may remain stored or stuck in these passages. The present invention thus comprises an air flush 50 which is actuated after actuation of the dispensing of the fluid and which is adapted to send an air flow, preferably compressed, through the same passages as those which have borrowed by the fluid during its distribution. Advantageously, it is the same actuating means which, during the same actuating stroke, first actuate the dispensing means which allow the distribution of the fluid product and then the air flushing which allows the dispensing of the fluid. compressed air flow. FIG. 3 illustrates the device at the end of the actuating stroke when the air flush is actuated. Because of the thicknesses of the walls of the plugs 25 and 26 but also to ensure a distribution of all the fluid contained in the first chamber 11, the needle 41 may be of a suitable shape to allow the continued distribution of the fluid product. until the tip of the needle 41 has completely pierced the second separating plug 26. This can in particular be achieved by forming a slot or longitudinal cutout 42 in the tip of the needle 41, as shown in FIG. 4 Thus, when the tip of the needle is started to pierce the second separating plug 26, the fluid can still escape through said slot 42 until the tip of the needle pierced said second plug 26 thus releasing the flow of compressed air. FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment in which a single orifice 42 'can be provided in the needle 20 to allow the distribution of all the fluid product contained in the first chamber 11. FIGS. 6 and 7 represent a second variant embodiment, whose operation is very close to that described above. The difference between the device of FIGS. 6 and 7 is that the dispensing orifice 21 is oriented axially, that is to say it is a nasal spray device. For the rest, the operation of the device is similar to that described above. Figures 8 to 10 show a third embodiment of the present invention. This variant differs from the first two variants in that the flushing 50 is not formed inside the tank 10 but on the contrary outside thereof.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 8 to 10, it can be seen that in this variant, the actuating means 30 are formed by a body portion sliding around an axial extension of the dispensing head 20 which defines the hunting of Air 50. The tank 10 is no longer formed here by a blind hollow body having only one opening, but by a cartridge, that is to say a hollow cylinder open on both sides. This cylinder is closed on one side by the first plug 25 and on the other side by the second plug 26, the volume defined between said two plugs 25 and 26 containing the fluid to be dispensed. This volume thus forms a first chamber 11. In a similar manner to previously, the needle 41 is fixed relative to the dispensing orifice 21. When the user will actuate the actuating means 30, he will thus axially press on the body 30 to slide axially upwards in the figures. This is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. This causes the displacement of the second plug 26 inside the tank 10. Now, the fluid product being incompressible, this displacement of the second plug 26 will also move the first plug 25 in the direction of the needle 41 which is fixed. The stopper 25 will therefore be pierced by the needle 41 and the contents of the first chamber 11 will be distributed through said needle towards the dispensing orifice 21. At the same time, during the displacement of the body 30, an air chamber compressible 51 is formed in said body 30 and is sealed, so that the air contained within said second chamber 21 will compress during dispensing of the fluid. The rod which connects the actuating body 30 to the second plug 26 being hollow, at the end of actuation, when the needle 41 will pierce said second plug 26, it will connect said compressible air chamber 51 with said passage 40 and the dispensing orifice 21 to allow the distribution of the flow of compressed air through the needle 41 in the direction of the dispensing orifice 30, and thus perform the purging of the fluid, in the manner described above .

Of course, other alternative embodiments are also conceivable, without departing from the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (1)

CLAIMS1.- Fluid dispensing device, comprising a reservoir (10) containing fluid, a dispensing head (20) provided with a dispensing orifice (21), dispensing means (25; 26) for dispensing at least a portion of said fluid product through said dispensing orifice (21), and passage means (40) for connecting said reservoir (10) to said dispensing orifice (21) upon actuation of said dispensing means ( 25), characterized in that said device comprises an air flush (50) adapted to send a flow of air through said passage means (40) and said dispensing orifice (21) at the end of dispensing the product fluid, to purge the residual fluid product. 2.- Device according to claim 1, wherein said device comprises actuating means (30) for actuating first said distribution means (25; 26) and then said flush (50). 3.- Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said flush (50) comprises a compressible air volume (51). 20 4.- Device according to claim 3, wherein said passage means (40) comprise a hollow needle (41) penetrating into said reservoir (10) during the actuation of said dispensing means (25; 26) and in said volume compressible air (51) upon actuation of said flush (50). 5.- Device according to claim 4, wherein said needle (41) is fixed relative to said dispensing orifice (21). 9 2970955 io 6.- Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said reservoir (10) comprises a first chamber (11) containing the fluid and a second chamber (51) containing air, said first and second chambers ( 11, 51) being separated by a sealed separating plug (26). 7.- Device according to claim 6, wherein said passage means (40) comprise a hollow needle (41) fixed relative to said dispensing orifice (21), said hollow needle (41) being moved during the actuation firstly the device in said first chamber (11) for dispensing the fluid and then in said second chamber (51) for dispensing said airflow. 8.- Device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said is separating plug (26) is movable in said reservoir (10) for compressing the air contained in said second chamber (51) during the dispensing of the fluid contained in said first chamber (11). 20 9.- Device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein said flush (50) is formed in said reservoir (10). 10. A device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein said flush (50) is formed outside said reservoir (10).