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Publication Number
US-9480803-B2
Publication Date
2016-11-01
Expiration Date
Abstract
A medicament dispenser, in particular a metered dose inhaler, which is able to count the number of time the dispenser is activated and then disable the device, which then prevents any additional medicament from being dispensed. Additional embodiments include a medicament dispenser which are adapted to display either the number of activations that have occurred or the number of activations remaining.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a metered dose inhaler comprising a pressurized canister containing a medicament formulation and a metering valve having a spring loaded valve stem, an inhaler body, and a cradle which fixedly holds the canister and is slideably engaged with the inhaler body. The cradle comprises a cradle latch that adopts a first position in which its movement is restricted along the inhaler body and an engaged configuration, and a second position in which its movement is not restricted along the inhaler body in a disengaged configuration. The cradle further comprises a reset arm and an actuation arm.
A compression assembly is detachably affixed to the cradle by a compression assembly latch having an engaged configuration in which the compression assembly is fixedly attached to the cradle and a disengaged configuration in which the compression assembly is slideably engaged with the cradle. A lobed cam is positioned between the cradle reset arm and the compression assembly such that when the lobed cam is oriented in a first position the cam lobe is biased against the reset arm and urges the cradle into the first position, and when the lobed cam is oriented in a second position the cam lobe is biased against the compression assembly to store mechanical energy in the compression assembly when both the cradle latch and the compression assembly latch are in their engaged positions.
The inhaler is configured so that the actuation arm engages with a dose counter wheel and causes the dose counter wheel to incrementally rotate each time the cradle moves from the second position to the first position, while the dose counter wheel displays different dose indicia each time the wheel is incrementally rotated. The dose counter wheel comprises a dropout cam, which is adapted to cause the compression assembly latch to disengage after a predetermined number of incremental rotations.
After the predetermined number of incremental rotations have passed, there is no physical blocking or interference of the foregoing moving parts, such that the compression assembly can no longer be compressed, thereby disabling the metered dose inhaler and preventing further discharge of the medicament formulation. The dose counter wheel is adapted to be detentably rotatable in one direction and the cradle and compression assembly latch arrangements cooperate with the cam to provide the lockout function tied to the dose counter rotations.
Claims Coverage
The document includes one independent claim covering a metered dose inhaler lockout and dose counter mechanism driven by cradle movement and governed by a dropout cam after a predetermined number of dose counter wheel incremental rotations.
Metered dose inhaler cradle and compression latch lockout
A metered dose inhaler with a cradle fixedly holding a pressurized canister, a cradle latch adopting engaged and disengaged configurations, and a compression assembly latch with engaged and disengaged configurations that detachably affixes the compression assembly to the cradle.
Lobed cam actuating cradle position and storing mechanical energy
A lobed cam positioned between the cradle reset arm and the compression assembly that, in a first oriented position, biases against the reset arm to urge the cradle into the first position, and in a second oriented position biases against the compression assembly to store mechanical energy when both the cradle latch and the compression assembly latch are in engaged positions.
Dose counter wheel incrementally rotates with cradle movement and changes dose indicia
A dose counter wheel adapted to be detentably rotatable in one direction, where an actuation arm engages with the dose counter wheel to incrementally rotate each time the cradle moves from the second position to the first position, with the dose counter wheel displaying a different dose indicia each time the wheel is incrementally rotated.
Dropout cam disengages compression assembly latch after predetermined dose-counter rotations
A dropout cam associated with the dose counter wheel that causes the compression assembly latch to disengage after a predetermined number of incremental rotations, thereby preventing further compression of the compression assembly and disabling the metered dose inhaler to prevent further discharge of the medicament formulation.
Overall, the claim set centers on a metered dose inhaler in which cradle movement increments a detentably rotatable dose counter wheel that displays changing dose indicia, and a dropout cam linked to that dose counter wheel disengages the compression assembly latch after a predetermined number of incremental rotations to disable further discharge.
Stated Advantages
Disables the metered dose inhaler after a predetermined number of incremental rotations.
Prevents further discharge of the medicament formulation after the predetermined number of incremental rotations.
Documented Applications
Metered dose inhaler dose counter and lockout to prevent further medicament discharge after a predetermined number of activations.
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