WO2006080847A1

WO2006080847A1 - Device and method for administering a liquid evaporating at temperature of use

Info

Publication number: WO2006080847A1
Application number: PCT/NL2006/000049
Authority: WO
Inventors: Erika Balzarelli; Jan Philip Herweijer
Original assignee: Laboratory Tickner Ag
Priority date: 2005-01-28
Filing date: 2006-01-27
Publication date: 2006-08-03
Also published as: NL1028152C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for administering a liquid evaporating at temperature of use, comprising: a container for holding the liquid under pressure, a valve connecting to the container, a supply channel connecting to the valve, a reservoir which can be connected to the supply channel for collecting liquid that has left the container; and an administering channel which can be connected to the reservoir. With this configuration it is possible to collect in the reservoir the liquid leaving the container and to dispense the collected liquid in the form of a droplet. According to a preferred embodiment, the reservoir is always connected to both the supply channel and the administering channel. The invention also relates to an associated method.

Description

Device and method for administering a liquid evaporating at temperature of use

The invention relates to a device for administering a liquid evaporating at temperature of use. This liquid evaporating at temperature of use is used for cooling purposes. Heat is after all extracted from the surrounding area due to the evaporation of the liquid.

One field of application lies in the cooling of the skin or the vicinity of the skin for therapeutic purposes, for instance cooling warts so thoroughly that they freeze, whereby they die off. Use is made here of administering elements of porous material such as foam. Such an administering device is described in WO-A-99/49797.

In the case of some irregularities present on the skin, such as parasites or skin tags, a greater cold generation is required than that which can be achieved with a porous administering element. The administering of a droplet of such an evaporating liquid is usually required for such applications. It is otherwise also possible to use such an application of a droplet on warts.

The object of the present invention is to provide such a device which can administer the evaporating liquid in the form of a droplet.

This object is achieved by such a device which is provided with a container for holding the liquid under pressure, a valve connecting to the container, a supply channel connecting to the valve, a reservoir which can be connected to the supply chamiel for collecting liquid that has left the container and an administering channel which can be connected to the reservoir.

With this configuration it is possible to collect in the reservoir the liquid leaving the container and to dispense the collected liquid in the form of a droplet. It is pointed out here that, while the liquid is present in the container in the form of a liquid, the liquid leaves the valve in the form of an aerosol, i.e. a mist of fine liquid droplets. In the stated prior art these droplets are collected in a foam, whereafter evaporation of the droplet takes place. The foam hereby cools. These measures are however insufficient to achieve the desired cooling effect. 6 000049

2

The invention likewise relates to a method for administering an evaporating liquid to the vicinity of the skin of a human or animal, wherein the method comprises the following steps of: opening a valve placed on a container with evaporating liquid, whereby the liquid leaves the container through the valve; collecting in a reservoir the liquid leaving the valve; closing the valve; carrying the liquid from the reservoir to an administering element and administering the liquid from the administering element.

This is therefore a process which takes place in two phases; a first phase in which the aerosol droplets leaving the valve are collected in the container, and a second phase in which the collected liquid is administered from the reservoir.

According to a first preferred embodiment, the reservoir is displaceable between a first position in which the supply channel connects to the reservoir and a second position in which the administering channel connects to the reservoir. The invention therefore relates to a method wherein the reservoir, after filling from the holder in a first position, is carried to a second position in which the liquid is administered. This embodiment directly prevents the droplets leaving the valve from being carried through the reservoir to the administering element; the administering channel leading to the administering means is closed during supply of the droplets, so that the droplets must first accumulate.

According to another embodiment, the reservoir is always connected to both the supply channel and the administering channel. This embodiment does in principle entail the danger of the droplets being carried directly to the administering means, so that it is necessary to take measures which prevent this. This embodiment is nevertheless attractive because the mechanical embodiment is particularly simple; the reservoir can simply remain in its position so that no special provisions need be made for this purpose.

Although other measures for the design of the reservoir are not precluded, it is attractive if the reservoir is provided with a porous material. This porous material can be formed by a single body of porous material, such as a foam with open pores, but the porous material can likewise be formed by a loose material, such as grains of porous material, or a folded structure of paper or plastic. Such a porous material is highly suitable for collecting and absorbing the small aerosol droplets. These collected droplets must however leave the reservoir as a single droplet. In order to achieve this it is recommended that the reservoir is adapted to reduce the volume of the porous material. When the porous material is compressed, the collected liquid will be forced outside the porous material and accumulate in one droplet.

