An apparatus for applying eye drops

Abstract

This invention relates to an apparatus for applying eye drops comprising a body configured to be releasably mounted on a user's finger, the body having a resiliently deformable arm extending outwardly from the distal end of the body, and the arm having a hand at its outermost end. The hand has an inner surface that is concave-shaped and a drainage through-hole extending through the hand. In use, a user places an eye drop directly from its container onto the hand of the apparatus. The eye drop will be held there in position on the hand of the apparatus. The user then places the eye drop against their eye and under a small applied pressure, the eye drop will be released onto the eyeball. This is a simple and effective way to place eye drops correctly.

Description

[0001] Title of Invention:

[0002] “An apparatus for applying eye drops”

[0003] Technical Field:

[0004] This invention relates to an apparatus for applying eye drops.

[0005] Background Art:

[0006] It is commonly known that eye drops are used to treat a wide range of disparate conditions, ranging from dry eyes to more serious conditions such as glaucoma. Eye drops can provide necessary relief as well as being used as a way of dispensing necessary medicaments directly onto the eyeball.

[0007] There are however a number of problems with the correct placement of eyedrops. Typically, eye drop solutions are provided in either a squeezable bottle container with a large number of dosages contained therein, or are individually packaged in small plastic pipette-like containers that can be used one dosage at a time as needed. A problem with the application of all types of eye drops is that they are difficult for the user to correctly place on the eye. When the user attempts to dispense the eyedrop from the relevant container, there is a natural tendency, a reflex reaction, for the user to close their eye as the container is brought towards their eye and / or as the eye drop is dispensed from the container. This results in the wastage of eye drop materials and further can result in the user not getting the optimum benefits from the eye drop.

[0008] Although wastage is perhaps not a significant problem (from a cost and materials perspective) for eye drops not treating more serious medical conditions such as glaucoma, it is still undesirable. Indeed, the problem becomes more significant when the eye drops are used to deploy expensive medicaments. At best, this requires prescriptions to be fulfilled more regularly and extra costs and inconvenience being incurred, whereas at worst this will lead to the patient not receiving the correct dosage of medicament as prescribed, potentially causing harm. In addition to the foregoing, when self-administering eye drops, it can be difficult for the user to know the precise size and number of drops that have been placed by them directly onto their eyeball. This can be difficult to do as their vision will be impaired. This can lead to the incorrect administration of eye drops. It would be advantageous if the user could dispense the eye drops onto an intermediary device so that they were certain that the correct amount of eye drop will be administered onto their eyeball.

[0009] Various devices have been devised to assist in the correct placement of eye drops.

[0010] However, to date, none of the proposed solutions have been deemed entirely satisfactory. In particular, some of the known offerings are relatively complex to manufacture and / or unwieldy to use.

[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for applying eye drops that overcomes at least some of the problems with the known offerings. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for applying eye drops that is simple to use, inexpensive to manufacture, and that offers a useful choice to the consumer.

[0012]

[0013] According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops comprising a body configured to be releasably mounted on a user’s finger, the body having a resiliently deformable arm extending outwardly from the distal end of the body, the arm having a hand at its outermost end, the hand having an inner surface that is concave shaped and a drainage through-hole extending through the hand.

[0014] By having such an apparatus, the user may place the eyedrop onto the hand of the apparatus where it will be held in position until the user is ready to dispense the eye drop onto their eye. The user will not have to tilt their head back and bring the container into proximity with their eye. Instead, the user can dispense the eye drop(s) onto the device and from there, gently administer the eyedrop onto their eyeball using the apparatus. The correct amount of medicament can be measured in advance and it will be easier for the user to correctly place the eye drop directly onto their eyeball. Furthermore, the use of a concave-shaped surface with a drainage through-hole will permit effective temporary storage and then subsequent transfer of the eye drop onto the user’s eye.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the hand is tapered in a chisel cut towards its outermost end.

[0016] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the body is thimble shaped for capturing a user’s finger therein. This is seen as a very simple construction, simple to manufacture and intuitive to use.

