Dose indicating device

• US 20100095962A1
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trudell Medical International (Trudell Medical Limited)
• Original Assignee: Trudell Medical International (Trudell Medical Limited)
• Inventors: Lu, Winston Z.
• Granted Patent: US 8,074,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0075 on a disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0076 on a drum
• 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: G06M 1/163 with drums
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 1/241 Drums
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 1/248 Discs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 11/23 the advertising or display material forming part of rotating members, e.g. in the form of perforations, prints, or transparencies on a drum or disc

Abstract

An indicating device suitable for indicating the number of metered dosages that have been dispensed from or remain in a container includes a base member adapted to be mounted to the container and a cap member moveably connected to the base member. The cap member is moveable relative to the base member along an axial path. A shaft is non-rotatably mounted to one of the cap member and the base member and defines an axis. An indicator member is rotatably mounted on the shaft and is rotatable in at least a first direction. One of the shaft and the indicator member has a helical groove while the other of the shaft and the indicator member has a follower disposed in the groove. The indicator member is moveable relative to the shaft along the axis as the indicator member is rotated in the first direction. In another embodiment, the indicating device includes first, second and third indicator members. In yet another embodiment, the indicating device includes a housing having a longitudinally extending cavity shaped to receive the container and an indicator member disposed in the cavity and having a longitudinally extending wall shaped to surround at least a portion of the container. The indicator member is rotatably mounted within the housing and is rotatable relative thereto about a longitudinal axis. The indicator member includes a driven gear. A drive gear is disposed in the housing and includes a drive portion selectively engaged with the driven gear. An actuator is adapted to move with the container and is selectively engaged with the drive gear.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. An indicating device suitable for indicating the number of metered dosages of a substance that have been dispensed from or remain in a container, said indicating device comprising:

at least one primary indicator member comprising primary dosage indicia adapted to indicate the number of dosages of substance that have been dispensed from or remain in the container; and

a secondary indicator member comprising secondary dosage indicia, wherein said secondary dosage indicia is adapted to indicate the number of dosages of substance that have been dispensed from or remain in the container;

wherein said primary and secondary indicator members are coaxially mounted, wherein said primary dosage indicia comprises numbers and said secondary dosage indicia comprises at least two different colors.

24. The indicating device of claim 23 further comprising a first member moveably connected to a second member, wherein said first member is moveable relative to said second member along a longitudinal axis, and wherein said primary and secondary indicator members are rotatably mounted to said first member about said longitudinal axis.

25. The indicating device of claim 24 wherein said first member comprises a cap member and said second member comprises a base member.

26. The indicating device of claim 23 wherein said at least one primary indicator member comprises coaxially mounted first and second primary indicator members.

27. The indicating device of claim 26 wherein said numbers comprises a first set of numbers divisible by ten disposed on said first primary indicator member and a second set of consecutive numbers from 0 to 9 disposed on said second primary indicator member.

28. The indicating device of claim 26 wherein said secondary indicator member rotates relative to said first primary indicator member at a ratio of 1:

2.

29. The indicating device of claim 23 wherein said at least one primary indicator member and said secondary indicator member are disposed in a housing having first and second viewing windows, wherein said primary dosage indicia are visible through said first viewing window and wherein said secondary dosage indicia are visible through said second viewing window, wherein said first and second viewing windows are spaced apart.

30. The indicating device of claim 23 wherein said secondary indicator member does not overlap said primary dosage indicia visible to the user.

31. The indicating device of claim 23 wherein one of said at least two different colors is selected from the group consisting of red, yellow and green.

32. The indicating device of claim 23 wherein said at least two different colors comprises red and green.

33. The indicating device of claim 23 wherein said secondary dosage indicia is adapted to indicate that less than a predetermined number of dosages of substance remain in the container.

34. A device for dispensing dosages of a substance from a container, the device comprising:

a dispenser housing having a longitudinally extending cavity and a well located at a bottom of said cavity, said housing having an exhaust port communicating with said well;

said container comprising a valve stem extending longitudinally therefrom and moveable between a closed position and an open position, said container containing a plurality of said dosages of said substance, said valve stem dispensing one of said plurality of said dosages when said valve stem is moved to the open position, said container disposed in said cavity of said dispenser housing and said valve stem received within said well, said container reciprocally moveable within said dispenser housing along said longitudinal extend of said cavity such that said valve stem is moved between said closed and said open positions by engagement with said well; and

an indicating device comprising;

at least one primary indicator member comprising primary dosage indicia indicating the number of dosages of substance that have been dispensed from or remain in said container; and

a secondary indicator member comprising secondary dosage indicia, wherein said secondary dosage indicia indicating the number of dosages of substance that have been dispensed from or remain in said container;

wherein said primary and secondary indicator members are coaxially mounted, wherein said primary dosage indicia comprises numbers and said secondary dosage indicia comprises at least two different colors.

35. The device of claim 34 wherein said indicating device further comprises a first member moveably connected to a second member, wherein said first member is moveable relative to said second member along a longitudinal axis, and wherein said primary and secondary indicator members are rotatably mounted to said first member about said longitudinal axis.

36. The device of claim 35 wherein said first member comprises a cap member and said second member comprises a base member.

37. The device of claim 34 wherein said at least one primary indicator member comprises coaxially mounted first and second primary indicator members.

38. The device of claim 37 wherein said numbers comprises a first set of numbers divisible by ten disposed on said first primary indicator member and a second set of consecutive numbers from 0 to 9 disposed on said second primary indicator member.

39. The device of claim 37 wherein said secondary indicator member rotates relative to said first primary indicator member at a ratio of 1:

2.

40. The device of claim 34 wherein said at least one primary indicator member and said secondary indicator member are disposed in a housing having first and second viewing windows, wherein said primary dosage indicia are visible through said first viewing window and wherein said secondary dosage indicia are visible through said second viewing window, wherein said first and second viewing windows are spaced apart.

41. The device of claim 34 wherein one of said at least two different colors is selected from the group consisting of red, yellow and green.

42. The device of claim 34 wherein said secondary dosage indicia is adapted to indicate that less than a predetermined number of dosages of substance remain in the container.

43. The device of claim 34 wherein said substance comprises a medicament.

44. The device of claim 43 wherein said container comprises a pressurized metered dose inhaler filled with said medicament.