Claims for Patent: 8,528,545

Summary for Patent: 8,528,545

Title:	Inhaler device that reduces the risk for miscounting a dosage
Abstract:	Inhaler device (10) comprising an actuator body (20) and an inhaler canister assembly (70), the inhaler canister assembly (70) is comprised of a canister (30) with a metering valve at a valve end and a dose counter unit (60) attached to a base end thereof. Further, the inhaler canister assembly (70) comprises first position ensuring means (110, 230), the actuator body comprises second position ensuring means (120,210), wherein the first and second position ensuring means being complementary mating means, and the first and second position ensuring means being so arranged that the inhaler device (10) cannot be fired, nor the counter unit (60) count unless the first and second position ensuring means are in a mating relationship. There is also provided an inhaler canister assembly (70) and an actuator body (20).
Inventor(s):	Hodson; Darren (Leicestershire, GB), Treneman; William (Cambridgeshire, GB)
Assignee:	AstraZeneca AB (Sodertaije, SE)
Application Number:	11/571,645
Patent Claims:	1. An inhaler device, comprising: an actuator body and an inhaler canister assembly, the actuator body having a proximally located opening configured to receive part of the inhaler canister assembly, the inhaler canister assembly is comprised of a canister with a distally located metering valve and a proximally located dose counter unit, wherein the inhaler canister assembly comprises a proximally located first position-ensuring member, the actuator body comprises a proximally located second position-ensuring member, wherein at least one of the first and second position-ensuring members includes a protrusion and the other of the first and second position-ensuring members includes an aperture configured to receive part of the protrusion to form a complementary mating system, and the first and second position-ensuring members being so arranged that the inhaler device cannot be fired, nor the dose counter unit count unless the first and second position-ensuring members are in a mating relationship whereby the protrusion is aligned with the aperture during a normal state and the protrusion extends through the aperture to actuate the counter unit during a firing state. 2. The inhaler device according to claim 1, wherein the inhaler device is fired by a relative motion of the inhaler canister assembly with respect to the actuator body, and the first and second position-ensuring members being arranged to prevent said relative motion of the inhaler canister assembly, when they are positioned in a non mating relationship whereby the protrusion does not align with the aperture. 3. The inhaler device according to claim 1, wherein the aperture includes at least one of a mating aperture, a groove, and a slit in the inhaler canister assembly. 4. The inhaler device according to claim 1, wherein the first position-ensuring member is formed in the dose counter unit. 5. The inhaler device according to claim 4, wherein the second position-ensuring member is arranged to act as an actuator for the dose counter unit. 6. The inhaler device according to claim 4, wherein, when the canister assembly is placed in the actuator body, the first and second position-ensuring members are covered by a protecting shield that extends downwards from the dose counter unit adjacent to an outer surface of the actuator body. 7. The inhaler device according to claim 4, further including a guiding system for guiding the second position-ensuring member into mating relationship with the first position-ensuring member. 8. The inhaler device according to claim 7, wherein the guiding system is provided on an inner side of a protecting shield. 9. The inhaler device according to claim 7, wherein the guiding system is provided between the first position-ensuring member and an outer surface of the canister. 10. The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the first position-ensuring member and the second position-ensuring member are located adjacent to a proximal end of the canister. 11. The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the canister is attached to the dose counter unit. 12. The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the aperture is formed in a bottom surface of the inhaler canister assembly and the protrusion extends from a top edge of the actuator body. 13. The inhaler device of claim 12, wherein the bottom surface is substantially planar. 14. The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the first position-ensuring member includes a bottom surface of the dose counter unit. 15. The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the dose counter unit is located proximal to the canister. 16. The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the protrusion at least partially resides within the aperture during the normal state. 17. The inhaler device of claim 1, further including a third position-ensuring member having a second protrusion and a fourth position-ensuring member having a second aperture configured to receive part of the second protrusion, the third and fourth position-ensuring member being so arranged that the inhaler device cannot be fired, nor the counter unit count unless the second protrusion at least partially resides within the second aperture. 