Details for Patent: 6,474,331

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) actuatable by movement of the container (2) relative to the housing (1). A couple mechanism (13, 43) is provided which couples the indexing mechanism (13, 43) to the container (2) to compensate for any variation in pre-actuation positionings of the indexing mechanism and container.
Inventor(s):	Rand; Paul Kenneth (Redhill, GB), Brand; Peter John (Royston, GB), Godfrey; James William (Hertfordshire, GB)
Assignee:	Smithkline Beecham Corporation (Philadelphia, PA)
Filing Date:	Mar 31, 2000
Application Number:	09/445,658
Claims:	1. A drug product comprising: a housing having a support; a container containing a drug formulation comprising a medicament and a propellant, insertable within said housing, having an outlet, wherein said container is actuable; and an indexing mechanism 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; and, wherein the indexing mechanism is adapted to be positioned at start and/or zero position. 2. The drug product according to claim 1, wherein said indexing mechanism is adapted to be positioned at a start index position when the container is at a rest position. 3. The drug product according to claim 1, wherein the indexing mechanism is adapted to be positioned at a zero position on insertion of the container into said housing. 4. The drug product according to claim 1, wherein the indexing mechanism is adapted to be positioned at a zero position in response to an initial movement of the container from a rest position. 5. The drug product according to claim 1, wherein the indexing mechanism indexes actuation by means of a predetermined rotary movement of a first member driven by movement relative to a second member during actuation. 6. The drug product according to claim 1, wherein the second member remains stationary relative to the housing during actuation. 7. A drug product according to claim 1 wherein the container is an aerosol container. 8. A drug product according to claim 1 wherein said container provides measured doses. 9. The drug product according to claim 8, further including an actuation indicator, engaged by the indexing mechanism, that indicates the number of doses dispensed from or remaining in the container. 10. The drug product according to claim 1, actuable in response to the inward breath of a user. 11. A method of dispensing a drug to the lungs of a patient comprising: providing the drug product of claim 1, and dispensing the medicament. 12. The drug product of claim 1, wherein the medicament is a member selected from the group consisting of beclomethasone, fluticasone, albuterol, salmeterol, ipratropium, (-)-4amino-3,5-dichloro-.alpha.[[[6-[2(2-pyridinyl)ethoxy]hexyl]methyl]ben zenemethanol and salts, esters or solvates thereof. 13. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is a combination of salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate. 14. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is salmeterol xinafoate. 15. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is albuterol sulphate. 16. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is beclomethasone dipropionate. 17. The drug product of claim 12, wherein the medicament is fluticasone propionate. 18. The drug product of claim 12, wherein medicament is a combination of ipratropium and salmeterol.