Medicament dispenser

• US 20050172956A1
• Filed: 02/11/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Childers, Winthrop D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.230
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/041 using heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0066 with means for varying the dose size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/82 Internal energy supply devices
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0884 the outlet orifices for jets constituted by a liquid or a mixture containing a liquid being aligned
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1686 involving vaporisation of the material to be sprayed or of an atomising-fluid-generating product
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/0838 supply being effected by follower in container, e.g. membrane or floating piston, or by deformation of container

Abstract

An inhaler that includes a fluid medicament supply, an ejector, an accumulator in fluid communication with the ejector, a valve that is in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic, and a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic.

Claims

1. A medicament dispenser, comprising:

a fluid medicament supply;

an ejector;

an accumulator in fluid communication with the ejector;

a valve in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator;

a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic; and

a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, where the sensor is configured to sense fluid pressure within the accumulator.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, where the sensor is configured to sense a volume defined by the accumulator

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the sensor is fluidically coupled to the accumulator.

5. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein the sensor is configured to sense pressure adjacent the ejector.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a compliant member that regulates pressure within the accumulator.

7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the compliant member is configured to regulate pressure by deforming elastically in response to changes in accumulator pressure.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the compliant member is configured to regulate negative accumulator pressure.

9. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the sensor is coupled to the compliant member to sense the accumulator volume.

10. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the valve includes a microvalve.

11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the microvalve includes an electrostatic actuator, a magnetic actuator, or a piezoelectric actuator.

12. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to provide information to a user of the dispenser.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the information includes the number of doses of medicament remaining in the dispenser.

14. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the information includes an indication to replace the fluid medicament supply.

15. A pressure regulator for a medicament inhaler having a fluid medicament supply and a fluid medicament accumulator, comprising:

a compliant member fluidically coupled to the medicament accumulator;

a valve that is in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the medicament accumulator;

a sensor configured to sense a medicament pressure in the medicament accumulator; and

a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the medicament pressure.

16. The pressure regulator of claim 15, wherein the compliant member is configured to regulate a negative medicament pressure.

17. The pressure regulator of claim 16, wherein the compliant member is a resilient member.

18. The pressure regulator of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to operate the valve to increase the medicament pressure.

19. A method of dispensing a medicament, where the dispenser includes a fluid medicament supply and a medicament accumulator in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply;

the method comprising;

sensing a medicament pressure within the accumulator;

recharging the accumulator from the fluid medicament supply; and

ejecting medicament from the accumulator.

20. The method of claim 19, where recharging the accumulator includes opening a valve between the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising comparing the sensed pressure to a minimum acceptable medicament pressure within the accumulator.

22. A method of regulating medicament pressure in an inhaler, where the inhaler includes a fluid medicament supply and a medicament accumulator in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply;

the method comprising;

sensing a first medicament pressure within the accumulator;

comparing the sensed pressure to a minimum pressure;

recharging the accumulator from the fluid medicament supply; and

sensing a second medicament pressure within the accumulator.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising comparing the second pressure to a desired pressure.

24. The method of claim 22, where the second pressure is less than the desired pressure, further comprising generating a notification that the fluid medicament supply should be renewed.

25. The method of claim 22, where recharging the accumulator relaxes a compliant member that is fluidically coupled to the accumulator.

26. The method of claim 22, where recharging the accumulator flexes a compliant member that is fluidically coupled to the accumulator.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising ejecting medicament from the accumulator.

28. A method of making a medicament inhaler, comprising:

coupling a fluid medicament supply to a medicament accumulator with a valve;

coupling a pressure sensor to the medicament accumulator; and

coupling a controller to the sensor and the valve, so that valve may be operated in response to a sensed pressure.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising fluidically coupling a compliant member to the medicament accumulator.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein coupling the sensor to the medicament accumulator includes fluidically coupling the sensor to the medicament accumulator.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein coupling the sensor to the medicament accumulator includes mechanically coupling the sensor to the compliant member.

32. An inhaler, comprising:

a fluid medicament supply means;

an ejector means;

an accumulator means in fluid communication with the ejector means;

a valve means in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply means and the accumulator means;

a sensing means configured to sense a characteristic of the accumulator means; and

a controller means configured to operate the valve means in response to the sensed accumulator characteristic.

33. The inhaler of claim 32, further comprising a compliant regulating means configured to regulate pressure within the accumulator means.