Patent ID: 6595205
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
An actuator for an inhaler for delivering medicament by inhalation, comprising:a housing (22) which defines a cavity (34) for receiving a canister (8) which comprises a body (10) which defines a chamber containing medicament and a valve stem (13) which extends from the body (10), the body (10) and the valve stem (13) of the canister (8) when present being relatively movable between a first, non-actuated position in which the canister (8) is closed and a second, actuated position in which the canister (8) is open; a nozzle block (24) for receiving the valve stem (13) of the canister (8); a mouthpiece (21) for providing medicament from the nozzle block (24) to the mouth of a user; a locking mechanism (16) for selectively locking the canister (8) in the non-actuated position, which locking mechanism (16) when released allows for the actuation of the canister (8); and a loading mechanism (18) which comprises a biasing element (134) for loading one of the body (10) or the valve stem (13) of the canister (8) with an actuating force for actuating the same connected to a lever arm (132) which is pivotally coupled by a pivot to the housing (22) for loading the biasing element (134) when rotated, which lever arm (132) is configured so as to be rotated in the one sense on the manual application of opposed forces substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the canister (8) said loading mechanism (18) further comprising a drawbar (136) which is movably disposed relative to the pivot of the lever arm (132) and coupled to the biasing element (134) such that the drawbar (136) is loaded as the biasing element (134) is loaded, which drawbar (136) includes at least one catch (156, 156) through which the biasing element (134) is coupled to one of the body (10) or the valve stem (13) of the canister (8) when present.