Patent Publication Number: US-2022212213-A1

Title: Device for dispensing a fluid product

Description:
The present invention relates to a device for dispensing a fluid product, and more particularly to a device of the “combidose” type, i.e. in which two fluid products are mixed and dispensed simultaneously at the moment of actuation. 
     Dispensers of the combidose type have been developed for many applications, in particular in the field of pharmacy. Such dispensers are of particular application when dispensing nasally. Such devices generally comprise two separate reservoirs, each containing a different fluid product, the products being mixed before or during dispensing in order to be dispensed together. The reservoirs may each contain a single dose or several doses, depending on the type of device. A disadvantage with devices with multi-dose reservoirs is the need to provide metering means for measuring a dose of each fluid product each time it is actuated. These metering means make the device complicated to manufacture and assemble. In addition, there may be risks of contamination of the fluid products contained in each reservoir, in particular between two actuations. A disadvantage of devices with single-dose reservoirs is that they can be used only once, the entire device having to be thrown away after use. 
     Moreover, depending on the nature of the fluid products, particularly in the case of medicinal products, the conditions for filling and storing the product may be somewhat restrictive. Thus, many fluid products in the pharmaceuticals field have to be filled in a sterile zone and/or stored in a cold chamber. In existing dispensing devices, the products are generally filled after complete assembly of the device, which implies the use of filling machines which are specially adapted to the devices in question, these machines of course having to be in sterile zones. After filling, the device as a whole has to be stored in a cold room. Given the very high costs of industrial sites with sterile areas and of cold room space, the use of specific filling machines proves to be a drawback from an economic point of view, and the same applies as regards storage in a cold room. 
     The documents US 2007 240712, WO 03082702 and WO 2004/026379 describe devices of the prior art. 
     The aim of the present invention is to provide a device for dispensing a fluid product which does not suffer from the disadvantages mentioned above. 
     Thus, the aim of the present invention is to provide a device for dispensing a fluid product of the combidose type which is reusable. 
     Another aim of the present invention is to provide a fluid product dispensing device of this type for which the sites and spaces of sterile zones during filling and of cold chambers during storage are minimal. 
     Another aim of the present invention is to provide a fluid product dispensing device of this type which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble, and which is reliable in its use. 
     The present invention therefore provides a device for dispensing a fluid product, comprising a body provided with a dispensing orifice, two removable reservoirs each containing a single dose of fluid product to be dispensed, dispensing means for dispensing said fluid product contained in said reservoirs, and actuating means for actuating said dispensing means, said reservoirs being closed in a sealed manner before the dispensing device is actuated, the body comprising means for opening each reservoir, said opening means being adapted to open said reservoirs when the device is actuated, said reservoirs each forming a sealed unit which is separate from said body, each reservoir being filled with a respective fluid product and hermetically sealed before it is installed in said body, said body comprising receiving means for lateral installation of said reservoirs in said body, said dispensing means comprising a rod associated with each reservoir, said rods being axially displaceable and cooperating with the second sealed closure of each reservoir, each rod being associated with an actuating spring adapted to axially displace said rods during actuation, said rods being integral with an axial slide extending out of said body, said axial slide being axially displaceable with respect to said body between a loaded position, in which said actuating springs are loaded, and an unloaded position after actuation, the user manually returning said slide to the loaded position after each actuation in order to reload said actuating springs. 
     Advantageously, said receiving means comprise a window provided for each reservoir in a side wall of said body. 
     Advantageously, each reservoir comprises a hollow tube, comprising a first proximal axial opening and a second distal axial opening, said first axial opening being plugged by a first sealed closure, and said second axial opening being plugged by a second sealed closure. 
     Advantageously, said first sealed closure is a membrane. 
     Advantageously, said second sealed closure is a plug, in particular produced from an elastomer. 
     Advantageously, each reservoir contains a different fluid product, the two different fluid products being mixed during actuation so as to be dispensed together. 
