Abstract:
A pill plunger includes a hollow tube having a forward end and a rearward end. A rod or plunger has a forward end having a dished out portion for receiving medication and a rearward end having a button. The plunger occupies the tube with the dished out portion at the forward end of the tube and the button extending from the rearward end of the tube. Medication is placed in the dished out portion, which is then retracted into the tube. After insertion of the tube into a patient&#39;s mouth, the button is depressed to extend the plunger and dispense the medication. A spring can be used to retract the plunger upon release of the button. The dished out portion can be sealed to carry a fluid or powder. A dual dished out portion can be provided in the rod, and a window can be formed in the hollow tube.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/933,311, filed Jun. 6, 2007, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is related to devices for administering medications by mouth. More specifically, the invention is related to administering oral medications to difficult or uncooperative patients or patients requiring enhancement or encouragement of the swallowing reflex. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Medication administering devices, which allow medical or veterinary personnel to administer medications to uncooperative patients, are known. In the prior art devices, the medication is commonly held within a tubular applicator having an opening either restricted in size or containing a resilient member for holding the solid medication within the tube. Medication, normally in the form of a solid pill, is then ejected from the tube by a plunger activated in the manner of a syringe. These prior art devices do not provide the capability to apply either powdered or liquid medications, and are very specific in the size and/or shape of solid pill that they can accommodate. 
   It would be advantageous to provide a device for administering medication that can accommodate a wide range of pill sizes in addition to powder or liquid medications. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A pill plunger includes a hollow tube having a forward end and a rearward end. A rod or plunger has a forward end having a dished out portion for receiving medication and a rearward end having a button. The plunger occupies the tube with the dished out portion at the forward end of the tube and the button extending from the rearward end of the tube. Medication is placed in the dished out portion, which is then retracted into the tube. After insertion of the tube into a patient&#39;s mouth, the button is depressed to extend the plunger and dispense the medication. A spring can be used to retract the plunger upon release of the button. The dished out portion can be sealed to carry a fluid or powder. A dual dished out portion can be provided in the rod, and a window can be formed in the hollow tube. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pill plunger according to the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional plan view of the pill plunger of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a plan view of a reverse side of the housing of the pill plunger of  FIGS. 1-2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a plunger insert for the pill plunger of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of the plunger insert of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the plunger insert of  FIGS. 4-5 . 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the pill plunger according to the invention. 
       FIG. 8  is a plan view of the pill plunger of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 9  is a plan view of the housing for the pill plunger of  FIGS. 7-8 . 
       FIG. 10  is a plan view of a reverse side of the housing of  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a plunger insert for the pill plunger of  FIGS. 7-10 . 
       FIG. 12  is a plan view of the plunger insert of  FIG. 11 . 
       FIG. 13  is a side view of the plunger insert of  FIGS. 11-12 . 
       FIG. 14  is an end view of the plunger insert of  FIGS. 11-14 . 
       FIG. 15  is a plan view of a further embodiment of a pill plunger according to the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a pill plunger  100  according to the invention comprises a housing  110  in the form of a hollow tube. A plunger insert  120  is received within the housing  110 . 
   The housing  110  includes a hollow tube portion  130 . The hollow tube portion  130  has a distal end  135  and a proximal end  140 . A pair of finger rests or flanges  150  extend normally from the proximal end  140  of the hollow tube portion  130 . Indicia  160 ,  165  are provided on an external surface of the hollow tube portion  130 . The indicia, shown in the drawings as “LOAD” and “DISPENSE” ( FIG. 3 ) are provided on opposing sides of the housing  110 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , the plunger insert  120  includes a receptacle portion  170 , a rod portion  180  and a thumb button portion  190 . The receptacle portion  170  is positioned at a distal end  175  of the plunger insert  120 . The receptacle portion includes a semi-cylindrical perimeter wall  200 , a distal end wall  210  and a proximal end wall  220 . The rod portion  180  is attached to or formed integrally with the proximal wall  220  of the receptacle portion  170 . Each of the distal wall  210  and the proximal wall  220  of the receptacle portion  170  are generally circular in shape and are sized to closely conform to an inner wall surface  230  of the hollow tube portion  130  of the housing  110 . The rod portion  180  is attached to the proximal wall  220  of the receptacle portion  170  in a centered position, and includes a disk-shaped stabilizer  240  for centering the rod portion  180  within the interior of the housing  110 . The thumb button portion  190  includes a thumb rest  250  and a plunger stop  260 . The thumb rest  250  and plunger stop  260  are joined by integrally formed braces  270 . The thumb rest  250  is sized to comfortably receive an operator&#39;s thumb, while the plunger stop  260  is sized to be larger than the opening of the hollow tube portion  130 , thereby preventing entry of the thumb portion  190  into the hollow tube portion  130 . The rod portion  180  is connected to or integrally formed with the plunger stop  260 , and is centered thereon for alignment with the housing  110 . 
