Patent ID: 7383837
Filing Date: 2008-06-10
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. An inhalation device for dispensing medicament comprising a body, said body being configured to receive an aerosol container which contains a medicament and has a valve stem; and an actuator which is reversibly movable relative to the body between a dispensing position and a storage position, said actuator having: a mouthpiece for insertion into a patient's mouth, the mouthpiece having a wall structure which defines a chamber to which a dispensing opening is provided at which a patient is able to inhale and, in use of the device, create an airflow to entrain medicament dispensed by the device; a collar portion provided on the wall structure and having a chamber for receipt of the aerosol container; and a stem block for supporting the aerosol container, the stem block having a passageway which extends from an inlet opening, into which the valve stem is insertable, to an outlet opening, configured as a nozzle providing communication between the mouthpiece dispensing opening and the aerosol container; wherein said body includes at least one air channel, and said actuator includes at least one air hole in the wall structure such that said at least one air channel communicates with said at least one air hole when the actuator is in said dispensing position and the at least one air channel and air hole do not communicate when the actuator is in said storage position; wherein when the actuator is in the dispensing position the at least one air hole establishes an airflow path connecting the least one air channel to the mouthpiece dispensing opening via the mouthpiece chamber along which an airflow moves upon patient inhalation at the mouthpiece dispensing opening; wherein the collar portion chamber has a solid base portion which is formed by the wall structure of the mouthpiece and defines a partition between the respective chambers of the collar portion and the mouthpiece thereby providing the solid base portion with a collar portion side which forms a boundary surface of the collar portion chamber and a mouthpiece side which forms a boundary surface of the mouthpiece chamber; wherein the stem block is in and extends through the solid base portion such that the passageway of the stem block is in and extends through the solid base portion and the inlet opening of the stem block is located in the collar portion chamber and the outlet opening is located in the mouthpiece chamber; and wherein the passageway of the stem block is the only passageway in and extending through the solid base portion which provides communication between the mouthpiece and collar portion chambers.