Medicament dispenser
First Claim
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1. A medicament dispenser comprising:
- (i) a housing having an outlet;
(ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing;
(iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet,wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, wherein the detector detects an increase in radiation compared to the amount of radiation emitted by the emitterwherein the increase in detected radiation is due to interference of radiation reaching the detector by the medicament release.
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Abstract
A medicament dispenser comprising: (i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter comprises a first sensor for directly detecting a medicament release dispensible from said medicament container through said outlet is disclosed.
105 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A medicament dispenser comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, wherein the detector detects an increase in radiation compared to the amount of radiation emitted by the emitter wherein the increase in detected radiation is due to interference of radiation reaching the detector by the medicament release. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5)
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2. A medicament dispenser comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, wherein the detector detects an increase in radiation compared to the amount of radiation emitted by the emitter, and wherein the increase in detected radiation is due to interference of radiation reaching the detector by the medicament release, and wherein the interference is due to absorption of radiation by the medicament release.
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4. A medicament dispenser comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, wherein the detector detects an increase in radiation compared to the amount of radiation emitted by the emitter, and wherein the increase in detected radiation is due to interference of radiation reaching the detector by the medicament release, and wherein the interference is due to reflection of radiation by the medicament release.
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6. A medicament dispenser comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, wherein the detector detects an increase in radiation compared to the amount of radiation emitted by the emitter, and wherein the increase in detected radiation is due to interference of radiation reaching the detector by the medicament release, and, wherein the interference is due to diffraction of radiation by the medicament release.
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7. A metered dose inhaler for dispensing metered doses of medicament comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) an aerosol container locatable within said housing, wherein the container; (a) contains a plurality of metered doses of medicament, and (b) has a dispensing means actuable to cause, in use, dispensing of a metered dose of the medicament from the container through the outlet; characterized by the inhaler further comprising; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, which comprises; a sensor for directly detecting a metered dose dispensed from said container through said outlet, said sensor comprising an emitter to emit electromagnetic radiation and a detector to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter, the emitter being arranged to emit the electromagnetic radiation such that it is interfered with by a metered dose of the medicament being dispensd from the container through the outlet whereby the sensor is able to detect said dispensing of the metered medicament dose, and a visual display unit for displaying the number of metered doses of medicament used or remaining within the container in response to the sensor detecting dispensing of a metered medicament does, and wherein the amount of radiation reaching the detector is maintained at a constant level by using an electronic feedback circuit to alter the level of radiation emitted by the emitter.
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8. A medicament dispenser comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, wherein the first sensor further comprises a reflector to reflect radiation from the emitter to the detector.
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9. A medicament dispenser comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, and wherein the emitter emits radiation of more than one wavelength and the detector detects radiation of more than one wavelength, and wherein the first sensor quantifies the concentration of medicament with the medicament release by measuring radiation at more than one wavelength.
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10. A metered dose inhaler for dispensing metered doses of medicament comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) an aerosol container locatable within said housing, wherein the container; (a) contains a plurality of metered doses of medicament, and (b) has a dispensing means actuable to cause, in use, dispensing of a metered dose of the medicament from the container through the outlet; characterized by the inhaler further comprising; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, which comprises; a sensor for directly detecting a metered dose dispensed from said container through said outlet, said sensor comprising an emitter to emit electromagnetic radiation and a detector to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter, the emitter being arranged to emit the electromagnetic radiation such that it is interfered with by a metered dose of the medicament being dispensd from the container through the outlet whereby the sensor is able to detect said dispensing of the metered medicament dose, and a visual display unit for displaying the number of metered doses of medicament used or remaining within the container in response to the sensor detecting dispensing of a metered medicament dose, wherein the metered dose inhaler additionally comprises a second sensor for detecting a medicament release and wherein the second sensor comprises an emitter and a detector. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 17, 18)
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11. A metered dose inhaler for dispensing metered doses of medicament comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) an aerosol container locatable within said housing, wherein the container; (a) contains a plurality of metered doses of medicament, and (b) has a dispensing means actuable to cause, in use, dispensing of a metered dose of the medicament from the container through the outlet; characterized by the inhaler further comprising; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, which comprises; a sensor for directly detecting a metered dose dispensed from said container through said outlet, said sensor comprising an emitter to emit electromagnetic radiation and a detector to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter, the emitter being arranged to emit the electromagnetic radiation such that it is interfered with by a metered dose of the medicament being dispensd from the container through the outlet whereby the sensor is able to detect said dispensing of the metered medicament dose, and a visual display unit for displaying the number of metered doses of medicament used or remaining within the container in response to the sensor detecting dispensing of a metered medicament dose, wherein the metered dose inhaler additionally comprises a second sensor for detecting a medicament release and wherein the medicament release passes the second sensor subsequent to passing the first sensor.
