CA2142666A1 - Inhalation apparatus - Google Patents
Inhalation apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA2142666A1 CA2142666A1 CA002142666A CA2142666A CA2142666A1 CA 2142666 A1 CA2142666 A1 CA 2142666A1 CA 002142666 A CA002142666 A CA 002142666A CA 2142666 A CA2142666 A CA 2142666A CA 2142666 A1 CA2142666 A1 CA 2142666A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- inhalation
- dosing
- dosing element
- supply chamber
- operating position
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M16/00—Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes
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- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Emergency Medicine (AREA)
- Pulmonology (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Anesthesiology (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
- Hematology (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Medicinal Preparation (AREA)
Abstract
The apparatus comprises a housing (1) which is provided with a mouthpiece (2) for the patient, one or more air inlet openings (5, 16) and an inhalation channel (2, 7, 3) connecting the latter to the mouthpiece. A supply chamber (10) for a pulverulentinhalation preparation and a dosing mechanism (8, 8a) are provided in the housing (1), by means of which a defined dose of inhalation preparation can be removed from the supply chamber (10) and introduced into the inhalation channel (2, 7, 3). The dosing mechanism comprises a dosing element (8) which can be displaced to and fro between an inoperative position and an operating position and which is provided with a dosing slot (8a) which in the inoperative position of the dosing element is situated inside the supply chamber (10) or in the region of an emptying aperture (10b) of the same and which receives there a defined dose of inhalation preparation corresponding to its volume from the supply chamber (10) and which in the operating position of the dosing element (8) is situated in the inhalation channel (2, 7, 3) and the inhalation preparation contained in it is discharged into the inhalation stream produced by the patient and flowing through the inhalation channel (2, 7, 3). The dosing element (8) is coupled to a piston (11), which is acted upon by parts at least of the inhalation stream and can be displaced by the latter, and is moved by the inhalation stream produced by the patient via this piston from its inoperative position into its operating position.
Description
21~2666 _ 1 -Franco Del Bon, 4663 Aarburg ~nh~l~tion apparatus 5 This invention relates to an inhalation apparatus according to the precharacterising clause of the independent claim, with a housing which is provided with a mouthpiece for the patient, one or more air inlet openings and an inhalation channel connecting the latter to the mouthpiece, with a supply chamber for a pulverulent inhalation preparation provided in the housing, and with a dosing mechanism by means of which a defined dose 10 of inhalation preparation can be removed from the supply chamber and introduced into the inh~lation channel, wherein the dosing mechanism comprises a dosing element which can be displaced to and fro between an inoperative position and an operating position and which is provided with a dosing slot which in the inoperative position of the dosing element is situated inside the supply chamber or in the region of an emptying aperture 15 of the same and which receives there a defined dose of inhalation preparationcorresponding to its volume from the supply chamber and which in the operating position of the dosing element is situated in the inhalation channel, which dosing element discharges the inhalation preparation contained in it into the inhalation stream produced by the patient and flowing through the inhalation channel.
Inhalation is a known method of taking medicmes for absorption in the respiratory tracts and in the lungs, for example. Various inhalation apparatuses are commercially available or have been described for this purpose, by means of which liquid or pulverulent preparations can be more or less efficiently and accurately introduced in 25 metered doses into the respiratory air stream of the patient. One of the most recent developments in this field, on which the present invention also builds, is an inhalation apparatus which is specially designed for pulverulent inhalation preparations, as expressly illustrated and described in International Patent Application No.
PCT/CH92/00164 (Publication Number WO 93/03782), published in March 1993.
A common characteristic of the inhalation apparatus known from WO 93/03782 and of many other known inhalation apparatuses of this type is that the inhalation preparation, `` 21~266~
a supply of which is usually contained in a chamber, is introduced in the form of a metered dose into the respiratory air stream of the patient by a manipulation carried out by the patient. Examples of such manipulations comprise the twisting of various parts of the inhalation apparatus in opposite directions, the displacing or turning of parts, or 5 clamping and releasing a corresponding mechanism. Alternatively, electrically or pnellm~ti~lly operated dosing mech~ni.~m~ are also known in other types of inhalation apparatuses; these are triggered either by a manipulation performed by the patient or by the respiratory air stream produced on inhalation.
10 Experience has shown that in practice dosage errors occur time after time in association with inhalation apparatuses of this type, either because the dosing operation was carried out several times, or because it was not carried out correctly or was forgotten anyway.
According to experience, the instinct to play with the apparatus and lack of concentration can represent significant factors of influence in this respect. Another problem of these 15 known inhalation apparatuses is also that the dose counters which are usually present on such apparatuses are not sufficiently accurate and lead to an incorrect picture of the number of individual doses which are still available in the apparatus. For example, it is also possible without difficulty in one known apparatus to increment the dose counter by incomplete dosing operations in which no preparation was taken from the supply 20 chamber anyway. This firstly results in the patient nurturing a false sense of certainty and secondly under some circumstance results in the empty state of the apparatus being indicated even when a considerable residual amount of the inhalation preparation is still present in the apparatus.
25 The object of the present invention is to elimin~te these difficulties and in particular to improve an inhalation apparatus of this generic type to the effect that no separate manipulation by the patient is necessary for the dosing operation. In this respect the object is also for the inhalation apparatus to ensure in particular that only dosing operations which have been accurately and correctly carried out are counted, and that 30 the fact that a dosing operation has been carried out correctly or only incorrectly can be identified by the patient.
The inh~l~tinn apparatus according to the invention, by means of which the aforementioned object is achieved, is characterised according to the invention in that the dosing element can be moved from its inoperative position into its operating position by the inhalation stream produced by the patient. In this respect the dosing element is S preferably coupled to a piston which is acted upon at least by parts of the inhalation stream and can be moved by the latter. In this respect, the dosing element or the piston coupled to the latter is advantageously disposed so that it is accessible from the outside, so that the dosing element can also be brought manually by the patient if need be from its inoperative position into its operating position.
According to one preferred embodiment of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention, it is provided with indicating means which signal to the patient whether the dosing element has been completely moved into its operating position by the inhalation stream and thus a correct dosage has been effected.
According to another preferred embodiment, the apparatus is a counting device for the individual dosing operations, which device is only incremented if the dosing element has been correctly moved into its operating position.
