Dispenser for discharging pharmaceutical liquid

Abstract

A dispenser for discharging a pharmaceutical liquid has the following features: a housing having a first housing member which at least partially defines a pump chamber, a second housing member through which an outlet opening passes, and an outer housing member which at least partially surrounds the first and second housing members, wherein the second housing component protrudes from the outer housing component through a through-hole of the outer housing component, and wherein a through-hole for actuating the actuating button is provided, the outer housing component having no liquid-conducting surface that limits the liquid path between the liquid reservoir and the outlet opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing a medicinal liquid, in particular for dispensing the medicinal liquid drop by drop in the form of individual drops. Background Art

[0002] The type of distributor has a liquid reservoir, a pump mechanism with a variable volume pump chamber and an outlet for discharging liquid. The liquid can be delivered to the outlet by means of the pump mechanism. The distributor is constructed as a so-called side-driven distributor. This should mean that the distributor has an elongated housing oriented along the main extension direction, and the outlet is arranged at the far end of the distributor, wherein an operating button for operating the pump mechanism is arranged on the side of the distributor in the area of ​​the outer peripheral surface of the housing. Usually, the operation is performed in such a way that the outer peripheral surface of the housing is held and the operating button is operated with the thumb.

[0003] A side-driven distributor of the type described is known from DE 102006012898 A1, which is constructed as a drop distributor. However, some aspects of the distributor described there are disadvantageous. Therefore, it may be difficult for the user to meter the displacement of the operating handle there when operating with the thumb. Since there is too much air in the pump chamber and the discharge channel at the time of delivery and the outlet valve must be opened when the overpressure is very small, so that the removal of air can be achieved by initial operation, it is also difficult to start operation. In addition, the drop distributor requires very precise coordination of all the components of the guiding fluid, which makes it difficult to adjust such a distributor according to customer wishes, that is, especially in shape and color to match the typical design of the trademark of the manufacturer of the medicinal liquid. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to develop a side-driven distributor of the type described in such a way that the described disadvantages are overcome or at least reduced.

[0005] In order to solve this problem, a dispenser is proposed, which has a liquid reservoir for storing liquid before discharging, a housing with a pump mechanism integrated therein, and an outlet for discharging the liquid, wherein the pump mechanism has a pump chamber with a variable volume. The pump mechanism is used for the following purpose, namely, to suck the liquid from the liquid reservoir and discharge it through the outlet when the dispenser is actuated.

[0006] The dispenser is configured as a side-driven dispenser and therefore has an elongated housing oriented along the main extension direction and has an outlet at the far end of the dispenser. The housing can have a substantially circular cross section, but can also differ therefrom and have a more precisely flat structural form. The liquid reservoir is preferably arranged at the end opposite the outlet. The operating button for operating the pump mechanism is arranged on the side of the dispenser in the region of the outer peripheral surface of the housing and can be shifted between an initial position that is not operated and an operated final position that is pressed in along the direction of the central axis. Here, the operation of the operating button is usually carried out with the help of the thumb.

[0007] The pump mechanism can be provided with a partially deformable pump chamber wall, for example, realized by a deformable diaphragm, or a pump chamber that is displaceable as a whole and in the form of a piston. The pressing of the operating button causes the pump chamber to shrink, and the method is particularly: the piston or the diaphragm is displaced transversely to the main extension direction. Usually the pump chamber is defined by two valves, that is, on the input side, an inlet valve is opened when there is a negative pressure relative to the liquid reservoir in the pump chamber, and on the output side, an outlet valve is opened when there is an overpressure relative to the output channel leading to the output port in the pump chamber. The inlet valve is closed when the pressure in the liquid reservoir and the pump chamber is the same, and preferably opens from a negative pressure of about 0.1 to 0.2 bar in the pump chamber. The outlet valve is closed when the pressure in the pump chamber and the adjacent output channel is the same, and preferably opens from an overpressure of about 0.5 bar in the pump chamber. Preferably, another valve is connected in front of the output port, and the other valve opens when the liquid in the output channel is overpressured relative to the ambient pressure.

[0008] The aspects of the invention described below are particularly advantageous when implementing a droplet dispenser, i.e. a dispenser with which a medicinal liquid is dispensed in the form of individual droplets as specified. For this purpose, a droplet formation device, i.e. an area, is preferably provided on the side of the outlet opening, in which the dispensed liquid accumulates until the volume dispensed is sufficient to form a droplet, which is detached from the droplet formation device due to gravity. In particular, the droplet formation device can be a droplet formation surface surrounding the outlet opening, which droplet formation surface is particularly flat or concavely shaped and / or is defined on the outer side by a sharp separating edge with a bending radius of preferably less than 0.5 mm. For the droplet dispenser, the aforementioned outlet valve is usually designed to open when there is an overpressure of preferably at least 0.3 bar, preferably at least 0.5 bar, so that the liquid flows through the outlet opening only at low pressure and accumulates first on the side of the outlet opening on the droplet formation device. The excess pressure for opening the valve should not be too low for preservative-free medicinal liquids in order to prevent external pressure fluctuations from causing the opening as much as possible. For liquids with preservatives, the requirements are lower. Here, an opening pressure of the outlet valve down to 0.05 bar is also possible and can be advantageous.

