Single dose applicator for applying a liquid eye care product to the eye of a patient

Abstract

A single dose applicator for applying a liquid eye care product comprises: a storage and operation piece comprising - a flat sealing surface; - a storage chamber having a cavity, the cavity containing a single dose of the liquid eye care product - a nozzle comprising an elongated straight hollow channel, the storage chamber and the nozzle being fluidically separated from each other, a cover piece comprising - a flat sealing surface sealed to the flat sealing surface of the storage and operation piece along a seal seam. The seal seam completely extends around the cavity and around the hollow channel except for the nozzle opening, and has a width (wss) of at least 1.2 mm in all portions except that portion that extends between the chamber outlet end and the channel inlet end, where the seal seam width (wss) is between 0.5 mm and 0.9 mm.

Description

[0001] - 1 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0002] Single dose applicator for applying a liquid eye care product to the eye of a patient

[0003] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention generally relates to the filed of application of liquid eye care products, for example eyedrops, liquids containing one or more pharmaceutically active ingredients, artificial lachrymal fluid, etc. More particularly, the invention relates to a single dose applicator and to a method for applying such a liquid eye care product to the eye of a patient.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] Liquid eye care products may be applied to the eye by a patient for various different causes (e.g. dry eye syndrome, inflammations of the conjunctiva, etc.). Typically, the application involves the use of eye drop bottles containing multiple doses of the liquid eye care product. By way of example the total volume of eye care liquid contained in the eye drop bottle may be about 10 ml (milliliters), whereas the volume of a single dose should be about 20 pl to 40 pl (microliters).

[0007] Typically, when using such eye drop bottle the patient puts the head in the neck and holds the nozzle opening of the bottle a short distance above the eye to which the liquid eye care product is to be applied, and then the patient squeezes the walls of the flexible eye drop bottle to allow an amount of the liquid eye care product to be pressed out through the nozzle opening and to then fall down to the eye of the patient due to gravity. Thereafter, the pressure exerted on the walls of the flexible bottle is released, and ambient air is sucked into the interior space of the eyedrop bottle through the nozzle opening for the sake of pressure equilibration.

[0008] Since germs may be contained in the ambient air, specific measures must be taken to prevent the liquid eye care product remaining in the eye drop bottle from getting contaminated by germs entering the interior space of the eyedrop bottle as air is sucked in. For example, anti-germ barriers may be arranged in the pathway through the nozzle so that the germs contained in the air sucked are filtered. In addition, the eyecare liquid may contain one or more preservatives which may help prevent contamination of the eye care liquid remaining in the bottle. However, in such instance the preservatives must be wholly or partly removed from the liquid eye care product during its pathway from the interior space of the eyedrop bottle through the nozzle opening. A known way to remove such preservatives is the- 2 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0009] arrangement of scavenging materials in the pathway of the liquid eye care product from the interior space of the eyedrop bottle through the nozzle opening to the eye of the patient. Alternatively, eye care liquids without preservatives are used and are stored in the interior space of the eyedrop bottle. As a consequence, the anti-germ barriers must satisfy very high requirements as contaminated liquid eye care products applied to the eye may lead to irritation and / or inflammation of the eye.

[0010] Also, the afore-described way of application, that is to say putting the head in the neck to allow the liquid eye care product to fall down to the eye, is experienced as being uncomfortable.

[0011] It is therefore an object of the invention to suggest an applicator that does not suffer from the afore-mentioned disadvantages.

[0012] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The present invention suggests a single dose applicator for applying a liquid eye care product to the eye of a patient, as it is specified in the independent claim directed to such single dose applicator. Advantageous aspects of the single dose applicator according to the invention are the subject of the dependent claims directed to the single dose applicator.

[0014] In particular, the single dose applicator according to the invention comprises:

[0015] a storage and operation piece made of a sealable plastics material and comprising

[0016] - a flat sealing surface;

[0017] - a storage chamber having an oblong shape and having chamber walls defining a cavity with a cavity length and a cavity width both extending in a plane of the flat sealing surface, as well as with a cavity depth extending away from the flat sealing surface, the cavity containing the liquid eye care product and being sized to have a predetermined volume corresponding to a single dose of the liquid eye care product, the storage chamber further having a chamber outlet end at a longitudinal end of the storage chamber, and the chamber walls being deformable for applying pressure to the liquid eye care product contained in the cavity;

[0018] - a nozzle comprising an elongated straight hollow channel having a channel length and a channel width both extending in the plane of the flat sealing surface, as well as a channel depth extending away from the flat sealing surface, the elongated straight hollow channel- 3 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0019] having a channel inlet end and a channel outlet end with a nozzle opening arranged at an edge of the storage and operation piece.

