GB2412567A - A wrist worn fluid dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

An fluid dispenser, designed to be worn around a user's wrist or arm, has means to carry more than one fluid reservoirs 2 in the form of blister packs. The reservoirs are arranged around the arm or wrist of the user and attachment means are provided for attachment to a wrist or arm in the form of a split ring or coil (46 Fig 4). The blister pack may be in sachet form and has means to deliver a non turbulent flow of exiting fluid through a burst-able means in a one pass action of the user's finger. The ring or coil attachment means may be provided as convertible from a planar structure.

Description

24 1 2567 An Agent Dispenser This Invention relates to a dispenser of

useful flow-able agent designed for wearing around a wrist or arm of the user whereby the useful flow-able agent is preferably contained in more than one reservoir, such reservoirs may be blisters in the form of wells, cups, packets or sachets.

The concept of a device for dispensing any suitable medicament, the device being designed to be worn on the wrist and the medicament contained in a cup form on a blister card was disclosed by Lerro in U.S. Patent 4,078,660.

A multiple, linear, packet blister concept was disclosed by Green in GB 0407084.3 the reservoirs being referred to as ampoules or packets but not wells or cups, prior to publication of a related concept by Harper in U.S. 2004,138,631 who describes his concept as 'blisters in the form of wells on a card', further described as a 'common blister pack'. The author believes that a 'common' blister pack is flat and has more than one row of blisters.

The concept as disclosed in Green GB 0407084.3 clearly shows a dispenser designed such that reservoirs are worn around a wrist and not just on a wrist.

The concept of a burst-able blister that is formed as a well or cup and that enables release of agent does not work well with agents that are not solid in character. This is due to the uncontrollable exit of the flowable material and the relatively in-complete compressibility of a preformed structure compared to a sachet or packet. Lerro only disclosed the use of the device with pills and capsules. In this patent the term blister and reservoir are used inter-changeably, although a reservoir does not have to be a blister. Blister sachet or other reservoirs, without further modification, for example valves, have therefore have not been found in any of the prior art devices relating to wrist worn dispensers that are generally related to fluid imbibing, aroma spray dispersal, and other flow-able agent wrist worn devices. These devices are usually valve or nozzle controlled. W0 2004/052425 discloses a single bladder with nozzle as the simplest embodiment. This 'nozzle' is defined as ' producing a small amount' and would not be sufficient teaching unless the 'nozzle' somehow controls agent exit, in all the other embodiments in We 2004/0S2425 this is a main feature.

Both Lerro and Harper fail to consider or solve the fundamental structure of a device as described here-in, that is required for resolution to a practical product, when a multiple reservoir device preferably of sachet construction is to be used with a liquid, gel, powder or other flow-able agent.

In Oxford English a sachet is described as a sealed packet and combined with the drawing description of GB 0407084.3 the author believes a line of sachets able to be wrapped around a wrist as opposed to a card on a wrist was disclosed in that application. Harper does not teach how to 'soften the flow' but simply advises the reader to construct a blister from any shape and it will do the job. Harper describes the cards of both his preferred embodiment and his blister card package as being flat.

Lerro is concerned with solids and Harper, in his relevant prior art, simply takes a well shaped blister and fills it with gel with no further teaching.

Harper refers to wells on a common card placed at a uniform distance from the others, ex.12 on a card's surface and proceeds to expand the idea by referring to 16 wells in two staggered rows of 8.

Card packages for pills etc. in the industry are known to have parallel rows.

At no point is the concept of a bracelet of wells introduced except to later mention that the backing card may be extended to form a closure.

In the industry, and even among the public, the difference between the appearance of and the qualities of, a sachet a cup and a well blister pack are well known. Splatter from a tear-able ketchup sachet is also well known.

A sachet depends on its filling to obtain its shape.

Preformed structures, no matter how flexible, especially when produced at a very small size, as preferable in this multiple product, do not collapse flat enough,as do sachets, to allow full expression of contents and indeed they engender an unwanted degree of resistance to a force applied for expression of the contents and may destabilize the product on the user's wrist, especially when the product is not firmly strapped to the wrist.

Others such as Anderson, Kris, Lefevre, Taylor, Aitken, Powers, all working in the field of wrist carried flow-able agent dispensers, some described as flexible packs, also do not answer these issues.

