This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
Existing containers that provide for controlled release of a product contained therein are subject to various disadvantages. For example, the controlled release is often provided by a multipiece pump, which is typically costly, complex to assemble, and subject to failure. Other containers have flexible sidewalls, which when pressed inward provide for a release that may be inconsistent, difficult to measure, and difficult to direct or deposit.
Ophthalmic containers are exemplary dropper containers including a dropper tip and flexible sidewalls. The containers are typically round or oval, and usually dispense by squeezing the container sides while the container is inverted to release one or more drops as needed. A closure is usually fastened to the container and can have child resistant or tamper evident features.
Existing controlled release dosing containers and methods often undesirably require dosing by way of a secondary dosing vehicle, and have various other disadvantages. For example, using a tablespoon to measure a dosage is often not very accurate. Using a syringe, eyedropper, dosage cup, or dosing spoon requires use of a secondary item for accuracy, requires a complex two-part system, can potentially result in contamination of the dosage, and can increase costs. Improved controlled release containers that do not experience the disadvantages of current controlled release containers would therefore be desirable.