Eye drop dispenser

Abstract

To provide a dispenser assembly.SOLUTION: A dispenser assembly or a dropper for an eye drop, an eye wash dispenser assembly, or an eyelid washing agent include a dispenser bottle having a nipple for dispensing eye drops, and a cap removably coupleable to the dispenser bottle over the nipple. An eye cup removably fits over at least a portion of the dispenser bottle and couples to the bottle. The eye cup has a first open end with an oval shape and a second open end with a circular shape that is opposite the first open end. The eye cup can be coupled to the dispenser bottle at a stored position where the eye cup is disposed below the nipple, and can be inverted and coupled to the dispenser bottle at a deployed position where the eye cup is disposed so that it extends distally of and around the nipple. The eye cup at the deployed position can be supported on or rest on the periphery of the eye socket to facilitate delivery of eye drops into a user's eye.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an eye drop or eyewash dispenser, and more particularly to an eye drop or eyewash dispenser with an eyecup for administering eye drops or eyewash. [Background technology]

[0002] Eye drops are used regularly to treat dry eyes, bacterial infections, eye damage, or eye conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts. Existing eye drop dispensers suffer from the disadvantage that they cannot deliver eye drops accurately or consistently to the eye (e.g., more affecting children and the elderly) and often deliver the eye drops to other parts of the user's face, resulting in multiple attempts and making the instillation process difficult. They also result in unnecessary waste of eye drops, which increases the burden on the consumer. Furthermore, instilling eye drops using an outlet dispenser can be even more difficult if the user suffers from hand tremors, such as those suffering from essential tremor disorder or other neurological conditions, where their hands shake when attempting to instill eye drops. Such difficulty in administering eye drops using existing dispensers can lead to reduced user compliance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to an eye drop dispenser assembly having a dispenser bottle having a nipple through which eye drops are dispensed and a coupling mechanism proximate the nipple, and a cap removably coupleable to the dispenser bottle over the nipple, an eyecup coupleable to the coupling mechanism of the dispenser bottle in a stowed position in which the eyecup is disposed below the nipple and an outer surface of the eyecup conforms to an outer surface of a lower portion of the dispenser bottle, and a deployed position in which the eyecup is disposed such that it extends around and distal to the nipple, the eyecup in the deployed position facilitating delivery of the eye drops to a user's eye.

[0004] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to an eye drop dispenser assembly. The eye drop dispenser assembly includes a dispenser bottle having a nipple through which eye drops are dispensed, a cap removably connectable to the dispenser bottle over the nipple, and an eyecup configured to removably fit over at least a portion of the dispenser bottle, the eyecup having a first open end and a second open end opposite the first open end, the first open end having an elliptical shape and the second open end having a circular shape, the eyecup being connectable to the dispenser bottle in a stowed position in which the eyecup is disposed below the nipple. The eyecup is further connectable to the dispenser bottle in a deployed position in which the eyecup is inverted and disposed to extend around and distal to the nipple, the eyecup in the deployed position being configured to be disposed adjacent to the orbit of a user's eye to facilitate delivery of eye drops to the user's eye.

[0005] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a method of administering eye drops from an eye drop dispenser, the method comprising: separating an eyecup from a dispenser bottle, the eyecup being in a stowed position and extending around a top of the dispenser bottle, the eyecup having a first open end and a second open end opposite the first open end, the first open end having an elliptical shape and the second open end having a circular shape; inverting the eyecup; coupling the eyecup to the dispenser bottle such that the eyecup extends distal to a nipple and distal to a top of the dispenser bottle; aligning the first open end of the eyecup over a user's eye socket; and administering one or more eye drops from the dispenser bottle into the user's eye.

[0006] In some embodiments, the technology described herein relates to a dispenser assembly. The dispenser assembly includes a dispenser bottle having a nipple at its distal end through which a solution is dispensed, and a cap that covers the nipple and is removably connectable to the dispenser bottle. The eyecup is configured to removably fit at least a portion of the dispenser bottle and is connectable to the dispenser bottle in a stowed position in which the entire eyecup is disposed on the top of the dispenser bottle proximal to the nipple. The eyecup is further connectable to the dispenser bottle in a deployed position, the eyecup is disposed to extend around and distal to the nipple and with a second end located proximal to the nipple, and the eyecup in the deployed position facilitates dispensing the solution on or to the eye of a user.