   The pill plunger  100  is assembled by insertion of the plunger insert  120  into the housing  110 . The plunger insert is rotated about a central axis  270  so that an opening  280  of the receptacle portion  170  is facing upward, and the “LOAD” indicia on the hollow tube portion  130  is visible. The plunger insert  120  is then inserted into the housing  110  from the proximal end  140  until the plunger stop  260  abuts the proximal end  140  of the housing  110  and the receptacle portion  170  extends from the distal end  135  of the housing  110 . The pill plunger  100  is then ready for accepting a pill or other medication in the receptacle portion  170 . 
   The pill or medication can be in the form of a solid, a powder, or a liquid. In the case of a liquid, the distal wall  210  and the proximal wall  220  of the receptacle portion  170  must be closely fitted to the inner wall surface  230  of the hollow tube portion  130 , in order to form a seal sufficient to prevent leakage of the liquid. In the alternative, a groove can be formed in the edge of each wall  210 ,  220 , and a seal, such as an o-ring, placed therein. 
   After placement of the medication in the receptacle portion  170 , the plunger insert  120  is withdrawn toward the proximal end  140  of the housing  110  so that the receptacle portion  170  retracts within the distal end  135  of the housing  110 . The pill plunger  100  can then be rotated about the central axis  270  until it is inverted, i.e. the “DISPENSE” indicia is exposed. The pill plunger  100  can then be inserted into a patient&#39;s mouth until the distal end  135  of the housing  110  is in a position to dispense the medication. The operator of the pill plunger  100  will necessarily be holding the pill plunger, such that the pill plunger  100  is being held by the finger rests or flanges  150 , for example by the user&#39;s index and middle fingers, and the user&#39;s thumb is resting on the thumb rest  250  of the thumb button portion  190 , in the manner of a syringe. Once the pill plunger  100  is in place, the user can then depress the thumb button portion  190  until the plunger stop  260  abuts the proximal end  140  of the pill plunger  100 . The receptacle portion  170  is thus fully extended from the distal end  135  of the housing  110  and the medication is thus released from the now inverted receptacle portion  170 , having its opening  280  facing downwardly. 
   In a further embodiment of the invention, shown in  FIGS. 5-8 , a pill plunger  300  includes a housing  310  and a plunger insert  320 . The plunger insert  320  is received within the housing  310 . 
   Housing  310  is formed of a hollow tube  330  having a distal end  335  and a proximal end  340 . Outwardly extending flanges or finger rests  350  are mounted to or integral with the hollow tube  330  at its proximal end  340 . A window opening  360  is provided in the side of the hollow tube  330  near its distal end  335 . The window  360  is provided on a face of the hollow tube  330  corresponding to “LOAD” indicia  370  formed or provided on the surface of the hollow tube  330 . “DISPENSE” indicia  375  is provided on an opposing outer surface of the hollow tube  330 , 180 degrees remote from the “LOAD” indicia, about an axis  380  running longitudinally through the pill plunger  300 . 
   The plunger insert  320  has a distal end  390  and a proximal end  400 . A dual receptacle portion  420  is positioned at the distal end  390  of the plunger insert  320 . The receptacle portion  410  has a semi-cylindrical side wall  420 , a distal end wall  430 , an intermediate wall  440  and a proximal end wall  450 . A rod portion  460  of the plunger insert  320  is connected to or integral with the receptacle portion  410  and is attached at the center of the circular proximal end wall  450 . The rod portion  460  further includes a disk-shaped stabilizer  470 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 11-14 , an alignment projection  480  is formed on the semi-cylindrical outer wall  420  of the receptacle portion  410 . The alignment projection  480  extends outwardly from the wall  420 , and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the plunger insert  320 . The alignment projection  480  corresponds to a matching alignment groove  500  (see  FIGS. 9-10 ) formed in the inner wall of the hollow tubular portion  330  of the housing  310 . The alignment groove  500  is shown as being centered opposite the window opening  360  and the housing  310 . 
