United States Patent
`
`[19]
`
`Gaglio et al.
`
`l|||||llllllllllllllllIllllllllllllll|||l|||||||ll||lllllllllllllllllllllll
`USOO5326685A
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`
`5,326,685
`
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`Jul. 5, 1994
`
`[54] VISCOUS FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS
`
`Primary Examiner—John J. Wilson
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`This is an applicator for applying a viscous fluid to a
`surface. There is a flexible backing material of a closed-
`cell material and a flexible dispensing material of an
`open-celled material disposed over and carried by the
`flexible backing material. The open-celled material has
`an internal structural spacing sized relative to the vis-
`cosity of the fluid so as to absorb and allow the fluid to
`slowly pass therethrough. Preferably, the flexible back-
`ing material and the flexible dispensing material are
`sealed together about the periphery thereof to form a
`hollow pocket. The fluid in the form ofa gel, salve, or
`the like, is disposed in the hollow pocket. The pocket
`can be filled with an oxidizing agent and used for tooth
`whitening and/or gum treatment. The pocket can be
`attached to an adhesive backing to make adhesive ban-
`dages which apply various medications to the underly-
`ing skin area. This approach can be employed for treat-
`ing wounds and blemishes. The pockets can also be used
`for dispensing a variety of other materials including
`makeup remover, moisturizer, polishes, cleansers, and
`the like.
`
`16 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
`
`[76]
`
`Inventors: Thomas J. Gaglio, 4421 La Paloma;
`Luigi Santoriello, 3463 State St.,
`#359, both of Santa Barbara, Calif.
`93105
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 944,303
`
`[22] Filed:
`
`Sep. 14, 1992
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`[63]
`
`Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 655,137, Feb. 13, 1991,
`abandoned.
`
`
`
`........ .. A61C 5/00
`Int. Cl.5
`[51]
`. . . .. 433/215; 604/77
`[52] U.S. Cl. . .. . . . . . . . . . .
`[58] Field of Search ....................... .. 433/80, 215, 216;
`604/77; 206/635; 401/196
`
`[56]
`
`1
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`9
`
`3,416,527 12/1968 Hoef .................................... .. 604/77
`4,173,219 11/1979 Lentine
`. 604/77
`4,430,013
`2/1984 Kaufman
`..... .. 604/3
`4,601,714
`7/1986 Burnhill
`.. 604/286
`4,665,901
`5/1987 Spector . . . . .
`.. . .. 604/82
`4,925,327
`5/1990 Wirt
`......
`604/3
`5,061,258 10/1991 Martz .................................. 604/289
`
`
`
`
`
`EXHI
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`PAGE 000001
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`CLIO USA
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`EXHIBIT 1003
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`

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`U.S. Patent
`
`July 5, 1994
`
`Sheet 1 of 5
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`5,326,685
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`PAGE 000002
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`U.S. Patent
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`July 5, 1994
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`Sheet 2 of 6
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`5,326,685
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`U.S. Patent
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`July 5, 1994
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`Sheet 3 of 6
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`5,326,685
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`PAGE 000007
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`1
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`5,326,685
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`VISCOUS FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`This application is a continuation-in-part of applica-
`tion Ser. No. 655,137, filed Feb. 13, 1991, now aban-
`doned.
`
`This invention relates to applicators for applying a
`fluid to a surface and, more particularly, to an applica-
`tor for applying a viscous fluid to a surface comprising,
`- a flexible backing material of a closed-cell material; and,
`a flexible dispensing material of an open-celled material
`disposed over and carried by the flexible backing mate-
`rial, the open-celled material having an internal struc-
`tural spacing sized relative to viscosity of the fluid to
`absorb and allow the fluid to slowly pass therethrough.
`It even more specifically relates to such an applicator
`wherein the flexible backing material and the flexible
`dispensing material are sealed together about a periph-
`ery thereof forming a hollow pocket and the fluid is
`disposed in the hollow pocket.
`There are numerous instances in which a viscous
`fluid such as a gel, salve, or the like, needs to be applied
`to a surface. These include medical, semi-medical, and
`non-medical uses. An example of one medical use might
`be the application of a medication to a wound. Semi-
`medical uses include such things as the treatment of
`acne, the whitening of tooth enamel, and the application
`of antiseptics to the mouth and gums. Non-medical uses
`include make-up removal and moisturizer application
`for women. Other even more non-medical uses include
`the application of metal polishes and the like.
