WO2019053664A1

WO2019053664A1 - Device at an eyewash and a method for use of the device

Info

Publication number: WO2019053664A1
Application number: PCT/IB2018/057086
Authority: WO
Inventors: Billy Nilsson
Original assignee: Gepe Produkte Ag
Priority date: 2017-09-18
Filing date: 2018-09-15
Publication date: 2019-03-21
Also published as: SE540756C2; EP3661474B1; SE1730255A1; EP3661474A1

Abstract

Device (1a, 1b) at an eyewash of a kind comprising a container (2, 20) filled with a sterile washing fluid where the device (1a, 1b) has a first body (3a, 3b) which at one end is connected to an eye cup (6) and at its second end provided with a protruding piston (5a, 5b) having a predetermined continuous cross section axially, and where the device (1a, 1b) has a second body (4a, 4b) configured to be attached to a neck (8) of the container (2, 20) where this second body (4a, 4b) has a lengthwise hole with essentially the same cross section as said piston (5a, 5b), which before use of the eyewash is inserted to a storage position in said hole in the second body (4a, 4b); a plug (10) is launchably and sealingly attached to the end of the hole in the second body (4a, 4b) facing the container (2, 20), where said piston (5a, 5b) is provided with an all through running flush channel (11), whereby at one state of the device when the first body (3a, 3b) has been thumped towards the second body (4a, 4b) the piston (5a, 5b) will be inserted so far into the second body (4a, 4b) that the plug (10) has been knocked away, whereby a communication prevails between the container (2, 20) and the eye cup (6).

Description

Device at an eyewash and a method for use of the device TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a device at an eyewash intended for flushing of an eye which, as an example, has been exposed to splashes from corroding agents, gases, hot particles, welding sparks or the like.

PRIOR ART

[0002] An eyewash as known in the art commonly includes a bottle-like container made by a plastic material which in connection with the production is filled with a sterile washing fluid. The neck of the bottle-like container having at its outer end a seal, the material of which is thinner than the material of the container otherwise. Said seal exhibits, after the seal has become broken, an outlet orifice for washing fluid communicating with the interior of the container. Said outer end is further furnished with an eye cup intended during the showering of an eye to centre the outlet orifice across the eye and to keep the eye open.

[0003] For the washing of an eye it is known in the art to have a device applied to and constantly connected to a container as mentioned. As an example, a container having a seal of the mentioned kind is shown in the patent document EP0244439. A washing means is designed to enclose the seal and a portion of the neck of the container like a hood. Two projections are arranged to, when the washing device, from a starting position, by means of a thump with, for example, a hand against the eye cup, displace these projections against the thinner material of the seal to penetrate this and thereby ensure that the distal ends of the projections enter the interior of the container. By having arranged that the projections are designed as tubes and pointed at their distal ends in order to facilitate the penetration communication will prevail between the interior of the container and the outlet orifices of these tubes. One of the tubes conducts washing fluid from the container to the eye cup when the container is held up and down, while the other tube during the same time can lead air towards the interior of the container when washing fluid is led out.

[0004] It has been found that a device of the kind described can show certain

inconveniences. The thinner material applied to the seal of the container can be difficult to penetrate. When an eye wash is to be used by an operator it can often happen that he/her does not succeed to break through the seal at both or one of said tubes when the hand thump against the eye cup is carried out. As a result of this disadvantages may occur by an opening of only one of the channels, or that the operator has to try to withdraw the body containing the projections to try to penetrate the seal once again. Further, the hand can hurt when a hard thump by the hand is directed against the eye cup, which furthermore is often provided with a bridge to prevent the eye cup becoming wrecked by the thump.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] According to one aspect of the invention this is constituted by a device at an eye wash for use when flushing an eye with a sterile washing fluid when the eye has become exposed to any form of harmful influence. The device at an eyewash involves a container made by a plastic material, wherein said container in conjunction with the manufacturing being filled with a sterile washing fluid. The container discloses a neck or a constriction at its outer end. The device has a first body which at one end is connected to an eye cup and at its second end being provided with a protruding piston. Said piston in its axial direction having a continuous cross-section. The cross-section can be circular or having any other preferred shape. Further, the device discloses a second body being designed to be attached to the neck of the container by means of, for example, a screw thread or a snap fitting, where the attachment to the container is tightly sealing. This second body has a lengthwise extending hole with essentially the same cross-section as the cross-section of said piston, in order that the piston of the first body is slidably arranged inside said hole of the second body. Before use of the eyewash the piston is inserted into a storage position in said hole in the second body.

