US2086588A - Vaporizing applicator - Google Patents

Description

J. J. TOBIN ET AL vAPoRIiING APPLICATOR .I uly 13, 1937.

Filed Nov. 18, 1935 Patented July 13, 1937 PATENT OFFICE VAPORIZING APPLICATOR Joseph J. Tobin, 'New York, N. Y., .and Lorado R. Snell, Richmond, Va.

. Application November 18, 1935, Serial No. 50,430

3 Claims.

This invention relates to medicine applicators, and more particularly to a device for applying medicated vapor to the nasal passages in the treatment of sinusitis and other inammation or irritation of the mucous membrane.

Heretofore it has been proposed to inject medicated vapor into the nasal passages by passing a current of air through absorbent material saturated with liquid medicament and blow the medicated vapor into the nasal passages and in contact with the affected parts. As the passage of air through the saturated absorbent material is generally in a straight or direct path, it often happens that only a small quantity of the healing fluid is taken up and combined with the air and, consequently, the medicated vapor is of insuicient strength to produce the best results. Moreover, if excessive air pressure is exerted on the mouthpiece of the applicator, small globules of liquid are sometimes forcibly injected with the vapor into the nasal cavities and nd lodgement therein causing injurious eiects.

The object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a medicator in which these objectionable features are eliminated by causing the air to take a circuitous passage through and around the uid saturated wick so as to cause the air to take up or absorb a maximum quantity of the medicated fluid for delivery in a vaporized condition to the affected parts without danger of small globules of liquid being injected into the nasal passages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vaporizing applicator including a casing or outer shell having means at one end thereof for insertion within the nostril and provided at its other end with a mouthpiece, means being disposed within the shell for retarding the passage of air therethrough so as to insure a thorough mixture of air and healing iiuid before delivery in an atomized form within the nasal passages.

A further object is to provide an applicator of simple and inexpensive construction, the parts of which may be readily separated to permit saturation of the wick and replacement thereof when necessary.

A further object is to provide an applicator having an inner member provided with lateral ports or passages communicating with the interior of the shell and formed with a rod on which the wick is tted, means being provided for retaining the wick in position on the rod and causing the upper end of the wick to expand laterally in contact with the inner wall of the outer shell or casing so as to'act as a plunger and prevent direct passage of air through the applicator.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

(Cl. 12S-199) In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specication in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures of the drawing,

Figure l is a side elevation of a vaporizing applicator constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View.

Figure 3 is a perspective View showing the ele- `ments comprising the applicator detached and ready to be assembled.

vFigure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

The improved vaporizing applicator forming the subject-matter of the present invention comprises an outer shell or casing 5 preferably formed of aluminum and cylindrical in shape, as shown, the lower end of the casing being open and interiorly threaded, at 6, and the upper end thereof curved inwardly, at l, so that it can be conveniently inserted in the nostril. The curved portion 'i preferably terminates in a relatively small nipple 8 to permit the applicator to be used by children, said nipple being provided with a discharge oriiicev 9 which communicates with the interior of the casing. Threaded in the lower end of 'the casing is a closure plug I o having a laterally extending stop flange II which bears against the adjacent end of the casing and forms a tight joint between the parts. The closure plug I is provided with a reduced cylindrical barrel I2 spaced from the inner wall of the casing and terminating in a lateral ange I3 also spaced slightly from the inner wall of the casing, as shown. Secured in any suitable manner to the upper end of the closure plug I0 is a wick receiving rod I4, the upper end of which is threaded at I5 for detachable engagement with a substantially cylindrical head I6. The wick Il is formed of absorbent material and is fitted over the rod I4, said wick being saturated with a liquid medicament which will have a soothing and healing eirect on the mucous membrane of the nasal passages of the head when the liquid is atomized and injected into the nasal passages. The Wick I'l is preferably slightly longer than the length of the rod I4 so that when the wick is threaded on the rod and the plug is introduced Within the casing 5, the upper end of the wick will be flared laterally in contact with the inner wall of the casing, as indicated at I8, so as to coniine air between said flared portion of the wick and the flange I3 and thus permit the air to become thoroughly impregnated with the medicament.

