Patent ID: 7921844
Filing Date: 2011-04-12
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. In a drug delivery device of the type having an air jet entrained liquid medicine at an entrainment region from a medicine reservoir and nebulized or atomized entrained liquid by impacting a liquid medicine-laden air jet on a flat surface, and delivering the atomized medicine to a patient via a medicine delivery channel, the improvement comprising: a breath-activated fluidic switch having a power nozzle coupled to a source of air under pressure, said breath-activated fluidic switch having a pair of diverging legs, one of said diverging legs having a control port connected to sense inhalation of the patient, the other of said legs being coupled to said medicine entrainment region, whereby said entrainment of medicine at said medicine entrainment region is prevented by air supplied to said medicine entrainment region from said other of said legs in the absence of sensed patient inhalation at said control port.