JPH0144587B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention provides eye drops that can control the amount of liquid to be discharged so that only a small and constant amount of liquid, one drop or less, is discharged in one discharge operation. This invention relates to liquid containers such as containers. Specifically, it is a liquid container such as an eye drop container that can drain the liquid from the container by applying pressure from the outside to a sealable container made of a flexible and elastic synthetic resin. This is the normal amount of one drop from an eye dropper.
It is characterized in that it can be set to a liquid volume range of 5 to 30μ, which is below the liquid volume range of 30 to 50μ.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, an eye drop container that is essential when administering liquid eye drops to the eye has a nozzle with a small diameter drug outlet at one end, and a rubber container at the other end that compresses the drug solution inside. A chemical solution is filled in either a glass container equipped with a pressing part consisting of a press part, etc., or a flexible and elastic plastic container equipped with a nozzle with a narrow diameter at one end that is capable of discharging the chemical solution. In use, the nozzle is directed downward and brought close to the eye facing upward, and the pressure of the medicinal solution is increased by pressing the pressing part or the container itself, so that the medicinal solution is dripped from the opening.

Therefore, in conventional eye drop containers, when the internal pressure of the container is increased by applying pressure, the amount of drug solution that is equivalent to the amount that the internal pressure disappears is discharged from the nozzle. It increases depending on the strength of the force at the time of being hit. Therefore, if the pressing part or the container itself is pressed too much during use, many drops of the drug solution will be discharged in succession, resulting in the instillation of more than the desired amount of the drug solution into the eye. In addition, in conventional eye drop containers, the volume of one drop is usually 30
In the range of ~50μ.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) When instilling eye drops into the eye, the portion of the liquid injected into the eye at one time that exceeds approximately 7μ, which is considered to be the capacity of the conjunctival sac of the eye, immediately passes through the nasolacrimal duct into the nasal cavity. It overflows or spills out of the eye. Therefore, when a larger amount of liquid than can be accommodated in the conjunctival sac is instilled into the eye, only the medicinal ingredients contained in the medicinal solution that can remain in the conjunctival sac act locally on the eye. Even if more than a certain amount of eye drops is applied at one time, the therapeutic effect will not be increased; the therapeutic effect will be enhanced if a certain amount is repeatedly applied at intervals. Furthermore, applying an unnecessarily large amount of eye drops at once is not only uneconomical as the excess medicine overflows from the conjunctival sac, but also causes the overflowing medicine to flow through the nasolacrimal duct into the nasal cavity and oral cavity, where it is quickly removed from the mucous membrane. If the drug solution is highly effective, it may induce systemic side effects. Therefore, in order to safely treat eye diseases without inducing these side effects, the amount of drug solution instilled into the eye at a time must be smaller than conventionally. In other words, the amount of liquid instilled in one operation is reduced from 30 to the conventional one drop amount.
The eye drop container must be such that it can be set within the range of 50μ and that no more drug solution will be discharged during a single eye drop operation even if the container is pressed strongly. However, with conventional eye drop containers, it has been structurally impossible to control the amount of medicine to be discharged so that only such a small and constant amount of liquid is discharged.

This limitation of conventional eye drop containers is due to their basic structure itself. That is, according to the structure of the conventional eye drop container, when the container is used, pressure is applied from the outside, and the internal pressure of the container is increased.
Since the amount of chemical liquid equivalent to eliminating the internal pressure is discharged from the opening, the amount of medical liquid discharged increases depending on the strength of the force when pressing the outside of the container or the like. If it were possible to instill a liquid volume closer to the capacity of the conjunctival sac (e.g. 15 μ) using the configuration of the conventional eye drop container, it would be possible to instill the liquid into the eye by considering the diameter, shape and material of the nozzle of the eye drop container. It is essential to design the size of the droplets dripping from the nozzle to be the set amount. However, if you try to instill only one drop using such an eye drop container, the amount of liquid is much smaller than the normal amount, so even the slightest pressure will cause the equivalent of one drop of the drug to be expelled. This makes it easier to put pressure on containers and the like. If you apply more pressure than necessary to the outside of the container, etc.
Instead of just one drop of the drug solution, two or three drops are easily discharged in succession, making it impossible to instill the desired amount of solution into the eye. Use an eyedropper like this to administer 1 of the drug solution.
In order to expel the drops, it is necessary to be very careful when applying pressure to the outside of the container, but it is important for doctors and patients who operate the eye drop container to take such care each time they administer the eye drops. is almost impossible in practice. Therefore, in the configuration of a conventional eye drop container,
A volume of fluid close to that contained within the conjunctival sac (e.g.
It is impossible to manufacture an eye drop container suitable for setting the eye drop amount to 15μ) and preventing instillation of more than the set amount.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and is capable of discharging a desired small amount of liquid, that is, 5 to 30 μm of liquid less than 1 in one discharge operation. It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing a container for liquid, such as an eye drop container, which allows anyone to reliably and easily control the amount of liquid to be discharged so that only the amount of liquid to be discharged is discharged.

