CN1079167A

CN1079167A - Dose indicating device

Info

Publication number: CN1079167A
Application number: CN93106222A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 米齐尔·约翰·霍尔罗德
Original assignee: Norton Healthcare Ltd
Current assignee: Norton Healthcare Ltd
Priority date: 1992-05-29
Filing date: 1993-05-29
Publication date: 1993-12-08
Also published as: WO1993024167A1; TW230751B; GB9211436D0; AU4083993A; ZA933639B; IL105735A0; TR26757A

Abstract

One drug dose feedway comprises a housing (400), and this housing is used for holding a medicine feed system (25), and as an aerosol apparatus jar, this doser can be actuated to supply with the medicine of discontinuous quantity.One driving device has a spring to load neck bush (420), and it is connected with the basis end of aerosol apparatus jar at it, makes the time spent driving device and just causes release movement when locate to take place suction at the nozzle (405) of housing.One dosage indicator comprises a rotation dosage indicating ring (101), it contains said neck bush, state by the corresponding indicating ring dose indicating of an elasticity indicator elment that is installed on the neck bush increases gradually when driving aerosol can each time, all discharges the medicine of doses.

Description

Dose indicating device

The present invention relates to the dose indicating device of a doser, this doser is applicable to fluid or the supply of the discontinuous quantity of the gas of the solid particulate matter that suspending.

In the prior art, metered dose inhaler is used always in the Drug therapy of respiratory tract disease such as asthma is alleviated, and the respiration drive device is also known.

Aerosol delivery device with dosage measuring device also is known.In order to hold enumerator, the body of some aerosol delivery device or housing need be made bigger change, maybe need to increase the cavity volume structure.EP-0,197,113 provide a kind of metering device, and this device can be installed in the top of spray dispenser housing, U.S. Pat-4,817,822 have used a straight line or circumference scale, and it is installed in an absolute construction that is arranged in the sprayer housing external body.EP-0,258,238 have utilized a vertically arranged digital wheel, and this digital wheel is positioned at the top of dosage measuring device.

EP-0,269,496 have described a button actuator that is installed in the cervical region of aerosol delivery device, this actuator has the one stroke quantifier, it comprises the gauge rings of a tape spool to internal tooth, and internal tooth and the elastic switch slice engagement that is positioned at the axioversion on the button are to drive the aerosol valve.

GB-1,317,315, GB-1,290,484 and WO92/09324 all relate to the quantifier that housing has the aerosol apparatus of an end opening, the aerosol apparatus jar is slidably mounted on the opening part of housing, makes like this when usefulness hand jar, aerosol apparatus just discharges the medicine of doses, and these medicines can be inhaled into human body by the nozzle of the other end of housing.But, this quantifier must be positioned at jar under, and the valve end of jar that must be by the lower connects, by each size of coming dose indicating with the hand jar.The shortcoming of this structure is the geometry that the critical region change housing of atomizing need take place at housing lower end medicine; Thereby and quantifier easily by the people touch cause the misuse; In addition, when a certain part-structure of quantifier destroys, because irrational the setting may cause foreign body to be inhaled into.

Therefore, although recommended several dosage measuring devices in the prior art, these devices all also have many defectives technically.

Purpose of the present invention is exactly that a kind of improved, doser with driving measure will be provided, and this device can be by respiration drive, and it can drive aerosol container or powdered medicine feed system.The present invention also provides a dosage indicating device, it and driving device teamwork, dose indicating device is relatively simple for structure and easy to use, and can be installed in the housing of aerosol apparatus at an easy rate, do not need to do big structural change, so promptly reduce the danger of patient's maloperation, reduced the danger that finding that mechanism itself may separate is inhaled into again.

The invention provides doser a kind of and that the medicine feed system uses together, it can be used to provide the medicine of discontinuous dosage, this doser comprises and holds the housing that medicine provides system, this housing has inlet nozzle and dose indicating device, dose indicating device comprise one in housing rotary cyclic or arciform dosage indicator elment, outside housing, can see this element, also have a transportable indicator elment, with the release of drug dose, the scale of indicator elment increases.It is characterized in that driving device is contained in the housing, the end away from nozzle for the medicine system is worked, thus the supply effect that produces the medicine of doses; Its feature is that also indicating member is positioned at the inside of housing, and around the parts relevant with driving device, indicator elment is carried by these described parts, under drug-supplying system drives, move to a direction vertically and by indicating member, and move along opposite axial direction driving device is resetted, along with each move of indicating member indicator elment on said axial direction, corresponding scale changes to the direction that increases.

Said driving device preferably adopts the respiration drive mode that sucks by nozzle.