[0009] If the dispenser according to the present invention is designed as a droplet dispenser, the pump chamber preferably has an available volume, which is formed by the volume difference between the maximum volume and the minimum volume of the pump chamber, which is between 20 μl and 50 μl, preferably between 30 μl and 40 μl. Such a volume is roughly equivalent to the volume of a droplet in the usual design of the droplet forming device. The user can therefore discharge just one droplet by operating the operating button. If the droplet forming device is configured to form larger droplets, the available volume of the pump chamber is preferably correspondingly larger. When the dispenser is designed as a droplet dispenser, a larger pump chamber can also be suitable when multiple droplets are to be output with one operation. Furthermore, it is particularly preferred that the pump chamber is designed for manipulating exactly two droplets at a time and for this purpose preferably has a volume difference between the maximum volume and the minimum volume of the pump chamber of between 60 μl and 80 μl, or that the pump chamber is designed for manipulating exactly three droplets at a time and for this purpose preferably has a volume difference between the maximum volume and the minimum volume of the pump chamber of between 90 μl and 120 μl.

[0010] The quotient between the smallest pump chamber volume and the largest pump chamber volume is preferably at most 1:2, particularly preferably at most 1:3. This makes it easier to initially remove air from the pump chamber for the purpose of subsequently pumping liquid from the liquid reservoir.

[0011] The droplet formation means and the available pump chamber volume do not necessarily have to be coordinated in such a way that the pump chamber volume is sufficient for forming at least one droplet that can be detached due to gravity. Thus, for example, a pump chamber volume of less than 20 μl can also be provided if other detachment methods are provided, in particular when detachment is carried out under the action of a pressure surge. Such a pressure surge can be achieved, for example, by requiring that a mandatory minimum force must be applied during actuation, as will be explained below.

[0012] In the embodiment of the dispenser according to the invention as a droplet dispenser, the dispenser preferably has a liquid reservoir which is connected to the pump mechanism in such a way that the pump mechanism can reliably draw liquid from the liquid reservoir in a supine position with the droplet formation device pointing downward. This is achieved in particular by virtue of the fact that in this supine position the liquid reservoir is arranged above the pump mechanism and a standpipe for drawing liquid is omitted.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the invention which relates only to a droplet dispenser having a droplet forming surface which surrounds an outlet opening, it is provided that the variable-volume pump chamber is delimited on one side by a displaceable and / or deformable pump chamber wall, which is connected to the operating button in a connecting region in such a way that the pump chamber wall can be displaced in the direction of the pump chamber and thereby displaced by pressing the operating button in a displacement direction which is approximately orthogonal to the main extension direction.

[0014] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the operating button itself is configured as a flip button, which is supported in a manner that it can flip around a flip axis relative to the housing. Here, the flip axis is preferably oriented orthogonal to the main extension direction. The operating button is pressed in by the user to operate the pump mechanism. In order to reset the operating button to its initial position in which it is not operated, the dispenser has a spring mechanism that acts on the operating button in the force coupling input area and presses the operating button back in the direction of the initial position. Preferably, the flip button is supported in such a way that it can flip at least 5°, particularly preferably at least 10°.

[0015] The use of a flip button allows very precise metering, which is very advantageous for the defined generation and dispensing of droplets. This is primarily related to the fact that the flip button is not prone to tilting or the like due to its pivotable joint and the user can control well the speed at which the flip button is pressed in by manually applying force and at a distance from the flip axis. This is an advantage when dispensing droplets, since the moment of release of the droplet can thus be precisely influenced by the droplet formation device.

[0016] The spring mechanism that applies the restoring force to the flip button can be constructed in principle as an elastically deformable spring section that is integrally formed with the flip button and / or with the housing, or formed by a pump chamber wall that is deformable itself or a spring segment formed on the pump chamber wall. However, a separate spring mechanism, in particular a spring mechanism in the form of a helical spring made of plastic or metal, is preferred. The spring mechanism presses the operating button into its non-operated initial position, wherein the pump chamber becomes larger again and sucks liquid from the liquid reservoir.

[0017] The pivot axis of the flip key is preferably arranged at the end of the flip key facing away from the outlet relative to the main extension direction. This allows the thumb to rest permanently on the flip key in a flat manner during actuation when the housing is normally held and the thumb is placed on the flip key, and thus the flip movement can be controlled particularly sensitively.

[0018] Depending on the intended application, it may be desirable to ensure a minimum force for actuation. This can be achieved in a particularly simple manner with a flip button, namely by providing a latching element on the side of the flip button facing away from the flip axis, which makes it more difficult to press the flip button in. Preferably, the latching element and the flip button are coordinated with one another so that an actuation force of 10 Newtons is required at the distal end of the actuation button, including the opposing forces caused by the spring mechanism, in order to overcome the latching element. Preferably, the required actuation force is even higher, in particular at least 20 Newtons. By means of a suitable geometrical design of the latching element, it can be achieved that the reset of the initial position, including the overcoming of the latching element, can also be accomplished solely by the force of the spring mechanism.

