Claims for Patent: 8,006,690

Summary for Patent: 8,006,690

Title:	Reservoir pressure system for medicament inhaler
Abstract:	An inhaler includes an accurate and consistent mechanical dose metering system that dispenses dry powdered medicament in discrete amounts or doses for patient inhalation, a pressure relief system that manages pressure within a medicament reservoir of the inhaler to ensure consistently dispensed doses, and a dose counting system indicating the number of doses dispensed by or remaining in the inhaler.
Inventor(s):	O'Leary; David (Essex, GB)
Assignee:	Norton Healthcare Ltd (London, GB)
Application Number:	12/409,031
Patent Claims:	1. A medicament inhaler, comprising: a mouthpiece for patient inhalation; a delivery passageway for directing an inhalation induced air flow through the mouthpiece; a channel extending from the delivery passageway; a reservoir for containing medicament, the reservoir having a dispensing port connected to the channel; a cup received in the channel and movable between the dispensing port and the delivery passageway; a cup spring biasing the cup either towards the delivery passageway and away from the dispensing port or towards the dispensing port and away from the delivery passageway; and a yoke movable between at least two positions and including a ratchet operatively engaging the cup and preventing movement of the cup when the yoke is in one of the positions and allowing movement of the cup when the yoke is in another of the positions. 2. An inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the cup spring biases the cup from the dispensing port and towards the delivery passageway. 3. An inhaler according to claim 2, wherein the yoke further includes a push bar adapted to return the cup to the dispensing port of the reservoir upon movement of the yoke from the another position to the one position. 4. An inhaler according to claim 3, further comprising: at least one movable cam including at least two successive cam surfaces; and a spring biasing the yoke against the cam such that movement of the cam causes the yoke to successively engage the cam surfaces and move the yoke between the at least two positions. 5. An inhaler according to claim 4, wherein the cam includes three successive cam surfaces for moving the yoke between first, second and third positions, the ratchet being adapted to prevent movement of the cup to the passageway when the yoke is in the first and second positions and to allow movement of the cup to the passageway when the yoke is in the third position, and the push bar being adapted to return the cup to the dispensing port of the reservoir upon movement of the yoke to the first position. 6. An inhaler according to claim 5, further comprising a cover movable to open and close the mouthpiece, the cam being secured to the cover for movement therewith, whereby moving the cover to open and close the mouthpiece causes the yoke to move between the first, second and third positions. 7. An inhaler according to claim 4, wherein the cam is movable by rotation. 8. An inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir includes a volume of dry powdered medicament. 9. An inhaler according to claim 1, further comprising a de-agglomerator between the delivery passageway and the mouthpiece. 10. An inhaler according to claim 1, further comprising: a pawl extending from the yoke; a dose counter including a bobbin, a rotatable spool, a rolled ribbon received on the bobbin and rotatable about an axis of the bobbin, the ribbon having indicia thereon successively extending between a first end of the ribbon secured to the spool and a second end of the ribbon positioned on the bobbin, and teeth extending radially outward from the spool into a predetermined path of the pawl during movement of the yoke between the at least two positions so that the spool is rotated by the pawl and the ribbon is advanced onto the spool during movement of the cup between the dispensing port and the delivery passageway. 11. An inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the channel includes a pressure relief port, the inhaler further comprising: a conduit providing fluid communication between an interior of the reservoir and the pressure relief port; wherein the cup includes a recess adapted to receive medicament when aligned with the dispensing port of the reservoir, a first sealing surface adapted to seal the dispensing port when the recess is not aligned with the dispensing port, and a second sealing surface adapted to seal the pressure relief port when the recess is aligned with the dispensing port and to unseal the pressure relief port when the recess is not aligned with the dispensing port. 12. A medicament inhaler, comprising: a mouthpiece for patient inhalation; a delivery passageway for directing an inhalation induced air flow through the mouthpiece; a channel extending from the delivery passageway; a reservoir for containing medicament, the reservoir having a dispensing port connected to the channel; a cup received in the channel and movable between the dispensing port and the delivery passageway; a cup spring biasing the cup either towards the delivery passageway and away from the dispensing port or towards the dispensing port and away from the delivery passageway; a yoke movable between at least two positions and including a ratchet operatively engaging the cup and preventing movement of the cup when the yoke is in one of the positions and allowing movement of the cup when the yoke is in another of the positions; at least one movable cam including at least two successive cam surfaces; and a spring biasing the yoke against the cam such that movement of the cam causes the yoke to successively engage the cam surfaces and move the yoke between the at least two positions. 13. A medicament inhaler, comprising: a mouthpiece for patient inhalation; a delivery passageway for directing an inhalation induced air flow through the mouthpiece; a channel extending from the delivery passageway; a reservoir for containing medicament, the reservoir having a dispensing port connected to the channel; a cup received in the channel and movable between the dispensing port and the delivery passageway; a cup spring biasing the cup either towards the delivery passageway and away from the dispensing port or towards the dispensing port and away from the delivery passageway; a yoke movable between at least two positions and including a ratchet operatively engaging the cup and preventing movement of the cup when the yoke is in one of the positions and allowing movement of the cup when the yoke is in another of the positions; and a de-agglomerator between the delivery passageway and the mouthpiece.