Solutions to the problems mentioned above and below are provided herein and are listed as; Messy, uncontrollable release of agent, incomplete emptying of an already small volume, difficult ergonomics of one handed fitting and removal to and from the wrist or arm, a design to enable wrist or arm washing under the product without product removal, product can move aside, hazard elimination for close up working with patients, the desirability of easily moving or rotating a simple multi-fit, secure but not necessarily firmly attached product,see above, to different wrist or arm positions, the desirability of extremely low production cost preferably using in line facilities, the desirability of flat-packing the product for filling and dispensing close to the user thus reducing theft and transport issues.

Prior art in the field of wrist carried dispensers for dispensing flowable agent is mostly concerned with single reservoir design, flexible or otherwise, with a valve means or a solid agent.

Where there is a flow-able agent in a blister, especially a multiple blister product, there is no properly taught existing means in prior relevant art regarding solutions for anti splatter, or the ergonomic problems associated with multiple smaller reservoirs or an ergonomically designed and adjustable product suitable for the user in a busy, possibly clinical, environment.

A sachet form of blister was disclosed by Green in GB application 0410197.8 as the blister form that would allow improved ejection of gel contents although the packet description which the author believes to be inter-changeable with the word sachet, but possibly not used in the industry, was previously disclosed in the author's previous application GB0407084.3 The sachet/ packet iteration had not been taught previously in relation to flow-able agent, Harper having disclosed only blister wells on relatively stiff cards. Further work by this author has further developed the blister concept into a practical product.

No previous workers in the field have properly disclosed means to avoid turbulent ejection of agent or have considered a product format, for example a coil, that would enable a simple rotation of the product in order to bring unused blisters into an ergonomic position, or to satisfy the other ergonomic requirements, even although they were working with a blister system the manufacture of which could lend itself to such a format.

It is the object ofthis invention to supply solutions to these problems thus enabling a more commercial product by their employment either singly or in combination in a device that may or may not have valves.

According to the present invention a flow-able agent dispensing device, to be worn around the arm or wrist, comprises means to carry more than one reservoir of flow-able agent such that the reservoirs of flow-able agent can be arranged around the arm or wrist. The agent reservoirs are preferably characterized as blister packs. The carrying means for the reservoirs is preferably formed as a split ring or coil, preferably flexibly circular in form, preferably loose fitting but preferably retained sufficiently securely around the arm or wrist, the term 'around' does not require to mean all around.

Preferably the reservoirs are characterized as being of the sachet /packet type and the sachet is preferably further characterized in that it has peel-able or burst-able opening means preferably activated in a one pass action by the user. The coil or split ring may have extra security attachment means at its free ends. These means preferably are adjustable to the users required dimension and may have a co-operative sliding facility such that they remain connected even when the coil diameter increases, for example, on sliding up an arm. Each reservoir is preferably able to deliver flow-able agent in a splatter-free manner preferably by the construction of a covered exit on the down-stream side of the agent exit point. The preferably coiled structure is formed from a preferably flat/ planar material that preferably is continuous with, or one and the same as, the reservoir backing material. Elastically or non elastically flexible means, ea. wire, may be incorporated in the device to enable easy manipulation by the user's fingers for placement on and sliding up and down and preferably rotating and expanding around the wrist and arm of the user. This secure but preferably loose attachment enables flow able agent to cover under the wrist under and over the product and hands during use all in one easy motion. A coil or split ring may be constructed by creating and bending a preferably curved fold in the planar material and this in turn creates a convexity at what may be the up arm edge of the device thus assisting the desired movement up-arm.

When the user applies pressure to a blister to deliver flow-able agent, such pressure being applied normal to or at any angle to the blister, the device preferably tilts and the down-arm edges engage the arm and stabilize the device on the arm. The carrier is preferably flexibly elastic and the blisters may be part of its structure or added to it. The coil may be preformed or formed by the user.

In use in the healthcare setting it would be preferable that when the blister is burst and agent is ejected, the user covers the unit with some agent and pushes it aside to also cover the skin underneath while covering the hands, all in one action. This requirement and the requirement to be unobtrusive preferably demands a unit with a low profile and therefore the blisters would preferably be long enough to accommodate the agent and just wide enough to allow a finger to press along down the length of the blister without affecting the adjacent blister.

In daily use it is likely that the product will have unused blisters remaining at the end of a shift or that during a shift a few more will be required.