   The interior of the housing  310  further includes a spring stop shoulder  510  having an opening  515  therethrough centered within the interior of the housing  310  for receiving the proximal end  400  of the plunger insert  320 . The pill plunger  300  is thus assembled by insertion of the proximal end  400  of the plunger insert  320  into the distal end  335  of the housing  310 . The plunger insert  320  is rotated about the longitudinal axis  380  to align the alignment projection  480  with the alignment groove  500 . The open top of the receptacle portion  410  is thus aligned with the window  360  of the housing  310 . The distal end  400  of the plunger insert  320  passes through the opening  515  in the spring stop shoulder  510  until the stabilizer  470  reaches the spring stop shoulder  510 . 
   As a result, the proximal end  400  of the plunger insert  320  extends beyond the proximal end  340  of the housing  310 . The distal end  390  of the plunger insert  320 , specifically the distal wall  430  of the receptacle portion  410 , is flush with the distal end  335  of the housing  310 . To complete the assembly of the pill plunger  300 , a thumb button  550  is secured to the proximal end  400  of the plunger insert  320 . The thumb button  550  is arranged on the proximal end  400  such that, when fully depressed against the proximal end  340  of the housing  310 , the plunger insert  320  will extend beyond the distal end  335  of the housing  310  such that a distal chamber  560  of the receptacle portion  410 , defined between the distal wall  430  and the intermediate wall  440 , will extend beyond the distal end of the housing  310 . The intermediate wall  440  will approximately align with the distal end  335  of the housing  310 . A proximal chamber  570 , defined between the intermediate wall  440  and the proximal wall  450  of the receptacle portion  410 , will then be in alignment with the window  360  of the housing  310 , so that the proximal chamber  570  can be charged with a medication. When the plunger insert  320  is in the fully retracted state, the distal chamber  560  will be aligned with the window  360  of the housing  310 , and the proximal chamber  570  will be fully contained and sealed within the housing  310  proximally of the window  360 . 
   In a further embodiment of the invention, shown in  FIG. 15 , a coil or compression spring  600  is placed over the proximal end  400  of the plunger insert  320 , passing through the opening at the proximal end  340  of the housing  310  and bearing against the spring stop shoulder  510  within the housing  310 . The opposing end of the coil or compression spring  600  bears against the base of the thumb button  550  to urge the plunger insert  320  towards its proximal position, with the thumb button  550  extended away from the proximal end  340  of the housing  310 , and the distal end  390  of the plunger insert  320  flush with the distal end  335  of the housing  310 . 
   In operation, the embodiments according to  FIGS. 7-15  can administer multiple medications, or multi-part medications, by separating the components of the medication between the distal chamber  560  and the proximal chamber  570  of the receptacle portion  410 . A further example would be to place a thickened water in the proximal chamber  570  with a medication in the distal chamber  560  to encourage a swallow reflex in the patient and increase the likelihood of proper application of the medication. 
   In the embodiments of the invention as disclosed above, the pill plunger  100 ,  300  is placed in a horizontal orientation, with the “LOAD” indicia facing upwardly. The plunger insert  120 ,  320  is extended distally to expose the receptacle portion  170 ,  410 . The medication is then placed in the receptacle portion and the plunger insert  120 ,  320  retracted proximally to be enclosed within the housing  110 ,  310 . The pill plunger  100 ,  300  is then rotated about its longitudinal axis  270 ,  380 , so that the “DISPENSE” indicia is upward. The distal end of the pill plunger  100 ,  300  is inserted into the patient&#39;s mouth. The thumb button  250 ,  550  is then depressed to extend the plunger insert  120 ,  320  from the distal end of the pill plunger  100 ,  300 , thereby releasing the medication from the inverted receptacle portion of the plunger insert. 
   While the invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.