Inhalation counter device

• US 6,615,827 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mariann C. Straub
• Original Assignee: Sapphire Design, Inc.
• Inventors: Greenwood, Mark H., Rodriguez, Gabriel Jr., Straub, Mariann C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MITAL B
• Application Number:
  US10/119,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20020189611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.23, 128/203.12, 128/203.23, 604/58, 222/36, 222/38, 222/25, 222/28, 222/41, 222/402--40, 239/71, 239/74, 116/308, 116/309
• US Class Current: 128/200.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0025 with caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0068 Indicating or counting the number of dispensed doses or of remaining doses
• 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 1/041 for drum-type indicating means

Abstract

The present invention relates to an inhalation device for dispensing a medicament from a valved dispenser. The device includes a housing having a longitudinal slot, an associated nozzle body, a cylindrical advance tube that slidably receives therein the dispenser and that has an external helically extend thread member, an advance ring that associates with the dispenser and that slidable engages the advance tube, and a level indicator. A zigzag track in either the advance tube or the advance ring, and a mating stud in the other of the ring or tube causes the advance tube to rotate when the ring is moved reciprocally when the dispenser is actuated. The level indicator device linearly indicates a remaining amount of medicament.

Claims

1. An inhalation device for dispensing a medicament from a dispenser that has an axially disposed, compression actuated, dose metering valve at a proximal end thereof, said device comprising:

(a) a combination of a cylindrical housing and a nozzle body at one housing end, said combination having an internal seat for said valve that is located generally adjacent said nozzle, and having a longitudinal slot in said housing;

(b) a cylindrical advance tube in which said dispenser is slidably receivable and that is slidably engageable with said housing, that has helically extending thread means defined exteriorly therein;

(c) a circular advance ring which is associatable with said dispenser about said proximal end and that is slidably engagable with said advance tube;

(d) one of either said advance tube or said advance ring having a circumferentially extending zigzag track defined therein and the other of said advance tube or said advance ring having at least one radially outwardly projecting stud member defined therein that slidably engages said track when said advance ring is so engaged with said advance tube and with said dispenser; and

(e) a level indicator that is slidably engageable with said longitudinal slot and also with said thread means through said longitudinal slot;

the interrelationship between (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) being such that, when said advance ring moves longitudinally and reciprocatingly when said valve is actuated, said stud member exerts a camming action upon said zigzag track whereby said advance tube rotates and said level indicator advances along said longitudinal slot.

2. An inhalation device for dispensing a medicament from a dispenser that has an axially disposed, compression actuated, dose metering valve at a proximal end thereof, said device comprising:

(a) a combination of a cylindrical housing and a nozzle body at one housing end, said combination having an internal seat for said valve that is located generally adjacent said nozzle, and having a longitudinal slot in said housing;

(b) a cylindrical advance tube in which said dispenser is slidably receivable and that is slidably engageable with said housing, that has a helically extending groove defined exteriorly therein, and that has a circumferentially extending zigzag track defined interiorly therein which is located in upwardly spaced relationship relative to said seat;

(c) a circular advance ring which is associatable with said dispenser about said proximal end and that is slidably engagable with said advance tube and has at least one radially outwardly projecting stud member that is slidably engageable with said track when said advance ring is so engaged with said advance tube and with said dispenser; and

(d) a level indicator that is slidably engageable with said longitudinal slot and also with said groove through said longitudinal slot;

the interrelationship between (a), (b), (c) and (d) being such that, when said advance ring moves longitudinally and reciprocatingly when said valve is actuated, said stud member exerts a camming action upon said zigzag track whereby said advance tube rotates and said level indicator advances in said longitudinal slot.

