(19)
(11) EP 2 393 465 B1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45) Mention of the grant of the patent:
20.04.2016 Bulletin 2016/16

(21) Application number: 10707976.6

(22) Date of filing: 29.01.2010
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
A61H 35/04(2006.01)
(86) International application number:
PCT/IT2010/000026
(87) International publication number:
WO 2010/089789 (12.08.2010 Gazette 2010/32)

(54)

ADAPTER FOR VIALS CONTAINING PHYSIOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND SIMILAR

ADAPTER FÜR FLÄSCHCHEN MIT PHYSIOLOGISCHEN LÖSUNGEN UND DERGLEICHEN

ADAPTATEUR POUR FLACONS CONTENANT DES SOLUTIONS PHYSIOLOGIQUES ET AUTRES


(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR

(30) Priority: 04.02.2009 IT BS20090005 U

(43) Date of publication of application:
14.12.2011 Bulletin 2011/50

(73) Proprietor: FLAEM NUOVA S.p.A.
25010 S. Martino della Battaglia (Brescia) (IT)

(72) Inventor:
  • ABATE, Riccardo
    25010 S. Martino Della Battaglia (BS) (IT)

(74) Representative: Sangiacomo, Ines 
Biesse S.r.l. Via Corfù, 71
25124 Brescia
25124 Brescia (IT)


(56) References cited: : 
EP-A2- 0 319 501
US-A- 2 135 052
CH-A5- 691 885
US-B1- 6 361 521
   
       
    Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).


    Description


    [0001] This invention concerns an adapter for compressible type vials to favour the exit of their contents when needed.

    [0002] Monodose vials containing, for example, a physiological solution for washing the nasal cavity, in particular for pediatric use, are well known and available on the market. These vials have a flexible body that ends with a nozzle at the top to be inserted in the nostrils and which can be gripped and squeezed by hand to facilitate the flow of the washing solution from the nozzle. Some vials, then, can be provided with longitudinal ribs at least on opposite parts tending however to stiffen the body. The manipulation of said vials and their use however does not always appear to be easy as regards to the adaptation of the end nozzle to the nozzles and to the grip and squeezing of the body for the flow of its content.

    [0003] CH 691 885 discloses an adapter for washing the nasal cavity.

    [0004] One of the objectives therefore of this invention as claimed is to propose an adapter which can be applied to each vial containing physiological solutions for washing nasal cavities in order to grip it better, both when it is inserted in the nostrils and when it is extracted, and to simplify the squeezing action of the fingers so as to be able to control and dose the flow of the fluid that exits.

    [0005] Another objective of the invention is to provide an adapter for above type of vials configured so that it is possible to see the content of the vial and its change in level when being used.

    [0006] These objectives are reached, according to the invention, with an adapter of a flexible material made up on the form of a cap element, which adapts to and encloses a top zone of the vial body and which terminates in a head that covers nozzle of the vial and has a hole in the top to allow the fluid to be delivered to flow out from the vial.

    [0007] Furthermore, the cap element has on a level with its head at least a lateral vent groove to avoid the formation of overpressure if and when the head is inserted into a cavity to be washed, plus a pair of wings as a grip and to squeeze the vial by hand.

    [0008] Greater details of the invention will however become more evident in the continuation of the description made in reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

    Figs. 1 and 2 show respectively separate examples of a vial and an adapter;

    Fig. 3 shows the adapter in Fig.2 applied to the vial;

    Fig. 4 shows another example of an adapter and a vial;

    Fig. 5 shows the manual way of attaching the adapter to the vial; and

    Fig. 6 shows the way of using and squeezing the vial with an adapter.



    [0009] The vial comprises a body 11, made of a flexible material, terminates at the top with a nozzle 12 and the adapter, in each of the two versions shown, is formed of a cap element 13 dimensioned to fit and attach itself to the body 11 of the vial and to partially cover it in a zone of its top part.

    [0010] The cap 13 ends in a head 14, ergonomic, that overlaps and encloses the nozzle 12 of the body 11 and which has a hole in the top 15 to allow the fluid contained in the vial to flow out. From the opposite sides, the adapter cap 13 has two wings or extensions 16 that extend towards the bottom of the vial and which preferably have surface juts 17. The two wings delimit between them two recesses 18 on opposite sides, open towards the bottom, which leave most of the height of the vials starting from the bottom, exposed so as to be able to see its content.

    [0011] The head 14 of the adapter cap can be olive shaped as in Figs. 2 and 3 or conical as in Fig. 4 to facilitate the introduction into the nostrils of a child if the solution in the vial is for washing the nasal cavities. In either case, on at least one side of the head 14 is preferably provided a vent grove 19 designed to avoid the creation of overpressure in the nostrils of the patient when the head is introduced during the washing process.

    [0012] The vial 11 can have latteral ribbing 20 as shown in Fig. 1, in which case inside the adaper cap 13 will be provided some guide grooves 21 to receive and fit into said ribbings-Fig. 4.

    [0013] In practice, the wings or extensions 16 provide a secure grip for the fingers so as to facilitate both the coupling between vial and adapter cap-Fig. 5- and the insertion and the extraction of the cap head in the cavity to be treated and, better still, they assist the gradual squeezing of the vial to dose the flow of the washing fluid when needed-Fig. 6.