[0017] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the thimble is open at its outermost end.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the hand is of the order of between 0.008m (8mm) and 0.012m (12mm) wide. Ideally, there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the hand is of the order of 0.01 m (10mm) wide. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the drainage through-hole is of the order of between 0.001 (1 mm) and 0.004 (4mm) wide. Ideally, the drainage through-hole is of the order of 0.0015m (1 ,5mm) wide.

[0019] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the drainage through-hole is configured to pass diagonally through the hand. The drainage through-hole is angled so that a central longitudinal axis of the through-hole forms an incident angle of the order of between 25 degrees and 45 degrees with the rear surface of the hand, preferably of the order of between 30 and 40 degrees.

[0020] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the body is constructed from a medical grade silicone. Medical grade silicone is seen as particularly useful as it is relatively simple to mould and furthermore can be sanitized between uses without negatively impacting the material properties of the apparatus.

[0021] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the medical grade silicone has a shore A hardness of greater than 5 and less than or equal to 35. It is envisaged that a medical grade silicone having a shore A hardness of the order of between 6 and 10, preferably of the order of 7, would be particularly suitable.

[0022] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the body is constructed from a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. TPE is also seen as a particularly useful material as it is simple to mould and inexpensive to produce. Preferably, the TPE material has a shore A hardness of 50.

[0023] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops as claimed in any preceding claim in which the arm has a narrowed waist portion adjacent the body at the end of the arm remote from the hand.

[0024] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the apparatus is moulded from a single unitary piece. This is seen as a very simple and inexpensive way to manufacture the device. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the arm extends rearwardly along the body in an elongate spine. In this way, the rigidity of the arm and how the arm flexes can be determined in part by the thickness of the spine and without requiring too much additional material to manufacture the device. This provides for an efficient use of resources.

[0025] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the arm tapers inwardly from the body towards the hand. In this way, the manner in which the arm will bend including how and where the arm will bend as it is brought into contact with the user’s eye can be determined with precision.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the apparatus is a two-part construction having a first part and a second part connectable together, the first part comprising the body configured to be mounted on a user’s finger, the second part comprising the resiliently deformable arm having a hand at its outermost end.

[0027] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the second part comprises an annular collar at its innermost end, the annular collar being in a plane substantially orthogonal to the plane of the hand.

[0028] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which the first part has a circumferential groove formed in the surface thereof for reception of the annular collar of the second part.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus for applying eye drops in which one of the first part and the second part are provided with a boss and the other of the first part and the second part are provided with a complementary indent for reception of the boss. Brief of the

[0030] The invention will now be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

[0031] Figure 1 is a left-hand side view of the apparatus according to the invention;

[0032] Figure 2 is a right-hand side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

[0033] Figure 3 is front view of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

[0034] Figure 4 is a rear view of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

[0035] Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

[0036] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

[0037] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of portion of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

[0038] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of portion of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

[0039] Figure 9 is an enlarged side view of portion of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

[0040] Figure 10 is an enlarged side view, similar to Figure 9, with the arm deflected;

[0041] Figure 11 is an enlarged side view of portion of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;

[0042] Figure 12 is an enlarged side view, similar to Figure 11 , with the arm deflected;

[0043] Figure 13 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of apparatus according to the invention; Figure 14 is a rear view of the alternative embodiment of apparatus shown in Figure 13;

[0044] Figure 15 is an exploded view of the alternative embodiment of apparatus shown in Figures 13 and 14;

[0045] Figure 16 is a front view, similar to the view shown in Figure 3, of a third embodiment of apparatus according to the invention;

[0046] Figure 17 is a rear view, similar to the view shown in Figure 4, of the apparatus shown in Figure 16; and

[0047] Figure 18 is a view, similar to the view shown in Figure 9, of the apparatus of Figure 16.

[0048] Detailed Description of the Drawings:

[0049] Referring to Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, there is shown an apparatus for applying eye drops, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 , comprising a thimble-shaped body 3 open at each of its ends 5, 7 and dimensioned to fit onto the end of a user’s finger (not shown). The body is constructed from a resiliently deformable material and has an arm 9 extending outwardly therefrom with a hand 11 at the distal end of the arm 9.