20 It is most particularly advisable and advantageous if, according to another concept of the invention, the inhalation apparatus is provided with a protective cap for the mouthpiece which can be pushed on to the mouthpiece and pulled off from the latter, wherein a resetting of the dosing element from its operating position into its inoperative position is effected by the pushing-on operation. In this respect, the protective cap is 25 advantageously captively secured to the housing. For reasons of hygiene it is also - particularly advisable and advantageous if the protective cap is provided with flaps or other c~osure elements which cover the air inlet openings of the housing in the state in which the protective cap is pushed on to the mouthpiece.
30 Further details and advantageous forms of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention follow from the description given below of examples of embodiments, inassociation with the drawings, where:
- 21~2~fi~
Figure 1 is a partially sectioned side view of a first embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a partial section along the line II-II through the apparatus shown in . Figure 1 with the dosing element in its inoperative position;
Figure 3 is a section analogous to that of Figure 2, but with the dosing element situated in its operating position;
10 Figure 4 is an oblique projection of the inhalation apparatus of Figures 1 to 3;
Figure 5 is an oblique projection, shown partially exploded, of a second embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to the invention;
15 Figure 6 is a partially sectioned side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 4;
Figure 7 is a section, analogous to that of Figure 2, through the apparatus shown in Figure 5 with the dosing element situated in its inoperative position;
20 Figure 8 is a section, analogous to that of Figure 3, through the apparatus shown in Figure S with the dosing element situated in its operating position;
Figure 9 is a partially sectioned side view, analogous to Figure 6, of a third embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to the invention;
Figure 10 is an oblique view of a detailed variant of the apparatus shown in Figure 9; and Figure 11 is a partially sectioned view, analogous to that of Figure 7, of another embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to the invention.
21~26fi~
The basic construction and general mode of operation of the inhalation apparatusillustrated in the drawings substantially correspond to the inhalation apparatus shown in Figures 23-28 of the above-mentioned WO 93/03782. The following description of the inh~l~tion apparatus according to the invention therefore essentially concentrates on the 5 overall construction and the differences in relation to this known apparatus which are relevant to the present invention.
The first embodiment of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention which is illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a housing 1, which may be in the form of a 10 parallelepiped here for example, which extends on its front end face into a slightly tapered mouthpiece 2. The rear housing part 3 which is opposite the mouthpiece 2 is of hollow construction like the mouthpiece and is in addition closed by a cover 4, which is preferably removable and which is provided with air inlet openings 5. The middle housing part 6 is of substantially solid construction and has longitudinal bores 7, for 15 example two as illustrated here, which connect the interior space of the rear housing part 3 to the interior space of the mouthpiece 2. The interior space of the rear housing part 3, together with the two longitudinal bores 7 and the interior space of the mouthpiece 2, forms an inhalation channel, which connects the air inlet openings 5 to the mouthpiece 2 and through which the patient sucks air during the inhalation operation and thus 20 produces an inhalation stream in the mouthpiece.
A dosing element 8, which is of substantially rod- or bar-shaped form with a round cross-section, is mounted substantially coaxially inside the housing 1 in two O-rings 9a and 9b disposed in the middle housing part 6 so that it is restrictedly longitudinally 25 displaceable. A supply chamber 10 for a pulverulent inhalation preparation, wh;ch - narrows from top to bottom somewhat in the shape of a funnel, is situated in the middle housing p~rt 6 between the two O-rings 9a and 9b. The supply chamber 10 is closed at the top by a cover 10a and has a substantially rectangular emptying aperture lOb at the bottom, which is closed by the dosing element 8 which is longitudinally displaceably 30 disposed directly under the supply chamber 10. The dosing element 8 is disposed so that it can be displaced to and fro between a rear inoperative position (Figure 2) and a front operating position (Figure 3) and has a dosing slot 8a on its surface with a defined - 2142~6 volume. In the inoperative position of the dosing element 8 the dosing slot 8a is situated in the region of the emptying aperture 10b of the supply chamber 10 and thus receives a dose of inhalation preparation corresponding to its volume from the supply chamber 10. In the operating position of the dosing element 8 the dosing slot 8a is situated in the rear region of the hollow mouthpiece 2 and during the inhalation operation discharges the inhalation prepa ation contained in it into the inhalation channel or into the inhalation stream flowing through the latter, which then carries the inhalation preparation into the patient's respiratory tracts.
With the exception of the rear housing part 3 of hollow construction, the inhalation apparatus illustrated corresponds in its construction and mode of operation to the apparatus which is known from WO 93/03782, so that a more detailed explanation is llnnecesS~ry. The differences according to the present invention will be discussed in detail below.
A piston 11, which is connected to the rear end of the rod-shaped dosing element 8, is disposed in the hollow rear housing part 6 and is matched to the shape of the latter. The piston 11 has a somewhat smaller cross-section than the hollow rear housing part 6, so that an air gap 11b remains between it and the inner wall of the rear housing part 6, through which the inhalation stream can reach the longitudinal bores 7 from the air inlet openings 5. Alternatively, or in addition, the piston 11 may also be provided with passageway openings 11a.
A protective cap 12 is pushed on to the mouthpiece 2, and is pulled off when theinhalation apparatus is used. The protective cap 12 is captively secured to the housing 1 by means of two side flaps 13 which are provided with slots 13a. Two lugs 14 disposed at the sides of the housing 1 engage through the slots 13a in the flaps and by this means secure the protective cap 12. After it has been pulled off, the protective cap 12 can be swung away downwards as shown in Figure 1. Two indentations or recesses 15, which are matched to the shape of the flaps 13 and in which the flaps 13 slide and are countersunk, are provided at the sides on the walls of the housing 1. Two additional air inlet openings 16 lead into the rearmost region of the recesses 15 and form a further 21~2~6~
connection between the outside and the inhalation channel. These air inlet openings 16 are closed by the flaps 13 when the protective cap 12 is pushed on, which prevents the ingress of cont~min~nt.c.
5 The protective cap 12 is provided with a plunger 22 which projects approximately coaxially from its base approximately as far as the edge of the opening. When the protective cap 12 is pushed on to the mouthpiece 2 this plunger 22 engages through the mouthpiece and comes into engagement with the front end face of the rod-shaped dosing element 8, and at the same time pushes the latter back from its operating position into 10 its inoperative position.