[0019] The use of a latch is particularly suitable in order to generate a pressure shock which allows droplets which would not break away purely due to gravity to be released from the droplet forming device. The pressure shock can be caused by a minimal force imposed by means of the latch.

[0020] If the short length of the dispenser and the resulting short design of the tilt button in the main extension direction do not otherwise allow this or there are other reasons to justify this, it can be provided that the connection area and the force coupling input area are substantially identical. This occurs, for example, when the location of the piston or diaphragm element on the tilt button is surrounded by a spring designed as a helical spring.

[0021] However, it is preferred that the force coupling input region and the connecting region are arranged on the tilt button at significantly different distances from the tilt axis, wherein it is particularly preferred that the distance between the tilt axis and the connecting region is smaller than the distance between the tilt axis and the force coupling input region. The connecting region and the force coupling input region have different distances from each other relative to the tilt axis, which has various advantages, in particular, a simpler assembly, because the restoring spring and the connection to the displaceable pump chamber wall are separated in position from each other.

[0022] The tilting movement of the tilt button causes at least partial displacement of the pump chamber wall, whereby the pressure in the pump chamber increases and the liquid is pressed in the direction of the outlet. In particular, when using an inherently rigid piston forming the pump chamber, it may be necessary to provide a sliding connection or a transmission mechanism with at least one intermediate element between the operating button and the piston in order to convert the rotational movement of the tilt button into a linear movement of the piston. However, since the tilting angle usually does not exceed 5° to 10°, this is not necessary in all cases.

[0023] In particular, this need for a transmission mechanism or a sliding connection can be avoided by providing an elastically deformable compensation section, that is, an element made of easily deformable plastic, between the flip button and the pump chamber wall, which is arranged between the flip button and the support of the pump chamber wall. In addition, a design scheme is also involved, in which the pump chamber wall is formed by a deformable diaphragm. Such a diaphragm can close the pump chamber on one side, especially on the side opposite to the inlet valve and / or the outlet valve. The diaphragm is at least partially and in particular at least mainly made of an elastically deformable material, so that the diaphragm can be fixed around and still be moved into the pump chamber. The diaphragm is preferably directly connected to the flip button and is particularly preferably fixed to the flip button by means of a clamping connection.

[0024] The flip button can be swiveled around a flip axis preferably oriented orthogonally to the main extension axis. In principle, such swiveling movability can be achieved by means of a simple film hinge. However, it is preferred that a shaft section is provided on the flip button or on the surrounding housing section, which shaft section engages in a bearing on the respective other side and thus achieves swiveling movability. Here, the bearing is preferably formed by a plastic sheet or plastic tab that is injected in one piece on the flip button or the housing, wherein the plastic sheet has a perforation for receiving the shaft section, and the plastic tab has a recess for receiving the shaft section, which recess is particularly preferably provided with an assembly chamfer so that the shaft section is pressed in orthogonally to the flip axis. Such assembly can be performed quite well in an automated manner.

[0025] A similar structure with an injected plastic sheet or plastic web and a section fixed therein is preferably also used to fix the flip button in this way, so that an outward pivoting movement from the end position beyond the initial position is reliably prevented. However, the perforation or recess is designed to be correspondingly larger in this case in order to allow a relative displacement of the flip button relative to the housing that occurs with the flipping movement.

[0026] According to a second aspect of the invention, a dispenser of the type described has a channel section oriented in the main extension direction, which is arranged downstream of the pump chamber and the outlet valve of the pump mechanism and through which liquid can be conveyed in the direction of the outlet opening and the outlet valve (26) arranged there. The dispenser has an insert which is inserted into the channel section from the distal end in order to reduce its empty volume.

[0027] The channel section mentioned is technically caused by the fact that in the mentioned side drive design and when using an outlet valve arranged opposite to the displaceable pump chamber wall, the liquid path from the outlet valve to the outlet valve connected upstream of the outlet is relatively long. In order to be able to produce this channel section in the inner housing component composed of plastic and demould it, a larger one of at least about 4 mm is required. 2 cross section. However, this results in a relatively large volume for the channel section, which makes the start-up of the distributor difficult, since air must first be removed from this channel section during the start-up. Therefore, according to the invention, the insert is provided, which reduces the volume of the channel section. Preferably, the volume displaced in the channel section by the insert, which is preferably lance-shaped, is at least 30%, particularly preferably at least 50%, of the volume in the channel section without the inserted insert. It is particularly preferred that the channel section and the insert have an elongated cross section that becomes continuously shorter from the distal end of the housing component toward the upstream.

[0028] The channel section is preferably arranged in a first housing member made of plastic, which also forms the wall of the pump chamber and / or the input line between the liquid reservoir and the pump chamber. The insert is preferably a part of a second housing member made of plastic, which is arranged at the distal end of the first housing member and is passed through by the outlet. This two-member structure is particularly suitable in order to provide a receiving chamber for a displaceable or deformable valve body of the outlet valve between the first housing member and the second housing member. The simplified assembly is achieved by the design of the second housing member with the insert, because the second housing member simultaneously forms the outlet member and the insert with the outlet.