[0007] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a method of operating a dispenser, the method comprising the steps of: separating an eyecup from a dispenser bottle, the eyecup being in a storage position and extending around a top of the dispenser bottle, the eyecup having a first open end and a second end opposite the first open end, the eyecup being disposed entirely proximal to a nipple of the dispenser bottle when the eyecup is in the storage position; inverting the eyecup; coupling the eyecup to the dispenser bottle such that the eyecup extends distal to the nipple and distal to the top of the dispenser bottle and the second end is located proximal to the nipple; aligning the first open end of the eyecup over a user's orbit and spaced apart from the nipple such that the eyecup prevents contact between the nipple and the eye; and dispensing a solution from the dispenser bottle onto or into the user's eye. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of an eye drop dispenser assembly. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the eye drop dispenser of FIG. 1 with the cap removed and the eyecup in a deployed position extending around the nipple of the dispenser bottle. [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic top view and a schematic side view of the eye drop dispenser assembly of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic side view of the eye drop dispenser assembly of FIG. 1 with the dispenser bottle cap removed and laid on its side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the eye drop dispenser of FIG. 1 with the cap removed and the eyecup in a deployed position extending around the nipple of the dispenser bottle. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view of the eye drop dispenser assembly of FIG. 1 illustrating process steps for using the eye drop dispenser assembly. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a top view of the eye drop dispenser assembly of FIG. 1 illustrating process steps for using the eye drop dispenser assembly. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is an enlarged end view of the eyecup of the eye drop dispenser assembly. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the eye drop dispenser of FIG. 2 inverted and placed over a user's eye to dispense eye drops thereto. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic front view of an eye drop dispenser assembly. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the eyewash dispenser assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] 1-8 show a dispenser assembly 100 ("assembly 100"), i.e., an eye dropper 100. The assembly 100 includes a dispenser bottle 10, an eyecup 30, and a cap 50. FIG. 1 shows the assembly 100 assembled with the eyecup 30 in a stowed position, and the assembly 100 is generally shaped like a water drop or teardrop. However, the eye drop dispenser assembly can have other shapes, as will be further described below in connection with FIGS. 9 and 10. The cap 50 can be a one-piece molded part (e.g., one-piece molded, seamless) having a sidewall 53. The dispenser bottle 10, the eyecup 30, and / or the cap 50 can optionally be made in part or in whole from plastic, silicone, or rubber. However, the dispenser bottle 10, the eyecup 40, and / or the cap 50 can also be made from other suitable materials (e.g., flexible or resilient materials). The cap 50 is removably connectable to the dispenser bottle 10 and may optionally have a conical shape.

[0010] The dispenser bottle 10 has a chamber (not shown) capable of holding a liquid (e.g., an eye drop formulation, a liquid medication). In one example, the eye drop dispensed by the eye drop dispenser assembly 100 is an eye lubricant eye drop. The liquid can be a formulation for treating an eye condition (e.g., treating dry eye, bacterial infection, cataracts, glaucoma, or eye injury). The dispenser bottle 10 can optionally be made of plastic, silicone, rubber, or other suitable resilient or flexible material. The dispenser bottle 10 is a single piece (e.g., a monolithic, seamless single piece). The dispenser bottle 10 can optionally have a lower portion 12 having a sidewall 13 and an upper portion 14 having a sidewall 15, and the dispenser bottle 10 has a shoulder 16 (e.g., a lower shoulder) between the upper portion 14 and the lower portion 12. In some embodiments, the lower portion 12 can be cylindrical. The shoulder 16 can have curved edges 16A or contours at the front, sides and back of the dispenser bottle 10. In one embodiment, the sidewall 13 has a curve or contour. In one embodiment, the sidewall 15 is generally straight and tapers (e.g., the top tapers from the bottom 12 to the nipple 18) between the shoulder 16 and a second shoulder 17 (e.g., the top) as shown in Figures 2 and 4. That is, the bottom 12 has a greater width than the top 14. The dispenser bottle 10 has a nipple 18 at an end of the dispenser bottle 10 opposite the bottom 12. A cap 50 can be removably coupled to the dispenser bottle 10 over the nipple 18. The dispenser bottle 10 has a locking mechanism 20 disposed between the second shoulder 17 and the nipple 18. In one example, the locking mechanism 20 has one or more recesses 21 (e.g., multiple recesses, two recesses, four recesses) and one or more hooks 22 (e.g., multiple hooks, two hooks, four hooks) as shown in Figures 4-5. The locking mechanism 20 may additionally or alternatively have one or more threads for threadably coupling with the cap 50 and / or eyecup 30. Other suitable locking mechanisms may also be used.For example, the locking mechanism can be a clip-on mechanism (e.g., the eyecup 30 can be clipped to the dispenser bottle 10 via a number of clips that clip into recesses in the dispenser bottle) or a press-fit mechanism in which the eyecup 30 is press-fit (e.g., a friction fit) into the dispenser bottle 10. In another example, the locking mechanism can be a threaded coupling, where the eyecup 30 is threadably coupled to the threads of the dispenser bottle 10.

