WO2016079395A1

WO2016079395A1 - Device for distribution of fluid product comprising a nasal distribution head

Info

Publication number: WO2016079395A1
Application number: PCT/FR2015/052944
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guillaume Brouet; Fabien CHENAULT
Original assignee: Aptar France Sas
Priority date: 2014-11-04
Filing date: 2015-11-02
Publication date: 2016-05-26
Also published as: FR3027808B1; FR3027808A1

Abstract

Device for distribution of fluid product in the form of a foam, comprising a reservoir (10) of foaming fluid product and a distribution element (20) mounted on the reservoir, said device comprising a nasal distribution head (30) comprising a nasal tip (31) intended to penetrate into a nostril of a user, said nasal tip terminating at the distal end thereof in a distribution orifice (35) through which the product is distributed into the nostril of the user in the form of a foam, said distribution element (20) being a metering valve functioning with a propellant gas, said nasal tip (31) comprising, upstream of said distribution orifice (35), a deformable wall (40) able to deform radially outwards during distribution of the fluid product to substantially seal the nostril of the user during distribution of the fluid product.

Description

Fluid dispensing device having a nasal dispensing head

The present invention relates to a fluid dispensing device comprising a nasal dispensing head.

Nasal delivery devices are well known. They generally comprise a reservoir containing fluid and on which is mounted a dispensing member, such as a pump or a valve. The fluid is generally sprayed as a spray through a dispensing orifice provided at the distal end of a nosepiece formed on a nasal dispensing head. A disadvantage of this type of device is that due to the conical shape of the spray at the outlet of the dispensing orifice, it is difficult for the active product to reach certain areas of the nasal cavity, such as the olfactory zone. . Another disadvantage is related to the fact that the droplets of liquid forming the spray tend to flow too quickly, in particular by gravity, from certain nasal mucous membranes on which they have been sprayed, with a limited action for the active product. on these mucous membranes. In some cases, a portion of the product sprayed into the nostril may even flow out of the nostril even though the nosepiece is still inside said nostril.

The documents EP1410820, US201 1 120456, WO2004020029, US201 1 139826, DE102005018696 and EP2371413 illustrate devices of the state of the art.

The present invention aims to provide a fluid dispensing device that does not reproduce the aforementioned drawbacks.

The present invention also aims to provide a fluid dispenser device for obtaining prolonged contact between the active product and the mucous membranes of the nostril.

The present invention also aims to provide a fluid dispenser device that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. The present therefore relates to a fluid dispenser device comprising a fluid reservoir and a dispensing member mounted on the reservoir, said fluid dispensing device comprising a nasal dispensing head having a nasal nozzle intended to penetrate in a nostril of a user, said nose piece terminating at its distal end by a dispensing orifice through which a fluid is dispensed into the nostril of the user, said dispensing member being a metering valve operating with a gas propellant, said fluid product being distributed through said dispensing orifice of said nasal dispensing head in the form of foam, so that said fluid product can reproducibly reach the hard-to-reach areas of the nasal cavity, such as the olfactory zone, said nasal nozzle having, upstream of said dispensing orifice, a deformable wall adapted to deform radially outwardly during the dispensing of the fluid product, to increase locally and during the duration of said distribution the outer diameter of said nosepiece at said deformable wall, to substantially plug the nostril of the user during the dispensing of the fluid product.

Advantageously, said nosepiece comprises an axial central channel, the distal end of which comprises said dispensing orifice, and an expansion chamber delimited by said deformable wall.

Advantageously, said expansion chamber is connected to said central channel by at least one transverse channel.

Advantageously, said expansion chamber forms an integral part of said central channel.

Advantageously, said nosepiece comprises a shutter at said dispensing orifice.

Advantageously, said shutter comprises an axial rod fixed to the dispensing head, and a transverse flange extending radially outwards with respect to said axial rod at the distal end thereof, said dispensing orifice being formed in said transverse flange. Advantageously, a distal end edge of said deformable wall is slidable radially with respect to said transverse flange, so that in the rest position, said distal end edge of said deformable wall is in contact with said axial stem of said deformable wall. shutter, thus closing said dispensing orifice, and in dispensing position, said distal end edge of said deformable wall is radially spaced from said axial rod, thereby opening said dispensing orifice.