[0029] Preferably, the first housing component has a first circumferential web at its distal end and the second housing component has a second circumferential web, wherein a sealing surface on the outer side of the second circumferential web abuts against the inner side of the first circumferential web while forming a circumferential sealing area. The valve body of the outlet valve can be arranged in the space thus isolated. Preferably, the insert extending into the channel section is arranged on the second and inner circumferential web.

[0030] According to a third aspect of the present invention, which can be realized independently of the first and second aspects, the housing has two housing components, which correspond to the two housing components mentioned in terms of basic functions. The first housing component at least partially defines the pump chamber. The second housing component adjacent to the first housing component is passed through the outlet. In addition, an outer housing component separated from the second housing component is provided, which at least partially surrounds the first and second housing components, wherein the second housing component extends from the outer housing component through the perforation of the outer housing component, and wherein another perforation is provided in the outer housing component for operating the operating button. This outer housing component does not have any surface for guiding the liquid that defines the liquid path between the liquid reservoir and the outlet.

[0031] Thus, the outer housing component is not directly relevant in terms of function for guiding the liquid from the liquid reservoir to the outlet. For this reason, the construction of the outer housing component can be relatively easily adapted to different requirements, especially in terms of aesthetics and / or in terms of a design typical of the brand of the manufacturer of the medicinal liquid. Thus, a dispenser of the type according to the invention can be designed differently for different uses or different users, while the first and second housing components, which are optimized in terms of the best handling and discharge characteristics, remain unchanged.

[0032] The outer housing component can be completely optional here, so that the dispenser can be used without technical restrictions even when the outer housing component is removed. However, it is advantageous if the outer housing assumes a structural function, in particular by means of which the second housing component is fixed, preferably clamped, between the distal end of the outer housing component on the one hand and the distal end of the first housing component on the other hand. The outer housing component is preferably fixed to the first housing component for this purpose.

[0033] It is also advantageous if the actuation button has two button components, one of which primarily performs a technical function. The first button component can be mounted in particular movably on the first housing component. It can also have a connection region for connecting to a displaceable pump chamber wall and / or a force coupling region for introducing the force of a restoring spring.

[0034] The second key component is arranged on the outer side on the first key component and has a pressure surface for direct manual force loading. This second key component can be fixed on the first key component by means of a latch connection. The second key component can also be easily adjusted in terms of its aesthetic design as well as in terms of the design and arrangement of the pressure surface for force loading, just like the outer shell component. It is particularly advantageous that the first key component is constructed so that it allows the outer shell component to be pushed from one side of the outlet to the first and second housing components when the second key component is not yet arranged. The second key component that is subsequently mounted can then represent a safety device that prevents the outer shell component from being pulled out.

[0035] Instead of such a separate second key component, a construction is also possible in which a key tongue is provided on the outer housing component, which key tongue is largely cut off from the surrounding outer housing component but is connected to the outer housing component in one piece or in an articulated manner on one side. This key tongue then acts on the first key component instead of the second key component.

[0036] Preferably, the dispenser according to one of the three mentioned invention aspects has a removable dispenser cover, which can be set on the housing of the dispenser and removed from the housing to use the dispenser. This dispenser cover protects the outlet in the state of being set. It is particularly preferred that such a dispenser cover is designed as a ventilated dispenser cover and has at least one vent opening for this purpose, through which the outlet is communicated with the surrounding environment even when the dispenser cover is set. This is conducive to the rapid drying of the residual droplets left there. In the delivery state, the vent opening is preferably closed and opened by the user during the first use. The dispenser cover preferably has a sterile filter, which covers the vent opening to prevent bacteria from entering. In addition, the dispenser cover preferably has an integrated liner, which is positioned on or at the outlet when the dispenser cover is set so that the residual liquid left downstream of the outlet is absorbed and / or sterilized.

[0037] The liquid reservoir of the dispenser according to the present invention is preferably arranged at the end of the dispenser opposite to the outlet. It can be formed by a separate bottle body, which is coupled, for example, screwed to a housing surrounding the pump mechanism. In a different design, the peripheral wall of the liquid reservoir is integrally connected to the housing, wherein the bottom of the bottle is preferably formed by a separate component fixed to the peripheral wall. If the liquid reservoir has an unchangeable volume, the dispenser preferably has a ventilation channel, especially with a sterile filter, through which the liquid reservoir is connected to the surrounding atmosphere. However, as an alternative, the liquid reservoir can also have a variable internal volume, in particular by providing a bag, in which a liquid is stored and the bag is surrounded by a rigid bottle body. The entrained piston system also allows a variable internal volume to be achieved.

[0038] The dispenser according to the invention is provided for discharging a medicinal liquid. Therefore, the liquid reservoir is preferably filled with such a medicinal liquid in the delivery state. The medicinal liquid is in particular a medicinal liquid for treating elevated intraocular pressure (glaucoma treatment), for treating dry eyes and for treating allergies and inflammation. In this case, in particular, molecular group α-2 stimulants, such as brimonidine, prostaglandin analogs (tafluprost, latanoprost, bimatoprost, travoprost), beta-blockers, such as timolol and hydrocarbon pyrimidines, such as dorzolamide or hyaluronic acid compounds, film formers, such as methylcellulose compounds and cyclosporin or antihistamines, such as olopatadine and levocabastine nasal sprays, steroids, such as loteprednol and dexamethasone, and NSAIDs, such as ketorolac play a role.

