Medicinal inhaler refill assemblies comprising a lockout mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019111221-A1
Application number	US-201716090300-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 4, 2017
Priority date	Apr 5, 2016
Publication date	Apr 18, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refill assembly ( 129 ) for use in a medicinal inhaler ( 100 ). The refill assembly includes a patient port ( 110 ), and an adapter ( 118 ) configured to cause a dose of medicament to be released. The adapter is movable between a first position in which a dose of medicament is not released and a second position in which a dose of medicament is released. The refill assembly further includes a lockout member ( 117 ) movable between (i) a first (locked) position in which the adapter is not movable from its first position to its second position, and (ii) a second (unlocked) position in which the adapter is movable from its first position to its second position.

First claim

1 . A refill assembly for use in a medicinal inhaler and configured to be removably coupled to a reusable assembly of a medicinal inhaler, the refill assembly comprising:
a patient port; an adapter configured to cause a dose of medicament to be released, the adapter movable between a first position in which a dose of medicament is not released and a second position in which a dose of medicament is released; and a lockout member movable between (i) a first position in which the adapter is not movable from its first position to its second position, and (ii) a second position in which the adapter is movable from its first position to its second position; wherein the lockout member is in its first position when the refill assembly is not coupled to a reusable assembly and is in its second position when the refill assembly is coupled to a reusable assembly.

2 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , wherein when the lockout member is in the second position, the adapter is further movable from its second position to its first position.

3 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an axis that defines an axial direction that extends along or substantially parallel to the axis, and wherein the adapter is movable in the axial direction between its first position and its second position.

4 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an axis that defines an axial direction that extends along or substantially parallel to the axis, and wherein the adapter and the lockout member are movable in the axial direction relative to one another when the lockout member is in its second position.

5 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lockout member is rotatable between its first position and its second position.

6 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reusable assembly includes a dose release firing system configured to cause the adapter to move from its first position to its second position.

7 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adapter is configured to receive at least a portion of a canister, the canister comprising a medicament and a dose release valve, the adapter movable between a first position in which the dose release valve is not actuated to release a dose of medicament and a second position in which the dose release valve is actuated to release a dose of medicament.

8 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a memory device configured to be operatively coupled to a controller in the reusable assembly when the refill assembly and the reusable assembly are coupled together.

9 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lockout member is movable from its first position to its second position in response to the refill assembly and the reusable assembly being coupled together.

10 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adapter includes a first engagement feature and the lockout member includes a second engagement feature configured to engage the first engagement feature, and wherein the first engagement feature and the second engagement feature are not aligned or able to engage when the lockout member is in the first position, and wherein the first engagement feature and the second engagement feature are aligned and able to engage when the lockout member is in the second position.

11 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lockout member includes a first lockout engagement feature configured to engage a second lockout engagement feature of a reusable assembly, wherein the first lockout engagement feature and the second lockout engagement feature are movable relative to one another between a first position and a second position that correspond to the first position and the second position of the lockout member, respectively.

12 . The refill assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reusable assembly or the lockout member includes a socket dimensioned to receive a post of the lockout member or the reusable assembly, respectively, wherein the socket and the post are movable relative to one another between a first position and a second position that correspond to the first position and the second position of the lockout member, respectively.

13 . An inhaler comprising:
the refill assembly of claim 1 ; and a reusable assembly configured to be coupled to the refill assembly, the reusable assembly comprising a dose release firing system configured to cause the adapter to move from its first position to its second position.

14 . The inhaler of claim 13 , wherein the refill assembly is releasable from the reusable assembly after it has been coupled to the reusable assembly.

15 . The inhaler of claim 13 , wherein the dose release firing system is breath-actuated.

16 . The inhaler of claim 13 , further comprising an axis that defines an axial direction that extends along or substantially parallel to the axis, wherein the refill assembly and the reusable assembly are configured to be coupled together by moving the refill assembly and the reusable assembly toward one another in the axial direction.

17 . The inhaler of any of claim 13 , wherein the dose release firing system includes a stored energy device configured to drive the adapter from the first position to the second position when stored energy in the stored energy device is released, wherein the firing system is in a primed state when the stored energy is not released, and wherein the firing system is in a fired state when the stored energy is released.

18 . The inhaler of any of claim 13 , wherein the reusable assembly further includes a flow governor for governing airflow through the inhaler.

19 . The inhaler of any of claim 13 , wherein the reusable assembly further includes at least one of a controller, a power source, a display, and a pressure sensor.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Richardson William T
• May Robert
• Groombridge Christopher B J

Classifications

• A61M2205/50

  with microprocessors or computers · CPC title

• A61M15/009

  using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans (pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08) · CPC title

• A61M15/002 Primary

  with air flow regulating means · CPC title

• A61M15/0081

  Locking means · CPC title

• A61M15/0095

  Preventing manual activation in absence of inhalation · CPC title