Surgery – Respiratory method or device – Means for supplying respiratory gas under positive pressure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-02
2004-06-22
Lewis, Aaron J. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Respiratory method or device
Means for supplying respiratory gas under positive pressure
C128S203120, C128S200230
Reexamination Certificate
active
06752153
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an inhalator for dispensing an aerosol comprising a dosage counting device, a housing part, and an aerosol dispensing container displaceably arranged relative to the housing part along its longitudinal axis.
2. Discussion of the Relevant Art
Such an inhalator is known from EP-A1-0 254 391. In these conventional inhalators, an aerosol dispensing container is displaceably inserted into a tubular portion of a housing part. The dispensing container comprises a spraying tube which is guided out of a head area of the dispensing container, which spraying tube is inserted in a sealed manner into a spraying socket portion which is formed as a monolithic part of the housing. For dispensing a predetermined dosage of the medium stored in the dispensing container, a pressure force is applied to a bottom portion of the dispensing container and the container is briefly forced into the housing. Via the spraying tube inserted into the spraying socket a valve mechanism is opened for a moment and a predetermined amount of the medium contained in the storage container is sprayed via the spraying head. In a lateral area of the housing an indicator wheel is provided which is rotatably supported and which is rotated farther for each dispensing stroke of the inhalator by means of a step-down gear system by a minimal rotational distance. The indicator wheel is provided with several filling level indicating marks which can be read by means of a window portion for a successive rotation of the indicator wheel. When the dispensing container is almost completely emptied, a corresponding symbol is visible in the window, and this signalizes to the user that the dispensing container is substantially completely empty. By means of overfilling of the dispensing container at the manufacturing site by approximately 10 to 15%, it is ensured that upon reaching this end mark a sufficient amount of active substance is still stored in the dispensing container.
The overfilling of the dispensing container carried out at the manufacturing site, in particular, when filling with comparatively expensive active substances, results in an increase in cost of the inhalator. Also, with regard to environmental protection considerations an overfilling of the dispensing container to the degree that has been conventional up to now appears to be problematic.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has therefore the object to provide an inhalator for dispensing aerosols which is characterized by a high functional reliability and a dosage counting device improved with respect to readability and indication precision.
This object is solved according to the invention by an inhalator having a first counting ring which is arranged coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the aerosol dispensing container and is rotatable about this longitudinal axis; a second counting ring which is arranged coaxially to the first counting ring and can be directly coupled therewith and is rotatable relative thereto; counting ring switching device for rotation of the first counting ring upon actuation of the inhalator; and a coupling device for coupling the second counting ring with the first counting ring for a stepwise rotation of the second counting ring together with the first counting ring; wherein the counting ring switching device has an actuation portion and a switching finger coupled therewith, which for rotation of the corresponding counting ring can be brought into engagement with control elements thereof.
In this way, it is possible in an advantageous manner to provide an inhalator which can be produced with respect to manufacturing technological aspects in a beneficial way and with which, as needed, each individual dosage stroke is counted and indicated. In addition to the thus obtained reliable monitoring of residual filling amounts of the active substance medium stored in the inhalator, it is moreover possible to monitor the administration of the dosage aerosols in correspondence with the prescription in an improved way. The inventively embodied dosage counting device makes possible, for example, counting from 0 to approximately 200 of the individual dosage amounts. As an alternative to this, it is also possible to provide the number arrangement on the two counting rings such that dosage counting is possible in a descending order starting at the maximum stroke number. Counting can be performed successively in the descending order, for example, starting with the number 200, wherein, for example, when the residual stroke number is ≦50, in the indicator device a color marking, for example, in the form of a signaling bar, becomes visible which signalizes to the respective user in a timely fashion that a new inhalator must be obtained.
The improvement of the indicating precision possible with the dosage counting device according to the invention makes it possible to reduce the overfilling of the dispensing container, performed for safety reasons, and to thus reduce the residual amount of active substance in the dispensing container.
An advantageous embodiment of the invention with respect to a particularly reliable further switching of the first counting ring is provided in that the switching finger is spaced from the rotational axis and is positioned at a slant thereto. Accordingly, it is possible in a kinematically beneficial way to bring the switching finger into engagement with control elements provided at the counting ring and to tilt the switching finger subsequently about a tilting axis which extends substantially transversely to the longitudinal direction of the switching finger. The positioning angle of the switching finger relative to a radial plane defined by the counting ring is preferably in the range of 30 to 60°. In this connection, sufficiently large transport paths of the switching fingers result in connection with favorable force ratios.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the switching finger can be deflected out of an initial position into an end position which is slanted relative to the initial position, wherein an engagement portion of the switching finger is forced already in the initial position thereof in an elastically yielding fashion into an engagement position with the first counting ring. Accordingly, in a reliable way it is ensured that each individual dispensing stroke of the inhalator is counted by the dosage counting device.
An advantageous embodiment of the invention with respect to an especially beneficial conversion of the dispensing stroke of the dispensing container of the inhalator into a further switching movement required for operating the dosage counting device is provided in that an arm part is provided that is coupled with the switching finger wherein the arm part and the switching finger form an elbow joint mechanism. This ensures for still advantageous force ratios a comparatively long switching finger transport distance so that it is possible to space the numbers provided on the first counting ring so far apart from one another that only one individual number of the counting ring is visible within the window portion, respectively.
The return force required for returning the switching finger can be provided in an advantageous way by elastic deformation of the switching finger or of the actuator elements which are coupled with the switching finger. The switching finger is comprised advantageously of a plastic material, preferably a thermoplastically formable plastic material.
An advantageous embodiment of the invention with respect to a reliable actuation of the switching finger is provided in that the arm part and the switching finger are connected to one another by means of an actuation portion. The actuation portion forms in an advantageous way a contact surface facing a shoulder portion of the dispensing container of the inhalator, which contact surface, upon lowering of the dispensing container within the context of a dosage stroke, is deflected from its initial position, in particular, is moved substantia
Friedrich Kueffner
Lewis Aaron J.
RPC Wiko GmbH & Co. KG
Weiss Jr. Joseph F
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