3. An inhalation device for dispensing a medicament from a dispenser that has an axially disposed, compression actuated, dose metering valve at a proximal end thereof, said device comprising:

(a) a combination of a cylindrical housing and a nozzle body at one housing end, said combination having an internal seat for said valve that is located generally adjacent said nozzle, and having a longitudinal slot in said housing;

(b) a cylindrical advance tube in which said dispenser is slidably receivable and that is slidably engageable with said housing, that has at least one radially inwardly projecting stud member, and that has a helically extending groove defined exteriorly therein;

(c) a circular advance ring which is associatable with said dispenser about said proximal end and that is slidably engagable with said advance tube and has a circumferentially extending zigzag track defined exteriorly therein that is slidably engageable with said track when said advance ring is so engaged with said advance tube and with said dispenser; and

(d) a level indicator that is slidably engageable with said longitudinal slot and also with said groove through said longitudinal slot;

the interrelationship between (a), (b), (c) and (d) being such that, when said advance ring moves longitudinally and reciprocatingly when said valve is actuated, said stud member exerts a camming action upon said zigzag track whereby said advance tube rotates and said level indicator advances in said longitudinal slot.

4. An inhalation device for dispensing a medicament from a dispenser that has an axially disposed, compression actuated, dose metering valve at a proximal end thereof, said device comprising:

(a) a combination of a cylindrical housing and a nozzle body at one housing end, said combination having an internal seat for said valve that is located generally adjacent said nozzle, and having a longitudinal slot in said housing;

(b) a cylindrical advance tube in which said dispenser is slidably receivable and that is slidably engageable with said housing, that has helically extending thread means defined exteriorly therein, and that has a circumferentially extending zigzag track defined interiorly therein which is located in upwardly spaced relationship relative to said seat;

(c) a circular advance ring which is associatable with said dispenser about said proximal end and that is slidably engagable with said advance tube and has at least one radially outwardly projecting stud member that is slidably engageable with said track when said advance ring is so engaged with said advance tube and with said dispenser; and

(d) a level indicator that is slidably engageable with said longitudinal slot and also with said thread means through said longitudinal slot, and that includes guidance means along said longitudinal slot for said level indicator;

the interrelationship between (a), (b), (c) and (d) being such that, when said advance ring moves longitudinally and reciprocatingly when said valve is actuated, said stud member exerts a camming action upon said zigzag track whereby said advance tube rotates and said level indicator advances along said longitudinal slot.

5. An inhalation device for dispensing a medicament from a cylindrical aerosol dispenser that has a proximal end and a distal end, that has a compression actuated, dose metering valve axially disposed in a constricted neck at said proximal end, and said valve includes an axially projecting stem tube through which a single dose of said medicament is dispensed in response to each actuating compression of said valve, said device comprising:

(a) a generally cylindrical housing having an upper housing end, a lower housing end, a housing side wall defining generally opposed interior and exterior housing side surface portions, and a longitudinally extending slot defined through said housing side wall;

(b) an L-shaped nozzle body having an input end and an output end, said input end being associated with said lower housing end, and said nozzle body further having an internal central valve seat located in recessed relationship relative to said input end, and an associated internal passageway extending between said valve seat and a terminus located in recessed relationship relative to said output end;

(c) an advance tube having an upper end and a lower end, and an advance tube cylindrical side wall defining generally opposed inside and outside cylindrically extending surface portions, said advance tube outside surface portions being slidably engagable within said interior housing side surface portions, said advance tube outside surface portions having a helically extending groove defined therein, said advance tube inside surface portions being sized to slidably receive therein said dispenser and said advance tube inside surface portions having a circumferentially extending zigzag track defined therein that is located in upwardly spaced adjacent relationship relative to said advance tube lower end;

(d) a level indicator including a foot portion and a pointer portion, said foot portion extending through said longitudinally extending slot and being engageable with said helically extending groove, said level indicator being slidable along said longitudinal slot and also slidable along said helically extending groove;

(e) an advance ring associatable about said constricted neck of said dispenser, said advance ring including at least one radially outwardly projecting stud member, said advance ring being slidably engageable with said inside circumferential surface portions of said advance tube being slidably engagable within said advance tube inside surface portions, and said projecting stud member being engagable with said zigzag track;

