Inhaler dose counter

A dose counter for a metered dose inhaler comprises actuator means 341, drive means 350 for driving a rotary gear 360 in step-wise fashion in response to displacement of said actuator means 341, said rotary gear 360 comprising a wheel having a plurality of ratchet teeth (not shown) around its periph...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors NICHOLAS JOHN BOWMAN, MICHAEL JOHN HOLROYD, CONSTANTINOS PANAYI, WILLIAM RICHARD TRENEMAN
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
Published 24.06.1998
Edition6
Subjects
CALCULATING
COMPUTING
COUNTING
COUNTING MECHANISMS
COUNTING OF OBJECTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY
DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROMTHE BODY
HUMAN NECESSITIES
HYGIENE
MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE
PHYSICS
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Summary:A dose counter for a metered dose inhaler comprises actuator means 341, drive means 350 for driving a rotary gear 360 in step-wise fashion in response to displacement of said actuator means 341, said rotary gear 360 comprising a wheel having a plurality of ratchet teeth (not shown) around its periphery. Means 364 are provided to prevent reverse rotation of the rotary gear 360. A flexible tape 368 is provided with a visible array of incrementing integers on its surface indicating the number of medicament doses remaining in the inhaler. The tape 368 indexes by a single integer in response to each step of the step-wise rotary motion of the rotary gear 360. A control surface 371 regulates the position of engagement and disengagement between the drive means 350 and the rotary gear 360. In an alternative embodiment (Figure 6), the control surface 371 is omitted and the means for preventing reverse rotation comprise a stepless restraint 664.
Bibliography:Application Number: GB19960026538