The plug I0 is provided with an intake passage I9 which also extends through a corrugated nipple 2D over which is fitted a flexible tube 2|, as best shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. The free end of the tube 2| is provided with a mouthpiece 22 also preferably formed of aluminum so that by blowing into the mouthpiece, air will pass through the tube and into the intake passage I9. The barrel I2 is provided with a transverse opening 23 which intersects the intake passage I9 and causes the air entering the passage I9 to pass laterally on each side of the barrel and thence over the flange I3 in contact with the saturated wick I'I where it will take up and vaporize the medicament on the wick and thence pass upwardly through the 'flared portion I8 of the wick and around the head I6 to the discharge passage 9 and thence into the nasal passages. tion I8 of the wick in conjunction with the head I6 forms, in effect, a plunger to prevent the direct passage of air through the applicator and inasmuch as. the air flows upwardly on opposite sides of the barrel, it is retarded or confined between the plunger and barrel so that the air will become thoroughly saturated with the fumes from the wick and a rich vaporized mixture delivered to the affectedc parts. It will furthermore be noted that inasmuch as the air takes a circuitous passage through the applicator and the flared portion of the wick II contacts with the inner wall of the applicator, said flared portion of the wick acts as a screen and serves to prevent small globules of iiuid on the wick being forcibly injected through the discharge passage into the nasal cavities. Y

In using the device, the casing 5 is unscrewed from the plug I0 after which the head IB is removed and the wick Il threaded over the rod I4. The head I6 is then replaced on the rod and the wick saturated with the desired healing iluid or other medicament, after which the plug with the wick in position thereon is inserted in the casing 5 so as to cause the ilared upper end of the wick to contact with the inner wall of the casing, as previously described. By then inserting the mouthpiece 22 between the lips with the small end of the casing introduced within the nostril and blowing slightly through the tube 2l, the air will `pass laterally through the passages 23 and in contact with the wick I1 and thence upwardly through the discharge passage 9 into the nostrils. If itis desired to replace or renew the wick, it is merely necessary to detach the head IG and thread a new wick over the rod I4 and in which position the wick will be iirmly held between the flanged end of the barrel I2 and said head. I

In Figure 4 of the drawing, there is illustrated a modied form of the invention, in which a plurality of openings 24 intersect the intake passage so as to deliver the air on all sides of the barrel. In this form of the device the ange I3' is preferably formed with inclined or spiral grooves 25 for imparting a circuitous movement to the air and likewise the head I6 is formed with similar passages 26 for imparting a whirling motion to the vaporized air as it is vdischarged through the nipple. The device is extremelysimple in construction and inasmuch as the component parts thereof may be readily separated and cleaned when necessary, the applicator may be kept in a sanitary condition at all times.

An applicator constructed'in accordance with the present invention will insure the proper delivery of afmaxim'um amount of medicament in a vaporized condition into the nasal passages and other head cavities, and, at the same time, effectually prevent small globules of liquid being taken up by the air .currents and clogging the nasal passages to the injury'ror discomfort of the user.

It will, of course, be understood that the applicators may be made in diiferent sizes and shapes and constructed from any suitable material without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

`1. A device of the classl described comprising a casing having one .end thereof reduced to form It will here be noted that the flared porr a nipple pierced by a longitudinal discharge orice, a closure plug removably fitted in the other end of the casing, said closure plug being provided' between its tted portion and its inner end with a reduced barrel terminating in a laterally extending flange, the plug being formed with a longitudinally extending intake passage terminating intermediate the length of the barrel and also provided with lateral passages leading from the inner end of the longitudinal passage and communicating with the interior of the casing, a rod extending from the inner end of the plug, a kwick about the rod, a head of less diameter than the casing carried by the rod and bearing against the wick, the inner end of the wick being flared laterally in contact with the head and the inner wall of the casing to close the space between the head and casing.

2. A device of the class described comprising a casing having a discharge orifice at one end thereof, a closure plug tted in the other end of the casing and provided with a longitudinal passage leading from its outer end and terminating in spaced relation to the inner end of the plug, said plug also having lateral passages leading from the inner end of the longitudinal passage and discharging into the interior of the casing, said plug being provided at its inner end with a lateral ange having inclined grooves formed in the peripheral edge thereof, a rod extending from the inner end of the plug, a wick adapted to receive a liquid medicament tted over the rod and having its inner end flared laterally, and a substantially cylindrical head carried by the inner end of the rod in abutting engagement with the inner end of the wick and having its peripheral wall provided with inclined grooves.

3. vA'device of the class described comprising acasing having a discharge orifice at one end thereof, a closure plug removably tted in the other end of the casing, said plug being provided with a longitudinally extending intake passage Aand with lateral passages leading from the inner end of vthe longitudinal passage, said plug being formed at its inner end with a lateral flange spaced inwardly from the laterally extending air passages with its marginal edge face spaced from the wall of the casing, a rod secured to the plug and projecting from the inner end thereof, a wick tting over the rod and having an end bearing against the plug in spaced relation to the marginal edge of the rim of the flange, the inner end of the wick being flared laterally tocontact with the inner surface of the wall of the casing, and a head carried by the inner end of the rod and bearing against the flared portion of the wick. JOSEPH J. TOBIN.

LORADOl R. SNEIL.

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