For the inhalation operation the patient takes off the protective cap 12 from the mouthpiece 2, places the mouthpiece on the mouth and inhales forcefully. The inhalation stream produced by this means causes a reduced pressure in the rear housing 15 part 3, due to which the piston 11 is moved forwards towards the middle housing part 6. The piston 11, which is coupled to the dosing element 8, thus automatically displaces the dosing element 8 from its inoperative position into its operating position, in which the inhalation preparation is discharged from the dosing slot 8a into the inhalation stream. As mentioned above, the dosing element 8 is moved back manually by pushing 20 the protective cap 12 on to the mouthpiece 2.
It is to be understood that the piston and the dosing element are mounted so that they are sufficiently smooth-running, and that the flow cross-sections of the air inlet openings and of the inhalation channel must be designed and matched to each other so that firstly a 25 reduced pressure is produced which is sufficient to ensure reliable movement of the piston and thus of the dosing element, and secondly an adequate volume of inhalation air can be inhaled with a reasonable effort.
So that the patient can identify whether he has inhaled correctly, namely whether the 30 dosing element was in fact moved into its operating position in which the inhalation preparation is discharged into the inhalation stream, the inhalation apparatus is preferably equipped with appropriate indicating means. These indicating means may consist of a 21426~8 -mark 17 on the piston 11 or on the dosing element 8, for example, which appears underneath a correspondingly positioned window 18 in the housing 1. Other indicating means are also possible of course, for example indicator pins which protrude somewhat and which are detectablè by touch.
In cases of emergency, e.g. if the patient cannot exert the requisite breathing power in order to move the dosing element 8 into its operating position, the cover 4 on the rear housing part is removable. The patient can then effect the displacement of the dosing element m~nl~lly by pressing on the piston 11. Instead of a removable cover a 10 resiliently deformable cover, e.g. in the form of a bellows or the like, may be provided for the same purpose.
As can be seen from Figure 4, the inhalation apparatus is also equipped with a counting device for the doses delivered and is thus equipped indirectly with an indication of the 15 residual state of filling of the supply chamber. The counting device is of similar construction to that of the inhalation apparatus known from the above-mentioned WO
93/03782, and comprises two toothed counting wheels 19a and 19b rotatably disposed in the housing and a carrier 20 attached to the dosing element 8, which engages with the counting wheel 19a on each displacement of the dosing element 8 into its operating 20 position and which turns the counting wheel further by one tooth. On each complete revolution the counting wheel 19a in turn rotates the counting wheel 19b further by one tooth. The counting wheel 19a or optionally even both counting wheels 19a and 19b is situated under a window in the housing 1, or the latter is partially or completely of transparent construction. In order to ensure that only doses which have actually and 25 correctly been effected are counted, the carrier 20 is positioned in relation to the counting wheel 19a on the dosing element 8 so that the counting wheel 19a is only rotated further when the dosing element 8 has in fact been moved correctly and completely into its operating position. A locking blade 21 prevents the counting wheel 19a from turning opposite to the direction of counting.
The second embodiment of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention which is illustrated in Figures 5-8 differs essentially from the embodiment illustrated in Figures 21~266~
1-4 only in the construction of the supply chamber 10 and by a special feed of air into the space behind the piston 11. The parts of the second embodiment shown in Figures 5-8 which correspond to the embodiment shown in Figures 1-4 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figures 1-4. The following description is therefore restricted merely to the relevant differences in relation to the first embodiment.
As can be seen in particular from Figures 5 and 6, the supply chamber for the pulverulent inhalation preparation, which is denoted overall by 10, comprises a tubular holder 110 formed in the middle housing part 6, which holder is open at the bottom towards the dosing element 8 and is open at the top or at the outside. A spoked element 120 with a hub 121 open at the top is disposed in the lower part of the holder 110 just above the dosing element 8. A powder cartridge denoted generally by 130 is inserted into the holder 110, a plunger 138 disposed on the powder cartridge 130 being supported on the hub 121.
The powder cartridge 130 has a shape substantially in the form of a projectile. It comprises a cylindrical casing 131, a base 132 in the form of a truncated cone and a lid 133. The interior space of the powder cartridge 130 in approximately the upper third of the cylindrical casing 131 is subdivided into two chambers 135 and 136 by a sieve-like intermediate base 134. The pulverulent inhalation preparation is situated in the lower chamber 135, and a desiccant, e.g. silica gel or the like, which keeps thepulverulent inhalation preparation in the lower chamber 135 dry, is disposed in the upper chamber 136. The truncated conical base 132 of the powder cartridge 130 is closed by an inwardly tapering pouring cone 137 on which the above-mentioned plunger 138 is disposed. The pouring cone 137 is attached to the truncated conical base 132 of the powder cartridge 130 along a circular break-off line 139.
In the state in which it is not inserted in the inhalation apparatus, the powder cartridge 130 is closed, as described above and as can be seen from Figure 5, i.e. the pouring cone 137 is attached to the base 132 of the powder cartridge. In order to put the inhalation apparatus into operation the powder cartridge 130 containing the pulverulent inhalation preparation is inserted into the holder 110 and pressed inwards until the 21~2fi66 ~,_ 1 o -plunger 138 is seated on the hub 121 of the spoked element 120 and the pouring cone 137 lifts off inwards from the truncated conical base 132 of the powder cartridge with the breaking-off of the break-off line 139, and the powder cartridge is opened by this means. The plunger 138 therefore forms a break-open element for the powder cartridge 5 130. The inhalation preparation can only flow through the gap between the pouring cone 137 and the base 132 of the powder cartridge and through the spoked element 120 towards the dosing element 8 (Figure 6). The powder cartridge 130 is secured in this pressed-in position by suitable fixing means. As illustrated in Figure 5 for example, these fixing means may consist of latching tongues 111 disposed on the holder 110 and of corresponding latching pegs 112 on the powder cartridge 130, which latching pegs cooperate with the latching tongues. Alternatively, the lid 133 of the powder cartridge 130 may be provided with a protruding latching rim 133a which engages behind a latching bead 113 disposed on the upper edge of the holder 110, as shown in Figure 6.
Moreover, the fixing means may be constructed in such a way that they permit the15 powder cartridge to be locked in two positions, wherein in the first position the powder cartridge would not yet be fully inserted, so that its base would not yet be broken off, and wherein the second position would correspond to the fully inserted position with the base broken off as described above.