[0011] With reference to FIG. 2 , the eyecup 30 may have a first edge 31 (e.g., a bottom edge), a second edge 32 (e.g., a top edge) opposite the first edge 31, and a sidewall 33 extending between and interconnecting the first edge 31 and the second edge 32. The eyecup 30 may optionally be transparent. The eyecup 30 may optionally be made of plastic, silicone, rubber, or other suitable resilient or flexible material. The eyecup 30 may be a single piece (e.g., a monolithic, seamless single piece). In other embodiments, the eyecup 30 may be multiple pieces that may be assembled together. The eyecup 30 may be hollow with the first edge 31 defining a first opening O1 and the second edge 32 defining a second opening O2 opposite the first opening O1. The eyecup 30 is removably connectable to the dispenser bottle 10. The eyecup 30 can have one or more projections or tabs 34 (e.g., multiple, two, four spaced projections) extending radially inward from the second edge 32 into the second opening O2 (see FIGS. 7-7A). The first opening O1 and the first edge 31 can have a larger circumference than the second opening O2 and the second edge 32, and the sidewall 33 tapers (e.g., curvedly tapers) between the first edge 31 and the second edge 32. As best shown in FIG. 8, the first edge 31 (and the first opening O1) can have an elliptical shape, and the second edge 32 (and the second opening O2) can have a circular shape. With continued reference to FIG. 2, the first edge 31 can be curved. In one embodiment, the first edge 31 has a curve or contour and generally corresponds to the curvature of the contoured edge 16A of the shoulder 16. The second edge 31 may be straight.

[0012] 1, when the eyecup 30 is in the storage position of the dispenser bottle 10, the eyecup 30 extends over the top 14 (see FIG. 2) of the dispenser bottle 10 (and is either completely below the nipple 18 or between the nipple 18 and the end of the dispenser bottle 10 opposite the nipple 18) and the protrusion 34 (see FIG. 7) is coupled to the locking mechanism 20 (e.g., the protrusion 34 extends into the recess 21 and is coupled to the hook 22 of the locking mechanism 20) to secure the eyecup 30 to the dispenser bottle 10. 1), the sidewall 33 of the eyecup 30 is aligned (e.g., defining a generally continuous edge) with the sidewall 13 of the lower portion 12 of the dispenser bottle 10 (e.g., such that the first opening O1 of the eyecup 30 is disposed proximal to the shoulder 16), and the sidewall 33 is also substantially aligned with the sidewall 53 of the cap 50, advantageously providing a compact assembly when the eyecup 30 is in the stored position on the dispenser bottle 10.

[0013] 2, when the eyecup 30 is in the deployed position of the dispenser bottle 10, the eyecup 30 extends around the nipple 18 (and completely above or distal to the top 14 of the dispenser bottle 10 relative to the bottom 12 of the dispenser bottle 10). In the deployed position, the eyecup 30 is oriented such that the second edge 32 is adjacent the shoulder 17, the protrusion 34 is coupled to the locking mechanism 20 (discussed above), and the first edge 31 and first opening O1 are disposed above the nipple 18 (e.g., such that the first edge 31 defines the top end of the assembly 100).

