US2445653A - Nasal applicator - Google Patents

Description

July 20,1948. c. E. WHITE 2,445,653

NASAL' APPLICATOR Filed Feb. 22, 1945 nasal membrangs or: hap y Patented July 20,1948 v d 2,445,653

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d liquigl, yquld he of conveii d ling' a-1 1 d wprovid an. ap l szgifior i0. n ins-flu d form suchihatihere-is HQJQQKL of atomized liquid with the current of air inp which the mist or liquid droplets are suspended. The lower end of the nozzle 4 is united to the upper end 8 of a rigid conduit. This conduit and the nozzle 4 are preferably integrally joined and Preferably this ring has an upstanding lug 23 (Figs. 3 and 4). If the ring 23 be so arranged as to be capable of turning relatively to the part I8 of the conduit, then by manipulation of the lug 23 the ring may be turned relatively to the cap so as, at will, to move the valve or valves 22 toward or away from the corresponding inlet port or ports 2| On the other hand, it is contemplated that the part I8 of theconduit maybe arranged for rotation within the top member of the cap. In that event, an arrangement such as illustrated in I Figs 5 to 7 may be used. In Figs. 5 and 6, the

may be of the same or different materials, as desired. Preferably the conduit at least should be I of transparent or translucent material, for instance glass or a synthetic resin, and it is contemplated that the nozzle and conduit may be moulded in a single operation or that they may be moulded in complemental half sections and joined to form the complete structure in any appropriate manner; Preferably, and as here illustrated, the axis of the part 8 of this con' duit which joins the nozzle 4 is substantially vertical and parallel to or aligned with the axis of the lower part IU of the conduit. This lower part I is secured to an attaching device II by means of which the conduit is to the neck of the bottle I.

This attaching device is here shown as a cap comprising the substantially cylindrical screwthreaded shell portion I2, for example of metal or moulded plastic, designed to have threaded engagement with the threads on the bottle neck 2 and having a radial flange I3 at its upper end. This cap also comprises a lainellar top member, here shownas consisting ofthree annuli I4, I and I6, of substantially like external and internal diameter, the annuli I4 and I5 being of a relatively resilient material, for example, rubber or rubber substitute, while the annulus IS'is of a stiff and relatively rigid material, for example sheet metal. These annuli are assembled in'c oaxial relation and introduced into the upper part of the member I2 so that the annulus I4 engages the inner surface'cf flange I3 of the member I2. Preferably this lamellar top member is secured to the shell I2 by appropriatemeans for example adhesive, and the several annulicompos-f ing this top'arellkewise united, as for example, by an adhesive. When the cap is screwed down onto the bottle neck, the lower annulus I5 en-' gages the upper edge I1 of the bottle neck, thus providing a tight, leakproof seal. The lower end portion I8 of the rigid conduit fits within the central aperture in the assembled annuli I4, I5 and I6, the conduit'preferably having an integral flange I9, which is located just above the upper surface of the annulus I4, and an inner flange which bears against the lower surface of the annulus I 5; the flanges I9 and 20 being so spaced as to confine the top member between them with suflicient' pressure to insure a leak-tight joint.

.The top member of the cap is provided with one or'moreair inlet ports 2I oporative when unobstructed, to permit free entrance of air to the interior of the container. For closing each of these ports there is provided a valve member 22, the valve member or members preferably be ing secured to or integral with a thin resilient ring 23 coaxial withthepart I8 of the conduit.

rem'ovably secured portion of the conduit so receive the lugs 20* and thus lower surface of the flange I9 is shown as provided with two segmental lugs. The resilient valve supporting plate P (Fig. 7) has a central aperture A for the reception of the part I 8, the aperture having segmental recesses 20 which constrain the plate P to turn with the part I8. Thus, upon rotation of the conduit relatively to the cap, the valve or valves 22 will be correspondingly moved to cover or uncover the port or ports 2|. Alternatively, the part-P, or its equivalent, may be integral with;flange I 9, the resiliency of the valve-seat ring I4 being sufficient to permit the valves 22 to be moved to and from operative position by relative rotation of the part 24 and the cap I I.