20 Other details of the second embodiment of the inhalation apparatus which differ from those of the first embodiment can be seen in Figures 7 and 8. Thus the air supply into the space of the rear housing part 3 situated behind the piston 11 is effected via two air supply channels 105 disposed at the sides in the rear housing part. These channels lead forwards into the recesses 15 and are closed by the flaps 13 of the protective cap 12 25 when the latter is pushed on. The ingress of dust and moisture into the inhalatïon apparatus is prevented in this manner.
The mouthpiece 2 is also equipped with a constriction 2a at its outlet opening. This constriction cooperates with a baffle plate 8b disposed at the front end of the dosing 30 element 8 and causes a deflection and acceleration of the emerging stream of air, which results in an improvement in the distribution and the particle size spectrum of the powder particles suspended in the air stream.
214266~
In addition, a drying chamber 140 is disposed laterally in the region of the supply chamber 10 for the pulverulent inhalation preparation in the middle housing part 6, below the supply chamber 10. The drying chamber is connected to the air space 142 between the two O-rings 9a and 9b~ which surrounds the dosing element 8, via perforations 141. A desiccant, e.g. silica gel, which keeps the said air space 142 dry and thus prevents possible impairment of the dosing operation due to moisture, is disposed in the drying chamber 140. Although only a single drying chamber 140 isshown in Figure 8, a second such chamber can of course be provided, e.g.
symmetrically opposite. A plurality of drying chambers is also possible if need be.
As can be seen in particular from Figure 3, the rod-shaped dosing element 8 is mounted in the middle housing part 6 in two O-rings 9a and 9b so that it is longit~ in~lly displaceable by sliding. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1-4 the dosing element 8 is mounted directly in ap~lopliately constructed parts of the housing. In the third embodiment of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 a special insert element 150 is provided, which is inserted as a whole from above into the middle housing part and is fixed in the latter by means of a snap-on connection 151. This insert element 150 contains a longitudinal bore 152, in which are situated the two O-rings 9a and 9b for the displaceable mounting of the dosing element 8 and the supply chamber 10 for the pulverulent inhalation preparation. In this respect, the supply chamber 10 may be constructed either as a simple cavity, as in the first embodiment, or preferably as a holder for a powder cartridge as in the second embodiment. Figure 9 shows the form of construction as a holder with a powder cartridge inserted, analogously to Figure 6. Figure 10 shows the insert element 150 alone, the supply chamber 10 being formed as a simple cavity; in addition, a lid 153 is provided, with a desiccant container 154 disposed on its inside. Integration of the mounting of the dosing element 8 and of the supply chamber 10 in a separate insert element 150, which is inserted as a whole into the housing of the inhalation apparatus, considerably reduces the cost of constructing the apparatus.
As may also be seen from Figure 9, a row of thin-walled closely-spaced blades projecting radially inwards is disposed in the rear part of the mouthpiece 2, in the upper " 21~66~
region along its periphery. The inhalation air stream cont~ining the pulverulentinhalation preparation flows between these blades 2b, which break down possible agglomerates.
S Figure 11 shows another embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to theinvention, together with advantageous detailed forms of design. In this embodiment a drying chamber 160 is disposed in the longitudinal direction behind the supply chamber 10, which may again be constructed according to one of the embodiments describedabove. This drying chamber contains a desiccant, e.g. silica gel, and is open at the 10 bottom towards the dosing element 8 similarly to the supply chamber 10. The overall inhalation apparatus is of somewhat longer construction, and the path of displacement of the dosing element 8 is designed so that in the inoperative position of the dosing element 8, i.e. when the protective cap 12 is pushed on, the dosing slot 8a disposed on the dosing element is situated behind the supply chamber 10 in the region of the drying 15 chamber 160. In the inactive state, i.e. in the inoperative position, any moisture introduced into the dosing slot 8a during the preceding dosing operation is in this manner absorbed by the desiccant in the drying chamber 160, and the dosing slot 8a is thus conditioned for the next dosing operation.
20 In contrast to the previous embodiments, in this embodiment the piston 11 and the rear housing part 3 are of cylindrical construction. In addition, a guide gate 3a is disposed or formed on the inside of the cylindrical rear housing part 3, in which guide gate a gate peg llc attached to the piston 11 engages. The guide gate 3a is shaped in such a way that the dosing slot 8a disposed on the dosing element 8 moves forwards, i.e. from the 25 inoperative position into the operating or dosing position, substantially in a straight line during the movement of the dosing element 8 caused by the inhalation operation, whereas it additionally executes a rotating movement about the longitudinal axis of the dosing element during the backward movement of the dosing element 8, and therefore moves along a helix. During the forward movement the dosing slot 8a first reaches the 30 region of the supply chamber 10, where it is charged with inhalation preparation, and then reaches the region of the mouthpiece 2, where it is blown out by the inhalation stream. The backward movement into the inoperative position by-passes the supply 214266~
chamber 10, however. Moisture or other cont~min~tion which may have entered the dosing slot 8a during the inhalation operation is prevented from being carried into the supply chamber 10 by this means. To facilitate the rotary movement of the dosingelement 8 during the backward movement, the plunger 22 in the protective cap 12 is 5 provided in this embodiment with a point.
The supply chamber 10 in Figure 11 may be constructed as a simple cavity or as aholder for a powder cartridge, as in the other embodiments. Moreover, one or more additional drying chambers may also be provided, as in the embodiment shown in 10 Figures 5-8. In order to prevent the desiccant in the drying chamber from being used up prematurely whilst the apparatus is stored before it is put into operation for the first time, the supply chamber may also be sealed by a tear-off sealing foil before the first insertion of a powder cartridge. The sealing foil is indic~ted in Figure 11 by a tear-off tab 100.
Inhalation is a known method of taking medicmes for absorption in the respiratory tracts and in the lungs, for example. Various inhalation apparatuses are commercially available or have been described for this purpose, by means of which liquid or pulverulent preparations can be more or less efficiently and accurately introduced in 25 metered doses into the respiratory air stream of the patient. One of the most recent developments in this field, on which the present invention also builds, is an inhalation apparatus which is specially designed for pulverulent inhalation preparations, as expressly illustrated and described in International Patent Application No.
PCT/CH92/00164 (Publication Number WO 93/03782), published in March 1993.