In order to reduce waste, products with a differing numbers of blisters preferably on the same size of carrier are available. This is easily achieved in production by setting the production machine controls.

Another option is to preferably supply the blisters joined up in a manner such that the user can cut off or choose the required number from a roll or other source. These blisters would then preferably be joined to a carrier that is supplied independently of the blisters. Such a carrier could be planar in form and be convertible to a coil or ring structure and be flat packed.

Blisters may be opened by having peel-able, tear-able or burst-able openings, the technology for these systems is well known. The burst-able opening may be a weakened section of seam or be facilitated by a cutting edge being approximated to the blister, such an edge may be an integral part of the device.

In the case of a burst-able opening there may preferably be a tunnel or a covered exit formed in the material outside the blister opening point, in order to contain exit turbulence or spatter of the agent such that the agent is preferably delivered in a controlled manner.

The position of means on the outside of the reservoir, designed to control exit splatter rather than means inside the reservoir, enables a more efficient emptying of the blister sachet contents in what is already a very small volume sachet.

In this application the term blister covers also the term sachet and packet.

The blisters are preferably integral to the carrier but the carrier may be a re loadable structure. The carrier is preferably in the shape of a preferably elastically flexible coil. This shape, preferably with overlapping extremities, enables a multi-fit unit that can expand to securely fit a wrist of the smallest to the largest dimensions. The shape also allows expansion of the device to enable preferably secure positioning at various points on an individual's arm.

A split ring or preferably a coil may have a connection that can be secured across the free ends. This connection is preferably located along the longitudinal axis, at the side of the coiled product, near its ends, to allow a variable fit.

In the case of a coil the main advantage is that such a coil or ring facilitates ergonomic positioning of the device on the arm preferably by a one handed clip action rather than a slide on or wrapping action. The advantage of a coil over a split ring is that the overlap of a coil gives a greater dimension for a variable and secure fit on different diameters of wrist or arm. The coil will preferably be between 22 ems. and 26 ems. and be of a preferably circular shape with minimum diameter of preferably Scms. The ring or coil may be manufactured as a separate item on to which blisters are attached or it may be formed as part of the manufacture by attaching a coiled structure to the blister construction or by attaching a structure that can be coiled, to the blister construction. The user may attach a flexible or coiling means prior to wearing.

Coiling may be achieved by folding over a planar section of the product material or the attachment of a suitable coiled or coil-able material section.

Attachment or forming of a pre-coiled or coil-able section may be by any suitable means and will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. Such means may be employed or facilitated by a dispensing or forming device either remote to or attached to the product for example as in a grip seal bag with a slide.

The product may be dispensed from a wall hanging or free standing unit that has filled or unfilled lengths of blister packing material and fills the blisters, if appropriate, forms the coils and cuts to length on demand as required.

The most likely and favoured embodiment of this product is that of a blister strip that is stamped or otherwise formed, preferably in line with the blister production. The blister strip has a land area that preferably is an extension of the blister backing material along its length. This land area is modified to provide the means to or accept the means to form a coil and also preferably any relevant wrist security connections or is formed to accept modification by the user or to accept addition of further material at manufacture to so create a coil or ring.

A simple curved fold, folded over at or near the long edge of the land area of a plurality of blisters transforms a straight planar line of blisters into a coiled shape. This shape preferably has a coned dimension whereby the wider aspect of the product is preferably aligned down-arm, this, counter- intuitively appears to facilitate a sliding movement ofthe product up-arm away from the wrist, thus facilitating re-positioning further up the arm without removal. Thus orientating the device with the folded smaller dimension up-arm confers an ergonomic effect of facilitating the application of up-arm forces and reduction of leading edge friction, whilst stabilizing the product against dislodgement pressures during blister bursting.

The curved fold may be formed by simple stamping of the plastic and may preferably have interrupted perforations to ease folding. The folded section preferably has fixing means to hold it in the folded position. The fixing means may be any means but preferably is a simply formed cooperative connection preferably formed in line with product manufacture. There may be a simple mechanism, for example similar to a zip or grip seal bag or other means, that facilitates the making of the curved fold closure.