[0039] Furthermore, the dispenser according to the invention can advantageously be used for liquids having one or more of the following classes of molecules: trichloroacetic acid, trioxyacetone, urea, zinc oxide, tacrolimus, clobetasol propionate, mometasone furoate, betamethasone dipropionate, fluocinolone acetate, desoximetasone, triamcinolone acetonide, acetone acetone, fluticasone propionate, hydrocortisone, tribenzimidazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, undecylenic acid, terbinafine, ciclopirox, tolnaftate, acyclovir, imiquimod, docosanol, finasteride, minoxidil, dexamethasone, tramazoline, naphazoline, Nostrilla nasal spray, oxymetazoline, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine, tetrazole, tramazoline hydrochloride, isoheptylamine and xylometazoline.

[0040] The components of the distributor according to the invention are preferably made of plastic. Only for the described springs and the springs which are optionally present on the inlet valve and / or outlet valve, a metallic design is an alternative. The components which are deformable in operation, in particular the main part of the diaphragm element, the valve lip and the outlet valve body, are preferably made of a plastic with a strength of <200 N / mm 2The components that cannot move during operation, in particular all or some housing components, are preferably made of an elastomeric plastic with a modulus of elasticity of >500 N / mm. For example, LDPE (low-density polyethylene) is considered. 2 Here, for example, it can be HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or PP (polypropylene). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Further advantages and aspects of the invention are apparent from the claims and the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, which is explained below with reference to the drawings.

[0042] Figure 1A and 1B The non-sectional illustration shows a dispenser according to the invention which comprises a main unit and a dispenser cover.

[0043] Figure 2A and 2B The distributor is shown in a sectional illustration with the pump chamber located therein, which is delimited by a diaphragm element and a valve component.

[0044] Figure 3 and 4 The dispenser is shown in a perspective cutaway illustration.

[0045] Figure 5 and 6 The operation process of the dispenser is shown.

[0046] With the help of Figure 7 To illustrate the assembly sequence of the various components of the dispenser.

[0047] Figure 8 The coupling between the operating button of the dispenser and the membrane element is shown.

[0048] Fig. 9 and 10 The valve member and the diaphragm member are shown in detail.

[0049] Fig.11 An alternative design of a distributor is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] Figure 1A and 1B The uncut illustration shows a first embodiment of a dispenser according to the invention together with its dispenser cover. Figure 1AThe main unit shown in the figure has an elongated housing which is composed of various housing components 30, 12, 52, 44 which are oriented along the main extension direction 2. As will be described further, a pump mechanism 16 is arranged inside the housing, by means of which liquid can be conveyed from a liquid reservoir 14 at the proximal end of the dispenser 10 to an outlet opening 28 at the distal end of the dispenser 10. An operating button 70 is provided for operating the pump mechanism 16.

[0051] exist Figure 1B The dispenser cap 100 shown in FIG. 1 can be placed onto the housing of the dispenser 10 by means of a thread.

[0052] Figure 2A and 2B The main unit of the dispenser 10 and the dispenser cover 100 are shown in a cutaway illustration.

[0053] Based on this diagram the main elements will first be described.

[0054] As in Figure 2A As can be seen in the figure, the main unit of the dispenser 10 is composed of a plurality of housing parts, wherein the first housing component 30 is the largest housing component and seems to be the central carrier for other components of the dispenser. This housing component 30 provides the shell wall of the liquid reservoir 14 at its proximal end. It is a carrier of different components of the pump mechanism, especially a diaphragm component 60 and a valve component 90 arranged on the opposite side of the pump chamber 20. The operating button 70 is hinged on the first housing component 30 in a manner that can rotate around the turning axis 6. The operating button 70 itself is composed of two button components 76, 80, wherein the button component 80 inside is connected to the diaphragm component 60 in a manner method that will be further described, so that the diaphragm component 60 can be pressed into the pump chamber 20 by means of the operating button 70. A return spring 72 is provided between the button component 80 and the first housing component.

[0055] The second housing component 44 adjoins the distal end of the first housing component 30. The second housing component 44 is arranged in a fixed position on the first housing component 30 and seals the interior space together with the first housing component, inside which a deformable outlet valve body 96 is arranged, which in turn is assigned an outlet valve spring 98. Another housing component, namely the outer housing component 52, surrounds the housing components 30, 44, wherein the housing component 44 passes through a through hole 58 of the outer housing component 52 with an applicator tip 46, and wherein the outer housing component 52 has a through hole 56 in the outer circumferential surface 54, through which the operating button 70 can be pressed in the manner indicated by the arrow 8, so as to thereby displace the diaphragm 60 in the direction indicated by the arrow 4.

[0056] With the help of Figure 3 and 4 perspective and refer to Figures 8 to 10 The distributor is further explained in detail in the following figure.