[0006] A plug is launchable and tightly plugged into the second body at the end of the hole facing the container. Further, the first body with said piston is provided with an all through longitudinally running flush channel which is open from the end of the piston up to the eye cup.

[0007] When using the eyewash, the first body must be hit by a light thump towards the second body so that the piston is slid into the hole in the second body so far that the piston knocks the plug out from the hole and thereby opens a communication between the interior of the container and the eye cup. As a consequence, when the eye wash is turned up and down washing fluid flows through said flush channel and out into the eye cup.

[0008] One purpose with the proposed solution is that it is easy to open the seal and that the opening of the seal is made in a safe way, i.e. that the user never fails to establish a communication between container and eye cup.

[0009] In one embodiment the transition between the first and the second body is enveloped by a shrink film or a tape being stretched like a bridge between the two bodies. When the eyewash is engaged and the first body is knocked down a bit into the second body this results in the envelope becoming crumbled together and form a collar or a bulge at the transition. By this it is revealed that the eyewash has been used and accordingly should not be used anew although there may still be washing fluid remaining in the container after the use of the eyewash.

[0010] The described eyewash may also be used in an embodiment where the container is constituted by a shrinkable bag. In this case no extra conduit will be necessary in order to supply air to the container in order to let the washing fluid flow out at an even pace without interruptions for letting air in to the container as this is drained on washing fluid. The bag is instead shrinking and reduces the enclosed volume at the same pace as the volume of washing fluid flowing out.

[0011] A preferred embodiment of the eyewash discloses a rigid bottle used as container for washing fluid, whereby an aeration conduit in terms of a through the piston running channel in the first body is utilized. Said channel has an orifice at the utmost end of the piston and further an orifice where the aeration conduit at a thicker part of the first body is angled outwards to the wall of the first body in order to open up to the surroundings there. In this embodiment the piston has at its distal end a protrusion which is only surrounding the aeration conduit, while the flush channel opens beside this protrusion where it extends from the piston where the piston has its full cross-sectional expanse. By this arrangement the distal end of the flush channel is located a predetermined distance from the distal end of the piston. This embodiment is arranged deliberately with the intention to bring the orifice of the aeration conduit (that is its outlet for air to the interior of the container) further up into the sterile washing fluid in the container compared to how far the flush channel reaches upwards when the communication between eye cup and container is created during use of the eyewash when it is turned such that the container is above the users eye. At this position air will flow into the container to fill space being freed when washing fluid flows out through the lower situated outlet which is then consisting of the inlet to the flush channel at its distal end of the piston. By this configuration washing fluid can flow towards the eye cup in a smooth and uninterrupted stream.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 schematically shows a cross section of the device at an eyewash according to the aspect of the invention, where the device in this case is depicted in a sealed position. Figure 2 schematically shows a cross section of the device according to figure 1 , where the device is now in a position for use whereby the device is open for flushing washing fluid from the container.

Figure 3 illustrates the device according to the aspect of the invention attached to a container and sealing said container. Inside the uncompleted circle the device is shown as it is presented in figure 1.

Figure 4 shows the opened device according to figure 2 during utilizing when it is held so that the device is situated below the container with washing fluid, where flow of fluid and aeration of the container is disclosed.

Figure 5 presents a sealed device according to another embodiment, where the device in this case is intended for use at an eyewash where the container for washing fluid is constituted by a deformable bag.

Figure 6 shows a device according to figure 5 but herein shown in an open condition whereby a washing fluid can flow from the bag downwards through the device when the eyewash is held so that the bag is located above the device in its opened mode.

Figure 7 depicts a complete eyewash according to an aspect of the invention where a perspective view discloses how the device according to figure 5 and 6 is attached to a deformable bag containing washing fluid.

Figure 8 shows the bag according to figure 7 with stiffeners visualized. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0012] In the following, a number of embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show the principle of the device only schematically and do not claim to show any proportions between different elements thereof according to scale.

[0013] In figures 1 to 4 a first embodiment according to one aspect of the invention is shown. The invention is, as mentioned, a device which is attached to a container for washing fluid and constitutes together with container and washing fluid an eyewash. On storage before the eyewash has been utilized the device shall include a seal which seals the container and maintains the washing fluid sterile during the storage. Figure 1 shows the device la attached to a container 2, usually a bottle. The device comprises a first body 3a and a second body 4a. The first body has in its distal part an elongated extension, herein called the piston 5a. Distal is herein meant to describe the direction towards the container 2. Proximal is thus the direction away from the container 2 and being the direction towards an eye cup 6, which is a part of the first body la. The eye cup 6 is, as known in the art, intended to envelop an eye when the eyewash is used to spread sterile washing fluid over the eye.