Indicating member can have internal tooth, internal tooth and the indicator elment engagement that flexibly is installed on the top said element, when indicator elment moves on said opposite direction, can move inward on internal tooth, the mate of said internal tooth and said indicator elment tilts with respect to the axis of indicating member.

Preferably provide a kind of device to make said driving device reset, this device also can make said resetting means discharge simultaneously, and this device preferably also is a respiration drive.

Driving device can comprise pre-load means, and this device can drive said drug-supplying system.

Resetting means can comprise the device that an air damping power can be provided, and this damping force can prevent that driving device is driven.This air damping device can adopt gas, such as: air, the pressure of gas are before discharging or keep malleation to be higher than atmospheric pressure, or keep negative pressure to be lower than atmospheric pressure.Releasing device will work so that pressure is got back to atmospheric pressure, or gets back to former balance, thereby whole power of prestrain are worked.

Provide the device of air damping power can comprise an inflatable airtight chamber, releasing device comprises a valving, and this valving can be opened to discharge the said negative pressure that has in the low-pressure cavity.

Though what system used when specifically describing in the above is air, any suitable gas can adopt in the system of its tangible sealing.

Device according to the present invention is specially adapted to have the suction-type aerosol apparatus of pressure, and this aerosol apparatus has multiple valve, is driven along with valve and carries out the supply of doses medicine.; in other embodiments; the powdered medicine drug-supplying system that can also be used to be contained in housing according to device of the present invention; wherein; the medicated powder of doses is by in the air-flow in the said system feeder; its process is: medicated powder forms air-flow and carries out dispensing by the suction effect at the outlet nozzle place that links to each other with said housing in said housing.

Give in medicine container or the dry powder drug-supplying system according to an aerosol apparatus of the present invention at some, the housing planted agent has an inner liner slidably, lining is used to seal the top of aerosol container or dry powder drug-supplying system main body together with relative adnexa, and indicator elment is installed on the lining.This inner liner is preferably as the membranous end of air-tightness piston cylinder bellows-type, so just make and cause the volume gain of piston cylinder, bellows or barrier film inner sealing when inner liner moves, form a damping force to produce vacuum or low pressure, this damping force can prevent that just drug-supplying system from driving.

More desirable respiration drive releasing device comprises a blade mechanism movably, the sealing of valve preferably is connected on the said blade, make that like this blade from original position (at this moment when breathing, said import is closed) move to driving device, thereby the sealing of valve is thrown off from valve port, make valve open to discharge the said resistance in front.This blade mechanism preferably is in poised state, also can be partial to its closed position, for example setovers by a spring.

The air that enters housing can adopt the form at said housing upper end wall opening.

Medicine can be a medicament itself or can be with any form of carrying secretly, such as: comprise by gas and carry the suspension vapour that forms secretly.

Driving device preferably acts on the said inner liner in front, by making the inner liner element move in the opposite direction driving device is resetted.

A lid is movably preferably installed at the outlet nozzle place of housing, links with an adnexa bottom relevant with inner liner at least at the cam mechanism that covers.Like this, when lid covered nozzle, said adnexa promoted inner liner, makes driving device reset.

Below, with accompanying drawings one embodiment of the present of invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is the profile that has the dosage measuring inhaler of dose indicating device according to of the present invention;

Fig. 2 A, 2B and 2C are the part sectioned views of inhaler, show the situation of predrive, preparation percussion and driving condition among the figure respectively;

Fig. 3 is the shaft side figure of dosage measuring shown in Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is the local shaft side figure than the mechanism shown in 3.

With reference to Fig. 1, an inhaler device mainly comprises; Body 400, it is generally cylindrical, has nozzle segment 405 at an end of body, and the air inlet 419 of end cap part 407 and housing is arranged at the other end.Aerosol apparatus supply container 25 of the prior art is generally cylindrical, and it is positioned at the body of device.The aerosol apparatus supply container has a quarter butt 40, and it comprises an aerosol apparatus distributing valve (not shown).Make the quarter butt 40 on the injector supply container 25 form airtight sealing on centre bore 15 its structures on the base 16 of housing.Shoulder 45 limits and has determined the position of quarter butt 40, and secondly it has also determined the position of injector supply container 25 on main body 400.Go out continuously from centre bore 15 outwardly directed passages 50 from shoulder 45 and link to each other with administration nozzle 55.