[0050] Referring specifically to Figures 7 and 8, the hand 11 has a substantially concave inner surface 13 with a through-hole 15. Referring specifically to Figures 1 and 2, the body and arm have a spine 17, the thickness of which is determined to provide the desired amount of flexibility to the arm 9 and to ensure that the arm bends in the desired location. In addition, it can be seen that the hand 11 tapers inwardly in a chisel cut towards it’s tip 19 at its outermost end. Referring specifically to Figures 3 and 4, it can be seen that the arm also tapers inwardly from the point where it contacts the body 3 towards the hand 11 . Referring now to Figures 9 to 12 inclusive, there are shown views (Figures 9 and 11 ) with the arm at rest, and views (Figures 10 and 12) with the arm bent upwards, deflected out of the rest configuration. This shows the flexibility of the apparatus.

[0051] In use, a user will place the body 3 of the apparatus on their finger with the concave face of the hand 11 facing upwards. Using their other hand, the user will dispense the required amount of eye drop solution from an eye drop container (not shown), onto the hand 11 of the apparatus 1 . The hand 11 of the apparatus 1 is concave and the eye drop solution will sit in the concave-shaped inner surface 13 of the hand 11 portion. Due to surface tension and forces acting on the eye drop solution, the eye drop solution will not immediately drain through the drainage through-hole 15. Instead, the eye drop solution will sit on the concave-shaped surface 13 of the hand 11 , ready for application.

[0052] When ready to apply the eye drop to the eye, the user will spread the eye lid(s) of the eye in which they wish to apply the eye drops with the fingers of their free hand (the hand without the eye drop applicator apparatus 1 mounted thereon), and the user will advance the hand 11 of the eye drop applicator 1 with the eye drop thereon towards their eye. The user will then gently press the hand 11 of the apparatus up towards the eye until the eye drop is in contact with the eye. The attractive forces between the eye drop and the eye will overcome the attractive forces between the eye drop and the apparatus, and the eye drop will pass from the apparatus onto the surface of the eye. Ideally, this is done without requiring the apparatus to be pressed up against the eye however if the apparatus is pressed against the eye, no damage will be done to the eye due to the soft, flexible characteristics of the apparatus.

[0053] The eye drop is held in place in the concave surface in part by a small vacuum and / or capillary action and / or surface tension. In use, once the eye drop has been placed onto the hand 11 of the apparatus 1 , the user brings the apparatus up towards their face. If the user has a shaky hand, they may anchor the apparatus by placing the main body of the apparatus against their cheek with the hand 11 in alignment with their eye. The user then advances the eye drop towards their eye, positioning the eye drop over the eye. As the user pushes the eye drop against the eye, the arm will deform (bend) if needed, and the hand will release the eye drop as pressure is applied to the eye drop pushing it against the eye. This is seen as a simple and effective way to insert / apply an eye drop, that will be easy for both the inexperienced and those with unsteady hands to do.

[0054] Referring now to Figures 13 to 15 inclusive, there is shown an alternative configuration of apparatus for applying eye drops according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 31 , where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. The apparatus for applying eye drops comprises a two-part construction having a first part 33 and a second part 35 releasably connectable together. The first part 33 comprises the thimble-shaped body 3 which is configured to be mounted on a user’s finger. The second part 35 comprises the resiliently deformable arm 9 having a hand 11 at its outermost end.

[0055] Referring specifically to Figure 15, there is shown an exploded view of the apparatus for applying eye drops with the two parts shown separated from each other. The second part, which comprises the resiliently deformable arm 9 having a hand 11 at its outermost end, further comprises an annular collar 37 at its innermost end 39. The annular collar 37 is in a plane substantially orthogonal to the plane of the hand 11 . The first part 33 has a circumferential groove 41 formed in the surface thereof for reception of the annular collar 37 of the second part 35. In addition, the first part is provided with a boss 43 and the second part is provided with a complementary indent 45, in this case in the collar portion 37, for reception of the boss. The engagement between the boss 43 and the complementary indent 45 retains the collar, and by extension, the second part, together with the first part.