These and other features and advantages will appear more clearly in the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given as non-limiting examples, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a fluid dispensing device comprising a nasal dispensing head according to a first advantageous embodiment of the present invention, in the rest position, FIG. similar to that of Figure 1, in the dispensing position,

FIG. 3 is a view of detail A of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a view of detail A of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a nasal dispensing head according to a second advantageous embodiment of the present invention, in the rest position,

FIG. 6 is a detail view of FIG. 5, in distribution position, and

- Figure 7 is a view similar to that of Figure 5, illustrating a third advantageous embodiment of the present invention, in the rest position.

In the description, the terms "distal" and "proximal" refer to the outlet of the dispensing member, in this case the valve 20 in Figs. 1 and 2. The terms "axial" and "radial" refer to to the central distribution axis B shown in particular in FIG.

Figures 1 to 4 illustrate a first embodiment of the invention. The nasal fluid dispensing device comprises a reservoir 10 containing the fluid product to be dispensed.

A dispensing member 20 is mounted on said reservoir to dispense a dose of fluid product with each actuation. According to the invention, the dispensing member 20 is a metering valve operating with a propellant gas generally mixed in the reservoir 10 to the fluid product to be dispensed. In a conventional manner, the valve 20 comprises a valve 21.

A dispensing head 30 is mounted on the dispensing member 20, in particular on said valve 21 in the example of FIGS. 1 and 2. This dispensing head 30 comprises a nasal nozzle 31 intended to penetrate into the nostril of the user, and an attachment portion 32 connected to said dispensing member 20. The nasal nozzle 31 terminates at its distal end through a dispensing orifice 35 through which the fluid product will be dispensed into the nostril of the user during the treatment. actuation.

In the figures, the nose piece 31 is shown inclined with respect to the reservoir 10, with the central distribution axis B, represented in FIG. 4, forming an angle with respect to the longitudinal central axis C of the device represented on FIGS. Figures 1, 2 and 5. This angle is then greater than 0 ° and less than 180 °. Alternatively, the nosepiece 31 could be aligned with said longitudinal central axis C, in which case the B axis would be coincident with the C axis.

According to the invention, said nasal nozzle 31 comprises, upstream of said dispensing orifice 35, a deformable wall 40 adapted to deform radially outwardly during dispensing of the fluid product, to increase locally and during the duration of said dispensing. the outside diameter of said nosepiece 31 at the level of said deformable wall 40. This increase in diameter will allow the user's nostril to be substantially occluded during the distribution of the fluid product in the nostril of the user, thus preventing said fluid product from to flow too quickly out of said nostril.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate this increase in diameter for the first embodiment. In this variant, during distribution, the passage of the fluid leaving the reservoir 10 and going towards the dispensing orifice 35 will deform the deformable wall 40, by the pressure exerted by said fluid on said deformable wall 40. This then takes a curved shape, visible In FIG. 4, during the dose distribution, the deformable wall 40 will substantially close the nostril. This not only limits the risk of fluid flow out of the nostril, but also encourages the user to maintain the nosepiece in his nostril until the end of the distribution.

Once the dose has been dispensed, the pressure at the level of said deformable wall 40 decreases, which deflates and / or brings back the deformable wall 40 in its undistorted state. The seal with the nostril is then broken, and the nasal tip 31 can then be removed from the nostril.