     In a variation, each reservoir contains a fluid cleaning product and/or decontaminating product in order to form a cleaning reservoir. 
     Advantageously, said actuating means comprise a lateral actuation element which can be displaced in a direction which is different from the direction of displacement of said dispensing means. 
     Advantageously, said means for opening the reservoirs comprise means, such as a needle, for piercing said first sealed closure of each reservoir. 
     Advantageously, each needle is associated with a needle spring which biases a respective reservoir away from said needle when it is installed in said body. 
     Advantageously, said body, said dispensing means, said actuating means and said opening means are assembled in order to form a unit, said reservoirs being installed in said unit after filling and plugging. 
     Advantageously, said receiving means comprise a removable cover. 
    
    
     
       Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view of a fluid product dispensing device in accordance with an advantageous embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a fluid product dispensing device in accordance with an advantageous embodiment, before insertion of the reservoirs; 
         FIG. 3  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 2 , with one reservoir being secured inside the device and the other reservoir during the course of being inserted; 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 3 , upon initial actuation of the device; and 
         FIG. 5  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 4 , at the end of actuation of the device. 
     
    
    
     In the description, the terms “top”, “bottom”, “upwards”, and “downwards” are with respect to the upright position of the device shown in  FIGS. 1 to 5 . 
     The terms “axial” and “radial” refer to the central vertical axis A of the pump, shown in  FIG. 2 . The terms “proximal” and “distal” are with respect to the dispensing orifice. 
     The figures show a combidose type dispensing device. This device comprises a body  10  which is provided with a dispensing orifice  15 . In the example shown, the dispensing orifice  15  is formed at the axial end of a nasal dispensing head, which is the preferred embodiment of the invention. It should be noted, however, that oral, auricular or topical distribution could also be envisaged. A removable protective cap  1 , which is visible in  FIG. 1 , may be provided to protect the dispensing orifice  15  between two actuations. The body  10  receives two reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′, each containing a single dose of a fluid product. In general, these two fluid products are different, but they could also be identical or similar, for example if cleaning reservoirs are used after each actuation, as will be described below. 
     The two reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ are advantageously identical. A single reservoir will therefore be described in greater detail below. Each reservoir forms a sealed unit which is separate from the rest of the device, and is advantageously constituted by a hollow tube  21  comprising a first axial opening  21   a  and a second axial opening  21   b.  The first axial opening  21   a  may be formed in a neck portion of said hollow tube  21 . When the reservoirs are installed in the body  10 , the first opening  21   a  forms the proximal opening and the second axial opening  21   b  forms the distal opening. The first axial opening  21   a  is plugged by a first sealed closure  22 , and the second axial opening  21   b  is plugged by a second sealed closure  23 . The hollow tube  21  may be produced from glass or any other appropriate material. The first sealed closure  22  may be a membrane and the second sealed closure  23  may be a plug  23 , advantageously produced from an elastomeric material. In a variation, the first sealed closure  23  could also be a plug  23 , advantageously produced from an elastomeric material. 
     This type of reservoir, which contains only a single dose of product, has very small dimensions, which limits the sterile zone sites for filling and the cold chamber spaces for storing these reservoirs after they have been filled. 
     The body  10  comprises opening means  11  associated with each reservoir, it being possible for these means to be formed by piercing means such as needles, for example. Each needle  11  is intended to pierce the first sealed closure  22  of a respective reservoir  20 ,  20 ′ during actuation of the device. Preferably, each needle  11  is fixed with respect to the body  10  and connected to the dispensing orifice  15  via a respective ejection channel  16 ,  17 . Preferably, as can be seen in the figures, the ejection channels  16 ,  17  of the two needles  11  meet upstream of the dispensing orifice  15  in order to form a single ejection channel  18  leading to said dispensing orifice  15 . Advantageously, and in a manner which is well known, a spray profile  19  is provided directly upstream of said dispensing orifice  15 . 