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15. A metered dose inhaler for dispensing metered doses of medicament comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) an aerosol container locatable within said housing, wherein the container; (a) contains a plurality of metered doses of medicament, and (b) has a dispensing means actuable to cause, in use, dispensing of a metered dose of the medicament from the container through the outlet; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, which comprises; a sensor for directly detecting a metered dose dispensed from said container through said outlet, said sensor comprising an emitter to emit electromagnetic radiation and a detector to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter, the emitter being arranged to emit the electromagnetic radiation such that it is interfered with by a metered dose of the medicament being dispensd from the container through the outlet whereby the sensor is able to detect said dispensing of the metered medicament dose, and a visual display unit for displaying the number of metered doses of medicament used or remaining within the container in response to the sensor detecting dispensing of a metered medicament does, and a second sensor for detecting a medicament release and wherein the first and/or second sensors are integral with the outlet.
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16. A metered dose inhaler for dispensing metered doses of medicament comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) an aerosol container locatable within said housing, wherein the container; (a) contains a plurality of metered doses of medicament, and (b) has a dispensing means actuable to cause, in use, dispensing of a metered dose of the medicament from the container through the outlet; and (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, which comprises; a sensor for directly detecting a metered dose dispensed from said container through said outlet, said sensor comprising an emitter to emit electromagnetic radiation and a detector to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter, the emitter being arranged to emit the electromagnetic radiation such that it is interfered with by a metered dose of the medicament being dispensd from the container through the outlet whereby the sensor is able to detect said dispensing of the metered medicament dose, a visual display unit for displaying the number of metered doses of medicament used or remaining within the container in response to the sensor detecting dispensing of a metered medicament does, and a second sensor for detecting a medicament release, wherein the first and/or second sensors are reversibly attachable to the outlet.
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19. A medicament dispenser comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, wherein the dispenser further comprises one or more optical wave guides. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A medicament dispenser comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, wherein the emitter and detector are located on the same side of the outlet wherein the radiation emitted from the emitter is reflected back to the detector by a reflective surface on the opposite side of the outlet to the emitter and detector. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A medicament dispenser comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) a medicament container locatable within said housing; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet wherein said dose counter includes a first sensor comprising an emitter and a detector for detecting a medicament release dispensable from said medicament container through said outlet, characterized in that the detector detects electromagnetic radiation in the infra red range, wherein the first sensor is controlled by a digital or computational semi-conductor device. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A metered dose inhaler for dispensing metered doses of medicament comprising:
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(i) a housing having an outlet; (ii) an aerosol container locatable within said housing, wherein the container; (a) contains a plurality of metered doses of medicament, and (b) has a dispensing means actuable to cause, in use, dispensing of a metered dose of the medicament from the container through the outlet; characterized by the inhaler further comprising; (iii) an electronic dose counter associated with said outlet, which comprises; a sensor for directly detecting a metered dose dispensed from said container through said outlet, said sensor comprising an emitter to emit electromagnetic radiation and a detector to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter, the emitter being arranged to emit the electromagnetic radiation such that it is interfered with by a metered dose of the medicament being dispensd from the container through the outlet whereby the sensor is able to detect said dispensing of the metered medicament dose, and a visual display unit for displaying the number of metered doses of medicament used or remaining within the container in response to the sensor detecting dispensing of a metered medicament does wherein the inhaler is actuable by the application of non-mechanical energy to a coupling element and wherein the coupling element is one or more shape memory alloy wires.
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32. A housing for receipt of a medicament container, the housing comprising:
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(i) an outlet for dispensing medicament therethrough; and (ii) a first and second strand of optical wave guide associated therewith, wherein said first and second strand of optical wave guide are associable with an electronic dose counter including a first sensor for detecting medicament release through said outlet.
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Specification