Medicament dispenser

• US 20050228341A1
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (GSK plc)
• Original Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (GSK plc)
• Inventors: Edgerley, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,775,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0043 Non-destructive separation of the package, e.g. peeling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0045 using multiple prepacked dosages on a same carrier, e.g. blisters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0051 the dosages being arranged on a tape, e.g. strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0055 the used dosages being coiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0066 with means for varying the dose size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0068 Indicating or counting the number of dispensed doses or of remaining doses
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0081 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0083 Timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0024 with an on-off output signal, e.g. from a switch
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration

Abstract

There is provided a medicament dispenser for use with a medicament carrier having a plurality of pockets for containing medicament wherein said pockets are spaced along the length of and defined between two peelable sheets secured to each other, said dispenser having an internal mechanism for accessing said medicament contained within said medicament carrier. The internal mechanism comprises a carrier drive means; indexing means and clutch means, in communication therebetween. The clutch means comprises a gearing surface defining plural gear engagement positions; and plural gear teeth for engaging said plural gear engagement positions. The plural gear teeth are arranged such that at any one time only a single gear tooth engages a single gear engagement position.

Claims

1. A medicament dispenser for use with a medicament carrier having a plurality of pockets for containing medicament wherein said pockets are spaced along the length of and defined between two peelable sheets secured to each other, said dispenser having an internal dispensing mechanism for accessing said medicament contained within said medicament carrier, said mechanism comprising,

a) an opening station for receiving a pocket of said medicament carrier;

b) peeling means positioned to engage a base sheet and a lid sheet of a pocket which has been received in said opening station for peeling apart such a base sheet and lid sheet, to open such a pocket, said peeling means including lid driving means for pulling apart a lid sheet and a base sheet of a pocket that has been received at said opening station, said lid driving means comprising a wheel on which said lid sheet is wound, said wheel having an effective winding surface, the diameter of which increases as more lid sheet is wound about said wheel,

c) an outlet, positioned to be in communication with an opened pocket through which a user can remove medicament from such an opened pocket;

d) indexing means for indexing in communication with said outlet, pockets of a medicament carrier in use with said medicament dispenser, said indexing means being interconnected with said lid driving means such that movement of one correlates with the movement of the other; and

e) in communication with the indexing means and lid driving means, clutch means for compensating for said increase in diameter of said effective winding surface of the lid driving means by allowing for slippage when tension in the lid sheet is greater than the force required to pull apart the lid sheet and the base sheet, said clutch means comprising a gearing surface defining plural gear engagement positions; and

plural gear teeth for engaging said plural gear engagement positions,

wherein the plural gear teeth are arranged such that at any one time only a single gear tooth engages a single gear engagement position.

2. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the gearing surface and the plural gear teeth are arranged such that the number of individual gear positions definable is equal to the number of gear engagement positions multiplied by the number of gear teeth.

3. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the gearing surface defines from 20 to 100 gear engagement positions.

4. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the number of gear teeth is from 2 to 20.

5. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the gear engagement positions are equally spaced and the gear teeth are offset relative thereto.

6. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the gear engagement positions are equally spaced and the gear teeth are located on a wobbling element capable of wobbling the gear teeth to plural offset positions.

7. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the clutch means is non-integral with either of the lid driving means or the indexing means.

8. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the gearing surface comprises a gear wheel.

9. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the gear teeth are arranged in ratchet form.

10. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the gearing surface and the plural gear teeth are biased for engagement.

11. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said indexing means comprise a rotatable index wheel having recesses therein, said index wheel being engageable with a medicament carrier in use with said medicament dispenser such that said recesses each receive a respective pocket of the base sheet of a medicament carrier in use with said medicament dispenser.

12. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said indexing means comprises an indexing ratchet which is moveable between a locked position whereby said ratchet engages a pocket on said medicament carrier and prevents further peeling thereof, and a release position allowing free movement of said medicament carrier, and actuation of said medicament dispenser actuates said lid driving means and releases said index ratchet from said medicament carrier to allow peeling thereof.

13. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1 further comprising an indexing lever for actuating said dispenser wherein said indexing lever is interconnected with said indexing means and/or said lid driving means.

14. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the indexing means and/or the lid driving means are operated by an electronic drive system.

15. A medicament dispenser according to claim 14 wherein the electronic drive system is used in conjunction with a mechanical drive system.

16. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the internal mechanism is housed in a cassette.

17. A medicament dispenser according to claim 16 comprising:

a body;

a holder, shaped to fit within said body and movable relative to said body; and

receivable by said holder, said cassette containing said medicament carrier.

18. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein movement of the holder relative to the body results in movement of the cassette between a first position and a second position such that the cassette is reversibly removable from the holder when the cassette is in the second position.

19. A medicament dispenser according to claim 18, wherein the first position comprises a dispensing position.

20. A medicament dispenser according to claim 18, wherein the second position comprises a non-dispensing position.

21. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the holder and body include attaching means to attach the holder to the body.

22. A medicament dispenser according to claim 21, wherein said attaching means comprise a pin and hole system.

23. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the holder is pivotally movable relative to the body.

24. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the holder is rotationally movable relative to the body.

25. A medicament dispenser according to claim 23, wherein the holder additionally comprises a stop to limit movement of the holder relative to the body to 180°

.

26. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the holder is slidably movable relative to the body.

27. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the holder additionally comprises a catch to retain the cassette.

28. A medicament dispenser according to claim 27, wherein the catch is child resistant.

29. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the cassette additionally comprises an indexing lever.

30. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the cassette additionally comprises a mouthpiece.

31. A medicament dispenser according to claim 30, wherein said mouthpiece is extendable.

32. A medicament dispenser according to claim 30, wherein the mouthpiece is retractable.

33. A medicament dispenser according to claim 30, wherein the mouthpiece is telescopic.

34. A medicament dispenser according to claim 30, wherein the mouthpiece is static.

35. A medicament dispenser according to claim 30, wherein the body covers the mouthpiece and indexing lever when the cassette is in the non-dispensing position.

36. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the cassette additionally comprises a raised portion to fit against the holder.

37. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the internal mechanism additionally comprises a first chamber to receive the elongated strip of the medicament carrier when the base sheet and lid sheet are peelably sealed together and a second chamber to receive the base sheet after it has been indexed around the index wheel and separated from the lid sheet.

38. A medicament dispenser according to claim 37, wherein said first chamber and said second chamber are separated by a wall.

39. A medicament dispenser according to claim 38, wherein said wall is movable to adjust the size of the first and second chambers.

40. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the body is shaped for ease of grip by the user.

41. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein the holder includes a thumb or finger grip.

42. A medicament dispenser according to claim 17, wherein operation of the device may be performed with one hand.

43. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the medicament is in powdered or compacted solid form.

44. A medicament dispenser according to claim 43, wherein the medicament comprises a drug.

45. A medicament dispenser according to claim 44, wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of albuterol, salmeterol, fluticasone propionate and beclomethasone dipropionate and salts or solvates thereof and any combination thereof.

46. A medicament dispenser according to claim 45, wherein said combination comprises salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate.

47. A medicament dispenser according to claim 43, wherein the medicament additionally comprises an excipient.

48. A medicament dispenser according to claim 47, wherein the excipient is a sugar.

49. A kit of parts comprising a cassette according to claim 16, a holder for said cassette and a body wherein the holder is shaped to fit within said body and is movable relative to said body.

50. A body and holder for use in the medicament dispenser according to claim 17.

51. A cassette for use in the medicament dispenser according to claim 16.

52. A method of dispensing a medicament comprising:

(a) providing a medicament dispenser according to claim 1 and

(b) dispensing medicament therefrom.