`The prior application of which this is a continuation
`in part was directed primarily to the whitening of teeth.
`As depicted in FIG. 1, dentists apply a whitening gel 10
`containing 5% to 15% carbomide peroxide as an oxidiz-
`ing (i.e. bleaching) agent to the teeth 12 of a patient by
`making a trough 14 of plastic to fit over the teeth 12 into
`which the gel 10 is placed. The teeth 12 are then in-
`serted into the trough 14 and immersed in the gel 10 as
`depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. While it is quite common to
`employ a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide as a mouth-
`wash or topical antiseptic, the higher concentrations of
`the oxidizing agent used in the tooth whitening gels
`employed by dentists have caused concern to the Fed-
`eral Drug Administration (FDA) since the trough 14
`method of application results in gel spill-over from the
`trough 14 and increased saliva excretions which then
`dissolve the gel 10 and cause it to move throughout the
`mouth and ultimately be swallowed. As can be appreci-
`ated, because of the force of gravity and the diluting
`effect of the saliva, the above-described approach can
`only be used to whiten the top teeth and is virtually
`useless for whitening the bottom teeth—which in may
`people are actually the most discolored. In other words,
`if the trough 14 is inverted to fit over the bottom teeth
`12, the gel 10 simply runs out into the patient’s mouth.
`As another consideration, when whitening for cosmetic
`reasons is the only goal of the process, it is not necessary
`to apply the gel 10 to the back surfaces of the teeth 12
`and to the teeth 12 further back in the patient’s mouth.
`It is only because of the trough 14 that this is done.
`There are also other instances where direct surface
`application of a gel-like material is not the most efficient
`or convenient way to accomplish the desired result. For
`example, as depicted in FIG. 3, when applying an adhe-
`sive bandage 16 to a wound 18 on a finger 20, it is gener-
`ally recognized that better healing is attained and the
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`chance of infection is reduced if an antiseptic salve 22 is
`put on the pad 24 (or the wound 18) before the adhesive
`strips 26 on opposite sides of the pad 24 are adhesively
`attached to the finger 20 to hold the bandage 16 in
`place. While this approached worked with older types
`of adhesive bandages wherein the adhesive strips 26
`were cloth and the pad 24 was of gauze so as to contain
`and hold the salve 22, virtually all adhesive bandages
`made and sold today have plastic adhesive strips 26 and
`the pad 24 is covered with a plastic material which
`prevents the pad 24 from sticking to the wound 18.
`Thus, if the salve 22 is applied, it merely squirts out the
`sides of the adhesive bandage 16 and is lost. Forming a
`bandage out of gauze and adhesive tape so that the salve
`can be used is typically only done by professional medi-
`cal people. Thus, home use normally is done with pre-
`made adhesive bandages and the salve 22 is omitted in
`favor of a liquid applied to the wound which quickly
`dries or of nothing at all. Thus, the long-term benefits of
`the salve 22 is lost.
`What would really be of benefit in many of these
`various applications would be some way of dispensing
`the material of interest to the associated surface on a
`time-release basis. In other words, for example, a way of
`applying whitening gel to only the front surface of the
`top and bottom front teeth of a patient little by little
`over a period of time; or, of holding and slowly releas-
`ing an antiseptic fluid from an adhesive bandage pad.
`Wherefore, it is an object of this invention to provide '
`an apparatus for holding and applying viscous fluids to
`an associated surface of interest.
`It is another object of this invention to provide an
`apparatus for applying viscous fluids to an associated
`surface of interest to be dispensed on a time-release
`basis.
`It is still another object of this invention to provide an
`apparatus for applying a whitening agent to a patient’s
`teeth in a safe and sanitary manner.
`It is yet another object of this invention to provide an
`apparatus for applying a whitening agent to only the
`front surface of a patient’s front teeth.
`It is a further object of this invention to provide an
`apparatus for applying an oral antiseptic to the gums of
`a user on a time-release basis.
`It is a still further object of this invention to provide
`an apparatus for applying an oral antiseptic to the gums
`of a user in combination with a whitening agent to the
`teeth.