A common characteristic of the inhalation apparatus known from WO 93/03782 and of many other known inhalation apparatuses of this type is that the inhalation preparation, `` 21~266~
a supply of which is usually contained in a chamber, is introduced in the form of a metered dose into the respiratory air stream of the patient by a manipulation carried out by the patient. Examples of such manipulations comprise the twisting of various parts of the inhalation apparatus in opposite directions, the displacing or turning of parts, or 5 clamping and releasing a corresponding mechanism. Alternatively, electrically or pnellm~ti~lly operated dosing mech~ni.~m~ are also known in other types of inhalation apparatuses; these are triggered either by a manipulation performed by the patient or by the respiratory air stream produced on inhalation.
10 Experience has shown that in practice dosage errors occur time after time in association with inhalation apparatuses of this type, either because the dosing operation was carried out several times, or because it was not carried out correctly or was forgotten anyway.
According to experience, the instinct to play with the apparatus and lack of concentration can represent significant factors of influence in this respect. Another problem of these 15 known inhalation apparatuses is also that the dose counters which are usually present on such apparatuses are not sufficiently accurate and lead to an incorrect picture of the number of individual doses which are still available in the apparatus. For example, it is also possible without difficulty in one known apparatus to increment the dose counter by incomplete dosing operations in which no preparation was taken from the supply 20 chamber anyway. This firstly results in the patient nurturing a false sense of certainty and secondly under some circumstance results in the empty state of the apparatus being indicated even when a considerable residual amount of the inhalation preparation is still present in the apparatus.
25 The object of the present invention is to elimin~te these difficulties and in particular to improve an inhalation apparatus of this generic type to the effect that no separate manipulation by the patient is necessary for the dosing operation. In this respect the object is also for the inhalation apparatus to ensure in particular that only dosing operations which have been accurately and correctly carried out are counted, and that 30 the fact that a dosing operation has been carried out correctly or only incorrectly can be identified by the patient.
The inh~l~tinn apparatus according to the invention, by means of which the aforementioned object is achieved, is characterised according to the invention in that the dosing element can be moved from its inoperative position into its operating position by the inhalation stream produced by the patient. In this respect the dosing element is S preferably coupled to a piston which is acted upon at least by parts of the inhalation stream and can be moved by the latter. In this respect, the dosing element or the piston coupled to the latter is advantageously disposed so that it is accessible from the outside, so that the dosing element can also be brought manually by the patient if need be from its inoperative position into its operating position.
According to one preferred embodiment of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention, it is provided with indicating means which signal to the patient whether the dosing element has been completely moved into its operating position by the inhalation stream and thus a correct dosage has been effected.
According to another preferred embodiment, the apparatus is a counting device for the individual dosing operations, which device is only incremented if the dosing element has been correctly moved into its operating position.
20 It is most particularly advisable and advantageous if, according to another concept of the invention, the inhalation apparatus is provided with a protective cap for the mouthpiece which can be pushed on to the mouthpiece and pulled off from the latter, wherein a resetting of the dosing element from its operating position into its inoperative position is effected by the pushing-on operation. In this respect, the protective cap is 25 advantageously captively secured to the housing. For reasons of hygiene it is also - particularly advisable and advantageous if the protective cap is provided with flaps or other c~osure elements which cover the air inlet openings of the housing in the state in which the protective cap is pushed on to the mouthpiece.
30 Further details and advantageous forms of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention follow from the description given below of examples of embodiments, inassociation with the drawings, where:
- 21~2~fi~
Figure 1 is a partially sectioned side view of a first embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a partial section along the line II-II through the apparatus shown in . Figure 1 with the dosing element in its inoperative position;
Figure 3 is a section analogous to that of Figure 2, but with the dosing element situated in its operating position;
10 Figure 4 is an oblique projection of the inhalation apparatus of Figures 1 to 3;
Figure 5 is an oblique projection, shown partially exploded, of a second embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to the invention;
15 Figure 6 is a partially sectioned side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 4;
Figure 7 is a section, analogous to that of Figure 2, through the apparatus shown in Figure 5 with the dosing element situated in its inoperative position;
20 Figure 8 is a section, analogous to that of Figure 3, through the apparatus shown in Figure S with the dosing element situated in its operating position;
Figure 9 is a partially sectioned side view, analogous to Figure 6, of a third embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to the invention;
Figure 10 is an oblique view of a detailed variant of the apparatus shown in Figure 9; and Figure 11 is a partially sectioned view, analogous to that of Figure 7, of another embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to the invention.
21~26fi~
The basic construction and general mode of operation of the inhalation apparatusillustrated in the drawings substantially correspond to the inhalation apparatus shown in Figures 23-28 of the above-mentioned WO 93/03782. The following description of the inh~l~tion apparatus according to the invention therefore essentially concentrates on the 5 overall construction and the differences in relation to this known apparatus which are relevant to the present invention.
The first embodiment of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention which is illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a housing 1, which may be in the form of a 10 parallelepiped here for example, which extends on its front end face into a slightly tapered mouthpiece 2. The rear housing part 3 which is opposite the mouthpiece 2 is of hollow construction like the mouthpiece and is in addition closed by a cover 4, which is preferably removable and which is provided with air inlet openings 5. The middle housing part 6 is of substantially solid construction and has longitudinal bores 7, for 15 example two as illustrated here, which connect the interior space of the rear housing part 3 to the interior space of the mouthpiece 2. The interior space of the rear housing part 3, together with the two longitudinal bores 7 and the interior space of the mouthpiece 2, forms an inhalation channel, which connects the air inlet openings 5 to the mouthpiece 2 and through which the patient sucks air during the inhalation operation and thus 20 produces an inhalation stream in the mouthpiece.
A dosing element 8, which is of substantially rod- or bar-shaped form with a round cross-section, is mounted substantially coaxially inside the housing 1 in two O-rings 9a and 9b disposed in the middle housing part 6 so that it is restrictedly longitudinally 25 displaceable. A supply chamber 10 for a pulverulent inhalation preparation, wh;ch - narrows from top to bottom somewhat in the shape of a funnel, is situated in the middle housing p~rt 6 between the two O-rings 9a and 9b. The supply chamber 10 is closed at the top by a cover 10a and has a substantially rectangular emptying aperture lOb at the bottom, which is closed by the dosing element 8 which is longitudinally displaceably 30 disposed directly under the supply chamber 10. The dosing element 8 is disposed so that it can be displaced to and fro between a rear inoperative position (Figure 2) and a front operating position (Figure 3) and has a dosing slot 8a on its surface with a defined - 2142~6 volume. In the inoperative position of the dosing element 8 the dosing slot 8a is situated in the region of the emptying aperture 10b of the supply chamber 10 and thus receives a dose of inhalation preparation corresponding to its volume from the supply chamber 10. In the operating position of the dosing element 8 the dosing slot 8a is situated in the rear region of the hollow mouthpiece 2 and during the inhalation operation discharges the inhalation prepa ation contained in it into the inhalation channel or into the inhalation stream flowing through the latter, which then carries the inhalation preparation into the patient's respiratory tracts.