[0020] The storage chamber and the nozzle are fluidically separated from each other, with the channel inlet of the elongated straight hollow channel of the nozzle facing the storage chamber outlet end.

[0021] The single dose applicator further comprises a cover piece made of a sealable material, the cover piece comprising

[0022] - a flat sealing surface sealed to the flat sealing surface of the storage and operation piece along a seal seam.

[0023] The seal seam completely extends around the cavity of the storage chamber to seal the cavity containing the liquid eye care product, and wherein the seal seam further completely extends around the elongated straight hollow channel except for the nozzle opening, wherein further the seal seam has a seal seam width of at least 1.2 mm in all portions except that portion of the seal seam that extends between the chamber outlet end of the storage chamber and the channel inlet end of the hollow channel of the nozzle, where the seal seam has a seal seam width between 0.5 mm and 0.9 mm.

[0024] According to an aspect of the single dose applicator according to the invention, the storage and operation piece is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, or of a composite material comprising polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate and silicon oxide or aluminum oxide, and is made through molding.

[0025] According to a further aspect of the single dose applicator according to the invention, wherein the cover piece is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, or of a composite material comprising polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate and silicon oxide or aluminum oxide, and is made through molding or is embodied as a foil.

[0026] According to another aspect of the single dose applicator according to the invention, the storage chamber comprises a V-shaped notch at the chamber outlet end of the storage chamber, with the tip of the V-shaped notch facing towards the channel inlet end of the elongated straight hollow channel of the nozzle.- 4 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0027] In accordance with still another aspect of the single dose applicator according to the invention, the cavity has a length in the range of 6.4 mm and 7 mm, in particular about 6.7 mm, a width in the range of 2.4 mm to 3 mmm, in particular about 2.7 mm, a depth in the range of 1.3 mm to 1.9 mm, in particular about 1.5 mm, and is sized to have a volume in the range of 20 pl to 40 pl, wherein the length of the elongated straight hollow channel is in the range of 4.3 mm to 4.7 mm, in particular about 4.5 mm, the width is in the range of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm, in particular about 1 mm, and the depth is in the range of 0.6 mm to 1 mm, in particular about 0.8 mm, and wherein the seal seam width is about 1.4 mm in all portions except that portion of the seal seam that extends between the chamber outlet end of the storage chamber and the channel inlet end of the hollow channel of the nozzle, where the seal seam has a seal seam width that is between 0.8 mm and 0.9 mm, in particular about 0.85 mm.

[0028] The invention further relates to a strip of single dose applicators according to the invention as they are described above. The strip is formed by a plurality of individual storage and operation pieces arranged side-by-side in a straight row. The storage and operation pieces are connected to one another by a strip of foil extending along the straight row to cover all storage and operation pieces each containing the single dose of liquid eye care product in the cavity defined by the chamber walls of the storage chamber. The strip of foil has a flat surface facing the flat surfaces of the individual storage and operation pieces and is sealed to each of the individual storage an operation pieces along the respective seal seam to form the strip.

[0029] According to one aspect of the strip according to the invention, adjacent ones of the storage and operation pieces arranged side-by-side in the straight row abut against one another, and the foil strip is perforated along lines where adjacent ones of the storage and operation pieces abut against each other. This is to allow for separation of one or more single dose applicators from the strip of single dose applicators by tearing the foil strip along one of the lines where the foil strip is perforated.

[0030] Yet further, the invention relates to a method of applying a liquid eye care product to an eye of a patient using a single dose applicator according to the invention as it is described above.- 5 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0031] The method comprises

[0032] - holding the nozzle opening of the single dose applicator at a small distance in the range of 10 cm to 40 cm in front of the eye without putting the head back;

[0033] - squeezing the chamber walls of the storage chamber to apply pressure to the liquid eye care product contained in the cavity, thereby causing the portion of the seal seam that extends between the chamber outlet end of the storage chamber and the channel inlet end of the elongated straight hollow channel of the nozzle to break and the liquid eye care product to be ejected from the nozzle opening to the eye.