The reduction of the volume of the reservoir can be achieved in structurally attractive manner if the reservoir is cylindrical, if the discharge channel debouches in an end surface of the cylindrical reservoir and if a piston movable in the cylindrical reservoir is arranged for the purpose of reducing the volume of the reservoir. When the piston is pressed in the liquid will automatically collect at the administering channel, so that it can be easily fed via the administering channel to the administering means.

The invention of therefore relates to a method wherein transport of the liquid to the administering element is carried out by reducing the volume of the reservoir.

Yet another embodiment provides the measure that the supply channel debouches in the jacket surface of the cylindrical reservoir. This measure prevents liquid collecting in the vicinity of the supply channel.

Another embodiment provides the measure that the valve is fixedly connected to the reservoir and that the valve can be operated by moving the container relative to the valve and the reservoir. It is usual in the field of aerosol containers for the valve placed on the aerosol container to be operated by pressing the valve in axial direction toward the container. Use can be made of this characteristic in that the valve is fixedly connected to the reservoir and the valve can be operated by moving the container relative to the valve and the reservoir. Separate mechanisms are hereby no longer necessary for the purpose of operating the valve.

The piston must be pressed in to initiate the administering operation. It is therefore attractive if the piston is connected to an operating element. The piston can be pressed in herewith. As already explained in the introduction, an important field of application of the invention is seen in the use in the proximity of the skin of a human or animal.

According to a preferred embodiment, the administering channel leads to an administering element which is adapted to administer the liquid to the vicinity of the skin of a human or animal.

The present invention will be elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of an administering device according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of an administering device according to the invention;

Figures 3A-3C show a series of schematic detail views of the embodiment depicted in figure 1 at different stages; and

Figures 4A-4D show a series of schematic detail views of a variant of the embodiment depicted in figure 2 at different stages.

Figure 1 shows an administering device which is designated in its entirety with 1 and which is provided with a cylindrical reservoir 2. In reservoir 2 a piston 3 is movable in the longitudinal direction of the reservoir. Piston 3 is coupled by means of a piston rod 4 to a control button 5. On the end surface 6 of reservoir 2 lying opposite piston rod 4 is made an outflow opening 7 which connects to a discharge spout 8. A quantity of absorbent material 9 is arranged in the reservoir in the form of an open-cell foam. This foam can consist of loose components such as grains, but can also be formed by a single foam body.

A supply channel 10 connects to the jacket surface 11 of reservoir 2. Supply channel 10 debouches below the level of the absorbent material 9 when piston 3 occupies its uppermost position. A substantially cylindrical housing 12 is connected to reservoir 2, wherein the axis of reservoir 2 and that of housing 12 extend perpendicularly of each other. A substantially cylindrical aerosol container 13 is arranged movably in axial direction of housing 12. Aerosol container 13 is provided with a valve 14 which is adapted to open when it is moved toward aerosol container 13. Valve 14 rests against an end wall 15 of housing 12. The opening of the valve connects to supply channel 10. The operation of this administering device will now be elucidated, also with reference to figures 3A-3C. The starting position is shown in figures 1 and 3A. Piston 3 is situated here in the uppermost position. In a first phase the aerosol container is moved toward reservoir 2, whereby valve 14 is opened. An aerosol mist hereby exits the valve and enters supply channel 10, and from supply channel 10 enters the interior of reservoir 2 where it is absorbed by the porous material 9. How long the valve must be opened to introduce sufficient liquid into reservoir 2 is here determined by experience. Once this has been done, the pressure is relieved on the underside of the aerosol container, whereby the valve will close.

In the second phase the control button 5 is pressed downward, whereby piston 3 is moved downward as shown in figure 3B. The porous material 9 is hereby compressed so that the volume thereof is reduced and the absorbed liquid flows out. The liquid accumulates at the bottom of the reservoir and the liquid enters the administering channel 8 through opening 7 in end wall 6. This situation is shown in figure 3C.

It is pointed out here that in figures 3A-3C the administering channel extends at an angle to the axis of the reservoir, while in figure 1 the administering channel extends parallel to the axis. The choice between the two possibilities, or even other configurations, greatly depends on the rest of the construction in which the administering device according to the invention is incorporated.

