Cartridge for applying medicament to an eye from a dispenser

Abstract

A cartridge for actuating a piston-like or accordion-like dispenser-vial for applying medicament to an eye. The cartridge includes a housing for holding the dispenser-vial and a telescoping cylinder for compressing the dispenser-vial in the longitudinal direction to actuate the vial. The cartridge includes a locking mechanism for locking the telescoping cylinder to restrict its movement and a trigger mechanism for releasing the cylinder from the locked position so that a drop is released from the dispenser. The housing includes a finger for engaging the lower eyelid and exposing the conjunctival cul de sac.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A cartridge for use with a dispenser for applying medicament to an eye comprising: 
       a housing having an anterior wall with an aperture therein, the housing having an open back end;  
       a longitudinally slidable member contained within, said member having a flexible outwardly projecting extension which has a tip engaging an inner surface of the housing;  
       a notch disposed on the inner surface of the housing having an anterior face and a posterior face which are angled to the housing and which cooperate with the extension tip such that the extension tip can be forced over the posterior face upon sliding the slidable member toward the anterior wall to a locked position where the tip engages the anterior face of the notch, but the tip cannot be forced over the anterior face upon sliding the member toward the back end of the housing from the locked position; and  
       a trigger in the housing having an inner surface for engaging the flexible extension, said trigger being movable to a position where its inner surface forces the flexible extension tip in its locked position in a direction towards the slidable member and away from the inner surface of the housing so that the tip is free to move past the notch upon sliding of the slidable member away from the anterior wall.  
     
     
       2. The cartridge according to claim  1  wherein the housing is cylindrical and wherein the finger is attached along the housing at a point which is about 180° from the location of the trigger. 
     
     
       3. The cartridge according to claim  1  wherein the finger has a surface of a soft thermoplastic material. 
     
     
       4. The cartridge according to claim  1  wherein the inner surface of the trigger has a projecting heel for engaging the flexible extension tip. 
     
     
       5. The cartridge according to claim  1  wherein the posterior face of the notch is a smooth inclined surface and wherein the anterior face of the notch is a flat surface which is normal to the inner surface of the housing. 
     
     
       6. The cartridge according to claim  1  further comprising a finger for engaging an eyelid, the finger projecting from an outer surface of the housing and extending out to a point anterior to the anterior wall. 
     
     
       7. A cartridge in combination with a dispenser for applying medicament to an eye, the dispenser being of the type which is actuated to load a drop of medicament into a cavity therein by compression in its longitudinal direction to a compressed position and which is actuated to emit said drop from a nozzle upon subsequent expansion from said compressed position, the cartridge comprising: 
       a housing retaining the dispenser therein, the housing having an anterior wall with an aperture therein receiving the nozzle of the dispenser and the housing having an open back end;  
       a telescoping member, contained within for compressing the dispenser in its longitudinal direction;  
       a means for locking the telescoping member in a position where the dispenser is in a compressed position; and  
       a trigger means for disengaging the means for locking to allow the dispenser to expand from said compressed position.  
     
     
       8. The cartridge according to claim  7  further comprising a finger for engaging an eyelid, the finger projecting from the housing in an anterior direction to a point anterior to the anterior wall. 
     
     
       9. A cartridge in combination with a dispenser for applying medicament to an eye, the dispenser comprising: a container holding a volume of fluid; a first dosage cavity forming member and a second dosage cavity forming member, the second member being movable between: a first position, in which the first member and the second member together define a cavity which is in fluid communication with the container; a second position, in which the first member and the second member together define a cavity having a certain predetermined volume and in which the cavity is not in fluid communication with the container; and a third position in which the volume of the cavity is less than the volume of the cavity in the second position and in which the cavity is not in fluid communication with the container; a means for biasing the second dosage cavity forming member to the third position; and a nozzle which is in fluid communication with the cavity, wherein a dosage of fluid in the cavity is forced through the nozzle and out of the apparatus upon movement of the second member from the first position or the second position to the third position under the action of the biasing means, and wherein the second member is selectively movable from the third position back to the first position to draw fluid from the container into the cavity after each dosage of fluid is forced through the nozzle out of the apparatus, the cartridge comprising: 
       
         a housing which houses the dispenser, the housing having an opening which exposes the nozzle of the dispenser;  
       
       
         a pushable member coupled to said housing and being slidable relative to said housing and pushable against a compressible portion of said dispenser, the pushable member being slidable between: a first position wherein the second dosage cavity forming member is in its first position; a second position wherein the second cavity forming member of the dispenser is in its second position; and a third position wherein the second cavity forming member of the dispenser is in its third position, said pushable member being selectively and releasably lockable with respect to the housing in either the first position or the second position so as to releasably lock the second dosage cavity forming member in a corresponding position; and  
       
       
         a means for biasing said pushable member and the second dosage cavity forming member toward the third position, said biasing means forcing said pushable member to move from said first or second position to said third position when said pushable member is unlocked relative to said housing in said first or second position.  
       
     
     
       10. The combination according to claim  9  wherein the means for biasing includes a spring.  
     
     
       11. The combination according to claim  9  wherein the means for biasing includes a bellows region in the compressible portion of the dispenser.  
     
     
       12. The combination according to claim  10  wherein the spring is compressible between a portion of the dispenser and the housing.  
     
     
       13. The combination according to claim  9  wherein the means for biasing includes a spring which is biased against one of the dosage cavity forming members of the dispenser.  
     
     
       14. A cartridge in combination with a dispenser for applying medicament to an eye, the dispenser being of the type which is actuated to load medicament into a cavity therein by compression of the dispenser and which is actuated to force said medicament from the cavity and out of a nozzle of the dispenser upon subsequent decompression of the dispenser, said cartridge comprising: 
       
         a housing retaining the dispenser therein;  
       
       
         a pushable member coupled to said housing for compressing the dispenser, said pushable member being slidable relative to said housing between a first position in which the dispenser is compressed and a second position in which the dispenser is decompressed, said pushable member being selectively lockable and unlockable in said first position; and  
       
       
         a means for biasing said pushable member toward the second position, said biasing means forcing said pushable member to move from said first position to said second position when said pushable member is unlocked in said first position.  
       
     
     
       15. A method of applying a dose of medicament using a cartridge in combination with a dispenser, said dispenser being of the type which is actuated to load medicament from a reservoir therein into a medicament- holding cavity of said medicament from said medicament - holding cavity upon subsequent decompression of said dispenser, said cartridge being of the type which has a movable compressing member for compressing said dispenser and a biasing means operatively coupled to said compressing member, said method comprising:    
         compressing said dispenser by moving said compressing member from a first position to a second position, whereby said medicament is loaded into said medicament - holding cavity;    
       
         locking said compressing member in said second position relative to said cartridge;  
       
       
         unlocking said dispenser in said second position relative to said cartridge; and  
       
         biasing said compressing member back toward said first position, whereby said dispenser is restored to a decompressed state and said medicament is ejected from said medicament - holding cavity.