Medicament dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636471-B2
Application number	US-201313969849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2013
Priority date	Jan 25, 2002
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

There is provided a medicament dispenser for use with plural elongate form medicament carriers, each having multiple distinct medicament dose portions carried thereby, the dispenser having a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the distinct medicament dose portions carried by each of the plural medicament carriers. The mechanism comprises a receiving station for receiving each of the plural medicament carriers; a release for releasing a distinct medicament dose portion from each of the plural medicament carriers on receipt thereof by the receiving station; an outlet, positioned to be in communication with the distinct medicament dose portions releasable by said a release; and an indexer for individually indexing the distinct medicament dose portions of each of the plural medicament carriers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inhalation device comprising:
a first elongate form medicament carrier which carries multiple distinct medicament dose portions of a first medicament powder;
a second elongate form medicament carrier which carries multiple distinct medicament dose portions of a second medicament powder; said second medicament powder:
(a) is different to the first medicament powder, and
(b) has a dosing regimen which is different to that of the first medicament powder;

an outlet through which the dose portions of the carriers are able to be dispensed to a person in need thereof; and
an operating mechanism which is operable for incrementally advancing the medicament carriers to position the dose portions thereof in communication with the outlet for dispensing therefrom;
wherein the inhalation device is adapted such that operation of the operating mechanism results in the dose portions of the first and second carriers being selectively positioned in communication with the outlet in a sequence which corresponds to their respective dosing regimens;
wherein:
(i) upon each operation of the operating mechanism a dose portion of the first carrier is positioned in communication with the outlet, and
(ii) upon each Nth operation of the operating mechanism a dose portion of the second carrier is positioned in communication with the outlet;

wherein N is a whole number greater than 1; and
wherein the dose portions of the first and second carriers are uniformly spaced-apart along the lengths thereof, the uniform spacing on the second carrier is N times that on the first carrier, and the operating mechanism is adapted upon each operation to incrementally advance the first and second carriers by the spacing on the first carrier whereby upon each Nth operation of the operating mechanism a dose portion from each of the first and second carriers is positioned in communication with the outlet for simultaneous dispensing therefrom.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein each medicament carrier is sized and shaped to carry non-equivalent dose portions.

3. A device according to claim 1 , wherein each medicament carrier is sized and shaped to carry equivalent dose portions.

4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the medicament carriers are arranged in the device in ‘side-by-side’ configuration.

5. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said operating mechanism comprises means to access medicament carried by said medicament carriers by a rupturing, puncturing, tearing or peeling action.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said medicament carriers are peelable blister strips and the operating mechanism comprises a peeler for peeling apart the blister strips.

7. A device according to claim 6 , wherein each said peelable blister strip comprises a base sheet in which blisters are formed to define pockets therein for containing distinct medicament dose portions and a lid sheet that is hermetically sealable to the base sheet except in the region of the blisters in such a manner that the lid sheet and the base sheet can be peeled apart.

8. A method of dispensing an inhalation therapy comprising:
(a) providing a device according to claim 1 ; and
(b) dispensing the medicament powders therefrom.

9. A device according to claim 1 , wherein N is 2.

10. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the operating mechanism comprises plural distinct indexers, each for indexing a respective medicament carrier.

11. A device according to claim 10 , wherein said plural distinct indexers are mutually coupled.

12. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the operating mechanism includes a manually-operable member for operating the operating mechanism.

13. A device according to claim 1 , wherein each medicament dose portion of each medicament carrier comprises a single active medicament component.

14. A device according to claim 13 , wherein each medicament dose portion of the first medicament carrier comprises a bronchodilator as the active medicament component and each medicament dose portion of the second medicament carrier comprises an anti-inflammatory as the active medicament component.

15. A device according to claim 14 , wherein said bronchodilator is a beta-agonist and said anti-inflammatory is a steroid.

16. A device according to claim 1 , wherein each medicament dose portion of at least one medicament carrier comprises plural active medicament components.

17. A device according to claim 16 , wherein each medicament dose portion of the first medicament carrier comprises a single active medicament component and each medicament dose portion of the second medicament carrier comprises plural active medicament components.

18. A device according to claim 17 , wherein said plural active medicaments comprise a bronchodilator and an anti-inflammatory.

19. A device according to claim 18 , wherein said bronchodilator is a beta-agonist and said anti-inflammatory is a steroid.

20. An inhalation device comprising:
a first elongate form medicament carrier which carries multiple distinct medicament dose portions of a first medicament powder;
a second elongate form medicament carrier which carries multiple distinct medicament dose portions of a second medicament powder; said second medicament powder:
(a) is different to the first medicament powder, and
(b) has a dosing regimen which is different to that of the first medicament powder;

an outlet through which the dose portions of the carriers are able to be dispensed to a person in need thereof; and
an operating mechanism which is operable for incrementally advancing the medicament carriers to position the dose portions thereof in communication with the outlet for dispensing therefrom;
wherein the inhalation device is adapted such that operation of the operating mechanism results in the dose portions of the first and second carriers being selectively positioned in communication with the outlet in a sequence which corresponds to their respective dosing regimens;
wherein:
(i) upon each operation of the operating mechanism the first carrier is incrementally advanced to position a dose portion of the first carrier in communication with the outlet, and
(ii) upon each Nth operation of the operating mechanism the second carrier is incrementally advanced to position a dose portion of the second carrier in communication with the outlet; and

wherein N is a whole number greater than 1 and the second carrier is incrementally advanced only upon each Nth operation whereby upon each Nth operation of the operating mechanism a dose portion from each of the first and second carriers is positioned in communication with the outlet for simultaneous dispensing therefrom.

21. A device according to claim 20 , wherein the dose portions of each carrier are uniformly spaced-apart and the spacing is equivalent for each carrier.

22. A device according to claim 20 , wherein N is 2.

23. A method of dispensing an inhalation therapy comprising:
(a) providing a device according to claim 20 ; and
(b) dispensing the medicament powders therefrom.

24. A device according to claim 20 , wherein the spacing of the multiple distinct dose portions is non-equivalent for each medicament carrier.

25. A device according to claim 20 , wherein the multiple distinct dose portions of each medicament carrier are uniformly spaced.

26. An inhalation device comprising:
a first elongate form medicament ca

Assignees

• Glaxo Group Ltd

Inventors

• Anderson Gregor John Mclennan
• Bonney Stanley George
• Davies Michael Birsha
• Lintell Daniel Thomas
• Wilson Alan Anthony

Classifications

• A61M15/0078

  on a strip · CPC title

• A61M2016/0021

  with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor · CPC title

• A61M15/0021

  Mouthpieces therefor · CPC title

• A61M15/0045 Primary

  using multiple prepacked dosages on a same carrier, e.g. blisters · CPC title

• A61M15/0051 Primary

  the dosages being arranged on a tape, e.g. strips · CPC title