With the exception of the rear housing part 3 of hollow construction, the inhalation apparatus illustrated corresponds in its construction and mode of operation to the apparatus which is known from WO 93/03782, so that a more detailed explanation is llnnecesS~ry. The differences according to the present invention will be discussed in detail below.
A piston 11, which is connected to the rear end of the rod-shaped dosing element 8, is disposed in the hollow rear housing part 6 and is matched to the shape of the latter. The piston 11 has a somewhat smaller cross-section than the hollow rear housing part 6, so that an air gap 11b remains between it and the inner wall of the rear housing part 6, through which the inhalation stream can reach the longitudinal bores 7 from the air inlet openings 5. Alternatively, or in addition, the piston 11 may also be provided with passageway openings 11a.
A protective cap 12 is pushed on to the mouthpiece 2, and is pulled off when theinhalation apparatus is used. The protective cap 12 is captively secured to the housing 1 by means of two side flaps 13 which are provided with slots 13a. Two lugs 14 disposed at the sides of the housing 1 engage through the slots 13a in the flaps and by this means secure the protective cap 12. After it has been pulled off, the protective cap 12 can be swung away downwards as shown in Figure 1. Two indentations or recesses 15, which are matched to the shape of the flaps 13 and in which the flaps 13 slide and are countersunk, are provided at the sides on the walls of the housing 1. Two additional air inlet openings 16 lead into the rearmost region of the recesses 15 and form a further 21~2~6~
connection between the outside and the inhalation channel. These air inlet openings 16 are closed by the flaps 13 when the protective cap 12 is pushed on, which prevents the ingress of cont~min~nt.c.
5 The protective cap 12 is provided with a plunger 22 which projects approximately coaxially from its base approximately as far as the edge of the opening. When the protective cap 12 is pushed on to the mouthpiece 2 this plunger 22 engages through the mouthpiece and comes into engagement with the front end face of the rod-shaped dosing element 8, and at the same time pushes the latter back from its operating position into 10 its inoperative position.
For the inhalation operation the patient takes off the protective cap 12 from the mouthpiece 2, places the mouthpiece on the mouth and inhales forcefully. The inhalation stream produced by this means causes a reduced pressure in the rear housing 15 part 3, due to which the piston 11 is moved forwards towards the middle housing part 6. The piston 11, which is coupled to the dosing element 8, thus automatically displaces the dosing element 8 from its inoperative position into its operating position, in which the inhalation preparation is discharged from the dosing slot 8a into the inhalation stream. As mentioned above, the dosing element 8 is moved back manually by pushing 20 the protective cap 12 on to the mouthpiece 2.
It is to be understood that the piston and the dosing element are mounted so that they are sufficiently smooth-running, and that the flow cross-sections of the air inlet openings and of the inhalation channel must be designed and matched to each other so that firstly a 25 reduced pressure is produced which is sufficient to ensure reliable movement of the piston and thus of the dosing element, and secondly an adequate volume of inhalation air can be inhaled with a reasonable effort.
So that the patient can identify whether he has inhaled correctly, namely whether the 30 dosing element was in fact moved into its operating position in which the inhalation preparation is discharged into the inhalation stream, the inhalation apparatus is preferably equipped with appropriate indicating means. These indicating means may consist of a 21426~8 -mark 17 on the piston 11 or on the dosing element 8, for example, which appears underneath a correspondingly positioned window 18 in the housing 1. Other indicating means are also possible of course, for example indicator pins which protrude somewhat and which are detectablè by touch.
In cases of emergency, e.g. if the patient cannot exert the requisite breathing power in order to move the dosing element 8 into its operating position, the cover 4 on the rear housing part is removable. The patient can then effect the displacement of the dosing element m~nl~lly by pressing on the piston 11. Instead of a removable cover a 10 resiliently deformable cover, e.g. in the form of a bellows or the like, may be provided for the same purpose.
As can be seen from Figure 4, the inhalation apparatus is also equipped with a counting device for the doses delivered and is thus equipped indirectly with an indication of the 15 residual state of filling of the supply chamber. The counting device is of similar construction to that of the inhalation apparatus known from the above-mentioned WO
93/03782, and comprises two toothed counting wheels 19a and 19b rotatably disposed in the housing and a carrier 20 attached to the dosing element 8, which engages with the counting wheel 19a on each displacement of the dosing element 8 into its operating 20 position and which turns the counting wheel further by one tooth. On each complete revolution the counting wheel 19a in turn rotates the counting wheel 19b further by one tooth. The counting wheel 19a or optionally even both counting wheels 19a and 19b is situated under a window in the housing 1, or the latter is partially or completely of transparent construction. In order to ensure that only doses which have actually and 25 correctly been effected are counted, the carrier 20 is positioned in relation to the counting wheel 19a on the dosing element 8 so that the counting wheel 19a is only rotated further when the dosing element 8 has in fact been moved correctly and completely into its operating position. A locking blade 21 prevents the counting wheel 19a from turning opposite to the direction of counting.
The second embodiment of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention which is illustrated in Figures 5-8 differs essentially from the embodiment illustrated in Figures 21~266~
1-4 only in the construction of the supply chamber 10 and by a special feed of air into the space behind the piston 11. The parts of the second embodiment shown in Figures 5-8 which correspond to the embodiment shown in Figures 1-4 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figures 1-4. The following description is therefore restricted merely to the relevant differences in relation to the first embodiment.
As can be seen in particular from Figures 5 and 6, the supply chamber for the pulverulent inhalation preparation, which is denoted overall by 10, comprises a tubular holder 110 formed in the middle housing part 6, which holder is open at the bottom towards the dosing element 8 and is open at the top or at the outside. A spoked element 120 with a hub 121 open at the top is disposed in the lower part of the holder 110 just above the dosing element 8. A powder cartridge denoted generally by 130 is inserted into the holder 110, a plunger 138 disposed on the powder cartridge 130 being supported on the hub 121.