A coil or split ring, preferably elastically flexible in nature, may be provided as a separate part that confers its shape and properties to the product by having a string of blisters preferably connected to its outer surface or such a coil or ring may be attached to the blister strip by any means including being inserted,either at manufacture or by the user, into a sleeve formed in the blister strip. Connection means joining the planar line of blisters to a coil or ring may be simply frictional in nature allowing the user to easily remove a used blister section and replace it with a full or part section as required. The device may be manufactured substantially as one piece and converted to a coiled or ring structure either by the user or at manufacture. At this time, and without the advantage of user trials, it is not possible to define a final embodiment of what would be a successful product.

However the author believes that there is sufficient teaching within this application such that someone skilled in the art could take one or more of the product features described and produce a workable and much improved

product over prior art.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a planar blister pack before being coiled.

Figure 2 shows a single blister.

Figure 3 shows a cross section of a sachet in place next to a rigid edge.

Figure 4 shows a cross section of a combined ring or coil attachment means for a blister strip.

Figure 5 shows a line of blisters for insertion into a planar coil-able means.

Figure 6 shows a cross section of a folded coil, the fold towards the arm.

Referring to the drawings; In figure 1 A connected planar, preferably linear, arrangement of blisters 2 is shown with a land area 52 connected down one side. The land area 52 is preferably continuous with the blister backing material.

Fold line 50 enables curved section IA to be folded over onto section 1B and preferably fixing means 53 holds the fold closed. The fold may face up or down the arm, but is preferably up arm.

The fold line 50 preferably has interrupted perforations 54 that facilitate the folding. On making the fold, the planar shape converts to a coil that preferably has a some elastic flexibility even when constructed from very thin non elastic material.

A fixing means 60 can co-operate with fixing means 61 by virtue of the coil shape and this fixing means may allow a variable fixed diameter to give the user extra security. Folding means 64 may preferably run along the fold line to enable fold closure. This means 64 may be manual or machine operated. The blister line 2 may be independent of the attachment means (fig. 5) and preferably is available in differing lengths to be attached to a preferably planar structure preferably available in only one size, that can then be formed into a coil or a split ring by the user.

In use the user would preferably assemble the complete unit and clip it onto the wrist thus avoiding a wrapping action. The user expels agent by preferably applying purposeful pressure in direction of arrow 63 by preferably using a finger, not shown, forcing the flow-able agent out of a preferably burs-table seam, preferably in a one pass action. The blister may be opened by finger action on a peel-able closure but this would probably require two actions instead of one.

The blisters may be burst by forcing the contents to drive the blister wall against a fixed point, not shown, preferably attached to the product.

In figure 2 a blister 2 is shown with a burst-able seam 61.When pressure is applied to the blister contents driving the contents in direction 63, the burst able seam 61 being of a weaker construction than the surrounding seam preferentially gives way allowing the flow-able agent to exit and any spatter or turbulence is contained by means 62, which is preferably a tunnel 62 formed immediately after the burst-able seam. This means 62 is preferably formed as a part ofthe blister formation.

In figure 3 a cross section of a preferably sterilize-able preferably plastic holder 33, preferably in the shape of a preferably elastically deformable coil or split ring, holds a at least one flow-able agent reservoir preferably a blister 2 with contents 13. The ring or coil is preferably loose enough to be rotated to bring unused blisters into ergonomic use. The reservoir 2 rests on platform 39 and is held by attachment means 40. Feature 41 represents either a fixed edge designed to perforate the blister wall when the contents 13 are pressurized against it or in the case of a burst-able seam blister feature 41 may be a means preferably enclosure means, that allows flow-able agent to exit, such as a tunnel that contains or prevents turbulence or splatter.

Preferably, in use, a one- pass movement of the user's finger applies pressure as indicated by arrow 42 both enabling opening of the blister and expelling contents 13 in direction 37 preferably towards a hand.

Means 41 may combine the functions of perforation and splatter control.

In figure 4 A preferably plastic means 43 preferably consists of, where appropriate, all or some of the following; containment or connection means 44 for a split ring or coil 46, attachment means 40 for a blister or blister strip, not seen, blister perforation or opening means,41 splatter prevention means 41A. A coil 'strap' connector allows a greater accommodation of blisters, especially on a small wrist and the coil ends can be transposed facilitating use of all the blisters. The connection means may have opening means, preferably a hinge 45 see figure 2A.The connecting means may preferably be attached to the blister 2 by a user engaging the attachment means 40 through a preferably co-operative means on the blister structure that preferably also holds the hinge closed by co-operating with means 40A, or it may be attached to the blister at manufacture.

