Claims for Patent: 6,315,173

Summary for Patent: 6,315,173

Title:	Valve for aerosol container
Abstract:	Valve for an aerosol container for dispensing a suspension of a substance in a liquid propellant contained therein The valve comprises a valve body (1) having at least one orifice (16) to allow a quantity of the suspension to pass from the container into the valve. The valve further comprises a ring (18) disposed around the valve body (1), the ring being positioned below the at least one orifice to reduce the volume of suspension that can be accommodated within the container below the at least one orifice when the container is orientated with the valve at the bottom, the ring having at least one portion of reduced axial thickness to provide a trough (19) around the valve body below the at least one orifice.
Inventor(s):	Di Giovanni; Patrick (Le Vaudrueil, FR), Rogerson; Cheryl Vanessa (Essex, GB)
Assignee:	SmithKline Beecham Corporation (Research Triangle Park, NC)
Application Number:	09/709,084
Patent Claims:	1. A metering valve comprising: a valve body; a metering chamber; a valve stem; one or more stem seals; at least one orifice in the valve body; and, a ring having a trough disposed around the valve body, wherein the ring further includes an annular wall interrupted with a plurality of slots forming a plurality of vanes, wherein, upon shaking of the valve, the suspension flows around the plurality of vanes assisting in dispersion of drug particles in the suspension; wherein the metering valve is suitable for dispensing a suspension of drug particles in a liquid propellant, and, wherein the drug is a member selected from the group consisting of salmeterol, salbutamol, formoterol, ipratroprium, fluticasone, beclomethasone, budesonide, terbutaline, salts, esters and solvates thereof, and combinations thereof. 2. The metering valve of claim 1 including an upper stem seal and a lower stem seal. 3. The metering valve of claim 2, wherein the ring further includes a seat adapted to accommodate a gasket to seal the container. 4. The metering valve of claim 1, wherein the at least one orifice is at least one slot extending substantially axially. 5. The metering valve of claim 1 further including a sampling chamber, wherein the at least one slot extends substantially the axial length of the sampling chamber. 6. The metering valve of claim 5 including more than two slots. 7. The valve of claim 1 including more than 2 slots and more than 2 vanes. 8. The valve of claim 1 wherein the drug is fluticasone propionate. 9. The metering valve of claim 1, wherein the ring is further capable of reducing the volume of suspension accompanied within a container below the at least one orifice when the container is oriented with the valve at the bottom, wherein the trough is circumferential around the valve body. 10. The metering valve of claim 1 comprising 6 slots and 6 vanes. 11. The metering valve of claim 1 wherein the drug is a combination of a salt, ester or solvate of salmeterol and fluticasone. 12. The metering valve of claim 11, wherein the drug is a combination of salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate. 13. The metering valve of claim 1, wherein the drug is salmeterol xinafoate. 14. The metering valve of claim 1, wherein the drug is salbutamol sulfate. 15. The metering valve of claim 1, wherein the drug is beclomethasone dipropionate. 16. The metering valve of claim 1, wherein the drug is a combination of ipratroprium bromide and salmeterol xinafoate. 17. The metering valve of claim 1, wherein the ring is constructed from nylon. 18. The metering valve of claim 1, wherein the ring is adapted to be friction fitted with the valve body. 19. The metering valve of claim 18, wherein the ring includes an inner annular contacting rim adapted to friction fitted to the valve body. 20. The metering valve of claim 1, wherein the propellant is HFA 134A. 21. A metering valve comprising: a valve body; a means for metering a suspension of drug particles in a liquid propellant; a valve stem; one or more means for sealing the valve stem; at least one orifice in the valve body; a ring disposed around the valve body and positioned below the at least one orifice; a means, below the at least one orifice, for collecting drug particle sediment; and, means for assisting in the dispersion of the drug particles in the liquid propellant, wherein the metering valve is suitable for dispensing the suspension, and wherein the drug is a member selected from the group consisting of salmeterol salbutamol, formoterol, ipratroprium, fluticasone, beclomethasone, budesonide, terbutaline, salts, esters and solvates thereof, and combinations thereof. 