ADHESIVE APPLICATOR

Abstract

An adhesive applicator (1) comprises a receiver (3) having a tubular body with a closed first end (13) and an opposed second end (15), the tubular body having a deformable wall (11), an adhesive composition contained within the tubular body, and an applicator tip (5) mounted on the tubular body and comprising a foam material (7) having an applicator (7a-7c) external of the applicator (1) for applying said adhesive, the applicator being such that deformation of the tubular body causes the adhesive to be expressed through the applicator tip (5), The foam material is a reticulated foam felt (7) and allows for relatively constant flow of the adhesive through the foam felt and to the applicator surface thereof over a wide range of viscosity conditions of the adhesive and pressure applied to the deformable body of the applicator (1).

Claims

1. An adhesive applicator comprising a receiver having a tubular body with a closed first end and an opposed second end, said tubular body having a deformable wall, an adhesive composition contained within the tubular body, and an applicator tip mounted on the tubular body and comprising a foam material having an applicator surface external of the applicator for applying said adhesive, the applicator being such that deformation of the tubular body causes said adhesive to be expressed through the applicator tip, wherein the foam material is a reticulated foam felt.

2. The applicator of claim 1 wherein the reticulated foam felt material is comprised of polyurethane.

3. The applicator of claim 1 wherein the foam felt material has a firmness grade of about 2 to 4.

4. The applicator of claim 3 wherein the foam felt material has a firmness grade of about 3.

5. The applicator of any one of claim 1 wherein said second end is an open end and wherein the adhesive composition is contained within a sealed ampuole formed of a frangible material such that deformation of the wall fractures the ampuole to release the adhesive composition contained therein and express the adhesive composition through the applicator tip.

6. The applicator of claim 4 further comprising a shard barrier between the ampoule and the reticulated foam felt for inhibiting shards of the ampoule, once fractured, from contacting the foam felt material.

7. The applicator of claim 6 wherein the shard barrier is a mesh.

8. The applicator of claim 7 wherein the mesh has apertures preventing passage through the mesh of a shard having a dimension greater than 0.5 mm.

9. The applicator of claim 7 wherein the applicator tip comprises a hollow former mounted on the open end of the tubular body and having an openwork end face remote from the body and inclined to the longitudinal axis thereof, said openwork end face being configured as said mesh, and said reticulated foam felt being supported over the end face of the former.

10. The applicator of claim 9 wherein the former has first and second planar sides which are opposed to each other and which extend over different lengths away from the tubular body, and further comprises third and fourth planar sides that are opposed to each other, and wherein said foam felt material is located over said end face and at least partly over the first and second sides.

11. The applicator of claim 10 wherein the first, second, third and fourth planar sides are impermeable to adhesive.

12. The applicator of claim 10 wherein the reticulated foam felt is held in position by a collar locating around the base of the former and having two opposed lugs projecting therefrom, each configured to locate over a respective one of the third and fourth planar sides of the former body, said third and fourth planar sides and said lugs having co-operating formations to locate the collar in position.

13. The applicator of claim 12 wherein each of the third and fourth sides are provided with a raised formation formed with a ridge extending transverse to the axis of the tubular body, and each of said lugs is formed on its inner surface with a recess complementary to said raised formation and formed with a groove complementary to said ridge.

14. The applicator of claim 1 wherein a plug is located in the second end of the tubular body to retain the adhesive composition therein and wherein the plug is moveable away from the first end on deformation of the tubular body to allow adhesive to be released from the tubular body and expressed through the applicator tip.

15. The applicator of claim 1 further comprising a pair of wings positioned diametrically across the tubular body, each wing being affixed at one end to the receiver, with the other end being splayed out away from the tubular wall but being movable toward the tubular wall when a user applies opposing finger pressure to the splayed ends; wherein each of the wings has a pressure barb facing toward and bearing upon the tubular wall, through which an ampoule-fracturing force may be applied to the tubular wall upon movement of the wings.

16. The applicator of claim 14 wherein each of the wings additionally comprises a pressure pad facing toward the tubular wall, through which pressure pad a compressing force may be applied to the tubular wall for expressing adhesive through the second end of the tubular body.

