Claims for Patent: 4,627,432

Summary for Patent: 4,627,432

Title:	Devices for administering medicaments to patients
Abstract:	A device for administering medicaments to patients comprises a housing containing a cylindrical chamber. A support is arranged inside the chamber to support a carrier, such as a blister pack. The blister pack has a plurality of containers or blisters arranged in a circle. When a blister pack is located on the support its blisters are located in holes in the support member. A plunger is arranged to enter the chamber through a hole to engage and open a blister registered with it. When the blister is opened, medicament can be withdrawn by a patient inhaling through a mouthpiece. An external member is provided to rotate the support member to register the blister with the plunger in turn. Air can conveniently enter the chamber through a hole in a cover which is removable to permit blister packs to be loaded into the chamber onto the support member.
Inventor(s):	Newell; Robert E. (Pinner, GB2), Fitzsimmons; Robert A. (Egglestone, GB2)
Assignee:	Glaxo Group Limited (London, GB2)
Application Number:	06/540,203
Patent Claims:	1. A device for administering to patients medicaments contained in a plurality of containers arranged in a circle on a carrier, the said device being charactered by a housing with a chamber therein, an air inlet into the chamber, a circular disc having an axis substantially coaxial to the chamber axis and rotatable inside the chamber and provided with a plurality of apertures therethrough arranged in a circle, said apertures being sized and positioned so that each aperture is adapted to be aligned with a different container, the said disc being arranged so that the carrier can be placed in contact with one face of the disc with one of the containers located in each one of the apertures, an outlet through which a patient may inhale leading out of the chamber, an opening in said housing alignable with respective ones of the apertures in the disc as the disc is rotated, a plunger operatively connected to said housing and having a penetrating member, said penetrating member being displaceable to pass through said opening and the corresponding aperture in the disc registered with it thereby to penetrate and open a container located in the aperture so that the medicament will be released from the container and entrained in the air flow produced by a patient inhaling through the outlet, and means between said disc and said housing for rotatably indexing the disc to register each of the apertures in turn with the housing opening. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outlet is a mouthpiece which leads out of the chamber in a substantially radial direction. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a perforated guard is positioned so that air and medicament inhaled through the outlet will first pass through the guard. 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rotatable member is located outside the chamber and is connected with the circular disc so that rotation of the said member will cause rotation of the circular disc. 5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rim is defined inside the chamber and the circular disc is fitted inside the chamber and on the support but is removable to permit a carrier to be placed on the rim and thereafter clamped between the circular disc and the rim. 6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the chamber has a cover which is removable to permit a carrier to be inserted in the chamber and placed on the support, the plunger being carried by the cover. 7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a removable cover encloses said outlet, said cover having means for preventing operation of the plunger when the cover is fitted on said outlet. 8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carrier is a circular disc having a plurality of frangible containers containing a medicament in particulate form. 9. A device for the administration of medicaments to a patient comprising a common housing in which are located a plurality of devices as claimed in claim 1. 10. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier and containers are provided by a blister pack.