[0057] Before the liquid is discharged, the liquid is stored in the liquid reservoir 14. Figures 1A to 10 In the case of the embodiment of the present invention, the liquid reservoir is defined by the outer circumferential surface 15, which is part of the first housing component 30, and the liquid reservoir is closed by the meshing bottom 12 on the proximal end of the dispenser. The dispenser 10 is usually used in the following orientation, along which the outlet 28 points downward, so that the liquid in the liquid reservoir 14 directly abuts on the valve member 90, that is, the inlet valve lip 92 of the inlet valve 18 during the operation of the operating button 70. Therefore, when there is a negative pressure in the pump chamber 20 adjacent to the inlet valve lip, the liquid can flow into the pump chamber 20. The pump chamber 20 itself is defined by the mentioned valve member 90, the annular housing section 36 of the first housing component 30, and the already mentioned diaphragm member 60 that can be deformed itself.

[0058] When the diaphragm is displaced in the direction of the arrow 4 and in the direction of the valve member 90, an overpressure occurs in the pump chamber, which opens the outlet valve 22 by the offset of the outlet valve lip 94 of the outlet valve. Liquid can thus flow into the channel section 24, which is oriented along the main extension direction 2 and is guided to the distal end of the housing member 30. Two annular webs 32, 34 are provided at this distal end of the housing member 30. The external web 32 has an inner diameter that matches the annular web 48 of the second housing member 44 so that the intermediate space defined by the two housing members 30, 44 is isolated from the surrounding environment. A lance-shaped protrusion is provided on the annular web 48 of the second housing member 44, which forms an insert 50, which extends into the channel section 24 and fills its volume to a large extent. The liquid that flows through the channel section 24, which is thus minimized in terms of its volume, all the way to the second housing component 44 cannot flow out directly through the outlet opening 28 here, because the outlet valve 26 is connected in front of the outlet opening 28, and the outlet valve includes the above-mentioned outlet valve body 96, which is pressed toward the outlet opening 28 in a sealing manner by means of the outlet valve spring 98 and thus closes the outlet opening. However, as the liquid pressure at the outlet valve 26 increases, the outlet valve body 96 is deformed against the force of the outlet valve spring 98 and thus opens the liquid path, so that the liquid can flow out through the outlet opening 28 at a lower pressure and form a droplet at the droplet formation device in the form of a droplet formation surface 120 arranged on the other side of the outlet opening 28. Only when the droplet has a volume defined by the geometry of the droplet formation device will it break away and thus be able to be applied, for example, to the eyes, nostrils or ears of the user.

[0059] If the user releases the operating button 70 after the operation is completed, the operating button is pressed back to its initial position by the spring mechanism 72 designed in the manner of a metal spiral spring. In this process, the diaphragm element 60 is pulled together and the volume of the pump chamber 20 is expanded again, so that liquid is sucked from the liquid reservoir 14 into the pump chamber 20. In order to prevent the generation of negative pressure in the liquid reservoir 14, the dispenser 10 has a ventilation channel 110, which is provided with a sterile filter 112 and allows air to flow from the surrounding environment into the liquid reservoir 14.

[0060] Both the valve component 90 and the diaphragm component 60 are designed as components manufactured by two-component injection molding. The two components each have a rigid component section, namely a fixing ring 91, 62, on which a component made of soft plastic is injected. Fig. 9 For the valve member shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 1 , the soft plastic particularly forms the inlet valve lip 92 and due to Fig. 9 The components of the outlet valve lip 94 which have already been mentioned cannot be seen from the perspective in FIG. With regard to the diaphragm element 60 , the component made of soft plastic forms the pump chamber wall 64 and the thicker middle piece, wherein the pump chamber wall 64 points in the direction of the pump chamber 20 and the middle piece transitions to the compensation section 66 and the connecting section 68 on the side facing away from the pump chamber.

[0061] exist Figure 4 The external key member 76 is hidden, and again referring to Figure 4 As can be seen from the sectional view of FIG. 70 , the connecting section 68 mentioned extends into the key component 80 in the connecting area 70A. Here, the connecting section 68 is fixed by means of a clamping connection. This clamping connection is to be fixed by means of a clamping connection. Figure 8 To explain in detail, Figure 8 A cutout of the dispenser is shown with the key member 76 removed. As can be seen here, three perforations 82, 86 are provided in the key member 80. The perforation 82 is a real coupling perforation. It is formed in the form of an elongated perforation, the longitudinal sides of which, facing each other, form a clamping surface 84 for fixing the connecting section. The clamping surface is provided with a sharp-edged profile, which is pressed into the connecting section 68 from both sides and provides a desired secure clamping connection. The perforations 86 oriented parallel to this constitute assembly perforations, which are used to allow the tabs to deflect between the coupling perforations and the assembly through-holes during assembly without damaging the tabs or other components of the key member 80.

[0062] Also refer to Figure 8 The fixing of the key component 80 is explained below. The key component 80 has two formed shaft sections 74, which define the tilt axis 6. The shaft sections 74 are supported laterally in bearing holes 40, which are part of the first housing component 30. At the opposite ends of the operating button 70, the operating button has two similarly designed guide holes 88, into which the cams 42 of the first housing component 30 extend. This prevents the spring mechanism 72 from pressing the key component 80 and the tilt button 70 as a whole out of the housing.

