Eye drop propulsion device and method
View Patent ↗An eye drop propulsion device and method for propelling a drop of fluid towards an eye, including a compression chamber connected to a container configured to retain fluid, a dispenser aperture connected to the compression chamber and configured to be selectively occluded or not occluded, and a compressor configured to alter pressure in the compression chamber such that when the compressor is activated when the dispenser aperture is occluded, air is forced to flow from the compression chamber into the container, and when the compressor is deactivated, a vacuum is created in the compression chamber causing a portion of fluid in the container to flow into the compression chamber, and when the compressor is activated when the dispenser aperture is not occluded, a drop of fluid is propelled towards the eye.
1 . An eye drop propulsion device for propelling a drop of fluid towards an eye for use with an eye drop bottle having a nozzle, comprising:
a compression chamber having a nozzle end configured to connect to the eye drop bottle to allow for communication of fluid from the nozzle of the eye drop bottle to the compression chamber; and
a dispenser aperture configured to be selectively occluded or not occluded, wherein
when the compression chamber is first activated when the dispenser aperture is occluded, air is forced to flow from the compression chamber into the eye drop bottle, and when the compression chamber is deactivated, a portion of fluid in the eye drop bottle flows into the compression chamber; and
when the compression chamber is second activated when the dispenser aperture is not occluded, a drop of fluid is propelled towards the eye.
2 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir connected to the compression chamber and configured to retain fluid and communicate that fluid towards the dispenser aperture.
3 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein the eye drop bottle is oriented such that it is inverted before the compression chamber is deactivated when the dispenser aperture is occluded.
4 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein the compression chamber is configured to connect to the eye drop bottle without the use of a valve between the compression chamber and the eye drop bottle.
5 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser aperture is selectively occluded or not occluded downstream of the compression chamber.
6 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein the drop is propelled towards the eye without the aid of gravity.
7 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , further comprising a cover configured to selectively occlude the dispenser aperture.
8 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , further comprising a retractor configured to support the propulsion device aligned with the eye before the drop of the fluid is propelled towards the eye.
9 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , further comprising a retractor configured to retract a lower lid of the eye before the drop of the fluid is propelled towards the eye.
10 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein the drop of fluid is propelled towards the eye with sufficient velocity to reach the eye.
11 . The propulsion device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compression chamber and dispenser aperture are sized to allow the drop of fluid to be propelled.