| Atomizer for applying liquids onto eyes -> Monitor Keywords |
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Atomizer for applying liquids onto eyesRelated Patent Categories: Surgery, Means For Introducing Or Removing Material From Body For Therapeutic Purposes (e.g., Medicating, Irrigating, Aspirating, Etc.), Treating Material Applied To Or Removed From External Surface Of Body, Or Cutaneous Layer Of Skin (e.g., Eye Treatment, Removal Of Skin Impurities, Etc.), Means For Treating Eye Or Surface Of Ocular Cavity, Dropper, Douche, Or Eyecup For Applying Liquid To EyeAtomizer for applying liquids onto eyes description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080097359, Atomizer for applying liquids onto eyes. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/457,506, filed on Jul. 14, 2006, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/601,737, filed on Jun. 23, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/185,949, filed on Jun. 28, 2002, which is an application claiming the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. Prov. App. No. 60/348,785, filed on Oct. 23, 2001. This Application also claims priority of foreign application DE 10131178, filed on Jun. 29, 2001. This Application incorporates these priority applications by reference in their entireties. [0002] The present invention relates to atomisers for applying liquids to the cornea of the eye or to the connective tissue of the eye, special eye adapters for atomizers and the use of atomizers for opthalmological administration. The atomizers according to the invention are free from propellant gas and have an energy reservoir for supplying the energy required for the atomizing process. PRIOR ART [0003] For treating dry eyes, for moistening the surface of the eye for contact lens wearers, for numerous eye diseases or methods of investigating the eye it is usual to administer medicaments in the form of an aqueous formulation as eye drops. For this form of administration, liquid dispensers have been developed in which the formulation is supplied from a storage bottle through a dropper, for example (dropper bottles or EDO-Ophthiols). The aqueous formulation usually flows out of the dropper opening as a result of manual pressure being applied to the compressible storage bottle. First, a drop forms on the opening, which does not break away from the dropper and drop into the eye until a certain relationship is reached between the size of the dropper opening, the surface tension and the weight of the drop. Usually, aqueous eye drops have a volume of about 0.05 ml. [0004] This method of dropping liquids onto the eye has various disadvantages. On the one hand, not all patients find it easy to administer drops of liquid into their own eyes. This is partly because they have to lean their head back (recline the head) and then let the drop fall into the eye from above. Children and old people in particular find this very difficult. [0005] In addition, it happens occasionally that a patient will accidentally stick the applicator of the dropper bottle into their eye. [0006] A further disadvantage is that the formulation administered is initially only applied to one point on the cornea, which feels unpleasant, not only because of the local pressure produced on the surface of the eye. [0007] Often, the patients themselves cannot tell whether they have successfully administered the prescribed amount of eye drops or not. As a rule a patient only realises whether any liquid has reached the target organ when an excess of the formulation comes out of the eye and is noticed, for example, either by tasting it or as liquid on the cheeks. However, once this stage has been reached, an excessive dose has already been given, which may lead to unwanted systemic side effects. [0008] In connection with this, it is important to note that the surface of the eye is coated with about 7 microlitres of a film of liquid. Any application of an additional liquid consequently causes some of the total liquid on the eye to flow away through the tear duct. This naturally occurs particularly when larger amounts of liquid, such as e.g. 40 microlitres or more of eye drops are applied. If a pharmacologically effective liquid enters the tear duct, it can be absorbed systemically by the body, i.e. the pharmacologically active ingredients are absorbed directly by the body. This may lead to allergic or toxicological effects. In conventional applications about 80% of the liquid administered is displaced out of the eye and some of it enters the tear duct. [0009] Another disadvantage is that during the instilling of the drops the patient has to consciously fight their blink reflex. If they do not manage to do so, the formulation is delivered not to the eye but to the eyelid and further drops have to be given, which may in turn lead to overdosing with the consequences described above and cause undesirable systemic side effects. [0010] Another disadvantage of this method is that there may be short-term irritation of the eyes at the site where the drops are instilled. [0011] The conventional application devices are also not protected against the entry of germs into the formulation for administration, which means that preservatives have to be added to the formulations. Preservatives may lead to chronic inflammation of the conjunctiva or the underlying Tenon's membrane in long-term or chronic use. There may be morphological changes in this tissue, which are a major drawback particularly in operations, as the wound healing process is disrupted and/or scarring may occur. [0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,564 discloses a pump spray provided with an adapter for administering a spray jet to the eye. As the spray duration of this system is short, there is a danger that the solution will not be sprayed onto the eye but onto the eyelid, as a result of the blink reflex. Neither the pump spray nor the adapter has means for protecting the eye from possible injury by the comparatively hard spray jet. [0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,444 discloses a spray device with a fitting for administering a liquid to an eye. The disadvantages of this system are similar to those described above. [0014] WO 96/00050 discloses an applicator for applying liquids to an eye, wherein the spray device is located within a housing one side of which is constructed so that it can fit round an eye. The aerosol droplets produced with the device have a diameter of at least 20 micrometres. The spray duration of this system is less than 1/20.sup.th of a second (page 13), which has the disadvantages described above. [0015] EP 0911056 discloses an atomizer for placing over an eye with an adapter which has a shutter or deflector plate positioned so that the spray jet does not strike the cornea directly. However, on the one hand a protector of this kind will become dirty very quickly and is difficult to clean and on the other hand it militates against exact and reproducible metering. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0016] Thus, the problem on which the present invention is based is to apply aqueous solutions or opthalmologically effective formulations by means of a single form of application to the surface of the eye in such a way as to reduce the local irritation of one area of the cornea compared with conventional methods of applying eye drops. [0017] Another problem is to develop a process with which eye drops can be administered in a manner which is more pleasant for the user than is known from the prior art. [0018] Another problem is to develop a process in which the liquid to be administered can be applied uniformly over the eye. [0019] Another problem of the invention is to minimise overdosing. [0020] Yet another objective is to minimise the risk of injury to the eye during application of the eye drops. [0021] The present invention solves this problem by providing atomizers which convert a small amount of the comparatively highly concentrated formulation to be applied through a nozzle into a soft spray mist with small particle sizes and travelling at low speed and bring this spray mist into contact with the surface of the eye. [0022] The atomizers according to the invention comprise, close to the nozzle from which the spray mist emerges, an adapter which fixes the distance from the nozzle to the eye and prevents the aerosol cloud from being blown away by wind. Continue reading about Atomizer for applying liquids onto eyes... Full patent description for Atomizer for applying liquids onto eyes Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Atomizer for applying liquids onto eyes patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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