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Medical Patent Abstract
The container for medical ophthalmic preparations has an exit opening
which is formed in an arcuate indentation of the container wall
that passes at both sides into a respective arcuate bulge. The container
is placed with said wave-like container wall on the area of the
eyebrow and cheekbones, the indentation making sure that there is
no contact with the surface of the eye. A protective cap for a conventional
container for medical ophthalmic preparations has a corresponding
wave-like contour. Said contour ensures a safety distance from the
eye, which excludes any injuries. The container and the protective
cap can be handled easily in the case of a self-administration of
the eye drops--even by persons with motoric disorders.
Medical Patent Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A container for medical ophthalmic preparations, comprising;
an exit opening being formed in an indentation of the container
wall; an outer container and a soft inner bag; said outer container
has arranged therein a pressure generating means for the inner bag
actuable by an electric motor; and said inner bag is arranged between
clamp jaws which are movable towards one another by motor power.
2. The container according to claim 1, wherein said indentation
has a concave arc shape and passes at both sides into a respective
convex arcuate bulge.
Medical Patent Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container for medical ophthalmic
preparations. Furthermore, the invention relates to a protective
cap for a container for medical ophthalmic preparations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Medical ophthalmic preparations are normally administered dropwise
by holding and slightly compressing a small bottle-like container
with the liquid preparation with its pointed outlet closely above
the wide-opened eye. The exiting drops of the preparation are meant
to fall on the eyeball. The self-administration of eye drops requires
considerable skill and discipline because looking at the pointed
outlet end of the container near the eye automatically causes anxiety
and prompts one to close the eye. With old people showing motoric
disorders, such as trembling hands, such a self-administration of
eye drops entails the risk that the eye gets injured so that persons
handicapped in this way, and also infants, depend on the help of
another person administering the drops.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to indicate a solution
for the above-described problem with which the self-administration
of liquid ophthalmic preparations is facilitated and eye injuries
during this process are safely avoided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention this object is achieved by a container
for medical opthalmic preparations and a protective cap for such
a container.
The container of the invention is configured such that its exit
opening is formed in an indentation of the container wall, said
indentation being reset relative to the surrounding wall portions
such that there is no contact of the container wall with the surface
of the eye when the container is placed on the area of the eyebrow
and the cheekbone. The indentation should here be so deep that eyelashes
are not touched either, which might otherwise lead to a reflex-like
closing of the eye. Preferably, the indentation has a concave arc
shape and passes at both sides into a respective convex arcuate
bulge.
A safety distance from the eye is automatically ensured by such
a configuration, so that an injury of the eye during application
of the drops is excluded. The application is considerably facilitated
because the container is not freely held in the hand above the eye,
but it is placed on the areas surrounding the eye, so that the correct
discharge position of the exit opening above the eye is obtained
virtually automatically. Since an eye injury is ruled out with certainty,
possible feelings of anxiety are also avoided or at least lessened.
The exit opening of the container may have any desired plug to
be opened, for instance a standard screw cap. What is important
is that the outlet of the container is reset in the indentation
of the container wall relative to the contact portions on eyebrow
and cheekbones that surround the indentation, namely to such a degree
that any contact with the surface of the eye is excluded.
Preferably, the container has a flat shape so that whenever the
container is standing on its base, the upper container wall which
includes the indentation and the two bulges has essentially the
shape of a strip. In comparison with a container that is e.g. round
in cross section, this has the advantage that the eye receiving
the drops can clearly see the container opening, so that the container
can be positioned easily and exactly. However, it goes without saying
that compact container shapes are also within the scope of the invention.
The container may consist of an outer container of a relatively
rigid plastic material and a soft inner bag which contains the ophthalmic
preparation, the preparation drops being dischargeable by exerting
pressure on the outer container.
However, it is also possible that the outer container has disposed
therein a small battery-driven electric motor and a pressure generating
means for the inner bag that is operated by the electric motor.
The inner bag may e.g. be arranged between clamp jaws that are movable
towards one another by motor power. In such a configuration of the
invention, the inner bag is accommodated in the outer container
for replacement.
The pressure generating means may create such a pressure that the
eye drops are discharged from the exit opening which is at the top
during use, so that the container can rest on a support, such as
a table, when the eye drops are administered while the eye is positioned
above the exit opening. This enables even people with strong motoric
disorders to administer the eye drops to themselves.
Under a further aspect of the present invention a protective cap
for a preferably conventional container for medical ophthalmic preparations
is provided, said protective cap comprising an exit opening in an
indentation of the protective cap wall. Said protective cap is mounted
on a conventional container for the administration of preparation
drops after its plug, for instance a screw cap, has been removed,
the protective cap being here configured such that its exit opening
covers or surrounds the outlet of the container. The indentation
in the protective cap is again reset relative to the bulges at both
sides to such an extent that any contact of the eye with the protective
cap and the outlet of the container is made impossible when the
protective cap is placed on the area of an eyebrow and a cheekbone.
Preferably, the protective cap has also a flat disk-like shape.
Further details of the invention will become apparent from the
following description of some preferred embodiments and with reference
to the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a prespective view of a protective cap of the invention
placed on a conventional container;
FIG. 2 is a prespective view of an embodiment of the container
of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a prespective view of a second embodiment of the container
of the invention;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are two successive states during use of the container
of the invention or the protective cap of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a conventional container 1 for a liquid medical ophthalmic
preparation, the container including a substantially conically tapering
outlet 2 from which the screw plug has been removed. The container
1 has seated thereon a protective cap 3 which is e.g. secured in
a clamp fit to a shoulder of the container.
The protective cap 3 has substantially the form of a disk with
a wave-like upper protective cap wall 4 which includes a concave
indentation 5 approximately in the center and a respective convex
bulge 6 at both sides. Centrally in the concave indentation 5, a
hole 7 is formed that is positioned above the exit opening of the
outlet 2 of the container.
FIG. 2 shows a container 8 of the invention whose upper container
wall 9 in the illustration has the same contour as the protective
cap 3. Inside the outer container 8, a soft inner bag 10 is arranged
that is connected in the area of the upper container wall 9 to the
outer container and has an exit opening adjoining exit opening 7.
The container 11 shown in FIG. 3 is again equipped with a soft
inner bag 12 whose exit opening communicates with the exit opening
13 of the container, which is again formed in the center in an indentation
of the wave-like container wall 14. The inner bag 12 is positioned
between two clamp jaws 15 that are movable by a motor 16 towards
one another. This operation is started by exerting pressure on a
push button 17. Batteries 18 are arranged for the supply of power
to the motor 16. The container 11 may e.g. be opened by unfolding
a side wall to replace the inner bag 12 or the batteries 18.
FIGS. 4A and 4B show that the protective cap 3 which is connected
to an existing container, or the container 8 or 11 is moved towards
the eye and is then placed with the two arcuate bulges 6 on the
area of the eyebrow and cheekbones. In this position, the eye is
spaced apart from the protective cap wall or container wall due
to the indentation 5, so that an injury of the eye is safely excluded.
The exit opening is exactly positioned above the eye by placing
the protective cap or the container on the area of the eyebrow and
cheekbones.
For the administration of eye drops the container 11 shown in FIG.
3 may rest on the container wall 19 facing away from the exit opening
13 so that the exit opening 13 faces upwards. The eye drops are
ejected upwards by motor power with an appropriate slight pressure.
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