[0014] 3-5 show schematic diagrams of eye drop dispenser assembly 100 with eyecup 30 in a retracted position (FIG. 3), with cap 50 removed and without eyecup 30 (FIG. 4), and with cap 50 removed and eyecup 30 in a deployed position (FIG. 5). In FIG. 3, assembly 100 has a height H1 between the base of dispenser bottle 10 and the top of cap 50, and a height H2 between the base of dispenser bottle 10 and the end of nipple 18. In one embodiment, height H1 is about 2.5 to about 3.5 inches, e.g., 3 inches, and height H2 is about 2.3 to about 3.4 inches, e.g., 2.9 inches. The eyecup 30 has a height H3 between about 0.75 inches and about 1.3 inches, e.g., 1 inch, a width W1 between about 1.3 inches and about 2.3 inches, e.g., 1.8 inches, and a depth D1 between about 1 inch and about 1.5 inches, e.g., 1 1 / 4 inches. The cap 50 can have a width W2 between about 0.75 inches and about 1.25 inches, e.g., about 1 inch, and a height H5 between about 0.75 inches and about 1.25 inches, e.g., about 1 inch. Referring to FIG. 3, a gap H4 between the second edge 32 of the eyecup 30 and the bottom of the cap 50 can be between about 0.005 inches and about 0.07 inches, e.g., about 0.05 inches. 5, when in the deployed or inverted position, the eyecup 30 can extend a height H6 beyond the nipple 18 (i.e., the eyecup 30 prevents the nipple 18 from contacting the eye during delivery of eye drops to the eye, thus advantageously reducing or preventing trauma or damage to the eye due to contact with the nipple, or contamination of the nipple 18 or dispenser 10 due to such contact). In one example, the height H6 is between about 0.1 inches and about 0.5 inches, such as about ¼ inch, to facilitate a soft landing of the eye drops on the eye. The height H6 can also help ensure that the eye drops are delivered on or to the eye and do not run off the eye (e.g., onto the user's face, such as the cheek).

[0015] 6-8 show process steps for administering eye drops to the eye using the eye drop dispenser assembly 100. In step S1, the eye drop dispenser assembly 100 is in an assembled state in which the eye cup 30 is in a storage position of the dispenser bottle 10 (e.g., coupled to the dispenser bottle 10) and the cap 50 is disposed on the nipple 18. In step S2, the cap 50 is removed to expose the nipple 18. In step S3, the eye cup 30 is separated from the dispenser bottle 10. For example, the eye cup 30 is rotated relative to the dispenser bottle 10 so that the protrusion 34 is disengaged from the hook 22 and comes out of the recess 21 (see FIG. 4) of the locking mechanism 20. In step S4 (see FIG. 7), the eye cup 30 is completely removed from the top of the dispenser bottle 10 and then inverted. In step S5 (see FIG. 6), the eyecup 30 is advanced so that the second opening O2 passes over the nipple 18, and the projection 34 extends into the recess 21 and engages the hook 22 of the locking mechanism 20 to couple (e.g., lock) the inverted eyecup 30 to the dispenser bottle 10. This arrangement (e.g., in FIG. 8) advantageously facilitates self-administration of the solution onto or into the user's eye E, and is convenient since it does not require another person to administer the solution to the user, and the user can do it themselves so that the eye drops are effectively on or into the eye the first time they are instilled. Additionally, the eyecup 30 advantageously aids in user compliance in administering the solution, since it prevents inadvertent contact between the nipple 18 and the eye, and allows the nipple 18 to be easily aligned (e.g., centered) with the eye for instilling the solution (e.g., because the eyecup 30 can be supported over the eye orbit ES, for example, to fit periorbitally). All of this facilitates administration of the solution and increases the likelihood that a user will utilize the dispenser assembly 100 to deliver the solution (eg, a prescribed medication).

