DRINKING STRAW FOR ADMINISTERING AN ACTIVE SUBSTANCE

Abstract

A drinking straw for administering an active substance has a wall with a first end and with a second end. One of the two ends of the wall can be closed releasably with a closure element. A membrane, on which the active substance lies, is present in the region of the other end of the wall.

Claims

1. A drinking straw for administering an active substance, having a wall with a first end and with a second end, having a closure element with which one of the two ends of the wall can be releasably closed, wherein a membrane is present in the region of the other end of the wall, the active substance lies on the membrane.

2. The drinking straw according to claim 1, wherein the membrane is permeable to liquid.

3. The drinking straw according to claim 1, wherein an opening through which liquid is sucked can be formed in the region of the membrane.

4. The drinking straw according to claim 3, wherein the membrane has at least one predetermined breaking point, which is configured in particular as a material thinning.

5. The drinking straw according to claim 1, wherein the membrane is secured to the inner wall of the drinking straw.

6. The drinking straw according to claim 5, wherein the membrane is secured to the inner wall of the drinking straw by means of a clamping element.

7. The drinking straw according to claim 6, wherein the clamping element has a tubular fitting, the external diameter of which is slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the wall of the drinking straw, and wherein the tubular fitting has a continuous slit in the longitudinal direction.

8. The drinking straw according to claim 1, wherein the closure element is configured as a foil.

9. The drinking straw according to claim 8, wherein the closure element is releasably secured, in particular bonded or welded, to the front face of the wall.

10. The drinking straw according to claim 8, wherein the closure element is releasably secured to the outer wall of the drinking straw.

11. The drinking straw according to claim 10, wherein the closure element is configured as a shrink foil, in particular as a shrink cap or as a shrink sleeve.

12. The drinking straw according to claim 1, wherein the membrane-side end of the wall is closed in an airtight manner by a water-soluble barrier layer.

13. The drinking straw according to claim 12, wherein the water-soluble barrier layer is made of a polymer, in particular of gelatin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

[0021] In the drawings,

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a first embodiment of the drinking straw according to the invention, before the active substance starts to be drawn up;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section through the drinking straw from FIG. 1, after the active substance has been drawn up;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a transverse section through the drinking straw from FIG. 1 along the line A-A;

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section through a second embodiment of the drinking straw according to the invention, before the active substance starts to be drawn up;

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal section through the drinking straw from FIG. 4, after the active substance starts to be drawn up;

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the intact membrane of the drinking straw from FIG. 4;

[0028] FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the torn open membrane of the drinking straw from FIG. 5;

[0029] FIG. 8 shows a longitudinal section through a third embodiment of the drinking straw according to the invention, before the active substance starts to be drawn up;

[0030] FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section through the drinking straw from FIG. 8, after the active substance starts to be drawn up;

[0031] FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the intact membrane of the drinking straw from FIG. 8;

[0032] FIG. 11 shows a plan view of the torn open membrane of the drinking straw from FIG. 9;

[0033] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the upper end of the drinking straw, which is closed with a sealed-on foil; and

[0034] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of the upper end of the drinking straw, which is closed with a heat-shrink cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the drinking straw 10 according to the invention for administering an active substance 12. The drinking straw 10 has a wall 20 with a first, lower end 22 and a second, upper end 24. The lower end 22 can be placed into a vessel containing a drinkable liquid. The upper end 24 is placed into the mouth, such that the liquid can be drawn up through the drinking straw 10.

[0036] Before use, the upper end 24 of the wall 20 is closed by a closure element in the form of a cap 30. The cap 30 sits with frictional engagement on the upper end 24 of the wall 20. In this way, the active substance located in the interior 32 of the wall 20 cannot trickle out from the top of the drinking straw 10.

[0037] A membrane 40 is present in the region of the lower end 22 of the wall 20. The membrane 40 is sufficiently tight to ensure that even finely powdered active substances 12 cannot trickle through the membrane 40. At the same time, the membrane 40 is so smooth that the active substances 12 cannot adhere to the membrane 40. The membrane 40 thus allows finely powdered formulations containing active substance to be administered through the drinking straw 10 according to the invention. The active substance formulations can contain an individual active substance or else a mixture of different active substances. In both cases, the formulations can also contain additional fillers besides the active substances.

[0038] In the present example, the membrane 40 is secured to the inner wall 42 of the drinking straw 10. The membrane 40 is tensioned here via a clamping element in the form of a tubular fitting 44. The tubular fitting 44 has an external diameter 46 that is slightly smaller than the internal diameter 48 of the wall 20 of the drinking straw 10. A continuous slit 50 is formed in the longitudinal direction 52 in the tubular fitting 44. As a result of this slit 50, the tubular fitting 44 can expand farther out such that it bears sealingly on the inner face 42 of the wall 20. The membrane 40 located between the outer face of the tubular fitting 44 and the inner face 42 of the wall 20 is thus fixed at the desired position.

