Medicament dispenser

• US 7,481,213 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Childers, Winthrop D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu; Justine R
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATTER, KRISTEN CLARETTE
• Application Number:
  US10/777,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.23, 128/200.14, 128/200.16, 128/204.21, 128/203.12, 128/202.22, 128/205.23, 222/636, 239/338
• US Class Current: 128/200.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/041 using heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0066 with means for varying the dose size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/82 Internal energy supply devices
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0884 the outlet orifices for jets constituted by a liquid or a mixture containing a liquid being aligned
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1686 involving vaporisation of the material to be sprayed or of an atomising-fluid-generating product
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/0838 supply being effected by follower in container, e.g. membrane or floating piston, or by deformation of container

Abstract

An inhaler that includes a fluid medicament supply, an ejector, an accumulator in fluid communication with the ejector, a valve that is in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic, and a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic.

Claims

1. A medicament dispenser, comprising:

a fluid medicament supply;

an ejector;

an accumulator for storing medicament in fluid communication with the ejector;

a valve in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator;

a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic; and

a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic; and

a compliant member that regulates pressure within the accumulator, wherein the compliant member is a resilient member.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, where the sensor is configured to sense fluid pressure within the accumulator.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, where the sensor is configured to sense a volume defined by the accumulator.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the sensor is fluidically coupled to the accumulator.

5. The dispenser of claim 4, wherein the sensor is configured to sense pressure adjacent the ejector.

6. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to operate the valve to increase the pressure adjacent the ejector.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the compliant member is configured to regulate pressure by deforming elastically in response to changes in accumulator pressure.

8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the compliant member is configured to regulate negative accumulator pressure.

9. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the sensor is coupled to the compliant member to sense the accumulator volume.

10. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the valve includes a microvalve.

11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the microvalve includes an electrostatic actuator, a magnetic actuator, or a piezoelectric actuator.

12. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to provide information to a user of the dispenser.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the information includes the number of doses of medicament remaining in the dispenser.

14. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the information includes an indication to replace the fluid medicament supply.

15. A method of dispensing a medicament using a medicament dispenser including a fluid medicament supply, an ejector, an accumulator for storing medicament in fluid communication with the ejector, a valve in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic, and a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic, the method comprising:

sensing a medicament pressure within the accumulator;

recharging the accumulator from the fluid medicament supply where recharging the accumulator includes opening a valve between the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, where recharging the accumulator relaxes a compliant member that is fluidically coupled to the accumulator; and

ejecting medicament from the accumulator.

16. A method of dispensing a medicament using a medicament dispenser including a fluid medicament supply, an ejector, an accumulator for storing medicament in fluid communication with the ejector, a valve in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic, and a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic, the method comprising:

sensing a medicament pressure within the accumulator;

recharging the accumulator from the fluid medicament supply where recharging the accumulator includes opening a valve between the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, where recharging the accumulator flexes a compliant member that is fluidically coupled to the accumulator; and

ejecting medicament from the accumulator.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising comparing the sensed pressure to a minimum acceptable medicament pressure within the accumulator.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising sensing a second medicament pressure within the accumulator and comparing the second pressure to a desired pressure.

19. The method of claim 18, where the second pressure is less than the desired pressure, further comprising generating a notification that the fluid medicament supply should be renewed.