Abstract:
A liquid applicator for the skin comprises a hydrophilic pad for applying liquid on a zone to be treated. It further comprises elements for connecting the pad to a cartridge storing the liquid. The connecting elements are adapted for mounting the pad opposite the liquid flow outlet from the cartridge. The invention is applicable to applicators of liquid disinfectant or of any other fluid active principle. The invention also concerns a first aid kit comprising an applicator and a cartridge initially separate, and a treatment device consisting of the applicator mounted on an initially sealed cartridge.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is the USC 35 USC 371 national stage of International application PCT/FR98/02321 filed Oct. 29, 1998, which designated the United States of America. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an applicator for applying liquid to the skin, of the type including a hydrophilic pad for applying the liquid to the area to be treated and means for connecting the pad to a liquid storage cartridge, which connecting means are adapted for mounting the pad opposite the outlet through which the liquid flows out of the cartridge. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is standard practice to use a hydrophilic pad to apply a disinfectant liquid or a medication to a wound. 
     It is known in the art to store the hydrophilic pad and the liquid for impregnating the pad separately to prevent the hydrophilic pad drying out too quickly in is storage. 
     For example, document FR-A-2 732 585 describes packaging which has two initially separate compartments respectively containing a hydrophilic pad and a liquid active product. Before the pad is used, communication is established between the two compartments and the liquid active product therefore impregnates the pad. 
     In this type of packaging, all of the packaging must be sterile to conserve the active properties of the liquid contained in one of the compartments. Moreover, for packaging of this kind to be offered for sale, it is necessary to obtain certification which guarantees that the packaging is sterile and safe. Such certification must be obtained for each different type of packaging, which can vary in shape or volume in particular. Thus obtaining the certification is a costly and time-consuming operation which considerably increases the unit cost of the product. 
     Documents WO-91/12197, WO-94/13352, FR-A-1 415 759 and GB-A-2 020 174 and U.S. pat. No. 3,148,401 describe liquid applicators of the aforementioned type. However, in those applicators, the hydrophilic pad for applying the liquid is formed by a block of hydrophilic foam with a small surface area, making it difficult to apply the liquid over a large area. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to propose a device for applying liquid to the skin which is adapted to receive a separately packaged liquid active product, requires no specific certification to be obtained for the applicator associated with the independently certificated container in which the liquid is stored, and enables convenient application of the liquid to a wound. 
     To this end, the invention provides an applicator for applying a liquid to the skin of the aforementioned type characterized in that the pad comprises a hydrophilic strip folded on itself and the connecting means include means for holding the outlet of the cartridge between the two folded edges of the strip. 
     In particular embodiments of the invention the applicator has one or more of the following features: 
     the connecting means include a collar adapted to be fixed to the neck of a cartridge; 
     the fixing collar includes two identical flanges fastened together and each delimiting a half-collar; 
     the two flanges are welded, riveted or crimped together or fixed together by at least one connecting lug in one piece with one flange and bent over the other flange; 
     the connecting means include means for spreading the edges of the hydrophilic strip in the area of connection to the cartridge; 
     each flange is extended on either side of the outlet of the cartridge by claws for retaining the ends of the hydrophilic strip; 
     the pad includes a flexible support to which a hydrophilic strip is fixed and the flexible support is attached to the connecting means; 
     the flexible support is in the general form of a hoop delimiting a housing to receive the outlet of the cartridge and possibly a stopper for closing off the latter; 
     the thickness of the flexible support decreases progressively from the connecting means to its end remote from the connecting means; 
     the connecting means allow relative movement between the applicator and the cartridge to enable a stopper blocking the outlet of the cartridge to be broken off; 
     it includes a member for perforating an end face of the cartridge which is adapted to be perforated; 
     the connecting means include a screwthread adapted to co-operate with a complementary screwthread on the cartridge to bring about said relative movement between the applicator and the cartridge; 
     said relative movement between the applicator and the cartridge is a rotational movement; and 
     the applicator is packaged in a protective sachet. 
     The invention also provides a therapeutic kit characterized in that it includes at least one hermetically sealed cartridge containing a sterile treatment liquid and at least one applicator as defined hereinabove adapted to be mounted on a cartridge which is initially separate from the applicator. 