Be included among the lining 420 for the other end of medicine container, lining has a slightly little section part with respect to main body 400, lining 420 normally overlaps with the longitudinal axis of main body 400, and lining can slide in the inwall of main body, thereby forms the clear passage of air between main body and lining.As previously mentioned, lining 420 is by remaining on certain position with being connected of the barrier film 440 that is connected main body 400 tops, and like this, lining 420 has been suspended on the top of main body effectively.

The elastic diaphragm 440(of compression molding is shown in Fig. 2 c), its end comprises: inflexible plate-like part 441 is generally columniform flexible side walls part 445 and an inflexible ring-type adpting flange 447.The ring-type U-shaped axle that lining 420 has 450, one of a pair of corresponding ring-type adpting flanges to be stuck on

flange

447 and 450 seals 470, is used for gas-tight manner these elements being kept together.Another lip limit 418 of axle envelope provides a snap-fit for an end of compression spring 460, the compression spring with this as the location, and act directly on the lining, the other end seat of compression spring is on the annular flange of the outstanding cylinder flange lining 480 at the top that is contained in main body 40,480 comprise groove 485 on the flange lining, and the plate-like of elastic diaphragm 440 partly is stuck in the groove 485.

The shape of the top surface 422 of lining blind end is consistent with the shape of barrier film 440, to such an extent as to put in suction on the home position (predrive position) (shown in Fig. 2 A) of device, two surface locations are closely adjacent, and between them, the space of sealing is very little.

Garden cylindricality flange lining 480 is remained on certain position by end cap 407, end cap 407 comprises the top of this device main body 400, between the rigid element 441 of air intlet otch 419 and barrier film 440, form a cavity 590 like this, this cavity can have one or more air duct 580, thereby makes air to arrive nozzle 405 from air inlet otch 419.Barrier film has rigidity plate-like part 441 also to comprise a little valve port 495, and the diaphragm valve sealing 540 that this valve port normally is hinged on the blade 550 on the flange lining 480 is covered with.

When blade 550 is in meta, it just air inlet 419 and and air duct 580 between separate airtight chamber 590, passage 580 is communicated with nozzle, thereby can utilize the pressure reduction between air intlet and the nozzle to make blade leave its meta.Blade moves to activation point moves (Fig. 2 c) valve seal 540, thereby opens valve port 495 fully.Blade 550 can be closed by unillustrated pouring weight or Magnet biasing among a spring leaf or the figure.

As shown in Figure 1, a molding part 500 is arranged in the bottom of main body, it is positioned at the below of nozzle and is articulated and connected with dust cap, and cam 520 is integrally formed on each limit of each limit of dust cap 510 and mold pressing part 500.A cyclic lasso 425 is fastened to the lower end of lining 420, and have a pair of pole of stretching out 530 downwards, the lower reaction of pole so that when dust cap is in the closed position, is shifted neck bush onto by inverted cam its extreme higher position on cam 520.

When dust cap forwarded the enable possition to, the contour structure of cam makes the inverted cam freedom be displaced to downwards was enough to make this device to be driven.

Dust cap 510 (Fig. 2 A) when meta cuts out, and the pillar 530 of collar member remains on inner liner 420 topmost, so that the enclosed space between the top 422 of barrier film 440 and inner liner is in minimum state, and spring 460 is in compressive state.Effect lower valve port 495 at valve seal 540 is to close, and lining 420 is thrown off with the top of aerosol apparatus jar 25, and the aerosol apparatus jar is in unused state.

When dust cap is opened, rotate integral cam 520, make the cam-follower 530 initial stroke that descends.Inner liner further moves down under the effect of spring 460.Because inner liner moves down volume gain between the barrier film 440 that makes sealing and the neck bush.Because valve port 495 seals, thereby produce low pressure or near vacuum in the space 600 that between the upper surface 422 of lining 420 and barrier film 440, forms.Action of pressure between enclosed cavity 600 and the atmospheric pressure makes neck bush revolt the effect of spring 460, and when inner liner moved down, it just touched aerosol apparatus jar 25, and beginning compression spraying valve (not shown).

Till power between the resistance that pressure that the moving down of inner liner 420 will last till spring 460 and pressure reduction and spray valve compression produce balances each other.Fig. 2 B has described the position of preparing percussion.The physical dimension of device is to determine that like this it makes poised state occur in spray valve and is pressed onto fully before the operating position.

The driving of a typical aerosol apparatus needs about 20 Newton force, and spring 460 should provide in view of the above than its bigger power preferably big 10%-50%.

Can also consider to form a dynamic balance before neck bush contact aerosol can, promptly spring force is resulted from the resistance institute balance on the neck bush by the pressure reduction effect.