Between its end portions 8 and I0 the conduit comprises asinuous, preferably S-shaped portion 24, including the upwardly convex bend 25, andthe downwardly convex bend 26, the latter being of increased diameter as respects the main v as to form the trap or reservoirchamber 26. That part of the passage within the conduit which leads upwardly from this reservoir or'trap to the nozzle "4 is provided with a constriction 21 ofcapillary dl--' amete-r, for example a'diameter of mm. That part 28 of the passage in the conduit which leads into the reservoir or trap chamber 26 inclines downwardly so as to direct the incoming current of air in a downwardly inclined direction. Prefera'bly-a baffle 29' is arranged within this part of the passage-so as further to deflect the incoming air current andto'caus'e it to impinge upon the surface of liquid contained in the trap at avery acute angle. Thus this entering jet of air tends to sweep up particles from the surface of the liquid with an atomizing action, these particles being carried on and up through the very narrow constriction .21 where they are subjected to compression. As the air current, with these en trained droplets, enters the chamber 1, there is a sudden expansion of the air with a resultant tende'ncytobreak up the droplets of moisture still further, so that before the current of air reaches the outlet 5, the liquid has been reduced to an'extremely fine atomized or vaporous condltlon thoroughly and uniformly mingled with the conveying air curren 5 When'the device is to be used as a dropper, the valves 22 are closed and the user inverts the device so that'liquid from the container I gravitates through the'conduit into the region 28 where it reaches-a condition of equilibrium. 'As the liq-' uid gravitates down the conduit,the air trapped in the container increases in volume and de-'- creases in pressure while the air in the vicinity of baflie 29 remains at atmospheric pressure whereby the negative pressure created in the container tends toreverse the direction of flow of the liquid. A condition of equilibrium isestablished between the weight of the liquid col-- umn and the aforesaid negative pressure when displacing: the air and, because the constriction is temporarily sealed, compressingsaid displaccdair toa slightanemone flow back intothe'container l. it is thus very scagsyzfor the user to-deliver substantially assmall a quantity of liquid trap chamber 26%.

to its normal position as shown inFig. 1, and the zendili of the nozzle iszinserted in the; nostril.

as may be desired'into the iThe user zmay now tip the head backwa d v again inverting. the device, permitting the deterimined'quantity ,of liquid in'the trap chamber slowly to escape .throughthe constriction: .21 and through the nozzle .4 .into the-nostril. At the -moment the .deviceis invertedgior the second time-and beioreanyliquicl :has run out of the container or trap chamber; the pressure; through out the "conduit, is atmospheric. :the determined .quantitvof liquid in the trap ,A moment later chamber flows bygravity vto the constriction 2'! thereby temporarily to seal the constriction. Concomitantly the flows'bygravity down :theconduit as aforesaid thereininto the trap chamber ly positive pressure. While the liquid flowing from the container into the conduit will again reach a condition of equilibrium as described above and the outward flow will cease before the reservoir 26 is reached, the determined quantity of liquid will flow through the constriction 21 by means of gravity together with the force of the positive pressure of the air behind it, the pressure on the outer side of the constriction being atmospheric. The determined quantity of liquid will then flow downwardly along the inner walls of nozzle 4 to the opening 5. At this moment all of the determined quantity of liquid will have passed through the constriction 21 and although the air trapped behind said liquid will have expended some of its positive pressure through expansion of volume, its pressure will still be slightly positive. The determined quantity of liquid remaining at the opening will then continue to escape in drops due to the weight of the column of the determined quantity of liquid together with the force of the slightly positive pressure of the air trapped behind it, which together slightly overbalance the atmospheric pressure existing at the outside of opening 5. It will be understood that in use, if the sides of the nostril are brought in contact with the edges of the nozzle 4 at the opening 5, the surface tension of the drop formed at the opening 5 will be broken and the determined quantity of liquid will flow into the nostril. It is evident that the remaining liquid in the container has flowed no further than the region 28 and has again assumed the equilibrium above described, thereby ensuring that no more than the determined quantity of liquid received in the reservoir flows to the nostril of the user. This arrangement permits the user to determine substantially the exact quantity of fluid to be delivered into the nostril and the delivery of this fluid into the nostril is so gradual that no pos- T'Ihe device is now restored liquidin the container also xsible harm.-oan--come to :the :nasalimemhranes or.-cavities. Furthermore 713118 shape Of tlmi-nolr -zle is such'that its.insertioniinztharnostril can notpause mechanical injury.- l

If the device is to he used. as; anatomizergthe operator. may .in the.- :way 1 above described, pause a certain: portion of'the liquid'to enter theitrap chamber 226 2-H; :then. opens the :.valves laiS tiO1-19Brmit air :freely to enter thescontainer and by placing-thenozzle in thetnostril :andiinr haling' (while "the other nostril is closedibylthe finger) acurrent of air'is caused:to;enterithe port-2 I .and thence to: pass up through. the soon.- duit. 'iIn entering the trap; chamber throughathe passage 28 this aair is-oausedto impinge forcibly upon the liquid :so asi toapickaupzliquidzparticles, vaporizer-them and carry them upsinto vthenasal passagei-n a very-finely divided condition. This arrangement for atomizing: the ,liquidcavoids :the use of mechanical-pumpslof anyttype to produce the vaporizing current, thus avoiding dangerous pressures in the nasal cavity andat the :same time making it unnecessary toprovide suchgpump devices.