     The dispensing device furthermore comprises dispensing means  30 ,  30 ′ and actuating means  40  for actuating said dispensing means. The dispensing means comprise a respective rod  30 ,  30 ′ for each reservoir  20 ,  20 ′, said rods being axially displaceable so that, during actuation, each cooperates with the plug  23  of a respective reservoir so as to move it axially inside its respective reservoir. Said plugs  23  are therefore transformed into pistons which will slide in the hollow tubes  21  so as to eject the doses of the two fluid products through the needles  11  in the direction of the dispensing orifice  15 . Each rod  30 ,  30 ′ is associated with a respective actuating spring  35 ,  35 ′ which is adapted to exert the axial force in order to dispense the contents of the reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′. In a variation, it is possible to envisage a single rod  30  associated with a single actuating spring  35 , it being possible for said rod to be provided at its proximal end with two parallel branches, each of which would cooperate with a respective reservoir  20 ,  20 ′. 
     In the example shown, the actuating springs  35 ,  35 ′ are disposed between said body  10  and the distal axial ends of said rods  30 ,  30 ′. 
     Said rods are associated with an axial slide  50  extending outside said body  10 , as can be seen in  FIG. 1 . This axial slide  50  is axially displaceable with respect to said body  10 , together with said rods  30 ,  30 ′, between an unloaded position and a loaded position. Thus, when the user displaces said axial slide  50  downwards towards its loaded position, said actuating springs  35 ,  35 ′ are loaded. During actuation, the rods  30 ,  30 ′ together with the axial slide  50  are displaced axially upwardly by said actuating springs  35 ,  35 ′, returning the axial slide  50  to its unloaded position. 
     Advantageously, said rods  30 ,  30 ′ and/or said axial slide  50  comprise means for locking in the loaded position, said locking means being released by the actuating means  40  during actuation of the device. These locking means may, for example, comprise snap fitting means which will lock the rods  30 ,  30 ′ in the loaded position and which are released when the actuating means  40  are actuated. 
     Preferably, the actuating means  40  comprise a lateral actuation element, i. e. an element which is displaced in a direction which is different from the direction of displacement of the dispensing means. In the example shown, the lateral actuation element is advantageously a lateral lever  40 , which is displaceable, in particular pivotable, with respect to said body  10  between a rest position, visible in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and an actuation position, visible in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . A return spring  45  preferably urges said lateral lever  40  towards its rest position. 
     Each needle  11  is preferably associated with a respective needle spring  12  which is adapted to cooperate with the first opening  21   a  of each reservoir so as to urge said reservoir away from the respective needle  11 . This makes it possible to guarantee that the reservoirs will be opened by piercing the first sealed closures  22  only during actuation of the device. Obviously, the force of said needle springs  12  is less than the force of said actuating springs  35 ,  35 ′. 
     The body  10  comprises means  13 ,  14  for receiving the reservoirs which form the lateral access means. These receiving means enable the reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ to be loaded laterally into the interior of the body  10 . The reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ can be installed into the interior of the body  10  just before the device is used. Advantageously, the receiving means  13 ,  14  each comprise a respective window produced in a lateral wall of the body  10 . The figures show a body  10  comprising two diametrically opposed side windows. The receiving means may comprise fastening means, for example snap fitting means, or any other appropriate means, which enable the reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ to be retained inside the body  10 . In the example shown in the figures, the distal opening  21   b  of each reservoir will be positioned on the proximal axial end  31 ,  31 ′ of the rods  30 ,  30 ′, and will be retained in position by the needle springs  12  which push the reservoirs axially downwards. In this embodiment, the plugs  23  which obstruct the distal openings  21   b  of the reservoirs are slightly offset inside the hollow bodies  21 , in order to allow said proximal axial ends  31 ,  31 ′ of the rods  30 ,  30 ′ to penetrate slightly into said hollow bodies. Of course, other complementary securing or abutment means may be provided in order to promote secure fastening of these reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ in the body  10 . Optionally, a respective removable cover  9  may be provided in the region of the receiving means  13 ,  14 , these covers  9  possibly being produced in any desirable manner.  FIG. 1  illustrates a possible embodiment in which the two covers  9  are pivotable on the body  10 . 