[0016] 8, the assembly 10 can be placed inverted over the eye E such that the inverted eyecup 30 is placed over (e.g., in contact with) the orbit ES of the eye E and the first opening O1 of the eyecup 30 is aligned over the orbit ES. A user can then squeeze the dispenser bottle 10 to dispense one or more drops onto or into the eye E. Advantageously, the eyecup 30 is sized such that the first edge 31 can be positioned over (e.g., in contact with) the orbit ES of the eye E so that the first opening O1 is aligned with the eyeball, and the contoured first edge 31 of the eyecup 30 advantageously allows the eyecup 30 to sit or rest comfortably over the orbit ES, thereby facilitating alignment of the nipple 18 with the eye E and facilitating instillation of eye drop(s) directly onto or into the eye, thereby reducing (e.g., preventing) waste of the eye drop(s) and reducing (e.g., preventing) waste due to eye drops dripping onto the user's face, cheeks, eyebrows, ears, etc. The ability of the eyecup 30 to sit or rest on the orbit ES (e.g., sit on the rim of or rest on the orbit ES) can advantageously facilitate use of the eye drop dispenser assembly 100 for administering eye drops on or above the eye by users with hand tremors, neurological disorders, or children. Additionally, supporting (e.g., sitting or resting) the eyecup 30 on the orbit ES can reduce (e.g., prevent) injury to the eye during delivery of eye drops.

[0017] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an eye drop dispenser assembly 100′ (hereinafter “assembly 100′”) that is a compact version of the eye drop dispenser assembly 100. Some of the features of assembly 100′ are similar to those of assembly 100 of FIGS. 1-8. Accordingly, the reference numerals used to designate the various components of assembly 100′ are identical to those used to identify the corresponding components of assembly 100 of FIGS. 1-8, except for the addition of “′” to the numerical identifier. Accordingly, the construction and description of the various features of assembly 100 of FIGS. 1-8 and how they are operated and controlled will be understood to also apply to the corresponding features of assembly 100′ of FIG. 9, except as described below.

[0018] Assembly 100' differs from assembly 100 in that its shape resembles a pyramid. In one embodiment, dispenser bottle 10' is shorter than dispenser bottle 10, holds a smaller amount of liquid, and has a bottom that supports eyecup 30' thereon in the stowed position. In other embodiments, dispenser bottle 10' can have a cylindrical portion below eyecup 30'.

[0019] FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic diagram of a dispenser assembly 100″ (hereinafter “assembly 100′”) that is an eye wash or eyelid wash or eyelash wash version of the eye drop dispenser assembly 100. Some of the features of the assembly 100′ are similar to those of the assembly 100 of FIGS. 1-8. Accordingly, the reference numerals used to designate the various components of the assembly 100″ are identical to those used to identify the corresponding components of the assembly 100 of FIGS. 1-8, except for the addition of “″” to the numerical identifiers. Accordingly, the construction and description of the various features of the assembly 100 of FIGS. 1-8 and how they are operated and controlled will be understood to also apply to the corresponding features of the assembly 100″ of FIG. 10, except as described below.

[0020] Assembly 100" differs from assembly 100 in that dispenser bottle 10" is larger and holds a larger volume of solution. Dispenser bottle 10" can have any shape (e.g., cylindrical), as represented by the dashed lines in FIG. 10. The solution can be an eyewash, eyelid wash, eyelash wash, and / or a multi-purpose solution (e.g., saline solution) and can be used to wash the eye (e.g., after injury to the eye, after exposure to contaminants such as toxins, or to treat eye inflammation), wash the eyelids of the eye (e.g., when the solution is applied with the eyelids closed), and / or wash the eyelashes of the eye (e.g., when the solution is applied with the eyelids closed). Nipple 18" can differ from nipple 18" in that it can have a larger opening so that a stream of solution from dispenser bottle 10" can be instilled (e.g., continuously) on or into the eye.

