Medicament dispenser

• US 20050076904A1
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (GSK plc)
• Original Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (GSK plc)
• Inventors: Jones, Anthony Patrick, Hartley, Richard William, Horton, Andrew Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,347,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.230
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• 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 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8212 with means or measures taken for minimising energy consumption

Abstract

A medicament dispenser comprising: (i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter comprises a first sensor for directly detecting a medicament release dispensible from said medicament container through said outlet is disclosed.

Claims

1. A medicament dispenser comprising:

(i) a housing having an outlet;

(ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing;

(iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet,

wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensible from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range.

2. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said emitter emits electromagnetic radiation in the infrared range.

3. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength in the range of 0.95 μ

m to 0.35 μ

m.

4. A medicament dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength of about 0.88 μ

m.

5. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the emitter is selected from the group consisting of light emitting diode and laser.

6. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the emitter further comprises a filter.

7. A medicament dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the filter is an optical filter.

8. A medicament dispenser according to claim 7, wherein the optical filter is a polarising filter.

9. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the detector is selected from the group consisting of photodiode, phototransistor, light dependent resistor and bolometer.

10. A medicament dispenser according to claim 9, wherein the detector further comprises a filter.

11. A medicament dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the filter is an electronic filter.

12. A medicament dispenser according to claim 10, wherein the filter is an optical filter.

13. A medicament dispenser according to claim 12, wherein the optical filter is a polarising filter.

14. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the detector is associated with an amplifier.

15. A medicament dispenser according to claim 14, wherein the amplifier is positioned close to the detector.

16. A medicament dispenser according to claim 14, wherein the amplifier is integrated with the detector.

17. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the detector detects an increase in radiation compared to the amount of radiation emitted by the emitter.

18. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the detector detects a decrease in radiation compared to the amount of radiation emitted by the emitter.

19. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the increase or decrease in detected radiation is due to interference of radiation reaching the detector by the medicament release.

20. A medicament dispenser according claim 19, wherein the interference is due to absorption of radiation by the medicament release.

21. A medicament dispenser according claim 19, wherein the interference is due to scattering of radiation by the medicament release.

22. A medicament dispenser according claim 19, wherein the interference is due to reflection of radiation by the medicament release.

23. A medicament dispenser according claim 19, wherein the interference is due to refraction of radiation by the medicament release.

24. A medicament dispenser according claim 19, wherein the interference is due to diffraction of radiation by the medicament release.

25. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the amount of radiation reaching the detector is maintained at a constant level by using an electronic feedback circuit to alter the level of radiation emitted by the emitter.

26. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor further comprises a reflector to reflect radiation from the emitter to the detector.

27. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the emitter emits radiation of more than one wavelength and the detector detects radiation of more than one wavelength.

28. A medicament dispenser according to claim 27, wherein the first sensor quantifies the concentration of medicament with the medicament release by measuring radiation at more than one wavelength.

29. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser additionally comprises a second sensor for detecting a medicament release.

30. A medicament dispenser according to claim 29, wherein the second sensor comprises an emitter and a detector.

31. A medicament dispenser according to claim 29, wherein the medicament release passes the second sensor subsequent to passing the first sensor.

32. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser further comprises a third sensor.

33. A medicament dispenser according to claim 32, wherein the third sensor is sensitive to parameter selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation, magnetic field, light, motion, temperature, pressure, sound, oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration and moisture.

34. A medicament dispenser according to claim 32, wherein the third sensor responds to actuation of the dispenser.

35. A medicament dispenser according to claim 29, wherein the first and/or second sensors are integral with the outlet.

36. A medicament dispenser according to claim 29, wherein the first and/or second sensors are reversibly attachable to the outlet.

37. A medicament dispenser according to claim 32, wherein the third sensor is integral with the housing.

38. A medicament dispenser according to claim 32, wherein the third sensor is reversibly attachable to the housing.

39. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dose counter is reversibly attachable to the housing.

40. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is located on the dose counter.

41. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser further comprises one or more optical wave guides.

42. A medicament dispenser according to claim 41, wherein the one or more optical wave guides are located on the housing.

43. A medicament dispenser according to claim 41, wherein the optical wave guide is composed of an organic polymeric or inorganic glass fibre material.

44. A medicament dispenser according to claim 41, wherein the medicament dispenser comprises a first and a second optical wave guide per sensor.

45. A medicament dispenser according to claim 44, wherein the first optical wave guide channels radiation from the emitter to the outlet.

46. A medicament dispenser according to claim 44, wherein the second optical wave guide channels radiation from the outlet to the detector.

47. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the emitter and detector are located on the same side of the outlet.

48. A medicament dispenser according to claim 47, wherein the radiation emitted from the emitter is reflected back to the detector by a reflective surface on the opposite side of the outlet to the emitter and detector.

49. A medicament dispenser according to claim 48, wherein the reflective surface is a surface of the outlet or is an additional component attached thereto.

50. A medicament dispenser according to claim 47, wherein the emitter and detector are integrated into a single component.

51. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is controlled by a digital or computational semi-conductor device.

52. A medicament dispenser according to claim 51, wherein the digital or computational semi-conductor device energises the first sensor and associated electronic components to detect and respond to a medicament release every 10 to 100 ms.

53. A medicament dispenser according to claim 51, wherein the sensor and associated electronic components are energised for 5 to 30 μ

s.

54. A medicament dispenser according to claim 51, wherein the digital or computational semiconductor device returns the sensor to low power mode after energising the sensor.

55. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the medicament container is an aerosol container.

56. A medicament dispenser according to claim 55, wherein the aerosol container comprises a suspension of medicament in a propellant.

57. A medicament container according to claim 56, wherein the propellant is selected from the group consisting of HFA134a, HFA227, carbon dioxide or a mixture thereof.

58. A medicament dispenser according to claim 55, wherein the aerosol container comprises a solution of medicament in a solvent.

59. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the medicament container is a dry-powder container.

60. A medicament dispenser according to claim 59, wherein the dry-powder container comprises a medicament and optionally excipient in dry-powder form.

61. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is actuable manually by the patient.

62. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is actuable by the application of non-mechanical energy to a coupling element.

63. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is actuable by the application of mechanical energy to a coupling element.

64. A medicament dispenser according to claim 62, wherein the coupling element is one or more shape memory alloy wires.

65. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is actuable by the application of non-mechanical energy to a drive means.

66. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser is actuable by the application of mechanical energy to a drive means.

67. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the medicament container contains a medicament selected from the group consisting of albuterol, salmeterol, flucticasone propionate, beclomethasone dipropionate and salts and solvates and any mixtures thereof.

68. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the outlet comprises a mouthpiece for inhalation therethrough.

69. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the dispenser additionally comprises a communicator for communication to enable transfer of data from the dose counter to an electronic data management system.

70. A medicament dispenser according to claim 69, wherein the data management system is a local data management system.

71. A medicament dispenser according to claim 69, wherein the dispenser further comprises a communicator for wireless communication with a gateway to a network computer system to enable transfer of data between the network computer and the electronic data management system.

72. The use of a medicament dispenser as claimed in claim 1, for dispensing medicament to a patient.

73. A method of dispensing medicament to a patient, said method comprising the use of a medicament dispenser as claimed in claim 1.

74. A housing for receipt of a medicament container, the housing comprising:

(i) an outlet for dispensing medicament therethrough; and

(ii) an electronic dose counter associated with the outlet,

wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensible through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range.

75. A housing for receipt of a medicament container, the housing comprising:

(i) an outlet for dispensing medicament therethrough; and

(ii) a first and second strand of optical wave guide associated therewith,

wherein said first and second strand of optical wave guide are associable with an electronic dose counter including a first sensor for detecting medicament release through said outlet.