Patent ID: 6182655
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: A61M,G06M

Abstract:
The inhaler for multiple dosed administration of a pharmacological dry power, comprising:a housing including a lower part and an upper part;a mouthpiece attached to an end of said housing, said mouthpiece including a channel extending therethrough;a protective cap covering said mouthpiece, said protective cap being movable between a closed position and an open position;a medicament reservoir located inside said housing, said medicament reservoir containing dry powder and including a funnel outlet;a movable shutter positioned inside said housing, said shutter including a closure part which protrudes into said channel of said mouthpiece;a movable dosing slide located inside said housing, said dosing slide movable between a receiving position and a dispensing position, said dosing slide including a dosing cavity positioned underneath said funnel outlet of said medicament reservoir when said dosing slide is in said receiving position, said dosing cavity being fillable with dry powder when said dosing slide is in said receiving position, said dosing slide moving into said dispensing position upon moving said protective cap from said closed position to said open position, said dosing cavity moving into said closure part and being surrounded by said closure part upon movement of said dosing slide into said dispensing position;a movable valve shield positioned inside said housing, said valve shield being movable between a rest position and a forward position in response to suction generated during inhalation, said valve shield moving said shutter when said valve shield moves into said forward position, the movement of said shutter releasing said dosing cavity from said closure part to thereby permit the release of dry powder from said dosing cavity into said channel of said mouthpiece and to permit the inhalation of dry powder by a user of said inhaler;locking means for locking said valve shield in said forward position only upon a defined minimum intensity of inhalation;return means for returning said dosing slide to said receiving position only after a correctly completed inhalation, thereby returning said dosing cavity underneath said funnel outlet; anda recording unit positioned inside said housing, said recording unit recording the number of correctly performed inhalations and having a protrusion that moves from an initial position to a final position such that, when said protrusion reaches its final position, the protrusion obstructs the return means from moving said dosing slide into its receiving position, thereby preventing further use of the inhaler.