17. The applicator of claim 1, wherein the adhesive composition comprises a polymerisable cyanoacrylate ester adhesive which, in monomeric form, is represented by the following formula: ##STR00003## where R is selected from: alkyl of 1 to 10 carbon atoms, alkenyl of 2 to 10 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups of from 5 to 8 carbon atoms, phenyl, 2-ethoxyethyl, 3-methoxybutyl, and a substituent of the formula II: ##STR00004## wherein each R′ is independently selected from: hydrogen and methyl, and R″ is selected from: alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, alkenyl of from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, alkynyl of from 2 to 6 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, aralkyl selected from benzyl, methylbenzyl and phenylethyl, phenyl, and phenyl substituted with 1 to 3 substituents selected from hydroxy, chloro, bromo, nitro, of alkyl 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and alkoxy of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

18. The applicator of claim 17, wherein the polymerisable cyanoacrylate ester is 1-methylheptyl cyanoacrylate.

19. The applicator of claim 17, wherein the adhesive composition include, at least one of an accelerator, rheology modifier and an antimicrobial agent.

Description

[0060] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0061] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of adhesive applicator in accordance with the present invention;

[0062] FIG. 2 is a schematic top-down view of the adhesive applicator depicted in FIG. 1;

[0063] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the adhesive applicator depicted in FIG. 1; and

[0064] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view to an enlarged scale of the applicator tip of the adhesive applicator depicted in FIG. 1.

[0065] The figures illustrate an applicator 1 in accordance with the present invention for applying an adhesive (such as a surgical adhesive to an incision) to a substrate surface. The applicator 1 depicted herein is a relatively small device, designed to be gripped with a user's fingers for careful adhesive application.

[0066] The applicator 1 includes a generally tubular receiver 3 accommodating a sealed ampoule of adhesive (not visible) and an applicator tip 5 mounted on one end of the receiver 3. The applicator tip 5 comprises a reticulated foam felt material 7 having applicator surfaces 7a-c external of the applicator 1 for applying adhesive from the ampoule to a substrate surface. The ampoule in the receiver 3 is formed of a material suitable for containing adhesive, but which is also frangible (i.e. breakable) in response to pressure applied to it through the receiver 3. The applicator 1 also includes a pair of wings 9a, 9b for assisting release of the adhesive by breaking the ampoule in the manner explained more fully below. As described more fully below, squeezing of the wings 9a and 9b relatively towards each other results in fracture of the ampoule and causes the adhesive released to be expressed through the applicator tip 5.

[0067] Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which shows the applicator tip 5, including the reticulated foam felt material 7 which possesses properties useful for adhesive application. The foam felt 7 has two purposes. Firstly to absorb and transmit (i.e. “wick”) adhesive released from the ampoule, and secondly as to dispense adhesive onto a substrate surface directly (such as onto wounded skin to assist in wound closure). The foam felt 7 provides an effective surface for such application of adhesive, and may simply be drawn over the target substrate to cause adhesive to be applied thereon.

[0068] As clearly seen in FIG. 5, the reticulated foam felt is in an angled configuration providing two generally planar applicator surfaces 7a and 7b at an acute angle relative to each other and connected by a radiussed applicator surface 7c. This shape allows for both and broad application dependent on orientation. A commercially available material suitable for use as the foam felt 7 is SIF Felt® Grade [e.g. 3-900Z SIF com 3]. The foam felt 7 may, for example, have a thickness of 3 mm.

[0069] The structure of the applicator 1 is described in more detail below.

[0070] The receiver 3 of the applicator 1 comprises a cylindrical body of plastics material and having a cylindrical wall 11, a closed first end 13 and an open second end 15. The ampoule of adhesive is accommodated in the hollow of the receiver cylindrical body. The cylindrical wall 11 of the cylindrical body is comprised of deformable material which may be so-deformed to cause the ampoule within to be fractured and to release adhesive. Upon fracture of the ampoule, the adhesive is able to flow towards the open end 15 of the cylindrical body and on towards the applicator tip 5 for application there from by means of reticulated foam felt 7.