`It is another object of this invention to provide an
`apparatus for applying an antiseptic material to an area
`of a patient’s skin on a time-release basis.
`It is a still another object of this invention to provide
`an adhesive bandage for holding and applying an anti-
`septic material to an area of a patient’s skin on a time-
`release basis.
`’
`Other objects and benefits of the invention will be-
`come apparent from the detailed description which
`follows hereinafter when taken in conjunction with the
`drawing figures which accompany it.
`SUMMARY
`
`65
`
`The foregoing objects have been attained by the ap-
`plicator of the present invention for applying a viscous
`fluid to a surface comprising, a flexible backing material
`of a closed-cell material; and, a flexible dispensing mate-
`rial of an open-celled material disposed over and carried
`by the flexible backing material, the open-celled mate-
`
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`PAGE 000008
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`3
`rial having an internal structural spacing sized relative
`to viscosity of the fluid to absorb and allow the fluid to
`slowly pass therethrough.
`the flexible backing
`In the preferred embodiment,
`material and the flexible dispensing material are sealed
`together about a periphery thereof forming a hollow
`pocket and the fluid is disposed in the hollow pocket.
`The fluid can be a glycerine-based gel. It can also
`contain a peroxide-based oxidizing agent. It can be an
`antiseptic, a makeup remover, and a skin moisturizer.
`In one family of applicators,
`the hollow pocket is
`carried by adhesive-covered backing means for holding
`the flexible dispensing material against a surface of in-
`terest. In this group, the fluid is also disposed in the
`hollow pocket and can comprise a glycerine-based gel,
`an oxidizing agent, an antiseptic, and a time-release
`transdcrmal medication.
`the hollow pocket is
`In one specific embodiment,
`sized and shaped to fit and is positioned between lips
`and gums/teeth of a user with the flexible dispensing
`material against the gums/teeth; and, the fluid contains
`an oxidizing agent and is disposed in the hollow pocket
`whereby the gums and teeth of the user are simulta-
`neously treated by the oxidizing agent.
`The hollow pocket may be filled with the material to
`be dispensed at the time of formation thereof. As an
`alternative, the internal structural spacing of the open-
`celled material can be chosen to be course enough to
`allow the fluid to be injected therethrough into the
`hollow pocket. As another alternative,
`the flexible
`backing material can have a slit therethrough through
`which the fluid can be injected into the hollow pocket
`followed by sealing of the slit.
`DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a simplified top view of a prior art trough
`employed by dentists for applying a tooth whitening gel
`to a patient’s teeth.
`‘
`FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section through the
`trough of FIG. 1 depicting how the teeth are immersed
`in the whitening gel therein.
`FIG. 3 is a simplified drawing showing a prior art
`approach to employing an antiseptic salve with an adhe-
`sive bandage.
`FIG. 4 is a drawing of an applicator pad according to
`the present invention for applying a tooth whitening gel
`to a patient’s teeth.
`FIG. 5 is a drawing of a patient’s teeth showing the
`applicator pad of FIG. 4 ghosted as it would be posi-
`tioned to apply a tooth whitening gel to the patient‘s
`teeth.
`FIG. 6 is a simplified top view showing the applicator
`pad of FIG. 4 positioned over just the patient’s front
`teeth.
`
`FIG. 7 is an enlarged drawing showing the applicator
`pad of FIG. 4 in a first embodiment.
`FIG. 8 is an enlarged drawing showing the applicator
`pad of FIG. 4 in a second and preferred time-release
`embodiment.
`FIG. 9 is a cutaway view of the applicator pad of
`FIG. 4 in its embodiment of FIG. 8 depicting how the
`pocket shape can be cut and formed in one operation in
`a preferred method of manufacture.
`FIG. 10 is a cutaway view of the applicator pad of
`FIG. 9 after manufacture with a gel to be dispensed on
`a time-release basis contained therein.
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`FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the steps of manufac-
`ture of the applicator pad of FIG. 10 according to one
`possible approach.
`FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the steps of manufac-
`ture of the applicator pad of FIG. 10 according to the
`approach of FIG. 11 with the additional step of attach-
`ing the gel-filled pocket to an adhesive backing.
`FIG. 13 is a cutaway view of an applicator pad on an
`adhesive backing as would be formed by the approach
`of FIG. 12.