This choice is related partly to the field of application. An important field of application of the invention is currently seen in combating parasites, such as ticks, present in the skin of a human or animal. The administering device serves here to administer a liquid evaporating at room temperature to the parasite, whereby this latter is strongly cooled, paralyzed and in some cases killed. It is then easier to remove the parasite from the skin without the danger of infection by pathogens carried by the parasite.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of an administering device according to the invention. The reservoir is here displaced between the first and the second phase. Corresponding components are designated in this figure with the same reference numerals as in the foregoing embodiment. Also present in this embodiment is a cylindrical reservoir 22 in which a piston 23 is movable. Piston 23 is connected by a piston rod 24 to a control button 25. The reservoir rests against a flat wall 30. By means of the guide means, not shown in the figure, the reservoir is slidable between the position drawn in figure 2 and the position drawn with broken lines in figure 2. The guide means can be formed by an arm which is connected to a bearing and on which the reservoir is mounted. It is also possible to make use of rails which are arranged on the flat wall, are provided with engaging means and which engage on the reservoir and which guide the reservoir.

In the position shown in figure 2 the cavity inside reservoir 22 is bounded by flat wall 30. Supply channel 10 debouches in this wall, and thereby in the reservoir. In the position shown with broken lines the reservoir connects onto a funnel-shaped part 31 which transposes into discharge channel 28. The discharge channel leads to an administering device (not shown).

Figure 4A shows a corresponding situation. Here is a reservoir 22 which is not displaceable via a translation movement but which is rotatable via a rotation movement about an axis extending transversely of the axis of the cylindrical reservoir.

Starting from the position shown in figure 2, the aerosol container is moved toward the reservoir as in the previous embodiment so that a quantity of liquid leaves valve 14 in the form of an aerosol, moves through supply channel 10 and enters the reservoir where it is absorbed by the porous material. The same process takes place in the situation shown in figure 4 A.

The reservoir is subsequently moved to the situation shown with broken lines in figure 2. An equivalent situation is shown in figure 4C, which is achieved by rotation as shown in figure 4B. The porous material 29 is compressed by operating the button 25 and the collected liquid flows out of material 29. The liquid accumulates in the funnel-shaped part 31 and flows away via administering channel 28. A corresponding situation is shown in figure 4D₅ be it in another geometric structure.

It will be apparent that numerous variations can be made in the above shown configurations; it is thus possible to make use of other geometric relations, particularly in respect of the embodiments wherein the reservoir is moved. It is also possible for instance to embody the reservoir differently by removing the actual reservoir wall and embodying the absorbent material as a structural unit.

Other applications can also be envisaged, for instance for local anaesthesia of a human or animal through local cooling.

Claims

1. Device for administering a liquid evaporating at temperature of use, comprising:

- a container for holding the liquid under pressure, - a valve connecting to the container,

- a supply channel connecting to the valve,

- a reservoir which can be connected to the supply channel for collecting liquid that has left the container; and

- an administering channel which can be connected to the reservoir.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the reservoir is displaceable between a first position in which the supply channel connects to the reservoir and a second position in which the administering channel connects to the reservoir.

3. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the reservoir is always connected to both the supply channel and the administering channel.

4. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the reservoir is provided with a porous material.

5. Device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the reservoir is adapted to reduce the volume of the porous material.

6. Device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the reservoir is cylindrical, the administering channel debouches in an end surface of the cylindrical reservoir and that a piston movable in the cylindrical reservoir is arranged on the side lying opposite this end surface for the purpose of reducing the volume of the reservoir.

7. Device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the supply channel debouches in the jacket surface of the cylindrical reservoir.

8. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the valve is fixedly connected to the reservoir and that the valve can be operated by moving the container relative to the valve and the reservoir.

9. Device as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that the piston is connected to an operating element.

10. Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the administering channel leads to an administering element which is adapted to administer the liquid to the vicinity of the skin of a human or animal.

11. Device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the administering element is adapted to administer the liquid to parasites present in the skin.

12. Device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the administering element is adapted to administer liquid to a tick present in the skin.

13. Device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the administering element is adapted to administer the liquid to acrochordons (skin tags).

14. Method for administering an evaporating liquid to the vicinity of the skin of a human or animal, comprising the following steps of: - opening a valve placed on a container with evaporating liquid, whereby the liquid leaves the container through the valve;

- collecting in a reservoir the liquid leaving the valve;

- closing the valve;

- carrying the liquid from the reservoir to an administering element; and - administering the liquid from the administering element.

15. Method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that transport of the liquid to the administering element is carried out by reducing the volume of the reservoir.

16. Method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the reservoir, after filling from the holder in a first position, is carried to a second position in which the liquid is administered.

17. Method as claimed in claim 14, 15 or 16, characterized in that the liquid is administered to an irregularity in the skin of a human or animal.

Abstract