[0056] It will be understood that by having the two parts, the two parts may be separated for cleaning, or indeed, one or both parts may be replaced with alternatives or replacement parts over time as they succumb to wear and tear. Alternatively, the first part may be interchangeable with other first parts having different dimensions so that a first part that is particularly suited to a user’s finger dimensions may be supplied to the user in each instance. In addition to the foregoing, by having two distinct parts, this will allow for the two parts to be constructed from different materials if desired. The first part may be constructed from a more hardwearing material or a material that fits better on the finger of the user and / or is held securely in place on the wearer’s finger. It will however be understood that the second part with the arm and hand will at all times be constructed from medical grade silicone. In addition, by having two parts, this allows for new and / or alternative second parts that are particularly suited to a specific user to be provided.

[0057] As an alternative to the two parts being separable, the two parts may be permanently affixed together with adhesive or other bonding means. Indeed, the boss and complementary indent may be configured so that the boss in dimensioned to remain in the indent unless a great force is exerted on the parts to separate them from each other, such force being practically or effectively sufficient to break one or both parts. More than one boss and complementary indent may be provided. Indeed, there may be one or more bosses and one or more indents on the first part for reception of one or more bosses and one or more indents on the second part (i.e. a mixture of one or more bosses and one or more indents on both of the parts for engagement of complementary indents or bosses respectively on the other part).

[0058] Referring to Figures 16 to 18 inclusive, there is shown a third configuration of apparatus for applying eye drops according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 51 , where like parts have been given the same reference numeral as before. This is seen as a particularly useful embodiment of the invention. The apparatus for applying eye drops 51 comprises a unitary body (i.e. moulded in one piece). In this case, the body is moulded from TPE material having a shore hardness of the order of 50.

[0059] Referring specifically to Figure 18, in order to allow the arm 9 to bend, the arm 9 is provided with a narrowed waist section 53 (narrowed relative to the normal thickness of the remainder of the arm before the hand 11). In this way, the arm and the hand can deflect upwards to prevent injury to the user’s eye. In addition, the through-hole 15 is shown in dashed outline. The through-hole 15 passes diagonally through the hand 11. The through-hole is is angled so that a central longitudinal axis, ax, (shown as dotted line) of the through-hole forms an incident angle p, of the order of between 25 degrees and 45 degrees with the rear surface of the hand, preferably of the order of between 30 and 40 degrees. In the example shown, the through-hole forms an incident angle of 30 degrees with the rear surface of the hand. In the embodiment shown, the length of the through-hole channel from the front face of the hand to the rear face of the hand is of the order of 4.5mm in length. It is envisaged that the length of the through-hole channel between the front face of the hand and the rear face of the hand will be between 3mm and 6mm in length, and it is envisaged that it is preferably of the order of between 4mm and 5mm in length.

[0060] In the embodiments shown, the apparatus is constructed from a resiliently deformable material. By that, what is meant is a material that will be able to be bent and / or twisted under an applied force but that will then resume its normal configuration once the force is removed. One suitable material is medical grade silicone. The advantage of medical grade silicone other than having the desired properties is that it is soft and can be sterilized without losing its structural properties. Other elastomers and materials could be used instead. The material will preferably have a shore A hardness of between 5 and 35. It is envisaged that a Shore A hardness of 7 would be suitable. Another material that is seen as particularly suitable is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The TPE would preferably have a Shore A hardness of 50.

[0061] In the embodiments shown, the hand is of the order of between 0.008m (8mm) and 0.012m (12mm) wide. Preferably, the hand is of the order of 0.01 m (10mm) wide. Furthermore, in the embodiments shown, the drainage through-hole is of the order of between 0.001 m (1 mm) and 0.004m (4mm) wide. Preferably, the drainage through-hole is of the order of 0.0015m (1.5mm) wide. The circumference of the drainage through- hole is circular however this need not necessarily be limiting and other shapes of through-hole could be readily envisaged. Indeed, if the through hole extends diagonally through the hand, the drainage hole will effectively be elliptically shaped on the convex bottom surface, or rear surface, of the hand. By having the through-hole passing diagonally through the hand, the length of the through-hole is increased which helps to obviate leakage through the through-hole and improves operation of the device. The inner surface 13 of the hand 11 is concave shaped.

