Patent ID: 8245704

Claim:
An aerosol container unit adapted for location in a housing of a metered dose inhaler (MDI) comprising a support and an outlet selected from a mouthpiece and a nasal nozzle, the aerosol container unit having: an aerosol container for containing a number of metered doses of a pharmaceutical inhalation formulation, the container having a first end from which an outlet valve stem protrudes along an axis along which axis the stem is able to be repeatedly depressed into the container for dispensing said metered doses of the formulation from the container when present therein, and a dose indicating device for indicating the number of metered doses which: (i) are dispensed from the container, or (ii) remain in the container, wherein the dose indicating device has a body which is fixedly mounted to the first end of the aerosol container so that the body and the container are fixed against axially relative movement, and the first end of the aerosol container is inserted into an open end of the body, wherein the unit is locatable in an operational position in said MDI housing with the outlet valve stem in the MDI housing support, and wherein when the unit is in the operational position the container and the dose indicating device body are movable axially, in an axially fixed relationship, relative to the outlet valve stem and the MDI housing support to cause the outlet valve stem to be depressed into the container so that a metered dose of the formulation, when present, is dispensed through the MDI housing support into the MDI housing outlet for delivery to a patient.