The preferably plastic means 43 that confers shape to the essentially planar line of blisters may be a simple shape as in 4B and may be fixed to the blister structure. The means that confers shape to the blister line may be flexible but non elastic such as a wire inclusion.

Extension means 41 preferably confers some or all of the functions of spatter control and blister opening.

In figure 5 A line of blisters 2, preferably length adjustable by the user, is shown with land area 52. The land area 52 has means 40 to enable attachment of a coil or coil-able structure. Means 40 may be a cooperative mechanical means or a simple frictional means preferably enhanced by formed indents or other means on the surface. In figure SA a flat structure that can be formed into a coil or ring is shown. Means, represented by 40A and 40B, preferably can engage means 40 of figure 5 to hold the line of blister sachets in a coiled shape once the fold at 50 has been made, preferably by the user. The fold may be stable once made or be held stable by means 53 some or all of which co-operates with land area 52 of figure 5.

In Figure 6 Sachet 2 with burst-able seam 61 and covered exit 62 is shown.

Bend 50 is preferably integral to the sachet backing that has edges 66. The product lies on the surface of the users wrist, just below the arm 65. When pressure is applied in direction of arrow 63 to burst the sachet, the edges 66 engage the surface of the arm to stabilize the product. The product may be constructed of a substantially thin material such as the blister backing material. When the product is moved towards the arm the convexity of the fold 50 facilitates the movement. Thus the product may not require a substantial solid carrier. Preferably the device comprises multiple discrete flow-able agent reservoirs, the flow-able agent exit points all pointing in preferably the same direction, the agent reservoirs preferably are of an elongated form preferably rectangular in nature and the reservoirs are situated with the longer sides adjacent to each other preferably separated by a fluid tight seal the reservoir material preferably also acting directly as a reservoir carrier and wrist connector.

This product concept is intended to be suitable to carry and dispense flow- able agent preferably of a higher viscosity than a potable fluid, for example a gel. The agent may be dispensed onto a hand or be for application by a hand.

Possible uses range from hand disinfection to application of creams, powders and the like either to the human body or by the hand in another industrial or sporting use.

Claims (3)

1. I) A flow-able agent dispensing device, to be worn around a wrist or arm, has means to carry more than one reservoir of flow-able agent such that the agent reservoirs can be arranged around the wrist or arm.
2. 2) A flow-able agent dispensing device as claimed in claim l comprises a carrier and flow-able agent reservoirs.
3. 3) A dispenser as described in claim I and claim 2 where-in the dispenser locating means comprises a curve forming means adapted to form a curve upon activation of said curve forming means.

   3) The dispensing device as claimed in claim I and claim 2 wherein the carrying means is or can be formed as a split ring or coil.

   4) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1--3 wherein the carrying means is an integral part of the agent reservoirs.

   5) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1--- 4 wherein the reservoir means are sealed blisters.

   6) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims l -5 where the blisters are characterized as sachets.

   7) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1-- 6 wherein the reservoir means have means to reduce splatter.

   8) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1----7 wherein the reservoir has covered means downstream of the agent exiting the reservoir, whereby the agent is prevented from splattering.

   9) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1---8 wherein the carrying means does not conform closely to the wrist shape.

   10) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1-9 wherein the carrying means is formed by closing a fold in a planar structure.

   1 1) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims I-10 wherein all or part of the product is presented to the user in a planar form.

   12) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims 2--1 1 wherein the carrying means and agent reservoirs are manufactured substantially as one piece.

   13) The dispenser as claimed in any of claims 1- l 2 wherein it can be moved up a user's arm without removal from the arm 14) A dispenser as claimed in any of claims I -13 whereby the Product is provided through an on site dispensing means.

   l 5) A dispenser substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1-6 of the accompanying drawings. it\

   Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows: i

   VVhat is claimed is: 13 A dispenser for enabling the user to selectively dispense a flow-le agent, the dispenser comprising: at least one reservoir, the at least one reservoir adapted to contain the how-able agent; a valve-less dispensing means; and a dispenser locating means; where-in the dispenser locating means is adapted to locale the at least one reservoir around a limb of the user and Me valve-less dispensing means is capable of dispensing multiple controlled amounts of the flow-able agent from the at least one dispenser.

   2) A dispenser as described in claim I where-in at least part of the dispenser is at least partially flexible so as to be deformed under external pressure.