     The invention further provides a therapeutic device characterized in that it includes an applicator as defined hereinabove and a hermetically sealed cartridge containing a sterile treatment liquid and on which said applicator is mounted. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood after reading the following description, which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively front and side elevation views of a therapeutic device including an applicator according to the invention mounted on a cartridge; 
     FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a single-use cartridge adapted to receive an applicator according to the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view in a median transverse plane of a blank carrying a hydrophilic strip used to form the applicator; 
     FIG. 5 is an elevation view of an applicator blank before fitting the hydrophilic strip; 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the structure of the applicator support shown without the hydrophilic strip; 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of a different embodiment of a therapeutic device including an applicator according to the invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a cutaway perspective view of another embodiment of a therapeutic device; and 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a therapeutic device 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show an applicator  10  for applying liquid to the skin mounted on a cartridge  12  for storing a sterile liquid active product such as disinfectant or medication. FIG. 3 shows the cartridge in isolation. 
     Such cartridges are well known in the art and are widely used. They incorporate a substantially cylindrical flexible body  14  moulded from a plastics material, for example. The top of the body is extended by a stopper  16  moulded in one piece with the body. 
     Near the stopper  16  the body  14  generally has a peripheral groove  18  across which there may extend a web of plastics material  20  produced on assembling two half-shells forming the cartridge. The cartridge has a section of progressively reducing size forming a neck between the stopper  16  and the groove  18 . 
     The capacity of such cartridges is intended to contain the quantity of liquid required for a single use. It is from 1 ml to 5 ml, for example 2.5 ml, although these values are not to be considered as limiting on the invention. 
     The applicator  10  shown in FIG. 1 essentially comprises a hydrophilic pad  22  and means  24  for connecting the pad  22  to the storage cartridge  12  opposite all outlet through which the liquid flows out of the cartridge. The hydrophilic pad  22  includes a hydrophilic strip  25 , for example a strip of gauze. 
     The connecting means  24  include two identical blanks in contact with each other. They are made of polymer, for example polypropylene or polyethylene. When assembled together, they form a collar  26  for mounting on the cartridge, retaining means  28  for retaining the hydrophilic strip  25  and a hoop  30  for supporting the hydrophilic strip. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 show one of the blanks before the two blanks are assembled together, 
     Each blank includes a half-collar  32  which is substantially semicircular and whose height is slightly less than the width of the groove  18 . The half-collar is extended at each end by two rectangular coplanar flats  34 . The lower part of each flat  34  is associated with a flap  36  moulded in one piece with and joined to the flat  34  at a bending line  38 . The facing surfaces of the flats  34  and the flaps  36  carry pips  39  arranged in conjugate patterns. The pips are adapted to retain the hydrophilic strip  25 . Thus the flats  34  over which the flaps  36  are bent form claws for retaining the strip  25 , as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     The top parts of the two flats  34  are joined together by a generally U-shaped arch  40  moulded in one piece with them. With the half-collar  32 , the arch delimits a rectangular space  42  large enough to receive the neck of the cartridge and its stopper  16 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the thickness of the arch  40  decreases progressively from the flats  34  to a transverse bridge at the end joining the two legs of the arch. 
     Also, the flats  34  preferably incorporate attached lateral upstands  44  on respective opposite sides of the half-collar  32  and projecting from the same side of the flats  34  and the arch  40  as the half-collar  32 . 
     Finally, one of the flaps  36  has a curved connecting lug  46  on one outside lateral wall whose length is substantially three times the thickness of the flats  34 . 
     The applicator is assembled as follows from two identical blanks of the kind shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and a hydrophilic strip  25 . The two blanks are fitted together around the neck of a sealed cartridge  12  so that the arches  40  and the flats  34  are superposed in pairs, with the two half-collars  32  delimiting the collar  26  received in the groove  18  on the cartridge. The hydrophilic strip  25  is then folded over both sides of the hoop  30  formed by the coupled arches  40 . The length of the strip  25  is chosen so that its folded ends come into contact with the pips  39  on the flats  34  but remain at a distance from the bending lines  38 . The hydrophilic strip  25  therefore has folded edges on respective opposite sides of the hoop  30  which form two opposed areas for application of the liquid product. 