[0021] Assembly 100, 100', 100'' is advantageously easy to use (e.g., cap 50 is easy to remove and eyecup 30, 30', 30'' is easy to separate and attach to dispenser bottle 10, 10', 10''). Such ease of use of eye drop dispenser assembly 100, 100' may increase compliance among users (e.g., seniors, children) to use eye drops regularly or as recommended by a physician, resulting in more people using eye drops more frequently (e.g., as prescribed), increasing sales of eye drop dispenser assembly 100, 100' for either over-the-counter (OTC) and / or prescription pharmacy use. Additionally, eyecup 30, 30', 30" advantageously allows a user who may have tremors or other neurological challenges to reliably deliver eye drops onto or to eye E by supporting or resting eyecup 30, 30', 30" on or around the orbit ES. The eyecup 30, 30', 30'' is advantageously sized and shaped to conform to the eye socket ES (e.g., to be supported and / or rest against the eye socket ES of a user) and to facilitate alignment of the nipple 18, 18', 18'' with the eye E to ensure delivery of eye drops or eyewash onto or to the eye E when the eyecup 30, 30', 30'' is positioned on (e.g., in close proximity to, in contact with) the periphery of the eye socket ES. or contacting the rim of the eye orbit ES), can limit (e.g., prevent) damage to the eye during attempts to administer eye drops or eyewash (e.g., to an active child or neurologically impaired individual). Additionally, assemblies 100, 100', 100" facilitate administration of eye drops or eyewash to a child by ensuring that nipple 18, 18', 18" is aligned with the child's eye prior to administering eye drops from dispenser bottle 10, 10', 10".Further, as shown in step S5 of FIG. 7, the eyecup 30 is positioned on the dispenser bottle 10 to extend around and distal to the nipple 18 and such that the eyecup 30 positioned relative to the nipple 18 resembles an eye. The nipple 18, 18', 18'' (e.g., the tip of the nipple 18, 18', 18'') can resemble a bull's eye (e.g., colored red or the like), which can provide a focal point for a user to focus on (or to distract a user, such as a child), while applying the eye drops or eyewash. Additionally, the eye drop or eyewash dispenser assembly 100, 100', 100'' advantageously provides a safe and hygienic (e.g., sterile) method of dispensing the eye drops or eyewash (e.g., because the nipple 18, 18', 18'' does not touch the user's eye). The assemblies 100, 100', 100'' offer an elegant, simple, intuitive and quick to use, streamlined design.

[0022] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in other various forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and modifications in the systems and methods described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. The appended claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as fall within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Thus, the scope of the present invention is defined solely by reference to the appended claims.

[0023] It is understood that features, materials, properties, or groups described in connection with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example are also applicable to other aspects, embodiments, or examples described in this section or elsewhere in this specification, except where inconsistent therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), and / or all steps of the methods or processes so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations in which at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. Protection is not limited to the details of the foregoing embodiments. Protection extends to novel or novel combinations of features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings), or novel or novel combinations of steps of the methods or processes so disclosed.

[0024] Moreover, certain features that are described in the disclosure in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features are described above as acting in a particular combination, in some cases, one or more features can be excluded from a claimed combination and the combination can be claimed as a subcombination or a variation of the subcombination.

[0025] Additionally, although operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such operations need not be performed in the particular order depicted, or in sequential order, to achieve desirable results, nor need all operations be performed. Other operations not shown or described may be incorporated into the illustrated methods and steps. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between the described operations. Additionally, operations may be rearranged or reordered in other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments, the steps actually performed in the steps shown and / or disclosed may differ from those shown. In some embodiments, some of the steps described above may be omitted and other steps may be added. Additionally, features and attributes of certain embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which are within the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, the separation of various system components in the above-described embodiments should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the components and systems described may generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged in multiple products.

[0026] For the purpose of this disclosure, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages are achieved according to any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure can be embodied or implemented in a manner that achieves one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein, without necessarily achieving other advantages as taught or suggested herein.

[0027] Conditional language such as "can," "can be," "might," and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise or understood otherwise within the context in which it is used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, and / or steps and other embodiments do not. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that the features, elements, and / or steps are in any way required by one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for determining, with or without user input or prompting, whether those features, elements, and / or steps are included in or performed in any particular embodiment.

[0028] Conjunctions such as "at least one of X, Y, and Z," unless otherwise noted, are understood in context as being commonly used to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctives do not generally imply that a particular embodiment requires the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

[0029] As used herein, degree language, such as the terms "approximately," "about," "generally," and "substantially," refers to a value, amount, or characteristic that is close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms "about," "approximately," "generally," and "substantially" may refer to an amount that is within less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 1%, less than 0.1%, and less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms "generally parallel" and "substantially parallel" refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that deviates from perfect parallelism by 15 degrees or less, 10 degrees or less, 5 degrees or less, 3 degrees or less, 1 degree or less, or 0.1 degrees or less.