[0014] The piston 5a is manufactured with a predetermined cross section and is preferably circular, but can as well possess another geometrical cross section. Further, the piston 5a is inserted in the second body 4a in a hole with the same cross section as the piston 5a, so that the piston 5a is slidably connected to the second body 4a. Both bodies, 3a and 4a, are thus displaceably interconnected to each other.

[0015] From figure 1 it further becomes apparent that the second body 4a at its base (distally) is formed to have a collar 7 witch tightly envelops a neck 8 of the container 2, where said base with the collar 7 can be crimped, snapped or screwed to the neck 8 of the container. Further, the hole in the second body 4a is at its most distal part, which is closest to the content of washing fluid in the container 2, provided with a plug 10 which is launchable and sealingly attached to the hole at the mouth of the body 4a towards the container 2. Launchable is herein meant that the plug can be moved or shot away from its position. [0016] The first body 3a has an internal lengthwise flush channel 11 running from the eye cup 6 essentially axially up to, and opens at, the second end of the first body 3 a.

[0017] When the eyewash has not been used the utmost part of the piston 5a, that is the most distal part, abuts, or nearly abuts, the plug 10 of the second body 4a. When the eyewash is about to be used it is hereby easy to open the seal between eye cup 6 and the container 2 by means of a light thump on the eye cup 6 to thereby force the first body 3a to penetrate further into the second body 4a. When this happens the piston 5a will knock the plug 10 into the container 2, whereby flow communication between container 2 and eye cup 6 is present through flush channel 11 whereupon the washing fluid can flow down through the eye cup when the eyewash is turned up and down to arrange the container 2 to be situated higher than the eye cup 6.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment the first body is provided with an aeration conduit 12. This conduit extends from the distal end of the piston 5a and further in a direction towards the eye cup 6 along an outer part of the first body 3a. This aeration conduit 12 is inclined outwards from the material of the first body 3a at a thicker part of said body towards its envelope surface and has no connection at this end with the eye cup. In this embodiment the flush channel 11 is shortened to its length and has its inlet approximately halfway into the piston 5a where a protrusion of the piston begins and extends up to the distal end of the piston. The aeration conduit 12 is located inside said protrusion, which has a cross section composing a lesser part of the cross section of the piston 5a. As mentioned, this embodiment is arranged with the intention to bring the aeration conduit 12 further up into the sterile washing fluid in the container compared to how far the flush channel 11 extends upwards when the communication between eye cup and container is created during use of the eyewash when it is turned and being in a position where the container 2 is above the eye of the user and above the eye cup 6. In this position air will flow into the container 2 through the aeration conduit 12 to fill up space being freed when washing fluid flows out via the presently lower outlet which at this stage composes the inlet of the flush channel 1 1 at the end of the piston ahead of the distal end of the protrusion. By this configuration washing fluid can flow towards the eye cup at a smooth and uninterrupted stream. This state of affairs is shown in figure 4 where the device according to the invention is depicted with washing fluid in the container 2. Here the washing fluid flows down through the flush channel 11 and at the orifice of the flush channel 1 1 flows out into the eye cup 6. According to the figure it is further apparent that air is sucked in through the aeration conduit 12 and flows into the container 2, which is illustrated by air bubbles 18 rising upwards to the surface of the washing fluid 17. As washing fluid runs out at the orifice of the flush channel 11 the container 2 is drained of fluid, whereby the underpressure arised inside the container sucks air via the aeration conduit 12. Behind the orifice of the flush channel an evacuation hole 19 opens, whereby superfluous washing fluid flows out from the eye cup 6.

[0019] A second embodiment of the device is shown in figures 5 to 7. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment by that an aeration conduit is missing. The reason why aeration conduit is not needed in this case depends on that the device in this second embodiment is intended to be attached to a container which is composed of a deformable bag 20. The bag 20 which contains sterile washing fluid is stiffened so that it can be stored standing when having the device according to the invention localized at the top. When using the eyewash in this embodiment the air pressure surrounding the bag will squeeze the bag 20 together as it is drained on fluid. Accordingly, an aeration conduit is not necessary in this case.