The powder cartridge 130 has a shape substantially in the form of a projectile. It comprises a cylindrical casing 131, a base 132 in the form of a truncated cone and a lid 133. The interior space of the powder cartridge 130 in approximately the upper third of the cylindrical casing 131 is subdivided into two chambers 135 and 136 by a sieve-like intermediate base 134. The pulverulent inhalation preparation is situated in the lower chamber 135, and a desiccant, e.g. silica gel or the like, which keeps thepulverulent inhalation preparation in the lower chamber 135 dry, is disposed in the upper chamber 136. The truncated conical base 132 of the powder cartridge 130 is closed by an inwardly tapering pouring cone 137 on which the above-mentioned plunger 138 is disposed. The pouring cone 137 is attached to the truncated conical base 132 of the powder cartridge 130 along a circular break-off line 139.
In the state in which it is not inserted in the inhalation apparatus, the powder cartridge 130 is closed, as described above and as can be seen from Figure 5, i.e. the pouring cone 137 is attached to the base 132 of the powder cartridge. In order to put the inhalation apparatus into operation the powder cartridge 130 containing the pulverulent inhalation preparation is inserted into the holder 110 and pressed inwards until the 21~2fi66 ~,_ 1 o -plunger 138 is seated on the hub 121 of the spoked element 120 and the pouring cone 137 lifts off inwards from the truncated conical base 132 of the powder cartridge with the breaking-off of the break-off line 139, and the powder cartridge is opened by this means. The plunger 138 therefore forms a break-open element for the powder cartridge 5 130. The inhalation preparation can only flow through the gap between the pouring cone 137 and the base 132 of the powder cartridge and through the spoked element 120 towards the dosing element 8 (Figure 6). The powder cartridge 130 is secured in this pressed-in position by suitable fixing means. As illustrated in Figure 5 for example, these fixing means may consist of latching tongues 111 disposed on the holder 110 and of corresponding latching pegs 112 on the powder cartridge 130, which latching pegs cooperate with the latching tongues. Alternatively, the lid 133 of the powder cartridge 130 may be provided with a protruding latching rim 133a which engages behind a latching bead 113 disposed on the upper edge of the holder 110, as shown in Figure 6.
Moreover, the fixing means may be constructed in such a way that they permit the15 powder cartridge to be locked in two positions, wherein in the first position the powder cartridge would not yet be fully inserted, so that its base would not yet be broken off, and wherein the second position would correspond to the fully inserted position with the base broken off as described above.
20 Other details of the second embodiment of the inhalation apparatus which differ from those of the first embodiment can be seen in Figures 7 and 8. Thus the air supply into the space of the rear housing part 3 situated behind the piston 11 is effected via two air supply channels 105 disposed at the sides in the rear housing part. These channels lead forwards into the recesses 15 and are closed by the flaps 13 of the protective cap 12 25 when the latter is pushed on. The ingress of dust and moisture into the inhalatïon apparatus is prevented in this manner.
The mouthpiece 2 is also equipped with a constriction 2a at its outlet opening. This constriction cooperates with a baffle plate 8b disposed at the front end of the dosing 30 element 8 and causes a deflection and acceleration of the emerging stream of air, which results in an improvement in the distribution and the particle size spectrum of the powder particles suspended in the air stream.
214266~
In addition, a drying chamber 140 is disposed laterally in the region of the supply chamber 10 for the pulverulent inhalation preparation in the middle housing part 6, below the supply chamber 10. The drying chamber is connected to the air space 142 between the two O-rings 9a and 9b~ which surrounds the dosing element 8, via perforations 141. A desiccant, e.g. silica gel, which keeps the said air space 142 dry and thus prevents possible impairment of the dosing operation due to moisture, is disposed in the drying chamber 140. Although only a single drying chamber 140 isshown in Figure 8, a second such chamber can of course be provided, e.g.
symmetrically opposite. A plurality of drying chambers is also possible if need be.
As can be seen in particular from Figure 3, the rod-shaped dosing element 8 is mounted in the middle housing part 6 in two O-rings 9a and 9b so that it is longit~ in~lly displaceable by sliding. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1-4 the dosing element 8 is mounted directly in ap~lopliately constructed parts of the housing. In the third embodiment of the inhalation apparatus according to the invention illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 a special insert element 150 is provided, which is inserted as a whole from above into the middle housing part and is fixed in the latter by means of a snap-on connection 151. This insert element 150 contains a longitudinal bore 152, in which are situated the two O-rings 9a and 9b for the displaceable mounting of the dosing element 8 and the supply chamber 10 for the pulverulent inhalation preparation. In this respect, the supply chamber 10 may be constructed either as a simple cavity, as in the first embodiment, or preferably as a holder for a powder cartridge as in the second embodiment. Figure 9 shows the form of construction as a holder with a powder cartridge inserted, analogously to Figure 6. Figure 10 shows the insert element 150 alone, the supply chamber 10 being formed as a simple cavity; in addition, a lid 153 is provided, with a desiccant container 154 disposed on its inside. Integration of the mounting of the dosing element 8 and of the supply chamber 10 in a separate insert element 150, which is inserted as a whole into the housing of the inhalation apparatus, considerably reduces the cost of constructing the apparatus.
As may also be seen from Figure 9, a row of thin-walled closely-spaced blades projecting radially inwards is disposed in the rear part of the mouthpiece 2, in the upper " 21~66~
region along its periphery. The inhalation air stream cont~ining the pulverulentinhalation preparation flows between these blades 2b, which break down possible agglomerates.
S Figure 11 shows another embodiment of an inhalation apparatus according to theinvention, together with advantageous detailed forms of design. In this embodiment a drying chamber 160 is disposed in the longitudinal direction behind the supply chamber 10, which may again be constructed according to one of the embodiments describedabove. This drying chamber contains a desiccant, e.g. silica gel, and is open at the 10 bottom towards the dosing element 8 similarly to the supply chamber 10. The overall inhalation apparatus is of somewhat longer construction, and the path of displacement of the dosing element 8 is designed so that in the inoperative position of the dosing element 8, i.e. when the protective cap 12 is pushed on, the dosing slot 8a disposed on the dosing element is situated behind the supply chamber 10 in the region of the drying 15 chamber 160. In the inactive state, i.e. in the inoperative position, any moisture introduced into the dosing slot 8a during the preceding dosing operation is in this manner absorbed by the desiccant in the drying chamber 160, and the dosing slot 8a is thus conditioned for the next dosing operation.
