Surgery – Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer – Pre-pressurized container holding medicament
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-31
2001-08-14
Dawson, Glenn K. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
Pre-pressurized container holding medicament
C128S200140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273084
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to an actuator for an inhaler for administering, in particular nasally, an aerosol based medicament by inhalation and to an inhaler including the same.
One such actuator is disclosed in the applicant's earlier EP-A-0075548. That document discloses an actuator comprising a main body which defines a chamber for receiving an aerosol canister containing medicament and includes an outlet through which medicament is in use delivered for administration. This actuator further comprises a cover member which is rotatable between a closed position in which the cover member covers the outlet and an open position in which the outlet is exposed for use. In the open position the cover member is configured to be acted upon by the thumb of the user, with the force to actuate the canister being applied between the thumb located on the underside of the cover member and typically the index finger located on the exposed base of the canister.
Ordinarily, this actuator has been found to operate satisfactorily. However, users have found that in use in the delivery of medicament the cover member can be unstable and tend to return to the closed position. This instability arises when the user places his/her thumb incorrectly, that is, not in accordance with the user instructions, on the underside of the cover member, which leads to the creation of a turning moment that tends to close the cover member. It will, of course, be appreciated that unwanted closure of the cover member is highly undesirable, particularly when actually applying a force to the same, since a part of the anatomy of the user, the nose in the case of nasal administration, will be trapped between the main body and the cover member.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved actuator for an inhaler for the administration of an aerosol based medicament which overcomes the above-mentioned problem associated with the prior art actuator.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an actuator for an inhaler for administering medicament by inhalation, comprising: a main body defining a chamber for receiving a canister containing medicament, and including an outlet through which medicament is in use delivered, the canister being in use acted upon by the user in the delivery of medicament; a cover member rotatable in relation to the main body between a first, closed position in which the outlet is covered and a second, open position in which the outlet is exposed, the cover member including a grip portion which in use is acted upon by the user in the delivery of medicament and includes a surface having a component facing in the sense of rotation of the cover member from the open to the closed position; characterized in that the main body includes a projecting member which includes a surface having a component facing in the sense of rotation of the cover member from the closed to the open position behind which the surface of the grip portion of the cover member is at least partly located in the open position of the cover member, whereby in use in the delivery of medicament the surface of the grip portion of the cover member is caused to be urged behind the surface of the projecting member of the main body so as to lock the cover member relative to the main body.
Preferably, the projecting member of the main body includes a further surface having a component facing in the sense of rotation of the cover member form the open to the closed position for guiding the grip portion of the cover member over the projecting member of the main body on rotation of the cover member to the open position.
Preferably, the cover member includes first and second side members and at least one interconnecting member which interconnects the first and second side members.
More preferably, the grip portion of the cover member is provided by at least one interconnecting member.
Preferably, the grip portion of the cover member includes relief profiling.
More preferably, the relief profiling comprises a plurality of ribs.
Preferably, at least the grip portion of the cover member is sufficiently resilient as both to allow the surface of the grip portion of the cover member to be caused to be urged behind the surface of the projecting member of the main body in the open position of the cover member and to allow the grip portion of the cover member to be deformed to pass over the projecting member of the main body in freeing the cover member from the open position.
The present invention also extends to an inhaler comprising the above-described actuator and a canister containing medicament.
Preferably, the inhaler is a pressurised metered dose inhaler.
Preferably, in the open position of the cover member the grip portion of the cover member substantially opposes the axis of movement of the canister in use in the delivery of medicament.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3429310 (1969-02-01), Jaffe et al.
patent: 3636949 (1972-01-01), Kropp
patent: 3865279 (1975-02-01), James
patent: 0 075 548 A2 (1983-03-01), None
patent: 0 341 967 A2 (1989-11-01), None
patent: 2 164 392 (1986-03-01), None
Astra Aktiebolag
Dawson Glenn K.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
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