`FIG. 14 is a block diagram of the steps of an applica-
`tor pad as in FIG. 10 according to a second possible
`approach.
`FIG. 15 is a block diagram of the steps of an applica-
`tor pad as in FIG. 10 according to a third possible ap-
`proach.
`FIG. 16 is a simplified plan view of a strip adhesive
`bandage according to the present invention for applying
`an antiseptic material to an underlying area on a time-
`release basis wherein a non-stick surface is employed on
`the pad.
`FIG. 17 is a simplified plan view of a circular pad
`according to the present invention for applying a mate-
`rial contained therein to an associated surface on a time-
`release basis.
`FIG. 18 is a simplified plan view ofa so-called “spot”
`adhesive bandage according to the present invention for
`applying an antiseptic material to an underlying area on
`a time-release basis wherein a non-stick surface is em-
`ployed on the pad.
`FIG. 19 is a simplified plan view of a so-called “spot”
`adhesive bandage according to the present invention for
`applying a material contained therein to an underlying
`area on a time-release basis wherein a non-stick surface
`is not employed on the pad.
`FIG. 20 is a simplified drawing depicting a preferred
`method of manufacture for pre-filled tooth-whitening
`gel applicators according to the present invention.
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS;
`
`In the description which follows, the primary empha-
`sis is on the use of the present invention for tooth whit-
`ening and periodontal purposes. Other examples of uses
`for the present
`invention are then depicted and de-
`scribed. As those of ordinary skill in the art will recog-
`nize and appreciate, the uses for the present invention as
`mentioned, shown, and described herein is not exhaus-
`tive and other uses will undoubtedly be found. It is not
`the intent of the inventors herein that their invention
`and the claims appended hereto be limited in any way
`by the providing of these examples. Rather,
`it is in-
`tended that the claims be accorded a breadth in keeping
`with the scope and spirit of the invention which is dis-
`closed herein.
`The present invention in its most basis embodiment
`for tooth whitening and gum treatment purposes is
`depicted in FIG. 4 as an applicator pad 28. The applica-
`tor pad 28 as depicted in FIG. 4 is of a convenient de-
`sign for use with the front upper teeth as depicted in
`FIGS. 5 and 6. The shape of the applicator pad 28 is
`neither critical nor a point of novelty of the present
`invention and different shapes can be employed which
`will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art for
`the particular application. As best seen from FIG. 6, the
`applicator pad 28 comprises a closed-cell plastic back-
`ing material 30 carrying an open-cell plastic dispensing
`material 32. The dispensing material 32 is placed against
`
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`5,326,685
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`6
`appreciate that fluoride tends to turn the enamel of the
`teeth a brownish color. Thus, fluoride is counter to the
`whitening process. On the other hand, employing a
`bleaching agent with the fluoride during treatment
`could have an offsetting end result with respect to over-
`all tooth whiteness.
`
`5
`the surface 34 of the teeth 12 to be whitened and/or
`against the area of the gums 36 to be antiseptically
`treated.
`V
`It is worthy of note at this point with respect to the
`subject of oral hygiene that as mentioned earlier, hydro-
`gen peroxide is a good oral antiseptic that is typically
`used in the 3% concentration solution sold over the
`counter. After brushing of the teeth, the hydrogen per-
`oxide solution is typically held in the mouth and forced
`between and around the teeth as well as over the gums.
`Most people become tired of the process after a few
`minutes at most; 50,
`the process is ordinarily not as
`effective as it might be. In its preferred embodiment, the
`applicator pad 28 of the present invention carries an
`oxidizing gel of higher concentration (e.g. 5% to 15%
`carbomide peroxide). Because it
`is comfortable and
`does not produce a heightened level of saliva release, it
`can be worn for prolonged periods. For example, after
`breakfast and brushing, a user can place an applicator
`pad 28 in the mouth on the teeth 12 during a commuting
`period and discard it upon arriving at work. Thus, the
`oxidizer has an extended period to treat the gums 36 and
`work its way between the teeth 12 and gums 36 for
`maximum effectiveness. As an ancillary benefit,
`the
`enamel of the teeth 12 is bleached and whitened. Con-
`versely, if the user has stained teeth and employs the
`applicator pad 28 in the same above-described manner
`with tooth whitening as a primary goal, as an ancillary
`benefit the gums 36 receive an antiseptic and disease-
`fighting treatment at the same time.
