Dispensing devices and methods

Abstract

Disclosed herein are improved dispensing devices for facilitating application of eye drops that are ergonomic, promote improved patient adherence, and eliminate the need for extraneous gadgets or facilitating devices that may add additional expense to users. A dispensing device can include a container body for storing drops and a nozzle coupled to the body for dispensing the drops. The device can include one or more channels defined on a surface of the container body and configured to couple, or otherwise mount or abut, to an anatomical structure of a user (such as, for example, a user's nose bridge or eyebrow ridge). The device can also include one or more grip areas defined on the container body and configured to allow a user to generally hold the device and to apply force thereto to dispense drops from the device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An eye drop dispensing device, comprising:
 a compressible container body configured to store eye drops;   a nozzle coupled to the container body and configured to dispense the eye drops;   at least one channel defined on a surface of the container body and configured to at least one of couple, mount, or abut to a user's nose, wherein the at least one channel is formed in the side surface of the container body;   wherein the nozzle and channel are located such that when the device is placed on the user's nose the nozzle is angled to deliver eye drops to the user's eye; and   wherein the eye drop dispensing device is a single integrated unit with no extraneous protruding structures.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is located in the third of the side surface closest to the nozzle. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is in the side surface and adjacent to the surface of the container body where the nozzle is located. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is located such that when the device is placed on the user's nose, the nozzle is at an angle 35 to 60 degrees towards the eye from the plane defined by the bottom of the channel and the tip of the user's nose when the user's head is tilted back by about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is located such that when the device is placed on the user's nose, the nozzle is at an angle 35 to 60 degrees from the plane defined by the surface of the user's eye when the user's head is tilted back by about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The dispensing device of  claim 1  comprising at least one grip area defined on the container body and configured to compress, when an external force is applied thereto, and cause at least a portion of the eye drops to dispense via the nozzle. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one grip area is further configured to receive one or more fingers of the user. 
     
     
         8 . The dispensing device of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one grip area has a surface with at least one of indentations, depressions and grooves to create additional friction. 
     
     
         9 . The dispensing device of  claim 1 , wherein the container body is composed of plastic. 
     
     
         10 . The dispensing device of  claim 9 , wherein the plastic comprises at least one of synthetic resins, acrylic, doped acrylic, polyacrylic, or elastomers. 
     
     
         11 . The dispensing device of  claim 10 , wherein the container body is defined to store 1 milliliter to 30 milliliters of eye drops.