22. A metering valve comprising: a valve body; at least one orifice, a sampling chamber having an axial length, a ring having a trough and an annular wall interrupted with a plurality of slots and a plurality of vanes, the ring disposed around the valve body, a metering chamber, a transfer passage between the sampling chamber and the metering chamber, a valve stem, one or more stem seals; and, a dispensing passage within the valve stem, wherein the valve stem is slibeably moveable within the valve body such that in a first position the dispensing passage is isolated from the metering chamber and the metering chamber is in communication with the sampling chamber via the transfer passage, wherein the valve stem is slideably moveable within the valve body such that in a second position the dispensing passage is in communication with the metering chamber and the transfer passage is isolated from the metering chamber, wherein the metering valve is suitable for dispensing a suspension of drug particles in a liquid propellant, and wherein the drug is a member selected from the group consisting of salmeterol, salbutamol, formoterol, ipratroprium, fluticasone, beclomethasone, budesonide, terbutaline, salts, esters and solvates thereof, and combinations thereof. 23. A metered dose inhaler comprising: an aerosol container containing a suspension of drug particles in a liquid propellant in communication with a valve comprising: a valve body; a metering chamber; a valve stem; one or more stem seals; at least one orifice in the valve body to allow a quantity of the suspension to pass from the container into the valve; and, a ring having a trough disposed around the valve body, wherein the ring further includes an annular wall interrupted with a plurality of slots forming a plurality of vanes, wherein, upon shaking of the aerosol container, the suspension flows around the plurality of vanes assisting in dispersion of drug particles in the suspension, and, wherein the drug is a member selected from the group consisting of salmeterol, salbutamol, formoterol, ipratroprium, fluticasone, beclomethasone, budesonide, terbutaline, salts, esters and solvates thereof, and combinations thereof. 24. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 wherein the drug is salmeterol xinafoate. 25. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 wherein the drug is salbutamol sulphate. 26. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 wherein the drug is beclomethasone dipropionate. 27. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 wherein the drug is a combination of salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate. 28. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 wherein the drug is a combination of a salt, ester or solvate of salmeterol and ipratroprium. 29. The metered dose inhaler of claim 28 wherein the drug is a combination of salmeterol xinafoate and ipratroprium bromide. 30. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 wherein the propellant is 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane. 31. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23, wherein the at least one orifice is at least one slot extending substantially axially. 32. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 further including a sampling chamber, wherein the at least one slot extends substantially the axial length of the sampling chamber. 33. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 including more than two slots. 34. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23, wherein the ring further includes a seat adapted to accommodate a gasket to seal the container. 35. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 including more than 2 slots and more than 2 vanes. 36. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 wherein the ring is further capable of reducing the volume of suspension accompanied within the container below the at least one orifice when the container is oriented with the valve at the bottom, wherein the trough is circumferential around the valve body, and wherein the trough is provided by a portion of reduced axial thickness in the ring below the at least one orifice. 37. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 wherein the drug is a member selected from the group consisting of formoterol, terbutaline, and salts, esters and solvates thereof. 38. The metered dose inhaler of claim 23 comprising 6 slots and 6 vanes. 39. A metered dose inhaler comprising: a means for containing a suspension of drug particles in a liquid propellant in communication with a valve comprising: a valve body; a means for metering the suspension; a valve stem; one or more means for sealing the valve stem; at least one orifice in the valve body to allow a quantity of the suspension to pass from the containing means into the valve; and, a ring having a means, disposed around the valve body, for collecting drug particle sediment, wherein the ring further includes an annular wall interrupted with a plurality of slots forming a plurality of vanes, wherein, upon shaking of the containing means, the suspension flows around the plurality of vanes assisting in dispersion of drug particles in the suspension, and, wherein the drug is a member selected from the group consisting of salmeterol, salbutamol, formoterol, ipratroprium, fluticasone, beclomethasone, budesonide, terbutaline, salts, esters and solvates thereof, and combinations thereof.