[0034] The invention offers a number of advantages. First of all, a single dose applicator - as its name says - contains only a single dose of liquid eye care product. That is to say, once this single dose has been applied to the eye of the patient, there are no further doses contained in the applicator which may possibly get contaminated and which need to be protected. As a consequence, no specific measures to prevent contamination after first use of the applicator are necessary. Protection against contamination prior to the first use is necessary in any event and regardless of whether the applicator contains a single dose of the liquid eye care product or contains multiple doses. In the applicator of the present invention, this protection is achieved in that the storage chamber containing the single dose of liquid eye care product is completely sealed by the cover piece along the seal seam, and is thereby completely sealed from the environment until the time of the first (and only) use (application).

[0035] The nozzle including the elongated straight hollow channel is fluidically separated from the storage chamber and the oblong cavity, which is defined by the chamber walls and which contains the single dose of liquid eye care product. As mentioned a seal seam completely extends around the cavity so that no liquid eye care product may escape therefrom. Also, the seal seam extends around the elongated straight hollow channel, except for the nozzle opening through which the liquid eye care product is applied. However, the seal seam width of that portion of the seal seam that extends between the chamber outlet end of the storage chamber (where the liquid eye care product is stored in the cavity) and the channel inlet end of the elongated straight hollow channel of the nozzle is considerably smaller than that of all other portions of the seal seam, thus forming a predetermined breaking point at the time pressure is applied to the deformable chamber walls of the storage chamber thereby urging the liquid eye care product towards the chamber outlet and causing the seal seam portion extending between the chamber outlet and the channel inlet to break, whereas all other seal- 6 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0036] seam portions remain intact as their seal seam width is considerably larger. Upon applying a predetermined minimum pressure on the chamber walls of the storage chamber, the seal seam breaks at that seal seam portion arranged between the chamber outlet and the channel inlet (where the seal seam width is smallest), thus establishing a fluid connection between the cavity and the elongated straight hollow channel. As a consequence, the liquid eye care product is squeezed out of the cavity and is ejected through the elongated straight hollow channel and the nozzle opening to the eye of the patient. It is thus possible for the patient to apply the eye care liquid without putting the head in the neck, as the liquid is ejected through the nozzle opening rather than falling down by gravity, as this is conventional. Accordingly, application of the eye care liquid is experienced much more convenient than hitherto as there is no need anymore to put the head in the neck.

[0037] Materials suitable for the manufacture of the storage and operation piece of the single dose applicator may be polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, or composite materials containing such material and silicon oxide or aluminum oxide. These materials are suitable for being used in molding the storage and operation piece, with the silicon oxide or aluminum oxide of the composite material serving as a particularly effective diffusion barrier.

[0038] The cover piece may be made of polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, or of a composite material comprising polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate and silicon oxide or aluminum oxide, and is made either through molding or is embodied as a foil. The cover piece is sealed to the storage and operation piece along the seal seam. Providing the cover piece as a foil is advantageous as a plurality of individual storage and operation pieces can then be arranged side-by-side in a straight row, and a strip of foil may then be placed on top of the plurality of individual storage and operation pieces and sealed to each of the individual storage and operation pieces along the respective seal seam to form a strip of single dose applicators which are connected to one another by the foil strip. The foil strip may be perforated along lines where adjacent ones of the storage and operation pieces, so that one or more single dose applicators may be separated from the strip by tearing the foil strip along one of the lines of perforation.

[0039] By way of example, the oblong cavity of the storage chamber of the single dose applicator may have a length in the range of 6.4 mm to 7 mm, and may in particularly be about 6.7 mm. It may have a width in the range of 2.4 mm to 3 mm, in particular about 2.7 mm. And it may- 7 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0040] have a depth in the range of 1.3 mm to 1.9 mm, in particular about 1.5 mm. Generally, the cavity may be sized to have a volume in the range of 20 pl to 40 pl. Further by way of example, the length of the elongated straight hollow channel of the nozzle may be in the range of 4.3 mm to 4.7 mm, and may in particular be about 4.5 mm. The width of the straight hollow channel may be in the range of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm, and may in particular be about 1 mm. The depth of the elongated straight hollow channel may be in the range of 0.6 mm to 1 mm, and may in particular be about 0.8 mm. The seal seam width is about 1.4 mm (and may also be larger) in all portions of the seal seam except that portion of the seal seam that extends between the chamber outlet end and the channel inlet end of the elongated straight hollow channel of the nozzle. In that seal seam portion that extends between the chamber outlet end of the storage chamber and the channel inlet end of the elongated straight hollow channel of the nozzle, the seal seam may have a seal seam width that is between 0.8 mm and 0.9 mm, in particular 0.85 mm.

