Claims for Patent: 10,478,601

Summary for Patent: 10,478,601

Title:	Applicator
Abstract:	To provide a solution applicator with which irritation on an affected part of a patient may be reduced even when a solution is used. According to the present invention, an applicator comprises a solution container which comprises an opening, and a columnar brush member formed by bundling synthetic fibers in a columnar shape. The columnar brush member is disposed at the opening of the solution container, a tip portion of the columnar brush member at an outside of the solution container has a fan shape expanding in a perpendicular lateral direction against a pillar axial lengthwise direction, and a thickness of the fan-shaped tip portion of the columnar brush member decreases in a perpendicular lengthwise direction against the pillar axial lengthwise direction toward the tip portion of the columnar brush member. The solution applicator of the present invention has the fan-shaped tip portion so that irritation on an affected part may be decreased and a liquid tinea unguium medicine may be applied to the affected part.
Inventor(s):	Ueta; Masahiro (Bunkyo-ku, JP), Sakaguchi; Ryouhei (Ichinomiya, JP), Takei; Ryouji (Souka, JP), Sasama; Katsumi (Sumida-ku, JP), Taguchi; Katsuya (Chiyoda-ku, JP)
Assignee:	KAKEN PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD. (Tokyo, JP)
Application Number:	14/130,822
Patent Litigation and PTAB cases:	See patent lawsuits and PTAB cases for patent 10,478,601
Patent Claims:	1. An applicator, comprising a solution container having a neck portion, which is provided with a circular opening, and a columnar brush member obtained by impregnating a bundle of synthetic fibers with an adhesive and then grinding the bundle of synthetic fibers, wherein the columnar brush member is disposed at the opening of the solution container, and a tip portion of the columnar brush member is a brush and is disposed outside the solution container, and an end face of the columnar brush member is put in the solution container, a tip portion of the columnar brush member has a fan shape extending in a perpendicular lateral direction against a vertical longitudinal direction, and a thickness of the fan-shaped tip portion of the columnar brush member decreases in a perpendicular lengthwise direction against the vertical longitudinal direction toward the tip portion of the columnar brush member, wherein the perpendicular lateral direction and the perpendicular lengthwise direction are directions orthogonal to each other on a plane perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal direction, and a capillary is formed as a gap for supplying a solution between the synthetic fibers inside the columnar brush member from an end face of the columnar brush member to the tip portion opposite to the end face of the columnar brush member by capillarity thereof, wherein the columnar brush member is formed by bundling synthetic fibers 7 to 50 .mu.m in diameter so that the density ranges from 0.15 to 0.65, wherein the density is the rate of synthetic fibers per sectional area to an adhesive gluing the same, with a cross section cut perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal direction of the columnar brush member, a bottomed tubular holder having a tubular body and a bottom portion is provided between the solution container and the columnar brush member, the bottomed tubular holder comprises a supporting member inside said holder, the bottomed tubular holder is inserted into the opening of the solution container, the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular holder has at least one pore and the solution enters the bottomed tubular holder via said at least one pore, and the columnar brush member is inserted inside of the tubular body of the bottomed tubular holder, wherein the applicator is retained with the columnar brush member facing downward, and a solution placed inside the solution container enters the bottomed tubular holder via the at least one pore provided at the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular holder to reach an end face of the columnar brush member, and the solution in the solution container is an athlete's foot medicine or a liquid tinea unguium medicine. 2. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein a maximum width of the fan-shaped tip portion of the columnar brush member is 1.1 to 2.0 times a maximum size of a columnar portion of the columnar brush member, with a cross section by a plane horizontal to the vertical longitudinal direction of the columnar brush member as a standard. 3. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein synthetic fibers used for the columnar brush member are at least one selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers and acrylic fibers. 4. The applicator according to claim 3, wherein the adhesive is contained on the outer periphery of the synthetic fibers bundled in large quantities, a tip portion of the synthetic fibers bundled is ground to be unraveled over the entire outer periphery of at least one end of the synthetic fibers bundled, and synthetic fibers of part or all of the tip portion of the synthetic fibers bundled move by contact stress in use. 5. The applicator according to claim 4, wherein the applicator comprises a lid member, wherein the lid member is sealed and fixed to the solution container. 6. The applicator according to claim 5, wherein a volatile solution is contained in the solution container. 7. The applicator according to claim 1, wherein the supporting member supports the columnar brush member inserted into the inside of the tubular body of the bottomed tubular holder, and a space is provided between an end face of the columnar brush member closely inserted into the inside of the bottomed tubular holder and the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular holder. 