Patent ID: 7832393
Filing Date: 2010-11-16
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. In a pressurized metered dosage inhaler device having a main housing member for receiving and dispensing inhalation medication, said main housing member being hollow, and having an aerosol medication container insertion tube and a central axis of direction of insertion of an aerosol medication container, and having a nozzle portion for spraying medication into a mouth of a user, said nozzle portion extending away from said central axis, wherein said nozzle portion includes a nozzle segment that is exterior from said main housing member and has a defined length L, and has an orifice with a defined cross-sectional area outer surfaces, inner surfaces, the improvement which comprises: (a) a spacer member, said spacer member being fitted onto said nozzle segment and adapted to move outwardly and inwardly relatively to said nozzle segment, said spacer member being hollow and being located about said outer surfaces of said nozzle segment, said spacer member including a plurality of moveable segments, each of said moveable segments being interconnected with one another, said spacer member having an open extended position with said moveable segments being extended relative to one another to create an elongated spacer member, wherein an outermost extended segment is a mouthpiece segment, and said spacer member having a closed position wherein all of said moveable segments are collapsed relative to one another such that all moveable segments are located about said nozzle, so as to have a total length equal to or less than exterior nozzle segment length L so as to eliminate protrusion beyond said nozzle segment, and so as to preserve significant compactness when said spacer member is moved inwardly relative to said nozzle; and, (b) an aerosol medication container sleeve connected to and partially located inside said aerosol medication container tube, said sleeve being reciprocally slideable along said central axis and relative to said tube, said sleeve being adapted to receive and hold an aerosol medication container, said sleeve having a first, open position wherein said sleeve is extended away from said main housing member to create a maximum open internal volume for collapse of said spacer segments into said main housing, said sleeve having a second, closed position wherein, when said spacer segments are extended, said sleeve is collapsed toward said main housing member to extend partially into said main housing member beyond said tube to properly position an aerosol medication container spray nozzle for medication dispensing therefrom.