The present invention is based on the fact that a liquid such as an eye drop adheres as droplets to the inner wall surface of a liquid container such as an eye drop container and can be partially separated from other liquid parts. By providing a recess, it is possible to obtain reproducibility in the adhesion position and amount of the droplet, and to ensure that the droplet does not fall off easily. By penetrating the sealed inner lid of the container and opening it to the outside of the container and increasing the pressure inside the container, only the liquid adhering to the recess can be moved out of the container. By appropriately setting the volume of the recess using the structure, it is possible to quantitatively take out an amount of liquid equivalent to one drop in a normal eye drop container, or a smaller amount in the range of 5 to 30 μm, out of the container; In addition, when a container with such a configuration is used, when the liquid is discharged, some of the gas inside the container is discharged from the discharge pipe following the liquid due to the pressure of the container body, but it is not pushed by the air. This method was completed by discovering that even a small amount of liquid of 5 to 30 microns can easily detach and fall without adhering to the opening of the discharge tube, so even such a small amount of liquid can be easily instilled into the eye. It is something.

(Function) When the liquid container is used as an eye drop container,
No matter who uses it, it is possible to reliably and easily discharge a constant amount of eye drops in the range of 5 to 30 microns at a time.

In addition, when a liquid container is used as an eye drop container, it is impossible to instill more than the set amount in a single discharge operation, so it is possible to reduce the amount of instillation necessary to obtain the effect. It only requires eye drops, and even in the case of highly effective drugs, the risk of inducing systemic side effects can be reduced, making treatment with eye drops safe.

(Example) FIGS. 1 and 2 showing a first example of the present invention will be described below. In Fig. 1, 1 is an abacus ball-shaped container body made of flexible and elastic synthetic resin such as polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, etc., and a short cylindrical container body with a recess 3 having the required volume in the center of the bottom 2. It has a protrusion 4 and an opening 5 having a required diameter at the center of the upper part and protruding outward.

6 has one end inserted into the recess 3 and opened near the center thereof, and the other end closely penetrates the inner lid 7 that is tightly fitted into the opening 5 and further protrudes to the outside of the container body 1 and is opened. It is a discharge pipe made of a thin tube having an outflow path 9 for the liquid 8 with a small diameter and made of synthetic resin that is not compatible with the liquid 8.

10 is a liquid container in which a discharge pipe 6 is attached to a container body 1 and a lid 11 is screwed onto an opening 5.

When the liquid container 10 containing the liquid 8 with the space 12 remaining is turned upside down as shown in FIG. A small amount of liquid 8' moves to the part 5 side and remains in the depression 3 due to surface tension, etc.
It is separated from the liquid 8 that has moved. In this state, when the container body 1 is pressed from the outside in the direction of the arrow a, the air pressure in the space 12 inside the container 10 increases, causing the liquid 8' remaining in the recess 3 to flow through the outflow path 9 of the discharge pipe 6. through which it is discharged to the outside.

In this case, even if the container body 1 is pressed from the outside, only the liquid 8' remaining in the recess 3 will be discharged to the outside, so by appropriately setting the volume and shape of the recess 3, an arbitrary amount of liquid can be adjusted. It can be discharged.

When the liquid container 10 having the above function is filled with therapeutic eye drops and used as an eye drop container, a small amount (5 to 5
Only 30μ) of drug solution is discharged, so even if a strong drug solution is used, the appropriate amount for treatment can be instilled without inducing side effects. Also, liquid container 10
It can also be effectively used for containers intended to discharge a controlled small amount of liquid in one operation, such as containers for perfumes, oral fresheners, liquid seasonings, etc.

In the first embodiment described above, the depression 3 is formed into a short cylindrical shape, but if the desired amount of liquid 8 can be retained by the action of surface tension, etc., the depression 3 may be formed into a rectangular or elliptical shape instead of the short cylindrical shape. It may be formed into an appropriate shape such as a columnar shape. Further, although the discharge pipe 6 is made of a synthetic resin that is not compatible with the liquid 8, a material that is compatible with the liquid 8 may be used if necessary. If a compatible material is used for the discharge pipe 6, when the lid 11 is removed in the state shown in FIG. It is preferable to set the volume of the recess 3 appropriately based on the amount that will be removed, or to remove the lid 11 after turning it upside down as shown in FIG.