18. The inhaler device of claim 1, wherein the canister includes a medicament. 19. An inhaler canister assembly comprising: a canister with a distally located metering valve and a proximally located dose counter unit, the inhaler canister assembly forming an inhaler device when combined with an actuator body having an opening configured to receive at least part of the canister; and a proximally located first position-ensuring member that is configured to complementary mate with a second position-ensuring member of the actuator body, wherein the first position-ensuring member includes at least one of a protrusion and an aperture that is configured to complementary mate with a respective aperture or protrusion of the second position-ensuring member, and the first position-ensuring member being so arranged that the inhaler device cannot be fired, nor the dose counter unit count unless the first position-ensuring member is in a mating relationship with the second position-ensuring member, whereby the protrusion is configured to align with the aperture during a normal state and the protrusion is configured to extend through the aperture to actuate the counter unit during a firing state. 20. The inhaler canister of claim 19, wherein the canister includes a medicament. 21. An actuator body forming an inhaler device when combined with an inhaler canister assembly, the inhaler canister assembly is comprised of a canister with a metering valve located at a distal end, and a dose counter unit located at a proximal end thereof, the actuator body comprising: a proximally located opening configured to receive part of the inhaler canister assembly and a proximally located second position-ensuring member that is configured to complementary mate with a first position-ensuring member of the inhaler canister assembly, wherein the second position-ensuring member includes at least one of a protrusion and an aperture that is configured to complementary mate with a respective aperture or protrusion of the first position-ensuring member, and the second position-ensuring member being so arranged that the inhaler device cannot be fired, nor the dose counter unit count unless the second position-ensuring member is in a mating relationship with the first position-ensuring member, whereby the protrusion is configured to align with the aperture during a normal state and the protrusion is configured to extend through the aperture to actuate the counter unit during a firing state. 22. The inhaler canister of claim 21, wherein the canister includes a medicament. 23. An inhaler device comprising: an inhaler canister assembly comprising a canister and a dose counter unit, the canister comprising a metering valve, the dose counter unit comprising a counting actuator, the inhaler canister assembly including two apertures with at least one aperture providing access to the counting actuator; an actuator body receiving the canister, the actuator body comprising two protrusions, the two protrusions being complementary to the two apertures such that, when the two protrusions are aligned with the two apertures, the actuator body can be moved relative to the inhaler canister assembly to actuate the metering valve and to pass at least one of the two protrusions through the at least one aperture to actuate the dose counter mechanism, wherein the two protrusions, when not aligned with the two apertures, prevent the relative movement of the actuator body and the inhaler canister assembly in a direction that would actuate the metering valve. 24. The inhaler device of claim 23, wherein the two protrusions, when not aligned with the two apertures, prevent the relative movement of the actuator body and the inhaler canister assembly in a direction that would actuate the metering valve by abutting a surface of the inhaler canister assembly. 25. The inhaler device of claim 23, wherein at least one of the two apertures is a slit. 26. The inhaler device of claim 23, wherein the dose counter unit comprises a counter housing containing the counting actuator, wherein the counter housing defines the at least one aperture providing access to the counting actuator. 27. The inhaler device of claim 26, wherein the two protrusions, when not aligned with the two apertures, prevent the relative movement of the actuator body and the inhaler canister assembly in a direction that would actuate the metering valve by abutting a surface of the counter housing. 28. The inhaler device of claim 23, wherein the inhaler canister assembly further comprises a protecting shield that extends from the dose counter unit adjacent the actuator body. 29. The inhaler device of claim 28, wherein the protecting shield covers the two protrusions and the two apertures to protect against obstruction of their relative movement and to obstruct external access to the two apertures. 30. The inhaler device of claim 28, wherein the protecting shield comprises a ridge to guide the two protrusions into the two apertures. 31. The inhaler device of claim 23, wherein the canister includes a medicament.