Abstract:
Method and apparatus for enabling a user having reduced manual dexterity and/or strength to operate an aerosol inhaler by modifying the inhaler to have a lever juxtaposed adjacent the flat end of the aerosol cannister, or inserting an inhaler into a device having a lever juxtaposed to the flat end of the aerosol cannister, the lever adapted to be moved by the user to depress the aerosol cannister and dispense medication contained in said aerosol cannister.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/359,558, filed on Jul. 22, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,837, which has been allowed. 
     The entire disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/359,558, filed Jul. 22, 1999, is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to portable inhalation devices for permitting a user to inhale a medicated vapor spray, which may include powders, liquids, or gases, and in particular to means for assisting actuation of such devices. 
     People suffering from asthma and other respiratory diseases or disabilities have difficulty breathing from time to time, the breathing difficulty depending upon the activity in which the person with the respiratory disease is engaged in, the degree of inflammation of respiratory tissues and other stresses the individual may be under. A number of medications are available to alleviate the debilitating symptoms or to restore normal breathing. A large number of these medications are dispensed from aerosol-like dispensers as a vapor to be inhaled directly into the lungs of the person needing medication. The dispenser may include an outlet port which the user places in the mouth, the lips providing a seal to ensure passage of the medication through the users mouth for inhalation into his or her lungs. Actuation of the devices generally requires a compressive force exerted on the aerosol container by the users hand, after the outlet port is placed within the mouth. 
     Conventional dispensers are usually two piece structures, consisting of a housing which contains the mouthpiece which is also adapted to receive the aerosol cannister (can) which contains the medication under pressure. The aerosol can is inserted into the housing so that the outlet of the aerosol can is pointed down or oriented downward with the outlet adjacent the mouthpiece of the housing with the opposite or bottom end of the aerosol can projecting upwardly. The user then can place the housing between the thumb and forefinger and use the thumb and forefinger or the thumb and fingers to force the can downwardly thus releasing a burst of the medicated spray into the mouthpiece of the housing. 
     For persons having normal manual dexterity and strength actuation of the spray is not a problem. However, there are a number of people who must use inhalers that may also suffer from debilitating effects and limitations which result from such joint diseases such as arthritis. Many of these people no longer have the requisite strength or manual dexterity to compress the inhalers. In order to aid those persons with less than requisite manual dexterity a number of devices have been proposed. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,456,644. 3,456,645, 3,636,949, 3,565,070, 3,789,843, 3,826,413, 4,576,157 and 4,649,393 are representative of the state of the art of inhalation devices featuring various types of actuation mechanism. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,343 is drawn to a inhalation device that is directed to the problem of an inhaler that can be actuated by a person with less than the requisite manual dexterity or strength. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to inhaler assistive devices that can be accomplished by either a separate apparatus that can be used with conventional inhalers without modification of the convention inhaler, or modification of the housing of the conventional inhaler that receives the aerosol container. In either case a simple lever mechanism is used to provide increased mechanical advantage to the user of the inhaler so that a user with less than requisite manual dexterity and/or strength can actuate the inhaler with ease and comfort. 
     Therefore, in one aspect, the present invention is an apparatus for enabling a user having diminished manual dexterity to use an inhaler of the type having, a housing to removeably receive an aerosol can, the can having a medication discharge end opposite a generally flat end, the can containing medication under pressure, the housing having a mouthpiece to direct medication into the mouth of the user when the user applies pressure to the flat end of the can inserted in the housing, the improvement comprising: a generally elongated body adapted to receiving and hold the housing and the can so that the user can position the mouthpiece for dispensing of the medication, the body having a portion projecting above the bottom of the aerosol can; means in the portion of the body projecting above the bottom of the aerosol can to enable a user to effect greater pressure on the flat end of the can than the user, with diminished strength or manual dexterity, could produce manually. 
     In another aspect, the present invention is an apparatus for enabling a user having diminished strength or manual dexterity to use an inhaler of the type having a housing to removeably receive an aerosol can, the can having a medication discharge end opposite a generally flat end, the can containing medication under pressure, the housing having a mouthpiece to direct medication into the mouth of the user when the user applies pressure to the bottom of the can inserted in the housing, the improvement comprising: a body adapted to surround and frictionally engage a portion of the housing, the body adapted to support means to enable a user to effect greater pressure on the flat end of the can than the user, with diminished manual dexterity, could produce manually. 
     In still another aspect, the present invention is an apparatus for enabling a user having diminished strength or manual dexterity to use an inhaler of the type having a housing to removably receive an aerosol can, the can having a medication discharge end opposite a generally flat end, the can containing medication under pressure, the housing having a mouthpiece to direct medication into the mouth of the user when the user applies pressure to the bottom of the can inserted in the housing, the improvement comprising: constructing the housing with a face side extending from the mouthpiece to a location above the bottom of the aerosol can, means in a portion of the face side extending above the bottom of the can to receive means to contact the flat end of the aerosol can the means adapted to permit the user to exert increased force on the flat end of the can to permit dispensing of medication from the can. 