`Thus, regardless of the primary purpose of use, the
`user receives a dual benefit from the applicator pad 28
`of this invention—antiseptic treatment of the gums and
`whitening of the teeth. This is very important as it is
`generally understood and agreed that as a result of the
`vast improvements in tooth repair and the decreases in
`dental caries since the introduction of fluoride in tooth-
`paste and the like, most tooth loss is as a result of gum
`disease rather than from other problems. And, it is also
`recognized that most people do not take the time to take
`care of their gums to the degree that they should as it is
`time consuming and inconvenient. Thus, anything that
`makes effective treatment simple and convenient (such
`as the applicator pad 28 of this invention) is of extreme
`value in a plan of good dental hygiene. As will be recog-
`nized and appreciated from the description which fol-
`lows, the applicator pad 28 of this invention can be
`packaged in individual foil packs for carrying in the
`pocket, purse, or briefcase so that good dental hygiene
`can be practiced throughout the day and both at home
`and away.
`Additional benefits relative to tooth health can also
`be attained by employing a fluoride-containing gel 10 in
`the applicator pad 28. While the use of fluoride-contain-
`ing toothpaste is highly beneficial, again there is the
`problem of getting people to use the product for long
`enough periods for the fluoride to penetrate the enamel
`and thereby strengthen it. When first employed for such
`purposes (i.e. before being used in toothpaste), a con-
`centrated solution of stannis fluoride was applied to the
`teeth with a swab by a dentist. The patent then sat in the
`dental chair for a period of time sufficient for the solu-
`tion to penetrate. Obviously, using the applicator pad 28
`of the present invention to apply a concentrated quan-
`tity of a fluoride-containing gel 10 to the teeth for an
`extended period will provide superior and more instan-
`taneous results than merely brushing with a fluoride-
`containing toothpaste. Those skilled in the art will also
`
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`As depicted in FIG. 7, the dispensing material 32 can
`be carried by the entirety of the backing material 30 and
`the gel 10 saturated into the dispensing material 32. A
`preferred approach and embodiment, however, is de-
`picted in FIG. 8. In this approach and embodiment, the
`dispensing material 32 is attached to the backing mate-
`rial 30 only about the peripheral edges forming’ a hollow
`pocket 38 or cavity in which the gel 10 is placed. Thus,
`the gel 10 is slowly released through the dispensing
`material 32 on a time-release basis. To accomplish this
`result in tested embodiments used for tooth applications
`as described above, the preferred backing material 30
`comprises a closed-cell polyolefin foam sold by the
`Voltek division of Sekisui America Corporation of
`Lawrence, Mass. under
`the tradename VOLORA
`which is from 1/32" to g” in thickness. The preferred
`dispensing material 32 comprises an open-celled poly-
`ethylene foam sold by the Sentinel Foam Products divi-
`sion of Packaging Industries Group, Inc. of Hyannis,
`Mass. under the tradename OPCELL which is from
`1/16" to S" in thickness.
`Where peroxide antiseptic and/or bleaching agents
`are to be employed the preferred material is any one of
`several commercially available glycerine-based gels
`containing from 5% to 15% carbomide peroxide. In
`tested embodiments of the present invention employed
`for tooth whitening, the backing material 30 was the
`VOLORA material of about 1/32" thickness, the dis-
`pensing material 32 was the OPCELL material of about
`5’. The oxidizing (i.e. bleaching) gel was of 10% con-
`centration.
`A preferred method and apparatus for forming the
`pocket or hollow applicator pads 28 of FIG. 8 is de-
`picted in FIG. 9. The dispensing material 32 is placed
`over the backing material 30 and then simultaneously
`cut and heat sealed by the cutter/sealer 40. The cutter/-
`sealer 40 is like a cookie cutter or any other stamping
`cutter in that it has a peripheral shape which defines the
`shape of the resulting applicator pad 28. The outer
`periphery comprise a cutting edge 42 which cuts
`through the dispensing mate1iaI32 and backing material
`30 when the cutter/sealer 40 is pressed into them. Just
`inside of the cutting edge 42 is a heated sealing surface
`44 which compresses the dispensing material 32, melts
`it, and heat seals it to the backing material 30. The heat
`sealing/joining of plastics is well known in the art and,
`per se, forms no portion of the novelty of the present
`invention. Therefore, no further details of the process
`itself are included herein in the interest of simplicity and
`the avoidance of redundancy. Other well-known ap-
`proaches to attaching the dispensing material 32 to the
`backing material 30 over the entirety or only about the
`periphery could, of course, be employed. The steps of
`this process of manufacture are depicted in FIG. 11 and
`the resultant gel-filled pocket 38' is depicted in FIG. 10.