[0063] If with the help of Figure 3 and 4 As can be clearly seen, the connection region 70A, in which the key component 80 is connected to the connection section 68 of the membrane element 60, and the force coupling input region 70B are spaced at different distances from the tilt axis 6. In this connection region, the key component 80 is connected to the connection section 68 of the membrane element 60, and in this force coupling input region, the spring means 72 acts on the key component 76. This makes it easier to install the individual components in a limited structural space. On the other hand, the design of the dispenser and the restoring force acting on the actuating key 70 can be adjusted in an advantageous manner.

[0064] If it can be Figure 8 As can be seen, the inner key component 80 shown there is designed primarily in terms of its technical function in terms of its shape. However, in order to achieve an aesthetically appealing design of the operating key 70, the outer second key component 76 is provided, which is connected to the inner key component 80 by means of a latching connection. The pressure surface 78 is provided on this outer key component 76, on which the user places his thumb for the purpose of operation.

[0065] As already explained, the dispenser shown is designed as a drop dispenser. It is designed in such a way that actuation of the actuation button from the initial position not actuated to its final position actuated should result in the discharge of exactly one drop. Accordingly, the pump chamber 20 is designed to be relatively small and has a difference of 40 μl between the usable pump chamber volume, i.e. the maximum volume and the minimum volume of the pump chamber 20.

[0066] The result of this very small pump volume is that special precautions must be taken to operate the dispenser. In the delivery state of the dispenser, the pump chamber 20 is filled with air. Likewise, the liquid path from the pump chamber 20 to the outlet 28 is filled with air.

[0067] In order to be able to displace air from the pump chamber 20 at all starting from this initial state, the pump mechanism 16 has a very small quotient between the minimum volume of the pump chamber 20 in the actuated state and the maximum volume of the pump chamber 20 in the non-actuated state. Figure 5 and 6 To show. Figure 5 The unmanipulated state is shown. Figure 6 The manipulated state is shown.

[0068] It can be seen that in the operated state, the diaphragm element 60 is displaced to such a great extent in the direction of the valve member 90 mounted on the annular matching wall 38 that the diaphragm element comes into contact with the valve member. At the position where the diaphragm element 60 comes into contact with the valve member 90, no residual volume is left between them. It can be further seen that the pump chamber wall 64 formed by the diaphragm element 60 is partially rolled up or straightened when it is transformed into the operated state, so that the pump chamber wall abuts against the annular housing section 36 at the end of the operation or only leaves a very narrow gap therebetween. Figure 6 The minimum volume that can be achieved in this way, shown in , is less than 2 μl. The quotient formed by the minimum volume and the maximum volume of the pump chamber 20 is therefore less than 1:20.

[0069] With the help of Figure 5 and6 It can also be seen that the tilting movement of the operating button results in that the connecting section 68 of the diaphragm element 60 is also tilted accordingly. In order to nevertheless achieve the mentioned very small minimum volume of the pump chamber 20, the compensation section 66 is formed in Figure 6 The method shown in the figure is modified.

[0070] Similar problems exist as in the pump chamber 20 from the perspective of the liquid path to the outlet 28. Here too, it is advantageous that the volume is as small as possible so that only a small amount of air is present in the delivery state, which must be removed before the discharge.

[0071] Here, this is in particular the already described design of the insert 50 , which reduces the volume so much that the air removed from the pump chamber 20 in the direction of the channel section 24 reaches a sufficient pressure after two or three actuation operations of the actuation button 70 to open the outlet valve 26 .

[0072] exist Figure 5 and 6 , an optional latching element 37 is also provided in dashed lines, which forces a minimum force to be generated during actuation. This is particularly useful if the dispenser is designed for a pump volume that is smaller than the pump volume required for the droplets to be released purely due to gravity. For such small volumes, the pressure surges generated by the sudden compression of the pump chamber can still cause the droplets to be released from the droplet formation surface 120.

[0073] The following uses Figure 7 To explain the assembly sequence.

[0074] Starting from the first housing component 30, the valve component 90 is first inserted and fixed by means of its fixing ring 91 to the annular counter wall 38 of the first housing component 30. Subsequently, the return spring 72 and the diaphragm element 60 are inserted, wherein the diaphragm element 60 is clamped on the outer side of the annular housing section 36 by means of the fixing ring 62 and a fluid-tight connection is provided here.

[0075] Subsequently, the inner key component 80 is inserted, which is pressed into the bearing hole 40 in the region of the shaft section 74 and pressed onto the cam 42 provided on the first housing component 30 in the region of the guide hole 88. During the insertion of the key component 80, the coupling aperture 82 is expanded by the spreader, so that the connection section 68 of the diaphragm part can enter the coupling aperture without deformation. Subsequently, the spreader is removed and the described clamping connection is thus provided.

[0076] Thereafter, the preassembled assembly consisting of the deformable outlet valve body 96 and the second housing component 44 is inserted onto the first housing component 30 at the end side, wherein the outlet valve spring 98 has been previously placed on this end side and wherein the insert 50 is also inserted into the channel section 24 of the first housing component 30 .