(f) the interrelationship between said housing, said advance tube, and said advance ring being such that;

when said dispenser has been inserted through said advance tube, said advance ring has been so associated with said constricted neck, and said valve has been so seated in said valve seat with said stem tube in said passageway, and

when a compression force sufficient to actuate said valve is applied to the distal end of said dispenser and is then released, then

said advance ring remains circumferentially stationary relative to said housing, but

said advance ring moves reciprocatingly and longitudinally, while concurrently

said projecting stud member in said zigzag track exerts a camming force against an adjacent contacted edge portions of said zigzag track and said zigzag track advances responsively, whereby

said advance tube rotates relative to said housing, and

said level indicator slidably advances both circumferentially along said helical extending groove and also vertically along said longitudinally extending slot, so that the position of said level indicator along said longitudinally extending slot advances and thereby indicates the amount of said medicament remaining in, or dispensed from, said dispenser.

6. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein an end region of said helically extending groove includes stop means preventing further travel of said level indicator.

7. The inhalation divide of claim 5 wherein an end region of said helically extending groove terminates in an endless circular loop means that prevents further travel of said level indicator.

8. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein said zigzag track has opposed side edge portions, and each side edge portion has circumferentially defined therein teeth and grooves alternately, and said teeth in one side edge portion are circumferentially offset from said teeth in the other side edge portion so that said teeth in one side edge portion are in longitudinally spaced, relationship to said grooves in the other side edge portion and are also slightly circumferentially offset from a transversely aligned relationship whereby said zigzag track can only move relative to said projecting stud member circumferentially in one direction as said advance ring moves longitudinally and reciprocably during actuations of said valve, thereby causing said advance tube to rotate in only one direction.

9. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein said lower end of said advance tube extends into said L-shaped nozzle body, consecutive numbers are circumferentially marked on said outside cylindrically extending surface portions of said advance tube lower end, and wherein a window is defined through said L-shaped nozzle body in radial alignment with said numbers, the circumferential spacing of said numbers being such that, each time said advance tube rotates responsively to an actuation of said valve, a different one of said number is viewable through said window.

10. The inhalation device of claim 9 wherein said input end of said L-shaped nozzle body is rotatably associated with said lower housing end whereby, when said L-shaped nozzle body is rotated relative to said housing, said number viewable through said window is changes.

11. The inhalation device of claim 10 wherein an inner surface about said input end of said L-shaped nozzle body overlaps an inner surface about said lower housing end, and wherein each said inner surface has defined therein a plurality of flat panels whereby said L-shaped nozzle body is incrementally rotatably adjustable relative to said housing and each incremental adjustment corresponds to a different one of said numbers on said L-shaped nozzle body.

12. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein said advance ring includes three of said projecting stud members, and said projecting stud members are in circumferentially equally spaced relationship to each other, and each of said projecting stud members is engagable with a different region of said zigzag track.

13. The inhalation device of claim 12 wherein said advance ring further includes three longitudinally upstanding extensions and each of said projecting stud members is associated with a different one of said extensions.

14. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein said interior housing side surface portions have at least one longitudinally extending groove defined therein, each said longitudinally extending groove extending from a housing end to said zigzag track whereby each said projecting stud member of said advance ring is slidably movable longitudinally therealong to engagement with said zigzag track.

15. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein said housing includes a ring member which detachably associates with said housing upper end when said dispenser is positioned in said inhalation device.

16. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein said L-shaped nozzle body includes a cap which detachably associates with said output end.

17. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein along said longitudinally extending slot indicia are defined that indicate the amount of said medicament remaining in, or dispensed from, said dispenser.

18. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein said L-shaped nozzle body includes a stand that enables said inhalation device to rest in an upright configuration upon a flattened surface.

19. The inhalation device of claim 5 wherein said L-shaped nozzle body includes means for disconnectably associating said L-shaped nozzle body with said housing.

20. The inhalation device of claim 19 wherein said means for disconnectably associating includes a pair of latch arms that engage said L-shaped nozzle body with said housing, each latch arm is located on a different opposite side portion of said L-shaped nozzle body, each latch arm includes biasing means retaining said latch arm in a normally closed position relative to said housing, each latch arm being openable by applied digital force, and each latch arm including a terminal flange that engages a receiving slot defined in an adjacent portion of said housing when said latch arm is in said normally closed position.