Bespak Plc

Deka Products Limited Partnership

Bioglan Laboratories Limited

David J Howlett

Richard J Lanigan

Derek Geoffrey Kane

David E Altobelli

Larry B Gray

Russell Herbert Beavis

Richard John Warby

Michael Goodman

Gary Conroy

An apparatus comprises a variable acoustic source and a microphone, both acoustically coupled to a volume having a fluid region and an air region. The apparatus also can include a processor to determine a volume of the air region based on signals received from the microphone and the variable acoustic source. A fluid valve is coupled to the processor, and is configured to allow an amount of fluid to exit the fluid region associated with the volume of the air region. An atomizer, coupled to the fluid region, is configured to aerosolize at least a portion of the fluid.

Valve system and method for aerosol delivery

A valve for use with a pressurized dispensing container containing a liquid, the valve including a slidable valve stem, the valve stem including an inlet port for conveyance, in use, of liquid from the pressurized dispensing container into the valve stem, and a flange against which biases the valve stem into a non-dispensing position, wherein an external opening of the inlet port is located within the flange.

Valves for pressurized dispensing containers

The present invention relates to an inhalation apparatus for dispensing substances for inhalation and, in particular, but not exclusively, for dispensing medicinal products in aerosol form from a pressurised dispensing container. An inhalation apparatus ( ) is provided for dispensing a product comprising housing ( ) adapted to receive a pressurised dispensing container ( ) and a mouthpiece ( ). The apparatus also comprises a duct for conveying, in use, product from the container to the mouthpiece, a sliding seal member ( ) movable under action of triggering means ( ) between a first position in which the duct is closed and a second position in which the duct is open, wherein a spring means ( ) is provided to bias the sliding seal member towards the second position. At least one air inlet ( ) is provided for allowing air into the housing and a flow sensor ( ) is activatable, by means of an airflow created when a user applies suction to the mouthpiece to activate said triggering means such that said sealing member is moved by said spring means into its second position to allow product to be dispensed into the airflow.

Inhalation apparatus

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus for use with pressurised dispensing containers and in particular, but not exclusively, for apparatus for dispensing orally inhaled medicinal products in aerosol forms. The apparatus comprises a housing ( ) adapted to receive a pressurized dispensing container ( ) and a mouth piece ( ). Valve means ( ) is provided, moveable between a first position in which a duct is closed and a second position in which a duct is open, and a flow sensor being activatable, by means of an air flow created when a user applies suction to the mouth piece, to move the valve means ( ) into its second position. Wherein the flow sensor comprises a diaphragm ( ) and the diaphragm and/or housing is provided with at least one aperture ( ), wherein the diaphragm comprises a first element ( ) connected to the housing and a second element ( ) axially slidably moveable relative thereto. The first and second diaphragm elements being connected by a flexible member ( ).

The present invention relates to an inhalation apparatus for dispensing substances for inhalation and, in particular, but not exclusively for dispensing medicinal products. An inhalation apparatus is provided having a housing defining a socket for receiving a pressurized dispensing container, an actuator for receiving a valve stem of the pressurized dispensing container and a cylindrical chamber having an inlet located at a periphery of the chamber and an outlet at or near a center of the chamber. The actuator defines a duct designed to direct product dispensed from the valve stem of the pressurized dispensing container through the inlet of the cylindrical chamber in a direction substantially tangential to the major axis of the cylindrical chamber, the outlet of the cylindrical chamber communicating with a mouthpiece, such that the inhalation by a user on the mouthpiece creates a cyclonic airflow in the cylindrical chamber between the inlet and outlet in which the dispensed product is entrained for inhalation.

Relating to dispensing apparatus

A device for providing pharmaceutical doses comprising a container, filed with a pharmaceutical composition including glyceryl trinitrate and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, or 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane, as a propellant, and a valve arranged for delivering aerosol doses of said pharmaceutical composition to the exterior of the container, wherein at least a portion of the device is formed from a polyester.