[0062] In one embodiment, the drainage through-hole is funnel shaped, in that it will taper inwardly from the concave top surface towards the convex bottom surface. In such an embodiment, it is envisaged that the through-hole will have a diameter of the order of 0.003m (3mm) at its open mouth on the concave upper surface and will taper inwardly to an open discharge outlet with a diameter of the order of 0.0005m (0.5mm) on the bottom surface. In another still embodiment, an inner sleeve may be provided in the body portion to provide an appropriate size for a wearer with smaller fingers. The sleeve may be releasably mounted in the body so that it can be used if needed or discarded if not needed.

[0063] The construction of apparatus according to the invention is particularly suited for application of eye drops to the eye. More specifically, a droplet of eye drop solution may be placed onto the hand 11 of the apparatus 1 where it will sit. Surface tension and / or capillary action will maintain the droplet on the hand 11 , without the droplet passing through the through-hole 15. (It is understood that the through-hole may facilitate release of the eye drop from the hand of the device when the eye drop comes into contact with the eye.) The user will then be able to place the droplet on the hand 11 of the device 1 onto their eye in the manner described above.

[0064] In this specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” and the terms “include, includes, included and including” are all deemed interchangeable and should be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

[0065] The invention is not limited solely to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claims:(1 ) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51) comprising a body (3) configured to be releasably mounted on a user’s finger, the body (3) having a resiliently deformable arm (9) extending outwardly from the distal end of the body, the arm (9) having a hand (11 ) at its outermost end, the hand (11) having an inner surface (13) that is concave shaped and a drainage through-hole (15) extending through the hand.(2) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in claim 1 in which the hand (11) is tapered in a chisel cut towards its outermost end.(3) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51) as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the body (3) is thimble shaped for capturing a user’s finger therein.(4) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in claim 3 in which the thimble is open at its outermost end (5).(5) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the hand (11) is of the order of between 0.008m (8mm) and 0.012m (12mm) wide.(6) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the hand (11 ) is of the order of 0.01 m (10mm) wide.(7) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drainage through-hole (15) is of the order of between 0.001 (1 mm) and 0.004 (4mm) wide.(8) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drainage through-hole (15) is of the order of 0.0015m (1.5mm) wide.(9) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the drainage through-hole (15) is configured to pass diagonally through the hand.(10) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the body (3) is constructed from a medical grade silicone.(11) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the medical grade silicone has a shore A hardness of greater than 5 and less than or equal to 35.(12) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 in which the body (3) is constructed from a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material.(13) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51) as claimed in claim 12 in which the TPE material has a shore A hardness of 50.(14) An apparatus for applying eye drops (51) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the arm (9) has a narrowed waist portion (53) adjacent the body at the end of the arm remote from the hand.(15) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 ) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11 in which the arm (9) extends rearwardly along the body (3) in an elongate spine.(16) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the arm (9) tapers inwardly from the body towards the hand.(17) An apparatus for applying eye drops (1 , 31 , 51 ) as claimed in any preceding claim in which the apparatus is moulded from a single unitary piece.(18) An apparatus for applying eye drops (31) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 in which the apparatus is a two-part construction having a first part (33) and a second part (35) connectable together, the first part (33) comprising the body (3)configured to be mounted on a user’s finger, the second part (35) comprising the resiliently deformable arm having a hand (11) at its outermost end.(19) An apparatus for applying eye drops (31) as claimed in claim 18 in which the second part (35) comprises an annular collar (37) at its innermost end (39), the annular collar (37) being in a plane substantially orthogonal to the plane of the hand.(20) An apparatus for applying eye drops (31) as claimed in claim 19 in which the first part (33) has a circumferential groove (41) formed in the surface thereof for reception of the annular collar (37) of the second part *35).(21) An apparatus for applying eye drops (31) as claimed in any one of claims 18 to20 in which one of the first part (33) and the second part (35) are provided with a boss (43) and the other of the first part and the second part are provided with a complementary indent (45) for reception of the boss.

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