[0077] As the last manufacturing step, the outer housing component 52 is first inserted into the previously assembled component assembly, thereby also achieving the fixing of the first housing component 30 and the second housing component 44 to each other. The second key component 76 is then pressed onto the first key component 80 and locked there.

[0078] The last two components 52, 76 do not have any liquid contact and therefore do not affect the discharge characteristics of the dispenser. These two components 52, 76 are those components that can be adjusted in shape and color according to regulations so that the dispenser 10 can be matched to the individual wishes of the manufacturer of the medicinal liquid.

[0079] Fig.11 A second exemplary embodiment of a dispenser according to the invention is shown which has only one difference with respect to the above-mentioned dispensers: the first housing component 30 and the outer housing component 52 are designed in such a way that they allow the coupling of individual bottles 130 .

Claims

1. A dispenser (10) for dispensing a medicinal liquid, in particular for dispensing a medicinal liquid drop by drop in the form of individual drops, the dispenser having the following characteristics: a. The dispenser (10) has a liquid reservoir (14), a pump mechanism (16) with a variable volume pump chamber (20), and an output port (28) for outputting the liquid, and b. The dispenser (10) has an elongated housing oriented along the main extension direction (2), wherein the outlet (28) is arranged at the distal end of the dispenser (10), and c. the dispenser (10) has an operating button (70), which is arranged on the side of the dispenser (10) in the area of ​​the outer peripheral surface (54) of the housing and can be pressed between an unoperated initial position and an operated final position, It is characterized by the following features: d. the housing has a first housing member (30) which at least partially defines the pump chamber (20), and e. The housing has a second housing member (44) through which the outlet (28) passes, and f. The housing comprises an outer housing component (52) which at least partially surrounds the first and second housing components (30, 44), wherein the second housing component (44) protrudes from the outer housing component through a through hole (58) of the outer housing component (52), and wherein a through hole (56) for operating the operating button (70) is provided, and g. The outer shell member (52) is free of any liquid-guiding surfaces that restrict the liquid path between the liquid reservoir (14) and the outlet (28).

2. The dispenser (10) according to claim 1, having the following additional features: a. The second housing member (44) is fixed, preferably clamped, between the distal end of the outer housing member (52) and the distal end of the first housing member (30).

3. The dispenser (10) according to claim 1 or 2, having the following additional features: a. The operating button (70) has a first button component (80), - the first button component is movably supported on the first housing component (30), and / or - the first button member has a connection region (70A) for connection to a displaceable pump chamber wall (64) and / or - the first key component has a force coupling input region (70B) for introducing the force of the spring mechanism (72), and b. The operating button (70) has a second button component (76) which is arranged on the outer side on the first button component (80) and has a pressure surface (78) for direct manual force application.

4. The dispenser (10) according to claim 1 or 2, having the following additional features: a. The distributor (10) is configured as a droplet distributor (10) and has a droplet forming device downstream of the outlet (28).

5. The dispenser (10) according to claim 4, having the following additional features: b. The droplet formation device comprises a droplet formation surface which surrounds the discharge opening, the droplet formation surface preferably being of planar or concave shape and / or the droplet formation surface preferably being surrounded by a sharp-edged separation edge.

6. Dispenser (10) according to claim 4 or 5, having the following additional features: c. The dispenser has a coordination mechanism between the pump mechanism (16) and the droplet formation device, through which a complete actuation of the actuation button generates exactly one falling droplet.

7. The dispenser (10) according to claim 1 or 2, having the following additional features: a. The dispenser (10) has a dispenser cover (100), which can be mounted on the housing and protects the outlet opening in the mounted state.

8. The dispenser (10) according to claim 7, having the following additional features: b. The dispenser cap (100) is designed as a vented cap and has a vent opening (102), through which the outlet (28) is connected or can be connected to the surrounding atmosphere even when the dispenser cap (100) is put on, wherein a sterile filter (104) is preferably assigned to the vent opening (102).

9. Dispenser (10) according to claim 7 or 8, having the following additional features: c. The dispenser cap (100) has a liner (106) which is positioned above or at the outlet (28) when the dispenser cap (100) is put on so that residual liquid remaining downstream of the outlet (28) is absorbed and / or sterilized by it.

10. The dispenser (10) according to claim 1 or 2, having at least one of the following features: a. the difference between the maximum pump chamber volume and the minimum pump chamber volume is between 20 μl and 50 μl, preferably between 30 μl and 40 μl, and / or b. the quotient between the smallest pump chamber volume and the largest pump chamber volume is at most 1:2, preferably at most 1:3, and / or c. the distributor (10) has an outlet valve (26) upstream of the outlet opening (28), wherein the outlet valve is preferably designed to open at an overpressure of 0.3 bar, and / or d. the liquid reservoir (14) of the dispenser has an outer circumferential surface (15) which is formed integrally with a housing surrounding the pump mechanism (16), wherein a bottom (12) which is preferably formed as a separate component at the end opposite the outlet opening (28) is fixed to the outer circumferential surface (15), and / or e. The liquid reservoir is connected to the surrounding atmosphere by means of a ventilation channel or the liquid reservoir has a variable inner volume and is bounded for this purpose by flexible or displaceable walls.

Images