3 and 4 showing a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In FIG. 3, 1 ₁ is a rectangular columnar container body made of the same material as in the first embodiment, and a raised bottom portion 2 ₁ provided inside the container body.
It has a hemispherical protrusion 4 ₁ in which a recess 3 ₁ having a required volume is formed in the center, and an opening 5 ₁ having a required diameter in the upper center and protruding outward.
6 ₁ is _an inner lid 7 1 with one end inserted into the recess 3 ₁ to open near the center, and the other end tightly fitted into the opening 5 ₁
A discharge pipe 101 has an outflow path 9 for the liquid 8 similar to that of the first embodiment, which is closely penetrated through the container body ₁₁ and further _protrudes to the outside of _the container body ₁₁ . It is a liquid container with a lid ₁₁₁ screwed on.

When the liquid container ₁₀₁ containing the liquid 8 with the space 12 remaining is turned upside down as shown in _FIG. The container body 1 1 moves, and a small amount of liquid 8 ′ remains in the depression 3 ₁ and is separated from the liquid _{8 .}
By pressing the liquid 8' from the outside in the direction of the arrow b, the air pressure in the space 12 increases, and the liquid 8' is discharged to the outside through the outflow path 9.

Since the liquid container 10 ₁ is provided with a skirt portion 13 projecting downward from the bottom portion 2 ₁ , it has the advantage of being stable and convenient for packing or placing in a cosmetic case. Other effects and uses are the same as in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment described above, the container body ₁₁ is formed into a rectangular columnar shape, but instead of this shape, it may be formed into an appropriate shape such as a circular columnar shape.

5 and 6 showing a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In FIG. 5, a top-shaped container body 1 ₂ made of the same material as in the first and second embodiments has a short cylindrical protrusion 4 formed with a depression 3 ₂ having a required volume in the center of the bottom 2 ₂ . ₂ , and an opening ₅₂ having a required diameter and protruding outward at the center of the upper part thereof, and similarly to the first and second embodiments, one end is inserted into the recess ₃₂ and the opening 52 is provided near the center. A discharge pipe having an outflow passage 9 for liquid 8, the other end of which passes through an inner lid 7 ₂ that is closely fitted into an opening 5 ₂ and further protrudes to the outside of the container body 1 ₂ to open. 6 ₂ and a lid 11 ₂ screwed onto the opening 5 ₂ is a liquid container 10 ₂ .

When the liquid container 10 ₂ containing the liquid 8 with the space 12 remaining is turned upside down as shown in FIG. 6, the space 12 remains as in the first and second embodiments.
moves toward the protrusion 4 ₂ , some of the liquid 8 ′ remains in the depression 3 ₂ , and the liquid 8 ′ is compressed from the outside of the container 10 ₂ in the direction of the arrow c, passing through the outflow path 9 to the outside. is discharged.

Since the liquid container 10 ₂ is provided with a lid 11 ₂ having a flat upper surface with a large area, it has the characteristics of good stability and convenience in use, as in the case of the second embodiment. The other effects and uses are the same as in the first and second embodiments.

7 and 8 showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In FIG. 7, a hemisphere is formed in a rectangular box-shaped container body 1 ₃ made of the same material as in the first to third embodiments, and a depression 3 ₃ having a required volume is formed near the upper corner of the center of the side surface 14. A shaped protrusion 4 ₃ and an opening 5 ₃ having a predetermined diameter and projecting outward are provided near the upper corner of the center of the side surface 15 opposite to the side surface 14 thereof.
As in the embodiment, one end is inserted into the recess ₃₃ to open near the center, and the other end is passed through the inner lid ₇₃ , which is tightly fitted into the opening ₅₃ , and then further to the outside of the container body ₁₃ . This is a liquid container 10 3 equipped with a discharge pipe 6 ₃ having an outflow path 9 for the liquid 8 and having a protruding opening, and _a lid 11 ₃ screwed onto the opening.

When the container 10 ₃ containing the liquid 8 with the space liquid 12 remaining is turned upside down as shown in _FIG . 8' stays in place, and when the container body ₁₃ is pressed from the outside in the direction of arrow d, it exhibits the same function as in the first to third embodiments.

Like the second and third embodiments, the liquid container ₁₀₃ has good stability and is convenient to use.
₃ and the opening 5 ₃ do not protrude outward from the side surfaces 14 and 15, which has the advantage of preventing damage to the parts during packaging or the like. Other effects and uses are the same as in the first to third embodiments.

In the fourth embodiment described above, the container body ₁₃ is formed in the shape of a rectangular box, but it may also be formed in the shape of a cylinder.

