Valved nozzle for re-usable reservoir of a flowable product

A dispensing system for dispensing a flowable pharmaceutical comprising the following:

• a resilient container containing a flowable pharmaceutical, said container having a discharge port and providing a positive pressure on being squeezed to dispense pharmaceutical through said discharge port and a negative, suck back, pressure when said container is released;
• a nozzle attached to said container comprising:
• an entry end and a dispensing end and a cavity running between said entry end and said dispensing end;
• said nozzle tapering to a reduced diameter proximate said dispensing end;
• means for releasably attaching the entry end of said nozzle to the discharge port of said resilient container;
• a valve seat comprising a resilient O-ring received within an annular receptor in said nozzle cavity such that said O-ring is removable from said nozzle cavity when detached from said container;
• a float stop within said nozzle cavity positioned between said valve seat and said dispensing end of said nozzle having a first distance between the float stop and the nozzle dispensing end;
• a float positioned between said valve seat and said float stop and moveable between a first position whereat said float seats on said valve seat and closes said nozzle and a second position whereat said float abuts said float stop such that said nozzle is opened and said float is located at a standoff distance from said valve seat, said standoff distance being about one-eighth inch so that the suck back generated on release of said container after dispensing of flowable pharmaceutical therefrom draws flowable pharmaceutical at said dispensing end of said nozzle into said nozzle to reduce dripping and reseats said float in said valve seat without significant damage to any tissue with which said nozzle may be associated, said first distance being at lest about three times said standoff distance and co-operating such that on release of said container no contaminated pharmaceutical enters said container, said float sized such that if said resilient O-ring is removed from said nozzle cavity, said float is removable from said nozzle cavity thereby facilitating cleaning of the nozzle so that the nozzle, once cleaned, may be reassembled and sterilized for reuse;
• whereby when said container is squeezed, the pressure generated in said nozzle causes said float to lift off said valve seat and abut said float stop so that flowable pharmaceutical in said container may be discharged through the dispensing end of said nozzle and whereby, when said resilient container is released, the negative pressure in said nozzle sucks flowable pharmaceutical at said dispensing end of said container into said nozzle and said float into seating relation with said valve seat to close said nozzle, the standoff distance of said float from said valve seat and said first distance ensuring no contaminated pharmaceutical re-enters said container while reducing dripping from said nozzle and minimizing damage to any tissue with which said nozzle may be associated.