Medicament dispenser

• US 20050172957A1
• 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., Tyvoll, David, Sexton, Douglas A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,467,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.230
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/001 Particle size control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• 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 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3355 Controlling downstream pump pressure

Abstract

A medicament dispenser that includes a medicament supply, an ejector, and a controller configured to actuate the ejector, where the controller is configured to use an operational parameter to produce a plurality of medicament drops having a target drop characteristic, and the operational parameter includes a correction factor that is based on a performance characteristic of the ejector.

Claims

1. A medicament dispenser, comprising:

a medicament supply;

an ejector having a performance characteristic, the ejector being in fluid communication with the medicament supply; and

a controller configured to actuate the ejector using an operational parameter to produce a plurality of medicament drops having target drop characteristics, the operational parameter including a correction factor based on the performance characteristic of the ejector.

2. The medicament dispense of claim 1, further comprising an accumulator in fluid communication with the ejector;

a valve intermediate the medicament supply and the accumulator; and

a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic.

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

4. The medicament dispenser of claim 2, further comprising a compliant member that regulates pressure within the accumulator.

5. The medicament dispenser of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to operate the valve to increase the medicament pressure within the accumulator.

6. The medicament dispenser of claim 1, wherein the performance characteristic of the ejector includes ejected drop volume.

7. The medicament dispenser of claim 1, wherein the performance characteristic of the ejector includes ejected drop weight.

8. The medicament dispenser of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter includes drop ejection frequency.

9. The medicament dispenser of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter includes number of drops ejected.

10. The medicament dispenser of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter includes medicament pressure.

11. The medicament dispenser of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter includes ejector temperature.

12. The medicament dispenser of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter includes a static correction factor.

13. The medicament dispenser of claim 1, wherein the operational parameter includes a dynamic correction factor.

14. An inhaler, comprising:

a medicament supply;

a medicament accumulator in fluid communication with the medicament supply;

a compliant member fluidically coupled to the medicament accumulator;

a valve intermediate the medicament supply and the medicament accumulator;

a sensor configured to sense a medicament pressure;

an ejector in fluid communication with the medicament accumulator, wherein the ejector has a performance characteristic; and

a controller configured to apply a correction factor to an operational parameter of the ejector, wherein the correction factor is determined by the performance characteristic of the ejector.

15. A method of calibrating a medicament inhaler to a target output characteristic, the medicament inhaler having a medicament ejector and a controller, comprising:

manufacturing the medicament inhaler;

characterizing the output of the inhaler;

comparing the characterized output to the target output characteristic;

determining a correction factor to produce the target output from the inhaler; and

configuring the controller to apply the correction factor to the inhaler.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein characterizing the output of the inhaler includes determining an ejected drop weight.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein characterizing the output of the inhaler includes determining the ejected drop weight as a function of drop frequency.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein characterizing the output of the inhaler includes determining the ejected drop weight as a function of medicament ejector temperature.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein comparing the characterized output to the target output characteristic includes comparing a determined ejected drop weight to a target drop weight.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein determining a correction factor includes determining a corrected drop weight.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein configuring the controller to apply the correction factor to the inhaler includes configuring the controller to apply a static correction factor.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein configuring the controller to apply the correction factor to the inhaler includes configuring the controller to apply a dynamic correction factor.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein configuring the controller to apply the correction factor to the inhaler includes configuring the controller to apply a corrected drop ejection frequency.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein configuring the controller to apply the correction factor to the inhaler includes configuring the controller to apply a corrected number of drops ejected.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein configuring the controller to apply the correction factor to the inhaler includes configuring the controller to apply a corrected medicament fluid pressure.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein configuring the controller to apply the correction factor to the inhaler includes configuring the controller to apply a corrected ejector temperature.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein configuring the controller to apply a corrected drop ejection frequency includes configuring the controller to apply a corrected drop ejection frequency.

28. An inhaler, comprising:

a fluid medicament supply means;

an ejector means having a performance characteristic;

a controller means configured to actuate the ejector means using an operational parameter calculated from the performance characteristic of the ejector means.