[0041] To further enhance breaking the seal seam at the predetermined breaking point at the seal seam portion located between the chamber outlet end of the storage chamber and the channel inlet end of the elongated straight hollow channel of the nozzle and avoid that the seal seam breaks at another location, the storage chamber may comprise a V-shaped notch facing towards the channel inlet end of the elongated straight hollow channel of the nozzle.

[0042] Overall, the single dose applicator overcomes the problem of possible contamination of a multiple dose applicator and allows for the application of the liquid eye care product without the need to put the head in the neck, as the liquid eye care product is ejected through the nozzle opening to the eye of the patient rather than falling down by gravity (which is experienced as being more convenient). Also, the individual pieces of the single dose applicator are easy to manufacture using reliable manufacturing techniques (such as molding and sealing), and also allows to manufacture strips comprising a plurality of individually sealed single dose applicators.

[0043] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Further advantageous aspects of the invention become apparent from the following description of embodiments of the invention with the aid of the (schematic) drawings, in which:- 8 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0045] Fig. 1 shows a perspective top view of an embodiment of the single dose applicator according to the invention;

[0046] Fig. 2 shows a top view of the embodiment of the single dose applicator of Fig. 1 ;

[0047] Fig. 3 shows a top view of the embodiment of the single dose applicator of Fig. 1, with the seal seam being indicated in phantom lines;

[0048] Fig. 4 shows a sectional side view of the embodiment of the single dose applicator along line A-A- of Fig.2;

[0049] Fig. 5 shows a front view of the embodiment of the single dose applicator of Fig. 1 ;

[0050] Fig. 6 shows a perspective top view of an embodiment of the strip of single dose applicators according to the invention;

[0051] Fig. 7 shows a perspective bottom view of the embodiment of the strip of single dose applicators of Fig. 6;

[0052] Fig. 8 shows a top view of the embodiment of the strip of single dose applicators of Fig. 6;

[0053] and

[0054] Fig. 9 shows a top view of the embodiment of the strip of single dose applicators of Fig. 6, with the seal seam shown in phantom lines.

[0055] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0056] As used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include the plural, unless the context explicitly dictates otherwise. When using the term "about" with reference to a particular numerical value or a range of values, this is to be understood in the sense that the particular numerical value referred to in connection with the term "about" is included and explicitly disclosed, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, if a range of "about" numerical value A to "about" numerical value B is disclosed, this is to be understood to include and explicitly disclose a range of numerical value A to numerical value B. Also, whenever features are combined with the term "or", the term "or" is to be understood to also include "and" unless it is evident from the specification that the term "or" must be understood as being exclusive.

[0057] In Fig. 1 - Fig. 5 an embodiment of the single dose applicator 1 according to the invention is shown in different views. In the following, the description of the single dose applicator is made with reference to Fig. 1 - Fig. 5, with the reference signs referred to being contained either in one or more of them.- 9 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0058] In the perspective view of the single dose applicator 1, the single dose applicator comprises a storage and operation piece 2 and a cover piece 3. Storage and operation piece 2 comprises a flat (bottom) surface 20 (see Fig. 5) facing a flat (top) surface 30 of cover piece 3. Flat (bottom) surface 20 of storage and operation piece 2 is sealed to flat (top) surface 30 of cover piece 3 along a seal seam 4 which can be seen best in Fig. 3 (dashed lines), but is also indicated in Fig. 1.

[0059] Storage and operation piece 2 further comprises a storage chamber 21 that has an oblong shape and deformable (flexible) chamber walls 210. Chamber walls 210 define a cavity 211 (see Fig. 2) containing a single dose of a liquid eye care product L (see Fig. 4). An outlet end 212 at one longitudinal end of storage chamber 21 faces towards a channel inlet end 222 of a straight elongated hollow channel 221 (see Fig. 2) of a nozzle 22. At the chamber outlet end 212, the storage chamber 21 may (or may not) comprise a V-shaped notch 213 (indicated in Fig. 1 by dotted lines) the tip of which faces towards channel inlet end 222 of elongated straight hollow channel 221 of nozzle 22. Nozzle 22 further comprises a channel outlet end 223 with a nozzle opening 224 arranged at an edge of storage and operation piece 2.