8. A method of treating tinea unguium by using an applicator for applying a solution for treating tinea unguium to an affected part of a patient, wherein the applicator comprises a solution container having an opening, a bottomed tubular holder, and a columnar brush member comprising synthetic fibers, the bottomed tubular holder having a tubular body and a bottom portion is provided between the solution container and the columnar brush member, the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular holder has at least one pore and the solution enters the bottomed tubular holder via said at least one pore, the amount of a solution that moves from the solution container to the bottomed tubular holder is controlled by the at least one pore provided at the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular holder, and the columnar brush member is inserted inside of the tubular body of the bottomed tubular holder, wherein the applicator is retained with the columnar brush member facing downward, and a solution placed inside the solution container enters the bottomed tubular holder via the at least one pore provided at the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular holder to reach an end face of the columnar brush member, and a capillary is formed as a gap for supplying the solution between the synthetic fibers inside the columnar brush member from an end face of the columnar brush member to the tip portion opposite to the end face of the columnar brush member by capillarity thereof. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the columnar brush member formed by bundling of the synthetic fibers in a columnar shape is inserted into the inside of the bottomed tubular holder, wherein a tip portion of the columnar brush member outside the solution container has a fan shape extending in a perpendicular lateral direction against a vertical longitudinal direction, and a thickness of the fan-shaped tip portion of the columnar brush member decreases in a perpendicular lengthwise direction against the vertical longitudinal direction toward the tip portion of the columnar brush member, wherein the perpendicular lateral direction and the perpendicular lengthwise direction are directions orthogonal to each other on a plane perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal direction. 10. A method of treating tinea unguium by using an applicator for applying a solution for treating tinea unguium to an affected part of a patient, wherein the applicator comprises a solution container having a neck portion, which is provided with a circular opening, and a columnar brush member obtained by impregnating a bundle of synthetic fibers with an adhesive and then grinding the bundle of synthetic fibers, wherein the columnar brush member is disposed at the opening of the solution container, and a tip portion of the columnar brush member outside the solution container is a brush and has a fan shape extending in a perpendicular lateral direction against a vertical longitudinal direction, and a thickness of the fan-shaped tip portion of the columnar brush member decreases in a perpendicular lengthwise direction against the vertical longitudinal direction toward the tip portion of the columnar brush member, wherein the perpendicular lateral direction and the perpendicular lengthwise direction are directions orthogonal to each other on a plane perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal direction, and a capillary is formed as a gap for supplying a solution between the synthetic fibers inside the columnar brush member from that has reached end face of the columnar brush member reaches to the tip portion opposite to the end face of the columnar brush member by capillarity thereof, wherein the columnar brush member is formed by bundling synthetic fibers 7 to 50 .mu.min diameter so that the density ranges from 0.15 to 0.65, wherein the density is the rate of synthetic fibers per sectional area to an adhesive gluing the same, with a cross section cut perpendicular to the vertical longitudinal direction of the columnar brush member, a bottomed tubular holder having a tubular body and a bottom portion is provided between the solution container and the columnar brush member, the bottomed tubular holder comprises a supporting member inside said holder, the bottomed tubular holder is inserted into the opening of the solution container, the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular holder has at least one pore and the solution enters the bottomed tubular holder via said at least one pore, and the columnar brush member is inserted inside of the tubular body of the bottomed tubular holder, wherein the applicator is retained with the columnar brush member facing downward, and a solution placed inside the solution container enters the bottomed tubular holder via the at least one pore provided at the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular holder to reach an end face of the columnar brush member. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a maximum width of the fan-shaped tip portion of the columnar brush member is 1.1 to 2.0 times a maximum size of a columnar portion of the columnar brush member, with a cross section by a plane horizontal to the vertical longitudinal direction of the columnar brush member as a standard. 12. The method according to claim 10, wherein synthetic fibers used for the columnar brush member are at least one selected from the group consisting of polyester fibers, nylon fibers and acrylic fibers. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the adhesive is contained on the outer periphery of the synthetic fibers bundled in large quantities, a tip portion of the synthetic fibers bundled is ground to be unraveled over the entire outer periphery of at least one end of the synthetic fibers bundled, and synthetic fibers of part or all of the tip portion of the synthetic fibers bundled move by contact stress in use. 14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the applicator comprises a lid member, wherein the lid member is sealed and fixed to the solution container. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a volatile solution is contained in the solution container. 16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the supporting member supports the columnar brush member inserted into the inside of the tubular body of the bottomed tubular holder, and a space is provided between an end face of the columnar brush member closely inserted into the inside of the bottomed tubular holder and the bottom portion of the bottomed tubular holder.