[0039] The active substance 12 to be administered can lie on the membrane 40. The active substance 12 is then located in the interior of the drinking straw 10 between the membrane 40 and the cap 30 (see FIG. 1). For transporting and storing the drinking straw 10, the latter can additionally be packed in external packaging (not shown here), for example in a film bag.

[0040] In the illustrative embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3, the membrane 40 is permeable to liquid. The liquid to be drunk can thus be sucked through the membrane 40. The active substance 12 to be administered can in this case be dissolved or suspended in the liquid and in this way enter the patient's mouth. The membrane 40 remains undamaged and is unchanged after completion of the drinking process (see FIG. 2).

[0041] FIGS. 4 to 7 show a second embodiment of the drinking straw 10.2 according to the invention. The membrane 60 is in this case welded to the inner wall 42 of the drinking straw 10.2. The membrane 60 has a predetermined breaking point in the form of a material thinning 62. The material thinning 62 can be produced by means of a laser, for example. Individual layers of the membrane 60 can be removed by a laser in such a way that that, although still being able to serve as a seal for the active substance 12 to be administered, the membrane nonetheless tears when subjected to a compressive load or suction load.

[0042] In the present example, the material thinning 62 is provided in the central region of the membrane 60. The membrane 60 thus tears at the centre, while it remains firmly secured at its edge to the inner wall 42 of the drinking straw 10.2. This can ensure that the membrane 60 does not accidentally tear in such a way that parts of the membrane 60 are also sucked in. In the present example, the material thinning 62 is cross-shaped (see FIG. 6), such that a plane opening 64 forms (see FIG. 7) as soon as the membrane 60 starts to tear. The liquid can be drawn up (arrow 66) through this opening 64. The active substance 12 to be administered is entrained with the liquid and can likewise be drawn up and swallowed.

[0043] Like the membrane 40, the membrane 60 is also sufficiently tight to ensure that even finely powdered active substances 12 cannot trickle through the membrane 60. At the same time, the membrane 60 is so smooth that the active substances 12 cannot adhere to the membrane 60.

[0044] To prevent the membrane 60 from starting to tear too early, a barrier layer 70 is provided at the membrane-side lower end 22 of the wall 20 in the present illustrative embodiment. The barrier layer 70 closes off the interior 32 of the drinking straw 10 in an airtight manner at the bottom. In this way, it is possible to prevent the membrane 60 from already tearing during the aspiration of air, in which case the active substance 12 could be accidentally inhaled. The barrier layer 70 dissolves after standing for a short time in a drink. The drink can then be drawn up through the drinking straw 10. Only then does the membrane 60 tear, and the active substance 12 can be drawn up and swallowed.

[0045] FIGS. 8 to 11 show a third embodiment of the drinking straw 10.3 according to the invention. In this case too, the membrane 60.3 is secured to the inner wall 42 of the drinking straw 10.3. The membrane 60.3 has a predetermined breaking point in the form of a laser perforation 68 (see FIG. 10). When subjected to a compressive load or suction load, the laser perforation 68 tears, and a circular opening 64.3 (see FIG. 11) forms in the central region of the membrane 60.3. The liquid can be drawn up (arrow 66) through this opening 64.3. The active substance 12 to be administered is entrained with the liquid and can likewise be drawn up and swallowed. In this embodiment too, the barrier layer 70 is provided at the outset at the lower end 22 of the wall 20 (see FIG. 8).

[0046] The barrier layer 70 could also be provided in the first illustrative embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0047] In contrast to the illustrative embodiments shown here, the membrane 40, 60, 60.3 could also be secured to the front face 26 of the lower end 22 of the wall 20.

[0048] FIGS. 12 and 13 show two alternative closure elements for the upper end 24 of the wall 20. According to FIG. 12, the closure element is configured as a sealing foil 80. The sealing foil 80 is secured releasably to the front face 28 of the upper end 24 of the wall 20. The sealing foil 80 has a tab 82 for this purpose. By means of the tab 82, the sealing foil 80 can be pulled away from the front face 28 in order to allow the active substance 12 to be drawn up.

[0049] According to FIG. 13, the closure element 84 is configured as a shrink cap 84. The shrink cap 84 can be pulled away from the wall 20 in order to expose the upper end 22 of the wall 20. As an alternative to this, the shrink cap 84 could also have one or more perforations that may make it easier to tear open and thus remove the shrink cap 84. Instead of the shrink cap 84, a shrink sleeve could also be used for example.

[0050] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.