[0030] The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosure of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere herein, but may be defined by the claims presented or to be presented in the future in this section or elsewhere herein, which claim language is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed therein and not limited to the examples described herein or during the practice of this application, which examples are to be interpreted as non-exclusive.

[0031] Of course, the foregoing description is directed to specific features, aspects and advantages of the invention, to which various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, the devices described herein need not have all of the objects, advantages, features and aspects described above. Thus, for example, a person skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be embodied or performed in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein, without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. In addition, while numerous variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications and methods of use that are within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art based on this disclosure. It is contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of these specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Thus, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments may be combined with or substituted for one another to form various aspects of the discussed devices.

Claims

1. A dispenser bottle having a nipple at its distal end, through which a solution is instilled into the eye; A cap that covers the nipple and can be removably attached to the dispenser bottle, A single-piece eyecup having a first open end and a second end opposite to the first open end, Equipped with, The eye cup is configured to be removably fitted to at least a portion of the dispenser bottle, and the eye cup is connectable to the dispenser bottle in a retracted position in which the entire eye cup is positioned proximal to the nipple and on the top of the dispenser bottle, and the eye cup is further connectable to the dispenser bottle in an unfolded position in which the eye cup extends around and distal to the nipple, and the second end is positioned proximal to the nipple. The eye cup in the deployed position is part of a dispenser assembly that facilitates the supply of the solution to or over the user's eye.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser has a locking mechanism, the eye cup is connectable to the locking mechanism, and maintains the eye cup in a state connected to the dispenser bottle.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the eye cup has one or more projections extending inward into an opening defined by the second end, the one or more projections extending into one or more recesses of the locking mechanism and engaging with one or more hooks of the locking mechanism, thereby maintaining the eye cup attached to the dispenser bottle.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a shoulder between the lower and upper parts of the dispenser bottle, wherein the first open end of the eye cup is configured to be positioned near the shoulder when the eye cup is in the retracted position, the eye cup in the retracted position is positioned between the nipple and the lower part, and the side wall of the eye cup is aligned with the side wall of the lower part of the dispenser bottle.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the side wall of the eye cup tapers between a first edge defining the first open end and a second edge of the second end.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the first edge is curved.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein when the eye cup is coupled to the dispenser bottle in the deployed position, the eye cup prevents contact between the nipple and the user's eye.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first open end has an elliptical shape.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the solution is one of an eye drop solution, an eye wash solution, an eyelid wash solution, and an eyelash wash solution.

10. The assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the upper part of the dispenser bottle is located between the lower part of the dispenser bottle and the nipple, the lower part has a greater width than the upper part, and the upper part tapers towards the nipple from the lower part.

11. A method for operating a dispenser, A step of separating an eye cup from a dispenser bottle, wherein the eye cup is in a retracted position, extends to surround the top of the dispenser bottle, has a first open end and a second end opposite to the first open end, and when the eye cup is in the retracted position, the entire eye cup is positioned near the nipple of the dispenser bottle. The step of inverting the aforementioned eye cup, The steps include: attaching the inverted eye cup to the dispenser bottle such that the eye cup extends distal to the nipple and distal to the upper part of the dispenser bottle, and the second end is on the proximal side of the nipple; A step of aligning the first open end of the eye cup over the user's eye socket, wherein the first open end of the eye cup is spaced away from the nipple so that the eye cup does not come into contact with the nipple and the eye, A method comprising the step of instilling a solution from the dispenser bottle onto or into the user's eye.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of instilling the solution from the dispenser bottle onto or into the user's eye includes a) instilling the eye drop solution onto the user's eye, b) instilling the eye wash solution into the user's eye, c) instilling the eyelid cleansing solution onto the user's closed eye, and d) instilling the eyelash cleansing solution onto the user's closed eye.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of aligning the eye cup on the orbit includes supporting or resting the eye cup on the periphery of the orbit.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of aligning the eye cup includes positioning the eye cup relative to the eye socket such that the tip of the nipple resembles a bullseye from which the user can focus while the solution is being supplied.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the step of inverting the eye cup includes positioning the eye cup such that the second end is closer to the top of the dispenser bottle than the first open end.

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