초록 ▼

A medicament delivery device (1) comprises an actuation mechanism by successive operation of which a predetermined number of unit doses of medicament can be dispensed. The device includes a locking mechanism for preventing further operation of the actuation mechanism after dispensing of said predete

A medicament delivery device (1) comprises an actuation mechanism by successive operation of which a predetermined number of unit doses of medicament can be dispensed. The device includes a locking mechanism for preventing further operation of the actuation mechanism after dispensing of said predetermined number of unit doses. The locking mechanism comprises a resilient member (51), a formation (18) with which the resilient member (51) is engageable to disable operation of the actuation mechanism, and a barrier member (20) that prevents engagement of the resilient member (51) and the formation (18) until said predetermined number of unit doses has been dispensed. The device (1) may be a dry powder inhaler.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A medicament delivery device comprising a push-button, a dispensing actuator for successively dispensing a predetermined number of unit doses of a medicament, a dose counter actuator and a locking mechanism for preventing further operation of the dispensing actuator after dispensing of said prede

1. A medicament delivery device comprising a push-button, a dispensing actuator for successively dispensing a predetermined number of unit doses of a medicament, a dose counter actuator and a locking mechanism for preventing further operation of the dispensing actuator after dispensing of said predetermined number of unit doses, characterised in that said locking mechanism comprises a resilient member,a recess or opening in a component of the device adjacent to the resilient member, with which the resilient member is engageable to disable operation of the dispensing actuator, anda barrier member that prevents engagement of the resilient member and the recess or opening until said predetermined number of unit doses has been dispensed, wherein operation of the device is brought about by means of the push-button which acts upon the dispensing actuator and the dose counter actuator that are integrally formed as a single component that undergoes a reciprocating action, and the push-button not only causes dispensing of a unit dose of medicament, but also operates a dose counting mechanism that provides to a user of the device an indication of the number of doses that have been dispensed or alternatively the number of doses that remain to be dispensed; wherein the resilient member is an elongate arm which is formed integrally with the dose counter actuator and which is displaced along an axis parallel to the axis of reciprocating movement of the dose counter actuator; and wherein the barrier member is part of the dose counting mechanism, the barrier member being interposed between the resilient member and the recess or opening until the last of the predetermined number of unit doses has been dispensed, wherein operation of the device to dispense the last of the predetermined doses has the effect of removing the barrier member from between the resilient member and the recess or opening, thereby permitting the resilient member to engage the recess or opening and preventing further operation of the device. 2. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, which is an inhaler. 3. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 2, which is a dry powder inhaler. 4. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, which comprises a reservoir in which a bulk quantity of medicament is held, the unit doses being dispensed as aliquots from that bulk quantity. 5. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, which dispenses unit doses of a single medicament. 6. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, which dispenses unit doses of a formulation containing two or more medicaments. 7. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, which dispenses unit doses of two or more medicaments from separate reservoirs within the device, those unit doses then being administered to the patient simultaneously. 8. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arm has a projection that in the course of its reciprocating action is brought into registration with the recess or opening. 9. A medicament delivery device as claimed claim 1, wherein the dose counting mechanism has indicia showing the number of doses dispensed or remaining carried on an element that is displaced upon each actuation. 10. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the element comprises the barrier member. 11. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, in which the dose counting mechanism comprises a tape that carries indicia showing the number of doses dispensed or remaining, wherein the tape comprises the barrier member. 12. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tape is wound on a take-up spool and is indexed upon each actuation of the device. 13. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tape passes between the resilient member and the recess or opening during at least part of the actuation process, and thereby prevents engagement of the resilient member with the recess or opening. 14. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tape has an opening that is brought into registration with the recess or opening upon dispensing of the last of the predetermined doses, thereby removing the barrier between the recess or opening and the resilient member and allowing the recess or opening and the resilient member to engage. 15. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tape has one or more slits formed in it, such that the resilient member is able to penetrate the tape in the region of the slit(s). 16. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the tape is formed with an axial slit that is intersected by one or more transverse slits. 17. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient member engages the recess or opening when the actuator is in its depressed position. 18. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, which is charged with one or more medicaments selected from the group consisting of β-agonists, non-selective beta-stimulants, xanthine bronchodilators, anticholinergics, mast cell stabilisers, bronchial anti-inflammatory agents, and steroids and/or salts or derivatives thereof. 19. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 1, which is charged with a combination of medicaments selected from the group consisting of (1) beclomethasone dipropionate and formoterol, (2) beclomethasone dipropionate and salmeterol, (3) fluticasone and formoterol, (4) fluticasone and salmeterol, (5) budesonide and formoterol, (6) budesonide and salmeterol, (7) flunisolide and formoterol, (8) flunisolide and salmeterol, (9) ciclesonide and salmeterol, (10) ciclesonide and formoterol, (11) mometasone and salmeterol and (12) mometasone and formoterol. 20. A medicament delivery device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the β-agonists are selected from the group consisting of fenoterol, formoterol, pirbuterol, reproterol, rimiterol, salbutamol, salmeterol and terbutaline and/or salts or derivatives thereof; wherein the non-selective beta-stimulant is isoprenaline and/or salts or derivatives thereof; wherein the xanthine bronchodilators are selected from the group consisting of theophylline, aminophylline and choline theophyllinate and/or salts or derivatives thereof; wherein the anticholinergics are selected from the group consisting of ipratropium bromide, oxitropium and tiotropium and/or salts or derivatives thereof; wherein the mast cell stabilisers are selected from the group consisting of sodium cromoglycate and ketotifen and/or salts or derivatives thereof; wherein the bronchial anti-inflammatory agent is nedocromil sodium and/or salts or derivatives thereof; and wherein the steroids are selected from the group consisting of beclomethasone, fluticasone, budesonide, flunisolide, triamcinolone, mometasone and ciclesonide and/or salts or derivatives thereof.