[0071] The pair of wings 9a, 9b is provided on the cylindrical body of the receiver 3 to assist expression of adhesive as described more fully below. The two wings 9a, 9b are diametrically opposed across the cylindrical body as best understood with reference to FIG. 2. Each wing 9a, 9b in the pair has a first, inside end portion 17a, 17b and a second, outside end portion 19a, 19b. The two inside end portions 17a, 17b of the wings 9a, 9b are affixed to the receiver 3 at a position adjacent to the receiver open end 15. The outside ends 19a, 19b of the wings 9a, 9b are splayed out away from the cylindrical wall 11 but are movable toward the cylindrical wall 11 when a user applies opposing (“squeezing-together”) finger pressure to the outside ends 19a, 19b to apply pressure to the cylindrical body of the receiver 3.

[0072] Each of the wings 9a, 9b and has a generally triangular pressure barb 21a, 21b provided thereon, each respectively projecting “inwards” toward the cylindrical wall 11 of the receiver 3. The pressure barbs 21a, 21b bear upon the cylindrical wall 11 of the receiver 3 in an area proximate to its open end 15. When the user applies a squeezing-together pressure to the two wings 9a, 9b, the barbs 21a, 21b cause the pressure to be focused as a compressing force on the cylindrical wall 11. This compressing force distorts the wall 11 of the cylindrical body of the receiver 3 and causes the pressure to be applied as an ampoule-fracturing force upon the ampoule accommodated within receiver 3. Fracture of the ampoule causes adhesive contained within to be released for application.

[0073] Each of the wings 9a, 9b additionally includes a pressure pad 23a, 23b, each pad respectively projecting “inwards” toward the cylindrical wall 11 of the receiver 3. Application of pressure to the wings 9a, 9b causes these pads 23a, 23b to bear upon the cylindrical wall 11 of the receiver 3, thereby applying a wall-distorting force to the wall 11 and thus applying pressure on the now-fractured ampoule. Application of such force assists expression of adhesive out of the ampoule through the fracture. Released adhesive expressed from the ampoule flows towards the open end 15 of the cylindrical body of the receiver 3 towards and into the applicator tip 5.

[0074] As best shown in FIG. 4, the applicator tip comprises a hollow former 25 mounted on the open end 15 of the tubular body of the receiver 3. The former 25 has an openwork end face 27 remote from the body of the receiver 3 which is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the former 25. The openwork end face 27 is in the form of a mesh for inhibiting shards of the ampoule, once fractured, from contacting the foam felt material 7, the apertures in the mesh being sized do not have any dimension larger than 0.5 mm so as to inhibit passage of shards large enough to cause injury.

[0075] The reticulated foam felt 7 is supported over the inclined end face 27 of the former 25 to form a correspondingly inclined application surface external of the applicator 1. The foam felt 7 absorbs and transmits adhesive released from the ampoule and passing through the mesh, and is used to dispense adhesive onto a substrate surface directly. The shaping of the foam felt material 7, as dictated by the inclined face of the former 25 on which it is supported, provides an effective surface for application of the adhesive, which may simply be wiped over the target substrate to cause adhesive to be applied thereon.

[0076] The former 25 has first and second planar sides 29a, 29b which are opposed to each other and which extend over different lengths away from the tubular body of the receiver 3. The former 25 further comprises third and fourth planar sides 29c, 29d (the fourth side not being visible in the drawings), that are opposed to each other and normal to the first and second planar sides 29a, 29b. The foam felt material 7 is located over the end face 27 and the first and second sides 29a, 29b.

[0077] The reticulated foam felt 7 is held in position by a collar 31 locating around the base of the former 25. The collar 31 has two opposed lugs 33a, 33b projecting therefrom, each configured to locate over a respective one of the third and fourth planar sides 29c, 29d of the former 7.

[0078] The former 7 and the collar 31 are each provided with cooperating formations to hold the collar 31 in place on the former 7. The third and fourth planar sides 29c, 29d are provided with a raised formation 35 formed with a ridge 37 extending transverse to the axis of the tubular body of the receiver 3. Each of the lugs 33a, 33b is formed on its inner surface with a recess 39 (only one being shown in FIG. 4) complementary to said raised formation 35 and formed with a groove 41 complementary to said ridge 37.

[0079] Collar 31 is located in position by pressing it downwardly (as viewed in FIG. 4) over the reticulated foam felt so that ridges 37 locate in grooves 41. As a result, reticulated foam felt 7 is firmly located between former 25 and collar 31, accidental axial removal of the latter being prevented by virtue of the engagement of ridges 37 in grooves 31. Additionally, rotation of the collar 31 is prevented by location of raised portions 35 in recesses 39.