Claims for Patent: 6,036,942

Summary for Patent: 6,036,942

Title:	Seal configuration for aerosol canister
Abstract:	An aerosol canister for containing a medicinal aerosol formulation. The canister involves a vial body and a valve ferrule sealed by first and second sealing members to form a chamber that contains the medicinal aerosol formulation.
Inventor(s):	Alband; Todd D. (Eagan, MN)
Assignee:	3M Innovative Properties Company (St. Paul, MN)
Application Number:	09/110,795
Patent Claims:	1. An aerosol canister containing a medicinal aerosol formulation, comprising: a vial body, a first seal, a second seal, and a valve ferrule comprising a metered dose valve, wherein the vial body has walls defining a vial opening, the valve ferrule occludes the vial opening and the vial body and the valve ferrule define a chamber, the first sealing member is disposed relatively nearer the chamber, the second sealing member is disposed relatively removed from the chamber, and the valve ferrule and vial body are in opposing sealing engagement with each of the sealing; members and wherein the medicinal aerosol formulation comprises a propellant comprising 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane or 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane. 2. An aerosol canister according to claim 1, wherein the first seal comprises a thermoplastic elastomer comprising a copolymer of about 80 to about 95 percent ethylene and a total of about 5 percent to about 20 percent of one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of 1-butene, 1-hexene, and 1-octene. 3. An aerosol canister according to claim 2, wherein the first seal further comprises talc in an amount effective to reduce and/or eliminate tack. 4. An aerosol canister according to claim 1, wherein the first seal comprises a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene copolymer. 5. An aerosol canister according to claim 1, wherein the second seal comprises Buna rubber, neoprene, butyl rubber, or nitrile rubber. 6. An aerosol canister according to claim 1, wherein the medicinal aerosol formulation further comprises ethanol. 7. An aerosol canister according to claim 1, wherein the first seal comprises a thermoplastic elastomer comprising a copolymer of about 80 to about 95 percent ethylene and a total of about 5 percent to about 20 percent of one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of 1-butene, 1-hexene, and 1-ocetene, or a thermoplastic elastomer comprising a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene copolymer, and the second seal comprises Buna rubber, neoprene, butyl rubber, or nitrile rubber, and wherein the first seal and the second seal are integral with one another. 8. An aerosol canister containing a medicinal aerosol formulation, comprising: a generally cylinidrical vial body having exterior wall and an annular rim defining an opening, a valve ferrule comprising a metered dose valve and having an annular gasket surface and a generally cylindrical flange, a ferrule gasket, and an o-ring seal, wherein The gasket surface of the valve ferrule and the annular rim of the vial body are in opposing sealing engagement with the ferrule gasket, and the valve ferrule occludes the opening in the vial body to define a chamber, The flange of the valve ferrule extends along the exterior wall of the vial body, and the vial body and the flange are in opposing sealing engagement with the o-ring; and Wherein the medicinal aerosol formulation comprises a propellant comprising 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane or 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoroproane. 9. An aerosol canister according to claim 8, wherein the first seal comprises a thermoplastic elastomer comprising a copolymer of about 80 to about 95 percent ethylene and a total of about 5 percent to about 20 percent of one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of 1-butene, 1-hexene, and 1-octene. 10. An aerosol canister according to claim 9, wherein the first seal further comprises talc in an amount effective to reduce and/or eliminate tack. 11. An aerosol canister according to claim 8, wherein the first seal comprises a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene copolymer. 12. An aerosol canister according to claim 8, wherein the second seal comprises a Buna rubber. 13. An aerosol canister according to claim 8, wherein the medicinal aerosol formulation further comprises ethanol.