[0060] Cavity 211 of storage chamber 21 has a length lcand a width wc(see Fig. 2) both extending in a plane of the flat sealing surface 20 (where the length and width are measured). In addition, cavity 211 has a depth dcextending away from the flat sealing surface 20 (see Fig. 4). Similarly, elongated straight hollow channel 221 of nozzle 22 has a channel length lCh and a channel width wCh both extending in a plane of the flat sealing surface 20, too (where the length and width are measured). In addition, elongated straight hollow channel 221 has a channel depth dCh extending away from the flat sealing surface 20 (see Fig. 2). Storage chamber 21 and nozzle 22 are fluidically separated from each other.

[0061] As can be seen best in Fig. 3, the flat surface 20 of storage and operation piece 2 is sealed to flat sealing surface 30 of cover piece 3 along seal seam 4 (indicated in Fig. 3 by dashed lines. Seal seam 4 completely extends around cavity 211 of storage chamber 21 and also completely extends around the elongated straight hollow channel 221 except for the nozzle opening 224 where the elongated straight hollow channel 221 of nozzle 22 must remain open, as the liquid eye care product L is ejected therethrough during application (as will be explained further below). In the shown state, however, in which seal seam 4 is completely- 10 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0062] intact (i.e. prior to application) storage chamber 21 and nozzle 22 are fluidically separated from each other so that no liquid eye care product L may escape from storage chamber 21. Seal seam 4 has a seal seam width wss, and this seal seam width wssis at least 1.2 mm (or larger) in all portions except that portion 40 of seal seam 4 that extends between the chamber outlet end 212 of storage chamber 21 and channel inlet end 222 of elongated straight hollow channel 221 of nozzle 22 where seal seam 4 has a seal seam width wssbetween 0.5 mm and 0.9 mm. Depending on the materials of which storage and operation piece 2 and cover piece 3 are made of, these values may slightly vary without departing from the teaching of the invention.

[0063] In specific embodiments of the single dose applicator 1, the length lcof cavity 211 of storage chamber 21 may be in a range of 6.4 mm and 7 mm, and may in particular be about 6.7 mm. The width wcof cavity 211 may be in the range of 2.4 mm to 3 mm, and may in particular be about 2.7 mm. The depth dcof cavity may be in a range of 1.3 mm to 1. 9 mm, and may in particular be about 1.5 mm. The cavity 211 is sized to have a volume of 20 pl to 40 pl. Generally, the predetermined volume of cavity 211 corresponds to a single dose of the liquid eye care product L. The channel length lCh of elongated straight hollow channel 221 of nozzle 22 is in the range of 4.3 mm to 4.7 mm, and may in particular be about 4.5 mm. The channel width wCh of elongated straight hollow channel 221 may be in the range of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm, and may in particular be about 1 mm. The depth dCh may be in the range of 0.6 mm to 1 mm, and may in particular be about 0.8 mm.

[0064] Storage and operation piece 20 is made of a sealable plastics material. For example, it may be made of polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, or may be made of c composite material comprising one of the afore-mentioned plastics materials and silicon oxide or aluminum oxide (as a diffusion barrier). Storage an operation piece 20 may be made through molding or other suitable techniques known in the art. Cover piece 30 is made of a sealable material such as polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, or of a composite material comprising polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate and silicon oxide or aluminum oxide, and may also be made through molding techniques known in the art. Alternatively, cover piece 30 it may be embodied as a foil.

[0065] Operation of the single dose applicator 1 is described in the following. First, the user (patient) holds the single dose applicator 1 a predetermined short distance in the range of 10 cm to 40- 11 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0066] cm in front of the eye, with nozzle opening 224 facing towards the eye (the orientation of the single dose applicator being shown in Fig 5). The user does not need to put the head back anymore, but may hold the head in the normal position. Holding the single dose applicator 1 in this position, pressure is applied to the deformable (flexible) chamber walls 210 (by squeezing), as is indicated by the unlabeled arrow in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4. Pressure may be applied with the aid of the user's finger(s) or, alternatively, a separate device may be provided that comprises suitable means for applying pressure to the chamber walls (not illustrated tin the drawings). In such case, the device accommodates the single dose applicator 1 with a predetermined orientation to enable application of the liquid eye care product L with the aid of the device.