`The gel-filled pocket 38’ of FIG. 10 can be made in
`various shapes and can be filled with different gels 10
`for specific purposes. As described above, the gel-filled
`pocket 38' can be of an appropriate shape such as that of
`FIG. 4 and can be filled with an oxidizing gel 10 for
`treating the teeth 12 and gums 36 of a user in the manner
`described. The gel-filled pocket 38' could also be made
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`as a small rectangle or circle (as depicted in FIG. 17)
`filled with the oxidizing gel 10 for treating one or two
`teeth 12 which are particularly discolored as in the case
`of a pipe smoker. The same gel-filled pocket 38' could
`also be reversed to place the dispensing material 32
`against a cold sore or the like on the inside of the lip of
`the user.
`The gel-filled pocket 38’ could also be made as a small
`rectangle or circle filled with a gel 10 containing a
`numbing or desensitizing agent for treating one or two
`teeth 12 which are aching.
`A larger sized rectangle or circle could be filled with
`other viscous fluids or gels such as the following. When
`filled with a cleaning agent, the gel-filled pocket 38'
`could be used to remove makeup, particularly eye
`makeup. When filled with an antiseptic astringent, the
`gel-filled pocket 38' could be used for deep-cleanin g of
`the skin, particularly in the treatment of acne and the
`like in teenagers. The OPCELL foam makes a good
`non-irritating buffing foam for cleaning of the skin.
`Filled with moisturizer and/or wrinkle remover, a pair
`of the pockets 38’ placed over the eyes would be benefi-
`cial in treating those areas which are so prone to wrin-
`kling and bagging. All in all, the pockets 38' when filled
`with various treating agent can be employed benefi-
`cially for many makeup and beauty uses. When pack-
`aged in individual foil packs, many different products
`can be carried for convenient use without the necessity
`of carrying large containers and applicators. Foil
`pouches of things such as pre-moistened towelettes are,
`of course, known in the art; but, their uses are limited
`since the moistening agents are typically liquids which
`quite quickly evaporate and leave the user with a dry
`towelette. By contrast, the pre—filled pockets 38’ of this
`invention release their contents through the cells of the
`dispensing material 32 and, therefore, can employ non-
`drying glycerine-based gels and the like as the vehicle
`for the active ingredients.
`The pockets 38' could also be pre-filled with various
`convenience products such as furniture polish, auto
`polish, silver polish, and the like. In such case, as men-
`tioned earlier, the most convenient method of packag-
`ing is individual foil pouches of the type well-known in
`the packaging art. This approach allows these conve-
`nience products to be taken along or kept in a place of
`convenient usage without having to carry large Contain-
`ers.
`
`In a process having steps as depicted in FIG. 12 re-
`sulting in a product as depicted in FIG. 13, the gel-filled
`pockets 38' can be attached to an adhesive covered
`backing 46 which can then used to hold the gel-filled
`pocket 38’ over a site of interest for a particular pur-
`pose. The process of FIG. 12 comprises taking the gel-
`filled pocket 38' produced by the process of FIG. 11
`and attaching it to the adhesive covered backing 46.
`Several examples of resultant products are depicted in
`FIGS. 16, 18, and 19. FIG. 16 depicts an adhesive ban-
`dage 16’ of the strip type where the pad 24 is replaced
`with the gel-filled pocket 38’ of the present invention
`wherein the gel-filled pocket 38’ contains an antiseptic
`salve as the gel 10. To prevent the dispensing material
`32 from sticking to an underlying wound, the dispensing
`material 32 can be covered with a plastic material 48 of
`the type employed in prior art adhesive bandages and
`wherein there are holes 50 therethrough through which
`the skin was allowed to “breath”. In this case, the anti-
`septic gel 10 can move from the dispensing material 32
`through the holes 50 to the wound. A so-called “spot”
`
`8
`adhesive bandage 16" of similar construction is shown
`in FIG. 18.
