Takeda Gmbh

Aventis Pharma Limited

Nycomed Gmbh

Christopher Ferris

Matthew Egerton Young

Jonathan Oakley

Wayne O'Hara

Roberto Jongejan

Antje-Henriette Fink-Wagner

An inhaler device () contains, or is capable of accepting, a plurality of doses of a medicament to be dispensed from the inhaler (). To ameliorate the problem of double dosing from the inhaler (), the device further comprises prevention means () for preventing, at least temporarily, the dispensing of a dose of medicament, and detection means () for detecting the inhalation of a previously dispensed dose of medicament. When the detection means () detects the inhalation of the previously dispensed dose of medicament, it releases the prevention means (), allowing the device to dispense a further dose of medicament. The detection means () may be a pressure sensor, and the prevention means () may operate by causing a disengagement of an actuation mechanism.

Inhaler device and method of administering a medicament

A compliance monitor () is attachable to or forms part of a drug delivery device, such as an inhaler (). The monitor comprises a flexible portion () to enable a switch which is actuated by a user when delivering a dose of medicament. The monitor further comprises a sensor for sensing whether the device is properly positioned in contact with or relative to the user's body for administration of the medicament. For example, where the device is an inhaler and the sensor a temperature sensor, temperature variations caused by insertion of an inhaler mouthpiece into the user's mouth indicate whether the dose has been delivered into the patient's mouth. A memory in the compliance monitor stores a compliance record indicating whether or not the device was properly positioned each time a dose was delivered.

Compliance monitor and method

Growing community of inventors

Arlesey, United Kingdom

Christopher Ferris