[0067] The pressure applied to the chamber walls 210 of storage chamber 21 causes spatial separation (spacing) of storage and operation piece 2 and cover piece 3 at that portion of seal seam 4 that is arranged between the chamber outlet 212 of storage chamber 21 and channel inlet 222 of nozzle 22, without causing storage and operation piece 2 and cover piece 3 to tear, they just become spaced apart from each other a short distance (as indicated by the unlabeled dashed arrows in Fig. 4), only the portion 40 of seal seam 4 breaks to allow storage and operation piece 2 and cover piece 3 to get spatially separated. Thus, a fluidical connection is established between cavity 211 (containing the liquid eye care product L) of storage chamber 21 and elongated straight hollow channel 221 of nozzle 22, and due to the continued pressure applied to the chamber walls 210 of storage chamber 21, the liquid eye care product L is ejected through elongated straight hollow channel 221 and further through nozzle opening 224 to the eye of the user.

[0068] The single dose applicator 1 may be provided in the form of a plurality of individual single dose applicators 1 which are contained in a secondary package (not shown) so that they can be taken out of the secondary package one-by-one. Alternatively, a strip of single dose applicators 1 may be provided. An embodiment of such a strip 5 of single dose applicators 1 is shown in different views in Fig. 6 - Fig. 9. In essence, the strip 5 is formed by a plurality of individual storage and operation pieces 2 which are arranged side-by-side in a straight row. The storage and operation pieces 2 are connected to one another by a strip of foil 6 that extends along the straight row to cover all storage and operation pieces 2 each containing a single dose of liquid eye care product L in the cavity 211 defined by the chamber walls 210 of the storage chamber 21 (see Fig. 1 - Fig. 5). The strip of foil 6 has a flat surface 60 that- 12 - PAT059580-WO-PCT

[0069] corresponds to the flat surface 30 of the cover pieces 3 of the individual single dose applicators 1 described above with the aid of Fig. 1 - Fig. 5, and this surface 60 of the strip is sealed to the individual surfaces 20 (see Fig. 1 - Fig. 5) of the storage and operation pieces 2 along the seal seams 4, as this is indicated by the dashed line shown in Fig. 9.

[0070] The foil strip 6 may be provided with perforations 61 (see Fig. 8) along lines where adjacent ones of the storage and operation pieces 2 of the strip abut against each other. It is thus possible to easily separate one or more single dose applicators 1 from the strip 5 by tearing the foil strip 6 along the lines 61 where the foil strip 6 is perforated. It is thus made sure that tearing off the one or more single dose applicators actually occurs at the desired locations (lines of perforations).

[0071] Embodiments of the invention have been described with the aid of the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Rather, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the teaching underlying the instant invention. The scope of protection is therefore defined by the appended claims.

Claims

- 13- PAT059580-WO-PCTClaims1. Single dose applicator (1) for applying a liquid eye care product (L) to the eye of a patient, the single dose applicator (1) comprising:a storage and operation piece (2) made of a sealable plastics material and comprising- a flat sealing surface (20);- a storage chamber (21) having an oblong shape and having chamber walls (210) defining a cavity (211) with a cavity length (lc) and a cavity width (wc) both extending in a plane of the flat sealing surface (20), as well as with a cavity depth (dc) extending away from the flat sealing surface (20), the cavity (211) containing the liquid eye care product (L) and being sized to have a predetermined volume corresponding to a single dose of the liquid eye care product (L), the storage chamber (21) further having a chamber outlet end (212) at a longitudinal end of the storage chamber (21), and the chamber walls (210) being deformable for applying pressure to the liquid eye care product (L) contained in the cavity (211);- a nozzle (22) comprising an elongated straight hollow channel (221) having a channel length (lCh) and a channel width (wCh) both extending in the plane of the flat sealing surface (20), as well as a channel depth (dCh) extending away from the flat sealing surface (20), the elongated straight hollow channel (221) having a channel inlet end (222) and a channel outlet end (223) with a nozzle opening (224) arranged at an edge of the storage and operation piece (2);wherein the storage chamber (21) and the nozzle (22) are fluidically separated from each other, with the channel inlet (222) of the elongated straight hollow channel (221) of the nozzle (22) facing the storage chamber outlet end (212);a cover piece (3) made of a sealable material and comprising- a flat sealing surface (30) sealed to the flat sealing surface (20) of the storage and operation piece (2) along a seal seam (4),wherein the seal seam (4) completely extends around the cavity (211) of the storage chamber (21) to seal the cavity (211) containing the liquid eye care product (L), and wherein the seal seam (4) further completely extends around the elongated straight hollow channel (221) except for the nozzle opening (224),wherein further the seal seam (4) has a seal seam width of at least 1.2 mm in all portions except that portion (40) of the seal seam (4) that extends between the chamber outlet end- 14 - PAT059580-WO-PCThollow channel (221) of the nozzle (22), where the seal seam (4) has a seal seam width between 0.5 mm and 0.9 mm.