20 In contrast to the previous embodiments, in this embodiment the piston 11 and the rear housing part 3 are of cylindrical construction. In addition, a guide gate 3a is disposed or formed on the inside of the cylindrical rear housing part 3, in which guide gate a gate peg llc attached to the piston 11 engages. The guide gate 3a is shaped in such a way that the dosing slot 8a disposed on the dosing element 8 moves forwards, i.e. from the 25 inoperative position into the operating or dosing position, substantially in a straight line during the movement of the dosing element 8 caused by the inhalation operation, whereas it additionally executes a rotating movement about the longitudinal axis of the dosing element during the backward movement of the dosing element 8, and therefore moves along a helix. During the forward movement the dosing slot 8a first reaches the 30 region of the supply chamber 10, where it is charged with inhalation preparation, and then reaches the region of the mouthpiece 2, where it is blown out by the inhalation stream. The backward movement into the inoperative position by-passes the supply 214266~
chamber 10, however. Moisture or other cont~min~tion which may have entered the dosing slot 8a during the inhalation operation is prevented from being carried into the supply chamber 10 by this means. To facilitate the rotary movement of the dosingelement 8 during the backward movement, the plunger 22 in the protective cap 12 is 5 provided in this embodiment with a point.
The supply chamber 10 in Figure 11 may be constructed as a simple cavity or as aholder for a powder cartridge, as in the other embodiments. Moreover, one or more additional drying chambers may also be provided, as in the embodiment shown in 10 Figures 5-8. In order to prevent the desiccant in the drying chamber from being used up prematurely whilst the apparatus is stored before it is put into operation for the first time, the supply chamber may also be sealed by a tear-off sealing foil before the first insertion of a powder cartridge. The sealing foil is indic~ted in Figure 11 by a tear-off tab 100.
Claims (13)
1. An inhalation apparatus with a housing (1) which is provided with a mouthpiece (2) for the patient, one or more air inlet openings (5, 16) and an inhalation channel (2, 7, 3) connecting the latter to the mouthpiece, with a supply chamber (10) for a pulverulent inhalation preparation provided in the housing (1), and with a dosing mechanism (8, 8a) by means of which a defined dose of inhalation preparation can be removed from the supply chamber (10) and introduced into the inhalation channel (2, 7, 3), wherein the dosing mechanism comprises a dosing element (8) which can be displaced to and fro between an inoperative position and an operating position and which is provided with a dosing slot (8a) which in the inoperative position of the dosing element is situated inside the supply chamber (10) or in the region of an emptying aperture (10b) of the same and which receives there a defined dose of inhalationpreparation corresponding to its volume from the supply chamber (10) and which in the operating position of the dosing element (8) is situated in the inhalation channel (2, 7, 3), which dosing element discharges the inhalation preparation contained in it into the inhalation stream produced by the patient and flowing through the inhalation channel (2, 7, 3), characterised in that the dosing element (8) can be moved from its inoperative position into its operating position by the inhalation stream produced by the patient.
2. An inhalation apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the dosing element (8) is coupled to a piston (11) which is acted upon at least by parts of the inhalation stream and can be moved by the latter.
3. An inhalation apparatus according to either one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is provided with indicating means (17, 18) which signal to the patient whether the dosing element (8) has been completely moved into its operating position by the inhalation stream and thus a correct dosage has been effected.
4. An inhalation apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is provided with a counting device (19, 20) for the individual dosing operations, which device is only incremented if the dosing element (8) has been correctly moved into its operating position.
5. An inhalation apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is provided with a protective cap (12) for the mouthpiece which can be pushed on to the mouthpiece (2) and pulled off from the latter, wherein aresetting of the dosing element (8) from its operating position into its inoperative position is effected by the pushing-on operation.
6. An inhalation apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the protective cap (12) is captively secured to the housing (1).
7. An inhalation apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the protective cap (12) is provided with flaps (13) or other closure elements which cover the air inlet openings (16) of the housing (1) in the state in which the protective cap (12) is pushed on to the mouthpiece (2).
8. An inhalation apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the dosing element (8) is disposed so that it is directly or indirectly accessible and can be moved by the patient manually from its inoperative position into its operating position.
9. An inhalation apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the supply chamber (10) comprises a holder (110) and a powder cartridge (130) which can be introduced into the latter and fixed therein in its introduced state, which powder cartridge (130) is provided with a break-open element (138) which opens the powder cartridge when the powder cartridge (13) is introduced into the holder (1 10).
10. An inhalation apparatus according to claim 9, characterised in that the powder cartridge (130) contains a desiccant in addition to the pulverulent inhalation preparation.
11. An inhalation apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises an insert element (150) inserted in the housing (1), in which insert element the dosing element (8) is displaceably mounted and in which the supply chamber (10) is disposed.
12. An inhalation apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a drying chamber (160) containing a desiccant, which is connected to the dosing element (8) and which is disposed so that the dosing slot (8a) situated on the dosing element (8) is situated in the region of the drying chamber (160) in the inoperative position of the dosing element (8), wherein on the displacement of the dosing element (8) from its inoperative position into its operating position the dosing slot (8a) moves through the supply chamber (10) and is charged there with pulverulentinhalation preparation.
13. An inhalation apparatus according to claim 12, characterised in that it is equipped with a gate guide (3a, 11b) which on the backward movement of the dosing element (8) from its operating position into its inoperative position causes an additional rotary movement of the dosing element (8) so that the dosing slot (8a) is led past the supply chamber (10).
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002142666A CA2142666A1 (en) | 1995-02-16 | 1995-02-16 | Inhalation apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002142666A CA2142666A1 (en) | 1995-02-16 | 1995-02-16 | Inhalation apparatus |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2142666A1 true CA2142666A1 (en) | 1996-08-17 |
Family
ID=4155254
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002142666A Abandoned CA2142666A1 (en) | 1995-02-16 | 1995-02-16 | Inhalation apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2142666A1 (en) |
-
1995
- 1995-02-16 CA CA002142666A patent/CA2142666A1/en not_active Abandoned
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