The present invention relates to the field of medicine dispenser. More particularly, the invention relates to a medicine dispenser in form of an infant pacifier.

Background of the invention

Administering a liquid medicine to an infant can be frustrating and often times messy. Prior art methods of administering liquid medicine to the infant include a syringe, dropper and small spoon. Unfortunately, the liquid medicine may have a taste which is offensive to the infant, so that the infant spits out the liquid medicine immediately upon administration. Another deficiency in prior art devices for administering medicine to infant is that it is difficult to gage the amount of liquid medicine that has already been administered to the infant if the infant spits out a portion of the liquid medicine inserted into the infant's mouth.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved infant medicine dispenser.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to an infant medicine dispenser, comprising: a) a nipple-shaped part having an opening on the tip of said nipple-shaped part, wherein said nipple-shaped part can be inserted into the mouth; b) a compressible reservoir configured in an accordion-like shape, in order to facilitate the flow of liquid through said opening in the tip of said nipple- shaped part while exerting compressing action on said compressible reservoir, wherein said compressible reservoir having an opening and a corresponding cover on its distal end for allowing the insertion of liquid into its interior; and c) a shield which is joined to said nipple-shaped part from one side and to said compressible reservoir from the other side and which limits the movement of insertion of the nipple-shaped part.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the infant medicine dispenser further comprises a straw-like conduit which connects between the opening of the nipple-shaped part and the compressible reservoir, in order to allow liquid to pass from the compressible reservoir directly to said opening.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the nipple-shaped part and/or the compressible reservoir are generally semi-transparent, so that a level of the liquid within the interior of said infant medicine dispenser is viewable externally.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the infant medicine dispenser further comprises graduation marks which indicate the amount of liquid within the interior of said infant medicine, wherein said graduations are marked on the nipple-shaped part and/or on the compressible reservoir.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings:

- Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of an infant medicine dispenser, according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2A schematically illustrates the front view of the infant medicine dispenser of Fig. 1; Fig. 2B is a cross sectional view of the infant medicine dispenser of

Fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 3 A schematically illustrates a front view of an infant medicine dispenser, according to another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3B is a cross sectional view of the infant medicine dispenser of Fig. 3A, according to another embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Reference will now be made to several embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. Wherever practicable similar or like reference numbers may be used in the figures and may indicate similar or like functionality. The figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

Fig. 1 shows a device that can be used in conjunction with the invention. The device illustrated in this figure is particularly convenient because it can be applied as an ad-on device to existing pacifiers without the need to carry out major alterations in the structure. The device generally indicated by numeral 10 in the figure comprises a compressible reservoir 11, a nipple-shaped part 12 (hereinafter may also called in short the nipple), which can be inserted into the mouth and which is made of a soft and flexible material, and a shield 13, which is joined to the nipple-shaped part 12 from one side and to the compressible reservoir 21 from the other side and which limits the movement of insertion of the same.

The nipple-shaped part 12 has two openings, one opening in form of a cross slit located in the tip of the nipple (as indicated by numeral 15) allowing a liquid (e.g., a medicament) to be sucked or drew into the mouth of a user (e.g., an infant or a child), and the second opening on the upper portion of the nipple 12 (as indicated by numeral 17), opposite the first opening 15. A passageway 18 that connects between the nipple 12 and the reservoir 11 allows liquid to pass from the reservoir 11 through the shield 13 and into the interior of the nipple-shaped part 12 through the second opening 17. The compressible reservoir 11 is configured in an accordionlike shape, in order to facilitate the flow of the medicament through the opening 15 in the tip of the nipple 12 as exerting compressing action on the reservoir 11 (e.g., by the infant's parent or other adult). In addition, in some configurations the accordion-like shape allows the reservoir 11 to automatically return to its initial uncompressed form, such that as soon as the user (e.g., the infant's parent or other adult) releases pressure, the compressible reservoir 11 is returned to its initial uncompressed form.

The compressible reservoir 11 has an opening and a corresponding cover 16 located at its distal end, which provides access to the interior of the compressible reservoir 11. The cover 16 allows sealing off the opening after the liquid medicine is added to the interior of the compressible reservoir 11.