It may be appreciated that the devioathus provided is of extremely simplelform comprises no moving parts othenthan the valvefor-closin oropen-ingthe zair-inlet port, itsuse canmot injure-the patient, and it maybe maxie lvery cheaply and occupy but littlelspaoe andhas nothing that will rapidlydeteriorato regardless of the fluid-which is used for treatment.

While a desirable embodiment of the-invention has been illustrated bywaynof example, it is tobe understood that the invention-is not: necessarily limited to this precise embodiment, but is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combined dropper and atomizer for nasal use designed to be attached to the neck of a liquid cointainer and comprising a hollow nozzle designed to enter and plug the nostril, a cap for removable leak-tight engagement with the container neck, and connecting means constituting a liquid path from the container to the nozzle and comprising a rigid S-shaped conduit, said conduit comprising an enlarged concave bend, the enlargement extending downwardly in the direction of the container, sa'd enlarged bend defining a reservoir in said liquid path adapted for receiving and holding a determined quantity of liquid passed thereto from the container upon inversion of the container, and a part of the conduit beyond the reservoir in the direction of the nozzle being formed to provide a delivery passage of capillary dimensions.

2. A combined dropper and atomizer for nasal use designed to be attached to the neck of a liquid container and comprising a hollow nozzle designed to enter and plug the nostril, a cap for removable leak-tight engagement with the container neck, and connecting means constituting a liquid path from the container to the nozzle and comprising a rigid s-shaped conduit, said conduit comprising an enlarged concave bend, the enlargement extending downwardly in the direction of the container, said enlarged bend defining a reservoir in said liquid path adapted for receiving and holding a determined quantity of liquid passed thereto from the container upon inversion of the container, and a part of the conduit beyond the reservoir and in advance of the hollow nozzle being formed to provide a delivery passage of capillary dimensions.

inversion I of the container,

atdifii'zer for nasal the neck of a liqrection: of the container, said enlarged bend defining a reservoir in saidliquid path adapted for receiving and holding a determined quantity of liquid which is passed into the lower curve of the S-shaped conduit from the container upon and a part of the conduit beyond the reservoir in the direction of the nozzle being formed to provide a delivery passage of capillary dimensions.

4. A combined dropper and atomizer for nasal use designed to be attached to the neck of a liquidcontainer and comprising a hollow nozzle designed to enter and plug the nostril, a cap for removable leak-tight engagement with the container neck; and connecting means constituting a liquid path from the container to the nozzle and comprising a rigid S-shaped conduit, said conduit comprising an enlarged concave bend in the upper curve of the S-shaped conduit, the enlargement extending downwardly in the direction of the container, said enlarged bend defining a reservoir in said liquid path adapted for receiving and holding a determined quantity of liquid which is passed into the lower curve of the S-shaped conduit from the container upoi inver ion of the container, and'a partor the con duit beyond the reservoir in the direction of thl nozzle being formed to provide a delivery pas sage of capillary dimensions, said connecting means, when the containeris restored to upright position, presenting a continuous air passage from the container to the nozzle and passing over the surface of the liquid in the reservoir.

. CHARLES E. WHITE,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date Re. 14,325 Burke July'3, 1917 377,571 McGeary Feb. 7, 1888 394,888 Smith Dec. 18, 1888 776,372 Anderson Nov. 29, 1904 839,085 Dorment Dec. 16, 1906 1,176,669 Endres et a1. Mar. 21, 1916 1,599,959 Fujimoto Sept. 14, 1926 1,679,816 Dorment Aug. 7, 1928 2,156,313 Schwab May 2, 1939 2,331,117 Goodhue et a1. Oct. 5, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 428,432 Great Britain May 13, 1935 447,717 France Nov. 15, 1912 541,470 France July 28, 1922 249,832 Italy Aug. 18, 1926

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