INHALER AND EJECTION HEAD UNIT ATTACHABLE TO THE INHALER

• US 20080223362A1
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamano, Soji, Imai, Mitsuru
• Granted Patent: US 8,616,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/14 using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/02 with activated or ionised fluids, e.g. electrohydrodynamic [EHD] or electrostatic devices; Ozone-inhalators with radioactive tagged particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices

Abstract

An ejection head unit being attachable to an inhaler for ejecting a medicine to cause a user to inhale the medicine has a plurality of ejection heads having an element generating energy for ejecting the medicine, and a plurality of ejection nozzles through which the medicine is ejected by the element. An inhaler for ejecting a medicine to allow inhalation thereof by a user has an air flow path guiding a medicine that is inhaled accompanying inspiration by the user to a suction port, an ejection head unit having a plurality of ejection heads including an element generating energy for ejecting the medicine and a plurality of ejection nozzles through which the medicine is ejected by the element, and a positioning unit for positioning a single ejection head among the plurality of ejection heads at an opening provided in one portion of the air flow path.

Claims

1. An ejection head unit attachable to an inhaler for ejecting a medicine to cause a user to inhale the medicine, comprising:

a plurality of ejection heads that include an element that generates energy for ejecting the medicine, and include a plurality of ejection nozzles through which the medicine is ejected by the element.

2. The ejection head unit according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of supporting portions that fix the plurality of ejection heads, wherein the supporting portions are provided so that the ejection heads are disposed at intervals with respect to each other in a peripheral direction around a rotating shaft.

3. The ejection head unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing that houses the plurality of ejection heads on the inside thereof;

wherein an outlet is provided in one portion of the housing for removing a used ejection head at a position at which ejection is enabled; and

a pushing mechanism that, when an ejection head is removed from the outlet, slides an ejection head that was adjacent inside the housing to the ejection head that is removed, to the position at which ejection is enabled.

4. The ejection head unit according to claim 1, comprising a communicating tube for causing each of the plurality of ejection heads to communicate with a reservoir for storing the medicine.

5. An inhaler for ejecting a medicine to allow inhalation thereof by a user, comprising:

an air flow path that guides a medicine that is inhaled to a suction port accompanying inspiration by the user;

an ejection head unit including a plurality of ejection heads that include an element that generates energy for ejecting the medicine, and include a plurality of ejection nozzles through which the medicine is ejected by the element; and

positioning means for positioning a single ejection head among the plurality of ejection heads at an opening provided in one portion of the air flow path.

6. The inhaler according to claim 5, further comprising:

a reservoir for storing the medicine; and

adjustable means for causing the reservoir to communicate with or separate from an ejection head that is positioned at the opening.

7. The inhaler according to claim 5, wherein:

the ejection head unit includes a plurality of supporting portions that are provided at intervals with respect to each other in a peripheral direction around a rotating shaft, and respective ejection heads are retained on a plurality of the supporting portions; and

the positioning means positions an unused ejection head at the opening by rotating in a manner that takes the rotating shaft as a center of rotation.

8. The inhaler according to claim 5, wherein, in the ejection head unit, a plurality of the ejection heads are disposed in a row, and when a used ejection head is removed, an unused ejection head is positioned at the opening.

9. The inhaler according to claims 5, wherein the element includes an electrothermal transducer that imparts thermal energy to the medicine or an electromechanical transducer that imparts mechanical energy to the medicine.