Inhaler
First Claim
1. An inhaler device for dispensing droplets of liquid medicament to a patient comprising a body having a mouthpiece or nasal adaptor, a reservoir of liquid medicament, and an aerosol generator in communication with said reservoir, the aerosol generator comprising a chamber for liquid medicament and a nozzle arrangement comprising a plurality of orifices in fluid flow relationship with liquid medicament in said chamber, the reservoir having walls which tend to spring to a state of maximum internal volume so as to create a slight negative head of pressure within said reservoir and said chamber, the aerosol generator further comprising means for cyclically pressurising the liquid medicament in said chamber such that liquid from said chamber is periodically expelled through the orifices as atomised droplets of liquid medicament so they may be inhaled via the mouthpiece or nasal adaptor, the inhaler device additionally comprising dosage control means for deactivating the aerosol generator after a predetermined time or after a predetermined volume of liquid medicament has been expelled from the chamber.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inhaler for dispensing droplets of liquid medicament to a patient comprising a body having a mouthpiece or nasal adaptor and a reservoir of liquid medicament in communication with an aerosol generator. The aerosol generator includes a chamber for the liquid medicament and a nozzle arrangement having a plurality of orifices. Means are provided for cyclically pressurizing the liquid medicament in the chamber such that liquid from the chamber is periodically expelled through the orifices of the nozzle arrangement as atomizer droplets of liquid medicament. Dosage control means are also provided for deactivating the aerosol generator after a predetermined time or after a predetermined volume of liquid medicament has been expelled from the chamber.
469 Citations
24 Claims
- 1. An inhaler device for dispensing droplets of liquid medicament to a patient comprising a body having a mouthpiece or nasal adaptor, a reservoir of liquid medicament, and an aerosol generator in communication with said reservoir, the aerosol generator comprising a chamber for liquid medicament and a nozzle arrangement comprising a plurality of orifices in fluid flow relationship with liquid medicament in said chamber, the reservoir having walls which tend to spring to a state of maximum internal volume so as to create a slight negative head of pressure within said reservoir and said chamber, the aerosol generator further comprising means for cyclically pressurising the liquid medicament in said chamber such that liquid from said chamber is periodically expelled through the orifices as atomised droplets of liquid medicament so they may be inhaled via the mouthpiece or nasal adaptor, the inhaler device additionally comprising dosage control means for deactivating the aerosol generator after a predetermined time or after a predetermined volume of liquid medicament has been expelled from the chamber.
- 21. An inhaler device for dispensing droplets of liquid medicament to a patient comprising a body having a mouthpiece or nasal adaptor, a reservoir of liquid medicament, and an aerosol generator in communication with said reservoir, the aerosol generator comprising a chamber for liquid medicament and a nozzle arrangement comprising a plurality of orifices in fluid flow relationship with liquid medicament in said chamber, the aerosol generator further comprising means for cyclically pressurising the liquid medicament in said chamber such that liquid from said chamber is periodically expelled through the orifices as atomised droplets of liquid medicament so they may be inhaled via the mouthpiece or nasal adaptor, the inhaler device additionally comprising dosage control means for deactivating the aerosol generator after a predetermined time or after a predetermined volume of liquid medicament has been expelled from the chamber, the inhaler device further comprising means for removing gas bubbles from the liquid medicament comprising a microporous material having one surface in contact with the liquid medicament and an opposite surface exposed to a region of low pressure or vacuum.
Specification