`For non-wound use, the spot applicator 52 of FIG. 19
`can be employed. The applicator 52 is of similar con-
`struction to the spot adhesive bandage 16", but without
`the non-stick plastic material 48 over the dispensing
`material 32. The spot applicator 52 of FIG. 19 would be
`particularly useful
`for covering and simultaneously
`treating blemishes such as in the case of adolescent
`acne. The preferred adhesive backing 46 is of a conven-
`tional type comprising a flexible substrate 54 having an
`adhesive material 56 thereon. By using a flesh—colored
`plastic for the substrate 54, the applicator 52 would tend
`to hide the blemish. Using a peroxide-based oxidizing
`gel 10 inside the applicator 52 would provide the most
`effective treatment for the blemish at the same time.
`With or without the non-stick plastic material 48 over
`the dispensing material 32, the spot applicator 52 of
`FIG. 19 could be employed for dispensing any time-
`release medication to the skin of a user. The dispensing
`of medication though the skin (transdermal application)
`over time is becoming popular in various medical treat-
`ments for which the present invention would be readily
`adaptable and offer possible improvements as to the
`types of medication which could be so dispensed.
`While the present invention has been described to this
`point as a pre-filled pocket on a stand-alone basis and as
`attached to an adhesive backing, there are other ways in
`which the pocket can be made and filled. For example,
`rather than providing the tooth whitening version as
`pre-filled applicators, it may be preferable (particularly
`for use by dentists) to provide the whitening gel in bulk
`along with a supply of unfilled applicators which are
`then filled at the time of use. One way of accomplishing
`this is depicted in FIG. 14. In this case the dispensing
`material 32 is positioned over the backing material 30
`and the materials are cut and sealed in the manner previ-
`ously described to form the pockets. If a courser open-
`celled foam is employed,
`the gel 10 can be injected
`through the dispensing material 32 itself using a blunt
`hypodermic syringe type device. This merely takes a
`balancing of the viscosity of the gel 10 as compared
`with the courseness of the dispensing material 32 for the
`particular application. As those of ordinary skill in the
`art will readily recognize and appreciate, the gel 10 in
`each instance must be thick enough not to simply run
`out between of the open-cell structure of the foam and
`thin enough to slowly pass through over time. Obvi-
`ously, if the gel 10 is too thick, it won’t be lost; but, it
`won’t be useful either. In other words, the dispensing
`material 32 has an internal structural spacing sized rela-
`tive to the viscosity of the gel 10 such as to absorb and
`allow the gel 10 to slowly pass therethrough.
`Another approach to the manufacture and filling of
`the pockets 38' is depicted in FIG. 15. In this approach,
`the backing material 30 is first slit at pocket locations. In
`this regard, the preferred method of making the pockets
`38’ is depicted in FIG. 20 wherein multiple pockets 38'
`are cut and sealed at one time. Regardless of the number
`of pockets 38’ cut and sealed at one time, after the back-
`ing material 30 is slit the dispensing material 32 is placed
`over it and the pockets 38' are cut and sealed to fonn
`pockets 38’ having a slit
`in the backing material 30
`through which the gel 10 can be injected when desired
`through the slits. After the gel 10 has been injected into
`a pocket 38’, the slit is then sealed. In the case of tooth
`whitening pockets 38’, the slit can be sealed with a piece
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`of thin plastic adhesive tape which will not interfere
`with the use of the pocket 38’ as an applicator pad 28.
`In the case of adhesive-backed pockets 38', this ap-
`proach can provide an easy method of manufacture on
`an automated basis. The backing material 30 could be
`slit at first station and then the pockets 38' formed at a
`second station. The pockets 38' could then be filled
`though the slit at a third station and then the filled pock-
`ets 38' applied to the adhesive backing 46 thereby simul-
`taneously sealing the slit at a fourth station.
`Thus, it can be seen that the present invention can be
`employed to advantage in many ways to accomplish a
`variety of different objectives not attainable with any
`prior art devices.
`Wherefore, having thus described the present inven-
`tion,
`What is claimed is:
`1. An applicator for applying a viscous fluid to a
`surface of a human body on a t