    Claims

    1. An adapter for vials containing physiological solutions for pediatric use, in particular but not only for washing the nasal cavity, and comprising a body made of a flexible material, that terminates in a nozzle at the top and which can be gripped and squeezed manually to cause the washing solution to exit from said nozzle, the adapter comprising a cap element (13), that fits and closes a top zone of the vial body and being characterized in that said cap element (13)

    - ends with an ergonomic head (14) which overlaps the nozzle of the vial and has a hole at the top (15) for the exit of the fluid to be delivered contained in the vial, and

    - has at least two pairs of gripper wings or extensions (16) that extend towards the bottom of the vial, delimiting between them two recesses (18) on opposite sides, open downwards and which leave a most part of the length from the bottom upwards of the vial exposed.


     
    2. Adapter according to claim 1, characterised in that said gripper wings or extension (16) are provided with a raised surface (17).
     
    3. Adapter according to claim 1, characterised In that said ergonomic top head (14) of the cap element (13) is provided with at least a lateral vent groove (19).
     
    4. Adapter according to any of the previous claims, characterised in that the top head (14) of the cap element (13) has an olive shape or the like to access the nostrils in an erogmatic way.
     
    5. The adapter according to any of the claims from 1 to 4, characterised in that the top head (14) of the cap element (13) is conical in shape to fit into the nostrils in an erogmatic way.
     
    6. Adapter according to any of the previous claims, where the vial has longitudinal ribs (20), characterised in that the cap element (13) has internal guide grooves (21) to couple with said ribs.
     


    Ansprüche

    1. Adapter für Fläschchen mit physiologischen Lösungen zur pädiatrischen Anwendung, insbesondere, aber nicht ausschließlich zum Spülen der Nasenhöhle, umfassend einen Körper aus flexiblem Material, das an seiner Oberseite mit einer Düse abschließt und derart manuell ergreifbar sowie zusammendrückbar ist, um eine Ausgabe der Spüllösung aus der Düse zu veranlassen, wobei der Adapter ein Kappenelement (13) aufweist, das in einen deckseitigen Bereich des Fläschchenkörpers passt und ihn zuschließt, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Kappenelement (13)

    - mit einem ergonomischen Kopf (14) abschießt, der die Düse des Fläschchens überdeckt und eine Öffnung auf der Deckseite (15) für den Austritt des zu verabreichenden in dem Fläschchen enthaltenen Fluids aufweist, und

    - zumindest zwei Paare von Greifflügeln oder Greifverlängerungen (16), die sich in Richtung zu dem Boden des Fläschchens erstrecken und zwischen sich zwei auf gegenüberliegenden Seiten angeordneten, nach unten geöffneten Ausnehmungen (18) begrenzen, welche einen Großteil der Länge des Fläschchens ausgehend vom Boden in Richtung nach oben freilassen.


     
    2. Adapter nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Greifflügel oder Greifverlängerungen (16) mit einer erhabenen Oberfläche (17) versehen sind.
     
    3. Adapter nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der ergonomische deckseitige Kopf (14) des Kappenelementes (13) mit zumindest einem seitlichen Lüftungsschlitz (19) versehen ist.
     
    4. Adapter nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der deckseitige Kopf (14) des Kappenelementes (13) eine Olivenform oder dergleichen aufweist, um einen ergonomischen Zugang zu den Nasenhöhlen zu ermöglichen.
     
    5. Adapter nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche 1 bis 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der deckseitige Kopf (14) des Kappenelementes (13) eine konische Form aufweist, um sich in den Nasenhöhlen ergonomisch anzupassen.
     
    6. Adapter nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei das Fläschchen Längsrippen (20) aufweist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Kappenelement (13) Innenführungsnuten (21) zum Koppeln mit den Rippen aufweist.
     


    Revendications

    1. Adaptateur pour flacons contenant des solutions physiologiques à usage pédiatrique, en particulier mais pas exclusivement pour le lavage de la cavité nasale, et qui comprend un corps constitué d'un matériau souple, qui se termine par une buse au niveau de la partie supérieure et qui peut être saisi et pressé manuellement afin de faire sortir la solution de lavage de ladite buse, l'adaptateur comprenant un élément de capuchon (13) qui s'ajuste à la zone supérieure du corps de flacon et ferme celle-ci et étant caractérisé en ce que ledit élément de capuchon (13)

    - se termine par une tête ergonomique (14) qui chevauche la buse du flacon et qui présente dans la partie supérieure un trou (15) destiné à la sortie du fluide, contenu dans le flacon, qui doit être distribué, et

    - comporte au moins deux paires d'ailes de préhension ou des prolongements (16) qui s'étendent vers le fond du flacon, délimitant entre elles deux creux (18) sur des côtés opposés, ouverts vers le bas et qui laissent exposée la plupart de la longueur du flacon à partir du bas vers le haut.


     
    2. Adaptateur selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que lesdites ailes de préhension ou prolongements (16) sont pourvus d'une surface surélevée (17).
     
    3. Adaptateur selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que ladite tête supérieure ergonomique (14) de l'élément de capuchon (13) est munie d'au moins une rainure d'évacuation latérale (19).
     
    4. Adaptateur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que la tête supérieure (14) de l'élément de capuchon (13) a une forme d'olive ou similaire pour accéder aux narines d'une manière ergonomique.
     
    5. Adaptateur selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 4, caractérisé en ce que la tête supérieure (14) de l'élément de capuchon (13) est de forme conique pour rentrer dans les narines d'une manière ergonomique.
     
    6. Adaptateur selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le flacon comporte des nervures longitudinales (20), caractérisé en ce que l'élément de capuchon (13) comporte des rainures intérieures de guidage (21) pour l'accouplement avec lesdites nervures.
     




    Drawing














    Cited references

    REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION



    This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

    Patent documents cited in the description