     With the hydrophilic strip positioned in this way, the four flaps  36  are bent over the ends of the hydrophilic strip  25  about the bending lines  38 . 
     The lugs  46  are then bent around both sides of the two blanks so that the curved ends of the lugs  46  bear on the rear face of the flaps of the opposite blank. The flaps therefore retain the hydrophilic strip and the lugs  46  fasten the two blanks together and attach the applicator to the cartridge. 
     The applicator  10  is retained axially on the cartridge by the collar  26  engaged in the groove  18 . The collar allows the applicator to turn about the axis of the cartridge, however. 
     The two half-collars  32  are joined together by a crimped area of progressively decreasing width adapted to receive the web  20 . 
     The applicator is mounted on the cartridge and they are packaged in packaging such as a transparent plastics material sachet  50 , as shown in FIG. 2, under the required sterile conditions. The sterile conditions for the sachet  50  are less severe than those for the cartridge  12 , since the sachet does not directly contain an active substance. 
     With the body of the cartridge held between the fingers, through the sachet or other packaging, rotating the applicator  10  about the axis of the cartridge  12  by pressing on the flats  34  with the fingers shears the stopper and opens the cartridge. The liquid contained in it is then free to flow out and impregnate the hydrophilic strip, in particular if manual pressure is applied to the flexible body of the cartridge. 
     With the pad impregnated in this way, the user can remove it from its packaging and dab the area to be treated with the pad, holding only the body of the cartridge. The liquid product is applied through contact of the area to be treated with one or other of the opposite folded edges of the strip which form the exposed areas for application of the liquid. 
     An applicator can also be sold separately from a cartridge with which it must be associated in use. 
     It is then packaged on its own in appropriate packaging. The applicator is manufactured as previously described, except for the first step, in which the two blanks are fitted together with no cartridge between them. 
     The applicator formed in this way can be fitted subsequently to a cartridge as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The upstands  44  spread the ends of the strip  25  apart in the area of the collar  26 , as shown in FIG.  4 . The ends of the strip, when spread apart in this way, delimit a passage into which the stopper  16  of a cartridge can be inserted The cartridge is inserted into the applicator by elastic deformation of the neck of the cartridge and the collar  26 . 
     The stopper  16  blocking the fluid outlet is received in the rectangular space  42  delimited by the hoop  30 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     The outlet of the cartridge is then inserted between the two folded edges of the strip  25 . 
     The applicator can also be sold in the form of a therapeutic kit including one or more applicators associated with a corresponding number of sealed cartridges, the cartridges initially being separate from the applicators. 
     The cartridges to which the applicator in accordance with the invention is fitted are on widespread sale and have been certificated to guarantee that they are safe and sterile. Also, using off-the-shelf cartridges like these with an applicator provides a therapeutic device meeting the conditions of hygiene needed for satisfactory use. What is more, the therapeutic device does not require new certification to authorize its distribution. 
     Because the hoop  30  becomes progressively thinner towards its end remote from the cartridge, the pad is more flexible at the end which is intended to come into contact. with the skin than at the end fixed to the cartridge, which facilitates application. 
     What is more, confining the ends of the hydrophilic strip between the flats  34  and the flaps  36  joined together at the bending lines  38  ensures that excess liquid is channelled into the hydrophilic strip, rather than getting onto the cartridge or the user&#39;s fingers. 
     In the example described, the blanks have a structure which retains the hydrophilic strip very well. They can have a simpler structure, however, for example with no flaps. The hydrophilic strip is then gripped directly between the flats  34  or fixed directly to them. 
     Similarly, the blanks can be welded, riveted or crimped together or fastened together by any other means, instead of by the lugs  46 . The two flats can also be moulded in one piece with the hoop, in particular its upper part. 
     In the embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 7 to  9  parts identical or analogous to those of the preceding embodiment are designated by the same reference numbers. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 the storage cartridge  12  has in the region connecting the body  14  to the neck a cylindrical section  50  with an external screwthread  52  formed by a helicoidal thread moulded in one piece with the cartridge. 