     In a further aspect, the present invention is an apparatus for enabling a user having diminished strength or manual dexterity to use an inhaler of the type having a housing to removeably receive an aerosol can, the can having a medication discharge end opposite a generally flat end: the can containing medication under pressure, the housing having a mouthpiece to direct medication into the mouth of the user when the user applies pressure to the bottom of the can inserted in the housing, the improvement comprising: to force enhancing means adapted to be removeably attached to the housing at a location above the mouthpiece and proximate a face of the housing extending vertically from the mouthpiece the force enhancing means having a generally flat elongated user contact surface portion disposed generally perpendicular to a generally flat extension portion the extension portion having a length so that when the force enhancing means is fixed to the housing the contact surface overlies and projects beyond the flat end of the aerosol can in a direction away from the mouthpiece, whereby when a user exerts force on the contact surface, the force enhancing means causes the aerosol can to dispense the medication. 
     In an additional aspect, the present invention is an apparatus wherein the force enhancing means includes a pair of mounting arms extending for a portion of the length of and generally parallel to the user contact surface portion with an inwardly projecting pivot fixed to each end of each of the arms opposite to where the extension portion is fixed to the user contact surface portion; and the housing has means to receive the pivots. 
     In yet another aspect, the present invention is an apparatus for enabling a user having diminished manual dexterity to use an inhaler of the type having a housing to removeably receive an aerosol can, the can having a medication discharge end opposite a generally flat end, the can containing medication under pressure, the housing having a mouthpiece to direct medication into the mouth of the user when the user applies pressure to the bottom of the can inserted in the housing, the improvement comprising: a generally elongated mounting piece adapted to be removeably fixed to the housing, the mounting piece having an aperture at one end, the aperture adapted to removeably and pivotably receive a lever arm, the mounting piece positioned on the housing so that the aperture is above the flat end of the aerosol can; lever means positioned in the mounting piece in contact with the flat end of the aerosol can to enable a user to effect greater pressure on the bottom of the can than the user, with diminished manual dexterity, could produce manually. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 a  is a perspective view of a conventional inhaler. 
     FIG. 1 b  is a perspective view of a device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 1 c  is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 b  and the conventional inhaler according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 a  is a perspective view of a conventional inhaler. 
     FIG. 2 b  is a perspective view of a device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 c  is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 2 b  and the conventional inhaler. 
     FIG. 3 a  is a perspective view of a conventional inhaler modified according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 b  is a perspective view of an actuation device to be used with the modified inhaler of FIG. 3 a.    
     FIG. 3 c  is a perspective view showing the assembled modified inhaler according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 a  is a perspective view of a conventional inhaler. 
     FIG. 4 b  is a perspective view of the conventional inhaler of FIG. 4 a  modified according to another aspect of the present invention showing the actuation device separated therefrom. 
     FIG. 4 c  is a perspective view of the assembled modified inhaler of FIG. 4 b.    
     FIG. 5 a  is a perspective view of a conventional inhaler. 
     FIG. 5 b  is a perspective view of an actuation device according to the present invention adapted to be fitted to the conventional inhaler of FIG. 5 a.    
     FIG. 5 c  is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 5 b  assembled on a conventional inhaler according to FIG. 5 a.   
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings wherein like parts have like numbers, the present invention will be described in more detailed. 
     FIG. 1 a  shows a conventional inhaler  10  consisting of housing  12 , with a mouthpiece  14 , the mouthpiece  14  adapted to be closed by a mating cover  16 . Housing  12  has a body portion  18  which receives an aerosol container  20 , the aerosol container  20  having a first end (not shown) and a second or generally flat (bottom) end  22 . The first end of the aerosol cannister, can or receptacle  20  is well known and one type is shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,644 the description of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such aerosol canisters are well known in the art. 
     FIG. 1 b  shows a first embodiment  24  of the present invention which includes a body portion  26  and a actuation or lever portion  28 . Body portion  26  includes a bottom  30  a pair of vertical sides  32 ,  34  which project upwardly from the bottom  30  and a front face  36 . Face  36  includes a lower opening  38  which is adapted to receive the mouthpiece  14  of inhaler  10  as shown in FIG. 1 c . The sides  32 ,  34  of body  26  contain opposite apertures or pivot points  40  and  42 . Pivot points  40 ,  42  are adapted to receive pins placed in a lower portion of lever  28  so that the lever  28  can pivot vertically around the pivot points  40 ,  42 . The pivoting assembly can be made in any convenient configuration for example the housing can have molded projection which meet with complimenting apertures in the actuation lever. 
     FIG. 1 c  depicts the conventional inhaler  10  which is placed inside of the inhaler assistive device  24  of FIG.  1 B. The inhaler  10  is placed in the device so the mouthpiece  14  and cover  16  project through the opening  38  in front face  36 . The bottom  22  of aerosol cannister  20  fits underneath the the lever  28 . The lever  28  can be made in any convenient length and when the aerosol dispenser  10  is withdrawn from the body  24  the lever can pivot downwardly to be stored inside of the body  26 , thus determining one length for the lever  28 . In use, all the person wishing to receive medication has to do is remove the cover  16  place the mouthpiece in their mouth and then press the lever  28  to actuate the dispensing of medicated spray into the users mouth and down into the users lungs. The lever provides a significant mechanical advantage so that those persons with debilitating diseases, such as arthritis, can readily dispense medication without assistance. 