Containing the liquid within the compressible reservoir 11, the liquid infant medicine dispenser 10 is now made ready to administer liquid medicine to the infant. The nipple 12 of the infant medicine dispenser is inserted into the infant's mouth. In this embodiment, compressing the compressible reservoir 11 injects the medicine stored within its interior towards the nipple area (through the passageway 18) and into the mouth of the infant. The sucking or stripping reflex of the infant may also help to draw the liquid medicine from the interior of the nipple 12 through the cross slit 15 and into the infant's mouth. According to an embodiment of the invention, if the infant inadvertently knocks the infant medicine dispenser 10 out of his/her own mouth, the liquid medicine will not spill since the cover 16 holds the liquid medicine within the interior the infant medicine dispenser 10 and the cross slit 15 is immediately closed once again. The adult can attempt a second administration by inserting the nipple 12 once again into the infant's mouth without having to guess how much liquid medicine the infant has already taken.

Fig. 2 A schematically illustrates the front view of the infant medicine dispenser 10 of Fig. 1. In this embodiment, the nipple 12 additionally has a hollow interior defining an interior reservoir. The hollow interior reservoir of nipple 12 is better shown in Fig. 2B. The hollow reservoir is filled (e.g., poured, injected, etc.) with liquid medicine through the opening in the compressible reservoir 11. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2B, the shield 13, the nipple 12 and the compressible reservoir 11 are integrally molded components. However, it is also contemplated that the shield 13, the nipple 12 and the compressible reservoir 11 may be separately formed and subsequently attached to each other through attachment methods as apparent to a person skilled in the art.

The nipple 12 may have a nipple configuration as shown in Fig. 1, but other shapes are also contemplated so long as the nipple 12 is insertable into the infant's mouth and the infant can latch onto the nipple 12.

As will be appreciated by a skilled person, the nipple 12 and the compressible reservoir 11 are all fabricated from a generally soft and flexible material such as silicone. However, other materials are also contemplated that are known in the art or designed in the future.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the nipple 12 and/or the compressible reservoir 11 may be generally semi-transparent so that a level of the liquid medicine within the interior of the infant medicine dispenser 10 is viewable externally. The nipple 12 and/or the compressible reservoir 11 may additionally have graduation marks (not shown) which indicate the amount of fluid or liquid medicine within the interior of the infant medicine dispenser 10.

Referring now to Figs. 3A and 3B, an infant medicine dispenser 20 is shown in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The infant medicine dispenser 20 comprises a compressible reservoir 21, a nipple-shaped part 22, which can be inserted into the mouth and which is made of a soft and flexible material, a shield 23, which is joined to the nipple-shaped part 22 from one side and to the compressible reservoir 21 from the other side and which limits the movement of insertion of the same, and a straw -like conduit 27.

In this embodiment, the nipple-shaped part 22 has one opening in form of a cross slit located in the tip of the nipple (as indicated by numeral 25) allowing a liquid (e.g., a medicament) to be sucked or drew into the mouth of a user (e.g., an infant or a child). The straw -like conduit 27 connects between the cross slit 15 of nipple 12 and the reservoir 11, in order to allow liquid to pass from the reservoir 11 through the shield 13 and directly to cross slit 25.

In this embodiment, the compressible reservoir 21 is configured in an accordion-like shape, in order to facilitate the flow of the medicament through the cross slit 25 in the tip of the nipple 12 as exerting compressing action on the reservoir 21 (e.g., by the infant's parent or other adult). In addition, in some configurations the accordion -like shape allows the reservoir 21 to automatically return to its initial uncompressed form, such that as soon as the user (e.g., the infant's parent or other adult) releases pressure, the compressible reservoir 21 is returned to its initial uncompressed form. The liquid medicine generally flows out of the reservoir 21 through conduit 27 directly into the infant's mouth out from the cross slit 25, during the compressing of the reservoir 21.

As will be appreciated by the skilled person the arrangement described in the figures results in an improved infant medicine dispenser.

All the above description and examples have been given for the purpose of illustration and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. Many different mechanisms, methods of analysis, electronic and logical elements can be employed, all without exceeding the scope of the invention.