Details for Patent: 6,360,739

Title:	Dispenser with doses counter
Abstract:	There is provided a dispenser suitable for dispensing medicament, particularly medicament for use in the treatment of respiratory disorders. The dispenser comprises a housing (1) having a support (5), a container (2), locatable within said housing (1), having an outlet (3), wherein said container (2) dispenses through said outlet (3) in response to movement of the container (2) relative to the housing (1) and an actuation indicator having an indexing mechanism (13,43) actutable by movement of the container (2) relative to the housing (1). The indexing mechanism (13, 43) includes a coupling element to compensate for excess movement of the container (2) relative to the housing (1).
Inventor(s):	Rand; Paul Kenneth (Redhill, GB), Brand; Peter John (Royston, GB), Godfrey; James William (Hertfordhire, GB)
Assignee:	SmithKline Beecham Corporation (Philadelphia, PA)
Filing Date:	Mar 31, 2000
Application Number:	09/445,659
Claims:	1. A drug product comprising: a housing having a support; a container containing a drug formulation comprising a medicament and a propellant, locatable within said housing, having an outlet, wherein said container is actuable; and an actuation indicator engaging the container including a drive shaft frictionally coupled to a pinion, a post engaging the pinion, a yoke engaging the drive shaft, and first and second switching latches engaging a star wheel, wherein the drive shaft, yoke, and pinion each rotate in a plane longitudinal to movement of the container. 2. A drug product according to claim 1, wherein the actuation indicator is actuatable by a predetermined movement of the container relative to the housing. 3. A drug product according to claim 1, wherein the pinion rotates relative to a rack during actuation of the dispenser. 4. A drug product according to claim 3, wherein the rack remains stationary relative to the housing during actuation. 5. A drug product according to claim 1, wherein the pinion frictionally coupled to the shaft accommodates a plurality of valve stems of different length. 6. A drug product according to claim 1 wherein the container is an aerosol container including a valve having a valve stem. 7. A drug product according to claim 1 wherein said container provides measured doses of the drug formulation including the medicament and the propellant. 8. A drug product according to claim 7 wherein said actuation indicator indicates the number of doses of medicament dispensed from or remaining in the container. 9. A drug product according to claim 1, actuable in response to the inward breath of a user. 10. A method of delivering a medicament to a patient comprising administering the medicament to the patient by actuating the drug product according to claim 1. 11. A drug product comprising: an aerosol canister including a can containing a propellant and a medicament, and a valve having a valve stem; an actuator removably engaging the aerosol canister; and, an actuation indicator engaging the aerosol canister including a drive shaft frictionally coupled to a pinion, a post engaging the pinion, a yoke engaging the drive shaft, and, first and second switching latches engaging a star wheel, wherein the drive shaft, yoke, and pinion each rotate in a plane longitudinal to movement of the aerosol canister. 12. The drug product of claim 11, wherein the medicament is selected from the group consisting of beclomethasone, fluticasone, flunisolide, budesonide, rofleponide, mometasone, triamcinolone, noscapine, albuterol, salmeterol, ephedrine, adrenaline, fenoterol, formoterol, isoprenaline, metaproterenol, terbutaline, tiotropium, ipratropium, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pirbuterol, reproterol, rimiterol, isoetharine, tulobuterol, (-)-4-amino-3,5-dichloro-.alpha.-{{{6-{2-(2-pyridinyl)ethoxy}hexyl}methyl} benzenemethanol, esters, solvates and salts thereof, and combinations thereof. 13. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is albuterol sulphate. 14. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is salmeterol xinafoate. 15. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is fluticasone propionate. 16. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is beclomethasone dipropionate. 17. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is the combination of salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate. 18. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is salmeterol xinafoate and a salt, ester or solvate of ipratropium. 19. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the aerosol canister includes a ferrule; wherein the actuator includes a body housing the actuation indicator; and, wherein the actuation indicator includes a tubular member to receive the ferrule. 20. The drug product of claim 19, wherein the actuator further includes a window to display numerals on one or more digit wheels engaging the star wheel. 21. The drug product of claim 19 comprising 3 digit wheels each having numerals 0 through 9. 22. A drug product comprising: means for containing a drug formulation comprising a medicament and a propellant; means for metering the drug formulation engaging the containing means; means for actuating the metering means; means for supporting the metering means and containing means; means for indicating actuation engaging the containing means and metering means; and, means for housing the containing means, metering means, support means and actuation indicating means. 23. A drug product comprising: means for containing a drug formulation comprising a propellant and a medicament; means for metering the drug formulation engaging the containing means; means for actuating the metering means; means for indicating actuation engaging the containing means and metering means. 24. A method of treating a patient comprising: providing the drug product of claim 12; actuating the drug formulation into the lungs of a patient; and, indexing the actuation indicator. 25. A method of treating a patient comprising: providing the drug product of claim 1; actuating the drug formulation into the lungs of the patient; and, indexing the actuation indicator.