Surgery – Respiratory method or device – Means for mixing treating agent with respiratory gas
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-08
2002-11-26
Lewis, Aaron J. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Respiratory method or device
Means for mixing treating agent with respiratory gas
C128S203120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06484717
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to a powder inhaler and a method of constructing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a powder inhaler having a reduced number of component parts as compared to known powder inhalers, which powder inhaler is hence easier to construct than known powder inhalers.
A number of powder inhalers are known which use different systems for introducing a dose of powder into an air stream. Typically, the powder is inhaled into the lungs of a patient in order to treat, for example, asthma.
FIG. 1
illustrates such a powder inhaler. The inhaler comprises a mouthpiece
2
comprising an air chamber (not illustrated) and an outlet nozzle
4
, an inhaler body
6
and a rotatable grip portion
8
for operating a dosing mechanism for providing doses of powder for inhalation. The inhaler body
6
is provided with an opening
10
which is filled with a window
12
through which an indicating wheel
42
is visible so as to provide an indication as to the usage of the inhaler.
FIG. 2
illustrates in exploded view component parts disposed within and to the inhaler body
6
. The inhaler body
6
is capped with a divider
14
which is fixed thereto and separates the air chamber in the mouthpiece
2
from a major part of the inhaler body
6
. For aesthetic reasons the inhaler body
6
is an opaque moulding. The divider
14
is a transparent moulding which has a depending tongue
15
, a part of which forms the window
12
.) When the inhaler is assembled, the only part of the divider
14
which is visible is the part of the tongue
15
forming the window
12
, and thus the overall appearance of the inhaler is unaffected.
Within the inhaler body
6
are housed the component parts of the dosing mechanism. These component parts include a dosing unit
16
which comprises a plurality of dosing means
18
and has a central axial shaft
20
, an inhalation unit
22
which comprises an inhalation channel
24
and a storage unit
26
which comprises a storage chamber
28
for storing powder. The above-mentioned component parts of the dosing mechanism are assembled by passing the inhalation channel
24
through an opening
30
in the storage unit
26
and passing the shaft through central openings
32
,
34
in the inhalation unit
22
and the storage unit
26
respectively. When so assembled, the upper ends of the inhalation channel
24
and the storage chamber
28
pass respectively through first and second openings
36
,
38
in the divider
14
.
In use, powder is transferred from the storage chamber
28
to one of the dosing means
18
, and, with rotation of the dosing unit
16
, the one dosing means
18
provides a dose of powder to the inhalation channel
24
. On inhalation by a user the powder is drawn up through the air chamber and out of the outlet nozzle
4
of the mouthpiece
2
.
As illustrated in
FIGS. 2 and 3
, the divider
14
further comprises supporting means
40
for rotatably supporting an indicating wheel
42
. The indicating wheel
42
has a plurality of teeth
44
disposed around the periphery thereof which engage with a spiral groove or protrusion
46
on the end face of the shaft
20
of the dosing unit
16
. The supporting means
40
is configured to align the indicating wheel
42
such that a part of the periphery thereof is disposed adjacent the inner surface of the window
12
.
In use, as the dosing unit
16
is rotated, the spiral groove or protrusion
46
engages with one or more of the teeth
44
on the indicating wheel
42
so as to rotate the same. In this way, by providing a coloured marking on the periphery of the indicating wheel
42
, it is possible to provide the user with a visible indication at the window
12
as to the usage of the inhaler.
Although the above-described known powder inhaler functions quite adequately, its construction is relatively complicated and it is formed from a large number of component parts. It is thus an aim of the present invention to provide a powder inhaler which has a fewer number of component parts and is of simpler construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides an inhaler for administering powder by inhalation, comprising: an inhaler body having an opening therein; an indicating wheel disposed in the inhaler body for providing an indication as to the usage of the inhaler, the indicating wheel being disposed such that at least part thereof is visible through the opening and so as to be rotatable in a diametrical plane containing the central axis of the inhaler body; a divider substantially closing one end of the inhaler body; and a storage unit disposed in the inhaler body, the storage unit comprising a storage chamber for storing powder for inhalation; wherein that the inhaler body and the divider are formed as a single integral unit of an opaque material and in that the storage unit is formed of a transparent material and has a portion which substantially fills the opening.
Embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features.
Preferably, the inhaler further comprises an inhalation unit disposed in the inhaler body, the inhalation unit having an inhalation channel through which powder is in use inhaled. In a preferred embodiment the inhalation unit and the storage unit are formed as a single integral unit.
Preferably, the inhaler further comprises a dosing unit disposed in the inhaler body so as to be rotatable about the central axis thereof for introducing a dose of powder into the inhalation channel, the dosing unit having a central shaft co-axial with the central axis of the inhaler body, the central shaft having an end face with a spiral groove or protrusion and the indicating wheel having a toothed periphery for engaging the spiral groove or protrusion.
In a preferred embodiment the indicating wheel is rotatably supported by the storage unit and the divider is constructed as a substantially flat member so as to minimize the risk of powder accumulting on the upper surface thereof.
Preferably, the inhaler body further comprises an air inlet in a side wall thereof, the air inlet allowing air to be drawn to the dosing unit and through the inhalation channel. In a preferred embodiment the air inlet is provided in a recess in the inhaler body.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of constructing an inhaler for administering powder by inhalation, comprising the steps of: providing as a single integral unit of an opaque material an inhaler body with a divider substantially closing one end thereof; fitting an indicating wheel in the inhaler body in such a manner as to be rotatable in a diametrical plane containing the central axis thereof, the inhaler body having an opening through which at least part of the indicating wheel is visible and the indicating wheel providing an indication as to the usage of the inhaler; and fitting a storage unit comprising a storage chamber for storing powder for inhalation in the inhaler body, the storage unit being formed of a transparent material and including a portion which substantially fills the opening.
Medicaments suitable for administration by the powder inhaler of the present invention are any which may be delivered by inhalation and include for example &bgr;2-adrenoreceptor agonists, for example, salbutamol, terbutaline, rimiterol, fenoterol, reproterol, adrenaline, pirbuterol, isoprenaline, orciprenaline, bitolterol, salmeterol, formoterol, clenbuterol, procaterol, broxaterol, picumeterol, TA-2005, mabuterol and the like, and their pharmacologically acceptable esters and salts; anticholinergic bronchodilators, for example, ipratropium bromide and the like; glucocorticosteroids, for example, beclomethasone, fluticasone, budesonide, tipredane, dexamethasone, betamethasone, fluocinolone, triamcinolone acetonide, mometasone and the like, and their pharmacologically acceptable esters and salts; antiallergic medicaments, for example, sodium cromoglycate and nedocromil sodium; expectorants; mucolytics; antihistamines; cyclooxygenase inhibitors; leukotriene sy
Dagsland Allan
Virtanen Risto
Astra Aktiebolag
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Lewis Aaron J.
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