     The semicircular section of each half-collar  32  has an internal helicoidal rib  54  forming a screwthread adapted to co-operate with the complementary screwthread  52  on the cartridge  12 . 
     In this embodiment, as previously, the outlet through which the liquid flows out of the cartridge is initially blocked by a stopper  16  moulded in one piece with the body. The stopper  16  can be sheared off. 
     The applicator is initially engaged with the free end of the screwthread  52 . The stopper  16  is then inside the hoop  30 , between the two folded edges of the hydrophilic strip  25 . 
     To impregnate the hydrophilic strip  25 , in order no apply the liquid contained in the cartridge  12  to the area to be treated, the user screws the applicator onto the cartridge  12 . This moves the applicator  10  and the cartridge  12  axially towards each other. The helicoidal movement of the applicator relative to the cartridge  12  resulting from such screwing shears off the stopper  16 , which is held between the operator&#39;s fingers. This opens the cartridge. The liquid contained in the cartridge is therefore free to flow out onto the hydrophilic strip  25 . 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 the cartridge  60  has a body  62  and a neck  64  with an external screwthread  66 . The neck  64  is blocked by an end face  68  which is adapted to be perforated. 
     In this embodiment, the means  24  connecting the hydrophilic strip  25  to the cartridge  62  are analogous to those of the embodiment shown in FIG.  7 . There is therefore a helicoidal rib  52  on the inside of each halt collar  32  adapted to co-operate with the screwthread  66 . 
     The hoop  30  carries a crosspiece  74  extending diametrally relative to the cartridge  60 . The crosspiece  74  has a perforator member  76  in the middle oriented towards the face  68  of the cartridge which is adapted to be perforated. The perforator member  76  extends along the axis of the screwthread  66 . 
     The perforator member  76  is a ribbed spike, i.e. a generally conical member with ribs extending along its generatrices and converging at the apex of the cone. 
     With an arrangement like this, when the applicator is screwed onto the neck  66 , the perforator member  76  stresses the face  68  which is adapted to be perforated and perforates it by progressively forcing in the perforator member  76  with its ribbed surface. Once the member  76  has been at least partly forced into the face  68 , the liquid contained in the cartridge  62  is free to flow in the passages defined between the convergent ribs on the member  76 . The liquid then flows between the two folded edges of the hydrophilic strip  25  and impregnates it, enabling the liquid to be applied to the area to be treated. 
     The applicator shown in FIG. 9 is adapted to be fitted to a cartridge  12  of the type shown in FIG.  3 . 
     In this embodiment, the connecting means  24  include an elastic sleeve  80  around the axis of which the hydrophilic strip  25  can rotate on a ring  82  carrying the support hoop  30 . 
     The sleeve  80  is made from an elastically deformable material. Its inside diameter is slightly less than the outside diameter of the body  14  of the cartridge. Its inside wall carries a peripheral bead  84  adapted to be received in the groove  20  on the cartridge. 
     The outside face of the sleeve  80  bas a groove  86  at its upper end in which the ring  82  is mounted to rotate about the common axis of the sleeve  80  and the cartridge  14 . The ring  82  is made from a rigid material. It carries the hoop  30  in a diametral plane. 
     With an arrangement like this, the elastic sleeve  80  is forcibly fitted around the body of the cartridge  14  until the peripheral protrusion  94  is received into the peripheral groove  80 . In this position the stopper  16  of the cartridge is surrounded by the hoop  30  and between the two folded edges of the hydrophilic strip  25 . To open the cartridge  12 , the operator turns the hydrophilic strip  25  and the stopper  16  relative to the body  14  of the cartridge. The stopper  16  is sheared off, releasing the liquid contained in the cartridge. 
     In all the embodiments described here the areas in which the liquid is applied to the area to be treated are formed by the exposed faces of the folded edges of the hydrophilic strip  25 . These areas are large because they consist of virtually all of the exposed surface of the strip. It is therefore easy to apply the liquid to a large area to be treated, as most of the surface of the hydrophilic strip can be used to apply the active liquid.