Aerosol inhaler

Surgery – Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer

Patent

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Details

12820023, 12820423, 12820523, A61M 1100

Patent

active

061196843

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an aerosol inhaler for a medicinal substance to be inhaled and to an electronic module for use in association with such an inhaler.
An aerosol inhaler is to be understood as a device with the aid of which a patient can actively breathe in a given dose of a medicinal substance to be inhaled. A typical application for such a device is an acute asthma attack. Upon the actuation of a corresponding actuating element, the aerosol, consisting of a propellant and of the medicinal substance present in said propellant and distributed therein, passes from the supply container provided therefor, through a nozzle, into the air channel of a mouthpiece from where it is actively inhaled by the patient. The aerosol emission and atomization can be triggered electronically or mechanically.
Previously it was not possible to detect whether, upon the actuation of the actuating element, atomization had actually taken place or not. For example, this can be prevented by obstruction of the nozzle. Naturally atomization also does not take place when the aerosol supply container is empty. This can lead to complications as the patient has supposedly inhaled the medicine necessary to combat an acute attack, whereas in fact this is not true or only partially true. An only partial supply of the given dose frequently gives rise to a desire on the part of the patient to augment the effect of the medicinal substance by further inhalation. This can lead to a dangerous situation as a result of overdosing. Furthermore, the doctor caring for the patient loses an overview of the number of doses administered within a predetermined time interval, which is an impediment to responsible medical treatment.
Therefore, with this background, the object of the present invention is to further develop an aerosol inhaler of the type defined in such manner that it is at least possible to reliably recognise and evaluate the atomization of the aerosol upon the actuation of the actuating element. In accordance with further aspects of the invention, a series of evaluations relating to some treatment parameters, such as the number of administered doses, the doses remaining in the supply container and the indication thereof, as well as for example the checking of the aerosol to determine whether it corresponds to the doctor's prescription, are to be possible. Furthermore, an electronic module is to be provided for use in association with such an inhaler, which electronic module fulfils the electronic part of the object of the invention but in principle can also be used in the case of all known aerosol inhalers, and thus as an accessory to an aerosol inhaler.
In accordance with the invention, it is thus provided that the inhaler be equipped with an electronic module which comprises an evaluating electronic unit for function monitoring which is supplied with signals from at least one thermal sensor arranged in the flow region of the nozzle and from a device for recognising the actuation of the actuating element, and comprises a display device for the output of the evaluation result produced by the evaluating electronic unit.
The crux of the invention thus consists in that a thermal sensor is arranged directly on the nozzle in which the atomization of the aerosol takes place. This permits a positive detection of the atomization of the aerosol on the basis of the recognition of the actuation and of the cooling of the propellant which occurs upon atomization, in that the cooling of the propellant leads to the cooling of the thermal sensor and a clearly defined electric signal can be generated. Malfunctions, such as obstructed nozzles or an empty aerosol supply container, can thus be reliably detected.
In a special and simple exemplary embodiment, the evaluating electronic unit generates a warning signal when atomization does not take place, and a signal representing the number of inhalation doses still contained in the supply container. These signals are communicated to the patient by means of a suitable display or, in the case of the warning, w

REFERENCES:
patent: 5284133 (1994-02-01), Burns et al.
patent: 5331953 (1994-07-01), Andersson et al.
patent: 5363842 (1994-11-01), Mishelevich et al.

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