When patient sucks by nozzle 405, on blade 550, produce a little pressure reduction, blade is diverted an end.Pressure differential causes that blade rotates to the operating position from meta.The design of blade and the air duct in chamber 590 580 makes it when the operating position, and air can freely flow to patient's suction inlet from air inlet 419.

The motion of blade 550 causes valve seal 540 to break away from the sealing station of valve port 495, and the unlatching of valve port allows air admission by the space that forms between barrier film 440 and the inner liner 420, thereby makes the space of this sealing reach atmospheric pressure.This has just caused the force unbalance that acts on cover 420 and the container 25.When patient inhales, lining and container move down (Fig. 2 c) under the effect of spring 460, cause the medicine of doses to discharge by administration nozzle 55, and enter inlet nozzle simultaneously.Like this, patient's inhaled air just has the medicine of doses.

Suck the medicine of doses patient after, dust cap 510 is got back to detent position, and this has just rotated cam 520, and causes that the pole 530 of cover 425 moves up.Subsequent it act on the neck bush 420, make it to move up, thus the space between compression spring 460 sealing barrier films 440 and the inner liner top surface 422.Move on the lining 420 air is extruded this space, air cock 495 is mentioned valve seal 540.Because valve seal is just setovered slightly to its detent position, the resistance that air is subjected to when flowing out enclosed cavity is very little, and aerosol can return meta under its spray valve spring action.

Patient firmly goes into aerosol apparatus administration vessel pressure in the main body in the use, aerosol container can load by body 400 being divided into two parts 350,360, these two separating parts are connected by a cyclic spiral connecting piece 370, when the top 350 with main body 400 screws off, aerosol container can be inserted, then, the neck bush 420 that top 350 is positioned at the top of jar replaces, and this device just enters user mode.As previously mentioned, this device can be made sealing unit.

The structure of suction apparatus is also set forth with operating among the WO92/09323, and this patent application can be as reference paper.

Suction apparatus can be provided with according to dosage provided by the invention indicating mechanism, and wherein the top 407 of the main body 400 of inhaler has observation window 100, can see digital or other dosage indicia that is contained on the ring 101 by observation window.Ring 101 is positioned at by 407 determined ring-type dimple places, body top.

Ring 101 has many ratchets 103 that are located at inside and axioversion in its upper end.

Ring 101 is provided with labelling along circumference on the direction in Fig. 3 shown in the arrow, and the medicine of doses is provided with predetermined amount from aerosol container 25 at every turn.Indicator elment 109 on the cover 420 is by suitable elastic strip material (for example spring steel) manufacturing is arranged, and has a plate base component 108 that is fixed on cover 420 outer walls, the free end of steel band is outwardly-bent and form indicator elment 109, and it tilts with respect to the axial direction of ring 101.Cut out rectangle part 107 indicator elment 109 being connected on the elastic arm part of base component 108, thereby connection is formed by the edge 105,106 of upper and lower.This structure is that indicator elment 109 has produced an elastic support structure, and indicator elment 109 has higher torsional rigid, but flexible stronger along its length direction.Adopt this method, in each backhaul, indicator elment can radially curve inwardly along ring 101 at an easy rate, sees for details hereinafter.

The axis of the index face 110 same relative main bodys 400 of internal tooth 103 and indicator elment 109 tilts.When the cover 420 move down fully with from aerosol container 25 ejection doses medicine the time, indicator elment 109 moves to its bottom, (as Fig. 4), thus cause that Marking ring 101 changes the dosage display digit at watch window 100 places by pre-set recruitment.

In fact, when the extreme higher position of indicator elment 109, between indicator elment 109 and internal tooth 103, very little amount of floating is arranged at it.As indicated above, when the respiration drive device placed the position of uncap 510, amount of floating had just been eliminated when the initial movable of cover 420.The initial movable amount of indicator elment 109 is approximately 1 millimeter.

When this device during by respiration drive, when nozzle drives, just provide the medicine of doses at nozzle segment 405, indicator elment 109 has also been finished the whole stroke of its about 4.5mm.At the not end of the stroke of indicator elment 109, height at this moment is approximately 8mm, and indicator elment 109 still keeps the engagement (as shown in Figure 4) with tooth 103.In backhaul, indicator elment 109 at first meshes with the tooth 103 that the next one tilts, and flexibly strides across that tooth then to mesh with next tooth, prepares to carry out next one indication operation.Indicator elment meshes with tooth 103 at first in its impulse stroke, and tooth depth is approximately 2mm, and spacing is approximately 1.5mm.

When cover 425 is raised when device is resetted, by shut-off nozzle lid 510, the inboard of the ratchet 103 of indicator elment 109 on ring 101 radially bends, up to it upper position with next by tooth 102 determined engagement till, just get ready for next follow-up indication operation this moment.