[0020] The device according to the second embodiment comprises essentially similar elements as the device of the first embodiment and its function is the same apart from the aeration of the container being arranged in another way. The first body 3b has a piston 5b where this one has an extension up to and abuts the plug 10. Further, the second body 4b is of another configuration by being integrated with the bag 20, to which the second body is liquid-tight bound. Also in the second embodiment the second body 4b has a hole of the essentially the same cross section as the piston 5b, whereby the piston 5b via the hole in the second body 4b is slidably connected to the second body 4b. Both bodies 3b and 4b are thus displaceably interconnected to each other by means of piston 5b and the hole in the second body 4b.

[0021] Figure 6 shows the device lb according to the second embodiment, where the piston 5b is thrown into the hole of the second body 4b, whereby the plug 10 has been knocked out from its position as sealing the hole in the opening to the interior of the container, in this case of the bag 20. By the piston having been brought down by means of a slight blow on the eye cup 6 the flush channel 11 is opened and sterile washing fluid can stream from the interior of the bag 20 outwards to the eye cup 6 when the eyewash is held such that the bag 20 is located above the device lb. Finally, according to the second embodiment, in figure 7 the device is shown attached to a deformable bag 20 which is arranged to be stiff during storage and furthermore to shrink when it is drained of washing fluid when using the eyewash. Figure 8 depicts stiffeners 21 for the bag 20. These stiffeners 21 are of a flexibility which will not prevent the bag 20 form being compressed under the influence of the air pressure when using the eyewash.

[0022] As mentioned, the transition between the first 3a, 3b and the second body 4a, 4b is enveloped by a shrink film or tape 15 which is stretched like a bridge between both bodies. When the eyewash is to be utilized this results in that the envelope shrinks together and forms a bulge 16 around the circumference of the bodies at the transition. Thus it is clearly evident that the eyewash has been used when the bulge 16 can be observed which tells that the eyewash should not be utilized anew although washing fluid remains in the container 2, 20 after use of the eyewash.

[0023] The device is manufactured form an environmentally friendly material, for example polyethylene.

Claims

1. Device (la, lb) at an eyewash of a kind comprising a container (2, 20) filled with a sterile washing fluid, characterized in that:

- the device (la, lb) has a first body (3a, 3b) which at one end is connected to an eye cup (6) and at its second end provided with a protruding piston (5a, 5b) having a

predetermined continuous cross section axially,

- the device (la, lb) has a second body (4a, 4b) configured to be attached to a neck (8) of the container (2, 20) where this second body (4a, 4b) has a lengthwise hole with essentially the same cross section as said piston (5a, 5b), which before use of the eyewash is inserted to a storage position in said hole in the second body (4a, 4b),

- a plug (10) is launchable and sealingly attached to the end of the hole in the second body (4a, 4b) facing the container (2, 20),

- said piston (5a, 5b) is provided with an all through running flush channel (11),

- at one state of the device when the first body (3a, 3b) is thumped towards the second body (4a, 4b) the piston (5a, 5b) will be inserted so far into the second body (4a, 4b) that the plug (10) has been knocked away, whereby a communication prevails between container (2, 20) and the eye cup (6).

2 A device according to claim 1, where the piston (5a, 5b) is provided with an aeration conduit (12).

3. A device according to claim 2, where the aeration conduit (12) extends further distally than the distal end of the flush channel (11).

4. The device according to claim 3, where the piston (5a, 5b) at a distal part has a protrusion having a smaller cross section area than the piston (5a, 5b) otherwise and where the aeration conduit (12) in its distal part is located entirely inside the protrusion.

5. The device according to claim 4, where the aeration conduit (12) in its proximal end is inclined outwards to the wall of the first body (3a, 3b) and thereby not communicating with the eye cup (6).

6. The device according to claim 1, where the container is constituted by a deformable bag (20) which shrinks together when fluid flows out of the bag (20).

7. The device according to anyone of the preceding claims, where the device (la, lb) is attached to the container (2, 20) by means of welding, crimping, screwing or snapping.

8. The device according to claim 1 , where the transition between the first body (3a, 3b) and the second body (4a, 4b) is enveloped by a seal in the form of, for example, a film or a tape (15), which after use of the eyewash when both bodies has been knocked together forms a bulge (16).

9. The device according to claim 1, where the device (la, lb) is made of a plastic material.

10. Method for use of the eyewash according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

- the first body (3a, 3b) is thumped down into the second body (4a; 4b) whereby the piston (5a, 5b) knocks the plug (10) away from its sealing position in the hole in the second body (4a, 4b) and thereby creates communication between the interior of the container (2, 20) and the eye cup (6) via the flush channel (11),

- the eyewash is turned up and down so that washing fluid can flow out of the container (2, 20) and down into the eye cup (6).