In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the discharge pipe 6,
6 ₁ , 6 ₂ , 6 ₃ are all openings 5, 5 ₁ , 5 ₂ , 5 ₃
The inner lids 7 _{, 7 1} , 7 ₂ , 7 ₃ that are tightly fitted are passed through the container bodies 1 , _{1 1} , 1 ₂ , 1 ₃ so that the other end protrudes outward and opens. As shown in FIG. 9, the discharge pipe 6 is closely passed through a flat plate-like lid 17 that is adhered or attracted to the opening 16 of the opening 5, and the end thereof is opened with the end protruding outward. Alternatively, the lid 17 may be formed integrally with the opening 5, and the discharge pipe 6 may be passed through the lid portion closely so that the end protrudes outward and opens. [Furthermore, the outlet pipe 6 may be bonded or welded to the lid portion] (this can be done in the same manner as in the first embodiment in the second to fourth embodiments). Further, protrusions 4, _{4 1} , 4 ₂ , 4 _{3 ,} which protrude outward from the container body 1 , _{1 1} , 1 ₂ , 1 ₂ , 1 ₃ to form the depressions 3 , 3 1 , _{3 2} , 3 ₃ , was provided, but the protrusions 4, 4
₁ , 4 ₂ , 4 ₃ vicinity or container body 1, ₁ 1, 1 ₂ , 1 ₃
It is also possible to have a structure in which the wall thickness is increased so that it does not protrude. Also, depressions 3, _{3 1} , 3 ₂ , 3 ₃ and openings 5, 5
₁ , 5 ₂ , and 5 ₃ are provided on mutually opposing surfaces, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this form. Moreover, the recesses 3, _{3 1} , 3 ₂ , 3 ₃ are the liquid containers 10 ,
10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , 10 ₃ to move the liquid 8 inside, and the liquid 8 is inside the depressions 3 , _{3 1} , 3 ₂ , 3 ₃ .
After retaining a part of the liquid part, it is separated from the liquid part and becomes the space part 1.
2, it is not limited to the positions shown in the first to fourth embodiments. Although the container bodies 1, _{1 1} , 1 ₂ , and 1 ₃ are made of flexible and elastic synthetic resin such as polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene, other methods of increasing the air pressure in the space 12, such as rubber or A pressing part of an appropriate shape made of flexible and elastic synthetic resin is attached to the container body 1, _{1 1} , 1 ₂ , 1 ₃ in communication with the container body 1 , 1 by pressing the pressing part.
₁ , ₁₂ , and ₁₃ may be made of a hard material such as glass or synthetic resin such as polycarbonate, as long as the same effect as that of direct compression is achieved.

(Effect of the invention) Since the present invention has the above configuration, it has the following effects.

(1) Anyone can reliably and easily control the amount of discharged liquid in a single operation, making it ideal as a container for supplying expensive liquids or liquids with strong effects.

(2) The amount of liquid to be discharged in one operation can be easily set, making it extremely versatile as a container for supplying liquid.

(3) Since the structure is simple and easy to construct, it can be provided at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings relate to each embodiment of the liquid container according to the present invention, and FIGS. 1 and 2 show the first embodiment, FIG. 1A is a partially cutaway plan view, and FIG.
2 is a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining how to use it, FIGS. 3 and 4 are the second embodiment, FIG. 3 A is a partially cutaway plan view, and B is a BB cross section. In the figures, C is a perspective view, FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view for explaining how to use it, FIGS. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining how to use it, FIGS. 7 and 8 are the fourth embodiment, FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining how to use it. FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of the opening with a different structure in the first embodiment. 1, _{1 1} , 1 ₂ , 1 ₃ ... container body, 2, _{2 1} , 2 ₂
... Bottom, 3, _{3 1} , 3 ₂ , 3 ₃ ... Hollow, 5,
5 ₁ , 5 ₂ ... opening, 6, 6 ₁ , 6 ₂ , 6 ₃ ... discharge pipe, 7, 7 ₁ , 7 ₂ , ... inner lid, 8 ... liquid, 8'
... Partial liquid, 9 ... Outflow path, 10,10 ₁ , 1
0 ₂ , 10 ₃ ...Liquid container.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sealable container body made of a flexible and elastic synthetic resin that stores a liquid while leaving a space; it is possible to separate from the liquid and allow the space to be exposed. A depression having a volume equivalent to the volume of one drop or less of liquid is formed at an appropriate location, and one end is opened near the center of the depression, and the other end is opened at an appropriate location substantially opposite to the depression. Attach a discharge pipe that penetrates and opens to the outside and has a small-diameter liquid outflow path; Press the liquid or the space in the container body from the outside to expose the space. A liquid container capable of discharging a constant amount of liquid, characterized in that the liquid remaining in the recess is discharged to the outside. 2. The location where the depression is formed is at the bottom of the container body,
The constant liquid amount according to claim 1, wherein the opening portion into which the inner lid fitted with the discharge pipe is tightly fitted is formed at an appropriate location substantially opposite to the recess of the container body. A container for liquids that can be drained.