     Loading the reservoirs laterally into the body  10  therefore makes it possible to produce separate reservoirs, to fill them and to plug them, then to store them independently of the rest of the dispensing device. In turn, the rest of the device can be assembled in a non-sterile area and stored at a location which is not a cold room. It is only very shortly before the device is used that the reservoirs can be installed in the body  10 , the contents of the reservoirs remaining protected by the sealed closures  22 ,  23  until the device is actuated. Loading the reservoirs laterally has the advantage of being able to use lateral actuation with the dispensing means being displaced axially, and of being able to assemble the entire device independently of the reservoirs. Assembly of the device is simplified, and the device itself is also simplified, in particular by not having to use a room which is generally required for pre-assembling the reservoirs when the latter are to be installed axially inside the body. The present invention thus makes it possible to produce a fluid product dispensing device which is less expensive, which operates reliably, and for which considerable savings can be made during filling and storage. 
     Operation of the device shown in the drawings is as follows: with the axial lever  50  locked in the loaded position, the user can insert a first reservoir  20  containing a dose of a first fluid product into the body  10  through the window  13  of the body. A second reservoir  20 ′ containing a dose of a second fluid product can then be inserted into the body  10  through the window  14  of the body. The needle springs urge said reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ axially downwards, away from the needles  11 , in order to guarantee the integrity of the contents of said reservoirs. The device is then ready to be actuated. 
     The user then presses on the lateral lever  40 , which will displace the latter towards its actuation position. This displacement of the lateral lever  40  will release the locking means, and thus the rods  30 ,  30 ′ will be displaced axially upwardly under the effect of the compressed actuating springs  35 ,  35 ′. Since the force required to displace the plugs  23  in the hollow bodies  21  of the reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ is greater than the force exerted by the needle springs  12  on the reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′, the axial displacement of the rods  30 ,  30 ′ initially brings about the upward axial displacement of the reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′, causing perforation of the membranes  22  by the needles  11 . Next, the plugs  23  are displaced in the reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ in order to eject the fluid products contained in the two reservoirs. The two fluid products are therefore expelled simultaneously, each through its respective needle  11 , and they will mix in the single ejection channel  18 , said mixture then being sprayed through the dispensing orifice  15 . 
     After dispensing the two mixed fluid products, the user returns the axial slide  50  to its loaded position, thereby reloading the actuator springs  35 ,  35 ′, until the rods  30 ,  30 ′ and the axial slide  50  are locked in the loaded position by the locking means. The two covers  9  can then be opened and the two empty reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ can be withdrawn, for example by pushing them manually axially upwardly against the force of the needle springs  12 , in order to disengage the distal opening  21   b  of each reservoir from the upper end  31 ,  31 ′ of the rods  30 ,  30 ′. After removing the two reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ from the body  10 , the user can optionally wash or clean the device, and in particular the needles  11  and the dispensing orifice, and then store the device for future use with two fresh, full reservoirs. 
     Advantageously, cleaning is carried out by means of cleaning reservoirs, identical to the reservoirs  20 ,  20 ′ but containing a cleaning and/or decontaminating fluid product. This makes it possible to clean the needles  11 , the ejection channels  16 ,  17 ,  18 , the spray profile  19  and the dispensing orifice  15 . It is thus ensured that the next use with active products is not polluted by the previous use, thereby in particular avoiding any risk of overdose or incompatibility if the subsequent reservoirs contain different products. The actuation cycle for cleaning of this type is identical to the actuation cycle described above except, of course, that the cleaning fluid is not dispensed into the user&#39;s nose, mouth, ears or onto the skin. 
     In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention can be used to treat Parkinson&#39;s disease and Huntington&#39;s disease, migraine, nasal vaccination, overdose, or heart attack. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it is clear that any modification could be applied thereto by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the accompanying claims.