2. Single dose applicator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the storage and operation piece (2) is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, or of a composite material comprising polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate and silicon oxide or aluminum oxide, and is made through molding.

3. Single dose applicator (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the cover piece (3) is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, or of a composite material comprising polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate and silicon oxide or aluminum oxide, and is made through molding or is embodied as a foil.

4. Single dose applicator (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the storage chamber (21) comprises a V-shaped notch (213) at the chamber outlet end (212) of the storage chamber (21), with the tip of the V-shaped notch (213) facing towards the channel inlet end (222) of the elongated straight hollow channel (221) of the nozzle (22).

5. Single dose applicator (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cavity (211) has a length (lc) in the range of 6.4 mm and 7 mm, in particular about 6.7 mm, a width (wc) in the range of 2.4 mm to 3 mmm, in particular about 2.7 mm, a depth (dc) in the range of 1.3 mm to 1.9 mm, in particular about 1.5 mm, and is sized to have a volume in the range of 20 pl to 40 pl, wherein the length (lCh) of the elongated straight hollow channel (221) is in the range of 4.3 mm to 4.7 mm, in particular about 4.5 mm, the width (wCh) is in the range of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm, in particular about 1 mm, and the depth (dCh) is in the range of 0.6 mm to 1 mm, in particular about 0.8 mm, and wherein the seal seam width (wss) is about 1.4 mm in all portions except that portion (40) of the seal seam (4) that extends between the chamber outlet end (212) of the storage chamber (21) and the channel inlet end (222) of the elongated straight hollow channel (221) of the nozzle (22), where the seal seam (4) has a seal seam width (wss) that is between 0.8 mm and 0.9 mm, in particular about 0.85 mm.

6. Strip (5) of single dose applicators (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, the strip (5) being formed by a plurality of individual storage and operation pieces (20) arranged side-by-side in a straight row, the storage and operation pieces (20) being connected to one- 15- PAT059580-WO-PCTanother by a strip (6) of foil extending along the straight row to cover all storage and operation pieces (20) each containing the single dose of liquid eye care product (L) in the cavity (211) defined by the chamber walls (210) of the storage chamber (21), the strip (6) of foil having a flat surface (60) facing the flat surfaces (20) of the individual storage and operation pieces (2) and being sealed to each of the individual storage an operation pieces (2) along the respective seal seam (4) to form the strip (5).

7. Strip (5) according to claim 6, wherein adjacent ones of the storage and operation pieces (20) arranged side-by-side in the straight row abut against one another, and wherein the foil strip (6) is perforated (61) along lines where adjacent ones of the storage and operation pieces (2) abut against each other, to allow for separation of one or more single dose applicators (1) from the strip (5) of single dose applicators (1) by tearing the foil strip (6) along one of the lines where the foil strip is perforated (61).

8. Method of applying a liquid eye care product (L) to an eye of a patient using a single dose applicator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the method comprising:- holding the nozzle opening (224) of the single dose applicator (1) at a small distance in the range of 10 cm to 40 cm in front of the eye without putting the head back;- squeezing the chamber walls (210) of the storage chamber (21) to apply pressure to the liquid eye care product (L) contained in the cavity (211), thereby causing the portion (40) of the seal seam (4) that extends between the chamber outlet end (212) of the storage chamber (21) and the channel inlet end (222) of the elongated straight hollow channel (221) of the nozzle (22) to break and the liquid eye care product (L) to be ejected from the nozzle opening (224) to the eye.

Images