# US 8,770,448 B2 · Drop dispenser > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,448 B2 - Document ID: US8770448B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/622,665 - Filed: 2012-09-19 - Published: 2013-03-28 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-23 - Assignees: Aptar Radolfzell GmbH - Applicants: Matthias Wochele - Inventors: Matthias Wochele - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770448B2 ## CPC - B65D 47/18: for discharging drops; Droppers (droppers in general B01L3/00; {pipettes connected to container closures B01L3/0282}) - A61F 9/0008: {Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein (putting in contact lenses A61F9/0061; introducing or retaining media in cavities of the body in general A61M31/00)} - B01L 3/00: Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers - B01L 3/0272: {Dropper bottles} - B65D 47/2068: {in which the stem is lowered by the pressure of the contents and thereby opening the valve} - B01L 2300/161: Control and use of surface tension forces, e.g. hydrophobic, hydrophilic - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE ## Abstract Drop dispenser for releasing a pharmaceutical liquid in drop form, with a housing, a liquid storage and a discharge opening, which penetrates a wall of the housing and to which an outlet valve is assigned, for extracting the liquid. The discharge opening is surrounded by a drop-formation area on the outside of the housing, wherein this drop-formation area, at least in an outer region with respect to an alignment of the drop dispenser with the discharge opening pointing vertically downwards, has a shape tapering downwards and towards the discharge opening. The drop dispenser allows the release of drops with a constant size and shortens drying time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drop dispenser for releasing a pharmaceutical liquid in drop form, comprising: a housing; a liquid storage; and a discharge opening, which penetrates a wall of the housing and to which an outlet valve is assigned, for extracting the liquid; wherein the discharge opening is surrounded by a drop-formation area on an outside of the housing, wherein the drop-formation area, at least in an outer region with respect to an alignment of the drop dispenser with the discharge opening pointing vertically downwards, has a shape tapering downwards and towards the discharge opening and has a hydrophilic design; and wherein the drop-formation area is surrounded by a surrounding area which has a lower hydrophilicity than the drop-formation area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The drop dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the drop-formation area is delimited on the outside by a boundary edge, with this boundary edge having a radius of curvature of at most about 0.2 mm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The drop dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the drop-formation area has such dimensions that a parallel projection of the drop-formation area in a horizontal plane, with respect to an alignment of the drop dispenser with a discharge opening pointing vertically downwards, has a projection area of between about 0.4 mm2 and about 24 mm2. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The drop dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a hydrophilicity of the drop-formation area is established by partial coating of a plastic forming a wall of the housing, with the surrounding area being formed by an uncoated section of the plastic. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The drop-Drop dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a hydrophilicity of the drop-formation area is established by a housing section which, as a whole, consists of a hydrophilic material, with the surrounding area being formed by the surface of a second housing section, into which the first housing section is inserted. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The drop dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the drop-formation area is formed by an external surface of a drop-formation body of the housing, with the drop-formation body having a shape of a spherical cap, a cross-sectional area of the drop-formation body along a line parallel to a discharge direction of the pharmaceutical liquid forming more than 180° of a circle. ### Claim 7 A drop dispenser for releasing a pharmaceutical liquid in drop form, comprising: a housing; a liquid storage; and a discharge opening, which penetrates a wall of the housing and to which an outlet valve is assigned, for extracting the liquid; wherein a drop-formation area is formed by an external surface of a drop-formation body of the housing, with the drop-formation body having the shape of a spherical cap, a cross-sectional area of the drop-formation body along a line parallel to a discharge direction of the pharmaceutical liquid forming more than 180° of a circle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The drop dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the projection area is between about 3 mm2 and about 7 mm2.