Pharmaceutical compositions and devices for their administration

This invention relates to an inhalation apparatus for dispensing substances for inhalation and, in particular, but not exclusively, for dispensing medicinal products in aerosol form from a pressurized dispensing container. The inhalation apparatus comprises an inhaler apparatus for dispensing a product comprising a housing having a portion adapted to receive a pressurized dispensing container of a product and a mouthpiece. The apparatus further comprises duct means communicating with the container, said duct means having an outlet defining the direction of flow of the product towards the mouthpiece section. Air inlet valve means are provided comprising at least one air inlet for allowing air into the housing and an airflow controller is biased to seal said air inlet. The airflow controller is manually movable to unseal the air inlet to allow air to flow into the housing when a user applies suction to the mouthpiece. Passage means are provided to direct the airflow to a location adjacent the outlet of the duct means and the positioning of the passage means relative to the duct means outlet and the mouthpiece is such that a component of the initial air flow direction opposes the product flow before being directed towards the mouthpiece.

Inhalation apparatus for dispensing a product comprises a housing (2) having a cylindrical portion (6) adapted to receive a pressurized dispensing container (3) and a mouthpiece (7). The apparatus includes a duct (18) communicating with the container receiving portion for conveyance of product towards the mouthpiece. An air inlet valve provided by a vent hole (14) and an actuator (19) is provided and is biased with a first position sealing the air inlet. The actuator is manually movable to a second position in which the air inlet is unsealed and allows air to flow into the housing and through the mouthpiece for any user applied suction to the mouthpiece and to a third position for the dispensing of a product into the resulting air flow. The movement between the second and third positions delays the discharge of the product until air flow through the device has been established.

The invention relates to inhaler products, such as medicaments, and particularly to an inhaler for transferring to a patient a metered dose of medicament contained in a pressurized dispensing container. The inhaler includes a housing for receiving a pressurized dispensing container of medicament and a mouthpiece for insertion into the mouth or a user of the inhaler. An outlet in the housing communicates with the mouth piece via a duct ending in an outlet. At least one air inlet is provided for allowing air into the inhaler. The air inlet(s) being positioned downstream relative to the duct outlet. A restricted airflow passage is provided between the air inlet(s) and a location adjacent to the outlet of the duct. The inhaler also includes a vortex generating arrangement positioned in the restricted airflow passage, such that, in use, when a user inhales through the mouthpiece, a swirling airflow is created from the inlet(s) to the mouthpiece along the passage towards the duct outlet. The swirling airflow exits the restricted airflow passage to create a swirling airflow in the neck region of the duct outlet that swirls about a central axis of the duct outlet and the swirling airflow has a component directed in reverse to the airflow form the duct outlet of the mouthpiece for reducing the velocity of medicament dispensed from the pressurized dispensing container via the duct and duct outlet.

Inhaler for medicament

A metering valve for dispensing an accurately metered dose of a product includes a valve stem having at one end a piston extending within and slidable relative to a cup shaped valve body. A spring member urges the piston against a base of the valve body. Movement of the valve stem against the spring action causes the piston to move away from the base of the valve body to define a temporary metering chamber between the valve stem and valve body. A clearance between an outer surface of the piston and an inner surface of the valve body provides a path for the product to flow from the container to the metering chamber. A seal within the container is contacted by an end of the piston to prevent the flow of product along the path, and the product is dispensed from the temporary metering chamber through an outlet in the valve stem.

Valves for dispensers

The invention relates to an inhaler for products such as medicaments, and particularly to an inhaler for transferring to a patient, at a controlled air flow, a metered dose of a medicament contained in a pressurised dispensing container. The inhaler includes a housing adapted to receive a pressurised dispensing container, a mouthpiece, a duct connecting the container outlet with the mouthpiece, and an air inlet arrangement having at least one air inlet for allowing air into the inhaler when a user applies suction to the mouthpiece. The air inlet arrangement also has an air flow controller in which a piston member with a tapering external surface is movable due to a pressure change when suction is applied to the mouthpiece. The resulting piston movement effects a change in the flow of air through the air inlet. The air flow controller also includes a spring for urging the piston member to a rest position to allow maximum air flow to the air inlet. The piston member is movable axially against the action of the spring within the air inlet due to the pressure change, whereby a gap between the external surface of the piston member and the air inlet is increasingly reduced as the piston member moves further into the air inlet.