     FIG. 2 a  shows a conventional inhaler  10 . FIG. 2 b  shows an alternate embodiment  44  of the present invention which includes a body portion  46  and a lever  48 . Body portion  46  is in the shape of a cylinder which is adapted to slip over the housing  12  of dispenser  10 . The body portion  46  fixed be held to the body portion  46  of device  44  either frictionally or with removable cement at the position shown in FIG. 2 c.    
     In FIG. 2 b  the body portion  46  has two upwardly projecting sides  50 ,  52  which have pivot points  54 ,  56  which are adapted to pivotally receive the lever arm  48 . As shown in FIG. 2 c  when the body or collar portion  46  of the assistive device  44  is slipped over the body or housing  12  of dispenser  10  the lever bears against the flat end  22  of aerosol cannister  20 . Here again when the user moves the lever  48  in a downward direction the aerosol can is depressed and the medication is dispensed through the mouthpiece  14  of the dispenser  10 . The device of FIGS. 2 b  and  2   c  provides a significant mechanical advantage, thus enabling a user with less than adequate manual dexterity to dispense medication without assistance. 
     FIG. 3 a  shows a dispenser  60  having a body or housing  62 , a mouthpiece  64  with a cover  66 , and an aerosol medication cannister  20  having a generally flat end or bottom  22 . The body or housing  62  of the dispenser  60  is modified by providing pivot points  68  and  70  on opposite sides of the body  62  so that a lever  72  such as shown in FIG. 3B can be fixed to the body  62 . Lever  72  includes a first flat or user contact portion  74  and a vertical face portion  76  which is disposed at right angles to the user contact portion  74  of lever  72 . Face portion  76  is of sufficient length so that the contact portion  74  can contact the bottom  22  of aerosol cannister  20  and the lever  72  can be fixed to the body  62  of the dispenser  60  by a pair of parallel mounting arms  78  and  80  which terminate in inwardly projecting pins  82 ,  84 , the pins  82 ,  84  adapted to fit into the apertures  68  and  70  on body  62  of dispenser  60 . As shown in FIG. 3 c  when the lever is mounted onto the housing  62  of dispenser  60  the user can place his or her hand or a portion thereof or a portion of the lower arm on the contact surface  74  to move the lever in a downward direction to urge the aerosol container downwardly to dispense the medication into the users mouth and lungs. It would also be possible to have projections on the housing instead of apertures  68  and  70  which mate with complimentary shaped depressions or openings in place of pins  82 ,  84 . 
     FIG. 4 a  shows a conventional dispenser  10 . FIG. 4 b  shows a modified housing  88  for dispenser  86 . Housing  98  is modified by extending the front face portion  90  vertically to project above the aerosol cannister  20  as shown in FIG. 4 c . The portion of the face  90  projecting above the aerosol can has an aperture  92  which is adapted to removably receive a lever arm  94  the front portion of lever arm  94  having suitable cut outs  96 ,  98  so that the lever arm  94  can be inserted into the aperture  92  as shown in FIG. 4 c . The lever arm  94  can be removable for storage or traveling. In use, the device of FIGS. 4 b  and  4   e  permits the user to take advantage of the mechanical advantage of the lever to force the aerosol cannister downwardly to dispense medication through the mouthpiece  89  of the housing  88 . 
     FIG. 5 a  shows a conventional dispenser  10  with an aerosol container  22  placed in the housing  12 . FIG. 5 b  shows a two piece lever mechanism including a front piece  102  which is adapted to be fixed to the housing  12  by adhesive or other suitable means in the position shown in FIG. 5 c . The front piece  102  has slot or aperture  104  similar to the aperture  92  of the FIG. 4 b . The lever arm  106  is similar to the lever arm  94 FIG. 4 b  and is placed in the aperture  104  in a like matter. When the device of FIG. 5 b  is fixed to the housing  12  the lever can be used by the user to force the aerosol cannister or bottle in a downward direction to dispense medication through the mouthpiece  14  and into the uses mouth and lungs. 
     Materials of construction for devices according to the present invention can be various. One suitable material is polycarbonate resin or other plastics used to fabricate the housing for the aerosol container. Other materials can be metal or even wood so long as the operating characteristics of the invention are achieved. 
     While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to an aersol inhaler where the aerosol cannister is removable or seperable from the housing, the present invention can be used with an aerosol inhaler where the cannister is movable within but not seperable from the housing or where the cannister and housing are a single structure but operate in the same manner as convential inhaler devices, i.e. where a pump like action causes the medicated spray to be dispensed. 
     Having thus described my invention what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is set forth in the appended claims which should be read without limitation.