Nebulizer

• US 10,004,857 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Besseler, Jens, Herrmann, Frank, Holakovsky, Holger, Argauer, Herbert, Gatz, Josef, Gorshoefer, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, (Jackie) Tan-Uyen T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boecker, Joseph D
• Application Number:
  US14/453,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/00 Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes in general B05B; aerosol containers B65D83/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/007 Syringe-type or piston-type sprayers or atomisers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/02 operated by air or other gas pressure applied to the liquid or other product to be sprayed or atomised sprayers for horticulture A01G, A01H; killing insects A01M; air humidifying by nozzles F24F6/14, F24F6/18; cooling by spraying F28B, F28C
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/00 Inhalators drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0001 Details of inhalators; Constructional features thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0025 with caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0036 hollow piercing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/004 with fixed piercing or cutting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0065 Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0066 with means for varying the dose size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0071 having a display or indicator
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0073 on a ring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0081 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/009 using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/04 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/27 preventing use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/273 preventing reuse, e.g. of disposables
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/276 preventing unwanted use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/584 : having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6045 : having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes

Abstract

A nebulizer is proposed which comprises a blocking device for blocking opening of the nebulizer in a tensioned state. The nebulizer comprises preferably an indicator device for indicating a tensioned state of the nebulizer. The nebulizer comprises further a depressible actuator member at a housing part which is detachable from the nebulizer.

Claims

1. A nebulizer (1) for a fluid (2), comprising:

a container (3) containing the fluid (2), wherein the container (3) is replaceable,

a housing which opens for replacing the container (3),

a delivery mechanism for dispensing the fluid (2), the delivery mechanism including a pressure generator (5) having a conveying element for conveying a metered dose of the fluid (2) from the container (3) into a pressure chamber (11), wherein the nebulizer (1) is in a loaded state when the dose of the fluid (2) is within the pressure chamber (11) and is ready to be placed under pressure and released from the pressure chamber (11) upon user activation for dispensing from the nebulizer (1),

an indicator member (50) which shows numbers (52), symbols (53), or both, and which indicates a status, user instructions, or both, and

a blocking device (68) adapted to block, when the nebulizer (1) is in the loaded state, stepwise movement or rotation of the indicator member (50),

wherein the blocking device (68) comprises a blocking part (68b) that has different positions depending on whether the nebulizer (1) is in the loaded state or is in a discharged state, in which the dose of the fluid (2) has been released from the pressure chamber (11) and released from the nebulizer (1) upon the user activation, and

wherein the blocking part (68b) of the blocking device (68) moves from a position of disengagement from the indicator member (50) when the nebulizer is in the discharged state to a position of engagement with the indicator member (50) when the nebulizer is placed into the loaded state, such that the blocking device (68) blocks stepwise movement or rotation of the indicator member (50) when in the loaded state.

2. The nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that the nebulizer (1) is ready to dispense the dose of the fluid (2) in the loaded state automatically when actuating a stop element (8).

3. The nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that the delivery mechanism comprises an energy store for pressurizing and/or dispensing the fluid (2).

4. The nebulizer according to claim 3, characterized in that the energy store is a drive spring (7) tensioned in the loaded state of the nebulizer (1).

5. The nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that the container (3) is moveable back and forth for delivering, pressurizing and/or dispensing the fluid (2).

6. The nebulizer according to claim 3, characterized in that the container (3) is moveable back and forth within the nebulizer (1) or housing by the force of the energy store for pressurizing and/or nebulizing the fluid (2).

7. The nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking device (68) blocks rotation of the indicator member (50) in the loaded state.

8. The nebulizer according to claim 7, characterized in that the indicator member (50) locks the nebulizer or housing selectively against opening.

9. The nebulizer according to claim 7, characterized in that the nebulizer comprises a counter device (23) with an actuation part (47) which, when a predetermined number of pressurizing or dispensing operations have been reached or exceeded with the container (3), cooperates with a guidance device (48) which comprises the indicator member (50).

10. The nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking device (68) is driven, controlled or actuated by an axial position or movement of the container (3) within the housing and/or by an axial position or movement of a holder (6) holding the container (3) within the housing and/or by an axial position or movement of a drive spring (7).

11. The nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking device (68) comprises a blocking element (68a) which comprises the blocking part (68b), wherein the blocking element (68a) coupled to a rotatable inner part (17) of the nebulizer (1) such that the blocking part (68a) moves axially in response to the rotatable inner part (17) such that the blocking part (68b) moves axially from the position of disengagement from the indicator member (50) when the nebulizer is in the discharged state to the position of engagement with the indicator member (50) when the nebulizer is placed into the loaded state, such that the blocking device (68) blocks stepwise movement or rotation of the indicator member (50) when in the loaded state.

12. The nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing is blocked against opening and/or container replacement until the container (3) has to be replaced due to multiple dispensing of fluid (2) and until the nebulizer (1) or an energy store has been released by dispensing fluid (2) or is in a non-tensioned state.

13. The nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking is terminated automatically when an energy store is released upon actuation of a stop element (8) or after dispensing a dose of fluid (2).

14. The nebulizer (1) of claim 1, wherein the nebulizer (1) is in a loaded state when a dose of the fluid (2) is in the pressure chamber (11),

characterized in that the nebulizer (1) comprises an indicator device (73) for indicating when the nebulizer (1) is in the loaded state and when the nebulizer (1) is not in the loaded state.

15. The nebulizer according to claim 14, characterized in that the indicator device (73) indicates optically whether the nebulizer (1) is in the loaded state.

16. The nebulizer according to claim 14, characterized in that the indicator device (73) comprises a moveable or pivotable indicator element (74), whereina position of the indicator element (74) depends on the state of the nebulizer (1) or an energy store in form of a drive spring (7) which is comprised in the pressure generator (5).

17. The nebulizer (1) of claim 1, wherein:

the housing opens by detaching a housing part (18) from the nebulizer (1),

the container (3) is inseparable from the housing part (18) and is replaceable by removing the housing part (18) from the nebulizer (1) and replacing with a new housing part (18) and associated new container (3), and

the housing part (18) comprises a manually depressible actuator member (79) located therein, wherein the housing part (18) is detachable from the nebulizer (1) when the actuator member (79) is depressed and when the opening of the housing is not blocked.

18. The nebulizer according to claim 17, characterized in that the nebulizer (1) comprises a retaining element (19) for reversibly locking the housing part (18) to an inner part (17) of the nebulizer (1), wherein the retaining element (19) is inseparable from the housing or inner part (17) and wherein the actuator member (79) is depressible for elastically deforming or flexing the retaining element (19) to allow detachment of the housing part (18).

19. The nebulizer according to claim 18, characterized in that the pressure generator (5) includes a drive spring (7), and the retaining element (19) is blocked against deforming or flexing when the drive spring (7) is compressed and the nebulizer (1) is in the loaded state.