Controlled flow inhalers

The invention relates to an inhaler for products such as medicaments, and particularly to an inhaler for transferring to a patient a metered dose of product contained in a pressurized dispensing container. The inhaler includes a housing adapted to receive a pressurized dispensing container, a mouthpiece, duct means for connecting an outlet of the container with the mouthpiece and air inlet means for allowing air into the inhaler for when a user applies suction to the mouthpiece. The housing also comprises a mechanical break-up component located in the duct means. The component breaks up the product as it passes along the duct means, before mixing with the air flow to effect atomization of the product. The duct means includes a chamber for receiving the mechanical break-up component, the chamber having an end wall providing a barrier between the chamber and the mouthpiece to prevent the mechanical break-up component from entering the mouthpiece.

Inhalers

Dispensing apparatus (1) for dispensing a liquid product (24) from a pressurized dispensing container (21) comprises a collapsible chamber metering valve (2) in which an elastomeric sleeve (4) overlays an external surface (53) of the valve body (6) to define a metering chamber (7) therebetween and is collapsible on actuation of the valve into substantially conformal contact with the external surface such that a volume of liquid is dispensed which is equal to the volume of liquid displaced from the metering chamber. The valve is nestably received within a cup (3) with seal means (15) operable between the mouth of the cup and an outer end of the valve such that a closed collecting chamber (11) is defined between the valve and the cup. Means (25) are provided to communicate in use between the collecting chamber and that part of the container in which a liquid product is contained when the container is held in a predetermined orientation for operation of the valve. The apparatus allows accurate doses of liquids to be dispensed using compressed gas propellant such as nitrogen.

Dispensing apparatus for pressurized dispenser containers

A dispensing apparatus comprises a pressurised dispensing container (3), a housing (2) for the container defining a bore, the container having a body (50) which is axially slidable in the bore, the container having a collapsible metering valve (8) located at a first end (6) of the body for dispensing metered quantities of fluid and actuated by axial depression of a valve stem (9) defining a dispensing flowpath, a valve actuator (11) fixedly connected to the housing at a corresponding first end (7) thereof and defining a further dispensing flowpath for product fluid dispensed through the stem, and trigger means (30) operable to urge the container body axially towards the first end of the housing such that the valve stem is depressed by relative movement together of the valve and actuator and thereby dispensing a metered quantity of fluid, wherein the container body defines a chamber (4) and the container includes means (5) dividing the chamber into a product fluid reservoir (25) communicating with the valve and a propellant fluid reservoir (26), the dividing means being movable such that propellant pressure is applied to the product fluid without mixing of the respective fluids. The apparatus is suitable for the nasal administration of insulin.

Dispensing apparatus for metered quantities of pressurised fluid

A collapsible chamber metering valve for use in a pressurized dispensing container 2 comprises a generally cylindrical body 3, an elastomeric sleeve 12 coaxially overlaying the body and defining a collapsible chamber 14 therebetween, the body defining an internal chamber 18, channel means 31 providing a fluid flowpath between the internal chamber and the collapsible chamber, an axially slidable valve actuating stem 6 extending coaxially through the internal chamber, outlet valve means 33 operable between the stem and the body at the outer end of the internal chamber so as to dispense fluid therefrom in an open condition of the valve and inlet valve means 21 operable between the body and the stem at the inner end of the internal chamber to admit fluid thereto in a closed condition of the valve wherein the inlet valve means comprises an annular seal portion 29 of the sleeve cooperating with an inner end portion 8 of the stem extending therethrough and wherein the sleeve further comprises an annular shoulder portion 16 nestably receiving the inner end 15 of the body, the shoulder portion and the seal portion being integrally formed of relatively thick and thin material respectively whereby the shoulder portion and seal portion are relatively rigid and flexible respectively so as to positively locate the sleeve upon the valve body while permitting deformation of the seal portion.

Growing community of inventors

Norfolk, United Kingdom

David J Howlett