In the example of FIGS. 3 and 4, the nosepiece 31 comprises an axial central channel 32 whose distal end includes said dispensing orifice 35. An insert 33 is disposed in said central channel 32 to limit the dead volume. At least one transverse channel 34 is provided for connecting said central channel 32 to an expansion chamber 36 delimited by said deformable wall 40. Thus, when the device is actuated, the fluid under pressure passes through the central channel 32 and penetrates in said expansion chamber 36 through said at least one transverse channel 34 for inflating said deformable membrane 40.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a second embodiment, in which the nasal dispensing head 31 comprises a shutter 50 at the dispensing orifice 35. In this variant, the expansion chamber 36 is disposed at the end distal to the nasal tip 31, at said dispensing orifice 35. The shutter 50 has an axial rod 51 attached to the dispensing head 30, and a transverse flange 52 extending radially outwardly relative to said axial rod 51 at the distal end thereof. The shutter 50 thus has substantially the shape of a T. Said transverse flange 52 can be curved, as can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. The dispensing orifice 35 is formed in said transverse flange 52, as can be seen in FIG. 6. The deformable wall 40 can here be substantially rigid, and radially deformable outwardly under the effect of the pressure of the fluid product being dispensed. The proximal end edge of said deformable wall 40 is fixed to said axial stem 51 of the shutter, while the distal end edge of said deformable wall 40 is slidable radially relative to said transverse flange 52. rest, shown in Figure 5, said distal end edge of said deformable wall 40 is in contact with said axial stem 51 of the shutter, thereby closing said dispensing orifice 35. In dispensing position, shown in Figure 6 , said distal end edge of said deformable wall 40 is radially spaced from said axial rod 51, thus opening said dispensing orifice 35. This implementation makes it possible to guarantee that the fluid product is dispensed into the nostril only after clogging of the nostril by said deformable wall 40.

Figure 7 illustrates another embodiment, wherein the expansion chamber 36 forms an integral part of the central channel 32, which here is narrow and without insert. Upon actuation, the pressurized fluid product arrives in the expansion chamber 36 by a proximal portion of said central channel 32, which causes the radial expansion of the deformable wall 40. From this expansion chamber 36, the fluid product then flows to said dispensing orifice via a distal portion of said central channel 32.

According to the invention, the fluid product is distributed in the nostril in the form of foam, in order to cover the nasal cavity. The foam also makes it possible to obtain prolonged contact between the mucous membranes and the active product in comparison with a liquid nasal spray. In addition, the use of a foam makes it possible to reproducibly reach the hard-to-reach areas of the nasal cavity, such as the olfactory zone. In known manner, the spray generated by the valve 20 is transformed into foam by expansion at the outlet of the device. Typically, a butane / propane mixture as a propellant is used to generate such a foam. Other propellants are of course also usable. So Generally, any suitable foam generating means can be used in the context of the present invention.

The present invention has been described with reference to several advantageous embodiments, but it is understood that a person skilled in the art can make any modifications, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

claims

1 .- Fluid dispensing device comprising a reservoir (10) of fluid and a dispensing member (20) mounted on the reservoir, said fluid dispensing device comprising a nasal dispensing head (30) comprising a nosepiece (31) for penetrating a nostril of a user, said nosepiece (31) terminating at its distal end by a dispensing orifice (35) through which a fluid is dispensed into the nostril of the patient; user, characterized in that said dispensing member (20) is a metering valve operating with a propellant gas, said fluid product being dispensed through said dispensing orifice of said nasal dispensing head in foam form, so that said fluid product can reproducibly reach the hard-to-reach areas of the nasal cavity, such as the olfactory zone, said nose piece (31) comprising, in amo nt of said dispensing orifice (35), a deformable wall (40) adapted to deform radially outwardly during dispensing of the fluid product, for increasing locally and during the duration of said dispensing the external diameter of said nose piece (31). ) at said deformable wall (40), to substantially plug the nostril of the user during the dispensing of the fluid product.

2. - Device according to claim 1, wherein said nose piece (31) comprises an axial central channel (32), whose distal end comprises said dispensing orifice (35), and an expansion chamber (36) delimited by said deformable wall (40).

3. - Device according to claim 2, wherein said expansion chamber (36) is connected to said central channel (32) by at least one transverse channel (34).

4. - Device according to claim 2, wherein said expansion chamber (36) forms an integral part of said central channel (32).

5. - Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said nosepiece (31) comprises a shutter (50) at said dispensing orifice (35).

6. - Device according to claim 5, wherein said shutter (50) comprises an axial rod (51) fixed to the dispensing head (30), and a transverse flange (52) extending radially outwardly relative to said axial shaft (51) at the distal end thereof, said dispensing orifice (35) being formed in said transverse flange (52).

7. - Device according to claim 6, wherein a distal end edge of said deformable wall (40) is slidable radially relative to said transverse flange (52), so that in the rest position, said edge of distal end of said deformable wall (40) is in contact with said axial stem (51) of the shutter, thus closing said dispensing orifice (35), and in dispensing position, said distal end edge of said deformable wall (40) is radially spaced from said axial rod (51), thereby opening said dispensing orifice (35).