Preferably, have only when inner liner 420 to be moved down into when being enough to make the medicine of doses to spray from aerosol apparatus 25, dose indicating device just works.So, only open nozzle cover 510 and make device be in cocked position (Fig. 2 B), will not cause that the indication action takes place the drug dose indicating device.

Form a gap 608 between this external tooth 103, make that like this indicating ring 101 no longer shows that by indicator elment 109 indication of " sky " at this moment will appear in the observation window 100 after the medicine of maximum has sprayed from injector jar 25.

This device can also provide a kind of like this function, promptly is failure to actuate when being lower than predetermined air velocity, for example: be lower than 10 to 30 liters/minute.In one embodiment, blade 550 will be setovered by a spring, like this, in order to displace it to the operating position and valve to be opened, must reach minimum air mass flow.

The main body of doser is preferably used the plastics manufacturing, for example: the polystyrene of polypropylene, acetal or mold pressing etc.But it also can be made with metal or other suitable material.

Claims

1, be used for to supply with the doser of the feed system (25) of discontinuous dose drug, this device comprises a housing (400), it is used for holding medicine feed system (25), this housing has an inhalation nozzle (405), also has a dosage indicating device, this indicating device comprises an annular or an arc dosage indicating member (101), it is installed in rotation on the housing (400), from hull outside, the part of indicating member is visible, also comprise an indicator elment (109), this indicator elment is transportable when discharging the medicine of doses, thereby be used to refer to the state that drug dose increases gradually on indicating member (101), it is characterized in that driving device (420,440,460,550) be contained on the housing, and act on the end away from said nozzle (405) of medicine feed system (25), thereby the medicine that produces doses is supplied with, indicating member (101) is contained in the part (420) that also centers in the housing with the driving device associated, indicator elment (109) is contained on the said part (420), indicator elment when the medicine feed system is driven (109) moves on an axial direction and by indicating member (101), when when another opposite axial direction moves, driving device being resetted, thereby only along a described direction, it is the state that increases that each indication action of said indicator elment (109) is embodied on the indicating member.

2, according to the doser of claim 1, it is characterized in that said driving device (420,440,460,550) when suction action takes place in said nozzle (405 place) by respiration drive.

3, according to the doser of claim 1, it is characterized in that indicating member (101) has internal tooth (103), they and indicator elment (109) mesh, the mate of internal tooth (103) and indicator elment (109) tilts with respect to the rotation axis of indicating member (101), indicator elment (109) is flexibly installed, thereby indicator elment (109) can be moved inward by internal tooth (103) when driving device is mobile in the opposite direction.

4,, it is characterized in that said indicator elment (109) passes through coupling part (105,106) and links on the said part (420), and flexibly setovered to said internal tooth (103) according to the doser of claim 3.

5,, it is characterized in that said coupling part makes of elastomeric material, so that make indicator elment be partial to said internal tooth (103) according to the doser of claim 4.

6,, it is characterized in that said coupling part comprises the elasticity adjoining edge (105,106) of two each intervals according to the doser of claim 4.

7, according to the doser of claim 1, it is characterized in that said driving device comprises a loading element (420), the said end engagement of it and medicine feed system (25), said indicator elment (109) is contained on the said loading element, also comprise the device (460) that said loading element (420) is loaded, it drives said medicine feed system; Limit the device (440) of said charger (460); And the device (550) that discharges said restraint device (440).

8, according to the doser of claim 7, it is characterized in that said restraint device (440) comprises that one is used for applying the device of air damping power, this damping force can prevent that said charger (460) from driving said medicine feed system (25).

9, according to the doser of claim 1, it is characterized in that the lid (510) that is used for said nozzle (405) on the housing is installed in housing movably, one cam structure (520) is positioned at said lid (510) top, and with an adnexa (530) lower end interlock, the said part connection of adnexa (530) and driving device.Make that so said adnexa moves said part makes driving device reset when said lid is closed, thereby just along the said said indicator elment (109) that moves axially.

10, according to the doser and a medicine feed system molectron of claim 1, this molectron is one to give the form of medicine container (25) and a valve is arranged, and this valve can be actuated to discharge the atomization medicine of the pressurization of doses.

11, a doser and a dry-powder medicament feed system molectron according to claim 1, this dry powder drugs feed system is positioned at said enclosure interior, and be fit to be used for the dispensing medicine, when this system is driven, the air-flow that the powdered drug of doses is formed in said housing is carried secretly, and the generation of air-flow derives from the suction effect that said nozzle (405) is located.