Metered-dose inhaler

Abstract

An inhaler including a medicament-containing vessel; an actuator body for receiving the vessel and having a medicament delivery outlet, wherein the vessel is releasably attachable to the actuator body; a dose counter integrated into the actuator body; and a first indicium on the vessel and a second indicium on the actuator body, wherein the first indicium and the second indicium identify the vessel and the actuator body to be part of the same metered-dose inhaler. Also provided is a kit including the metered-dose inhaler and at least one pair of stickers and a method for manufacturing the metered-dose inhaler.

1 . A metered-dose inhaler comprising:
 a medicament-containing vessel;   an actuator body for receiving the vessel and having a medicament delivery outlet, wherein the vessel is releasably attachable to the actuator body;   a dose counter integrated into the actuator body; and   a first indicium on the vessel and a second indicium on the actuator body, wherein the first indicium and the second indicium identify the vessel and the actuator body to be part of the same metered-dose inhaler.   
   
   
       2 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first indicium is attached to the vessel and the second indicium is attached to the actuator body. 
   
   
       3 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first indicium and the second indicium are substantially the same color. 
   
   
       4 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first indicium and the second indicium are substantially the same shape. 
   
   
       5 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first indicium and the second indicium are substantially identical. 
   
   
       6 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first indicium is a first sticker and the second indicium is a second sticker. 
   
   
       7 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the first sticker is illustrated with a first insignia and the second sticker is illustrated with a second insignia, such that a user of the inhaler would make a connection between the first insignia and the second insignia. 
   
   
       8 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first insignia and the second insignia are substantially identical. 
   
   
       9 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the first sticker and the second sticker are substantially identical. 
   
   
       10 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first indicium and/or the second indicium are printed. 
   
   
       11 . A metered dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first indicium and/or the second indicium are laser markings. 
   
   
       12 . A metered dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein at least one of said first insignia and second insignia is printed and/or a laser marking. 
   
   
       13 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first indicium and the second indicium are visible when the inhaler is assembled. 
   
   
       14 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dose counter comprises:
 an actuator;   a driver for driving a rotary gear in a step-wise fashion in response to displacement of the actuator, the rotary gear comprising a wheel mounted on a spindle which wheel having a plurality of ratchet teeth around its periphery;   a resilient member to prevent reverse rotation of the rotary gear; and   a display coupled to the rotary gear, the display having a visible array of incrementing integers on a surface thereof indexable by a single integer in response to each step of the step-wise rotary motion of the rotary gear.   
   
   
       15 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the vessel contains a medicament in the form of an aerosol. 
   
   
       16 . A metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the vessel and/or the actuator body comprise a manufacturing batch number and the first indicium and the second indicium comprise the manufacturing batch number of either the vessel or the actuator body. 
   
   
       17 . A kit comprising:
 a medicament-containing vessel;   an actuator body for receiving the vessel and having a medicament delivery outlet;   a dose counter integrated into the actuator body; and   at least one pair of stickers releasably attached to a backing sheet and comprising a first sticker and a second sticker which can be identified as being part of the pair.   
   
   
       18 . A kit according to  claim 17 , wherein the kit comprises a plurality of pairs of stickers wherein each pair of stickers can be distinguished from each other pair. 
   
   
       19 . A kit as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein at least one pair of stickers comprises a first sticker and a second sticker which can be identified as being part of the at least one pair by the first sticker and the second sticker being substantially the same color. 
   
   
       20 . A kit as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein at least one pair of stickers comprises a first sticker and a second sticker which can be identified as being part of the at least one pair by the first sticker and the second sticker being substantially the same shape. 
   
   
       21 . A kit as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein at least one pair of stickers comprises a first sticker and a second sticker which can be identified as being part of the at least one pair by the first sticker comprising a first insignia and the second sticker comprising a second insignia such that a user of the inhaler would make a connection between the first insignia and the second insignia. 
   
   
       22 . A kit as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the first insignia and the second insignia are substantially identical. 
   
   
       23 . A kit as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein at least one pair of stickers comprises a first sticker and a second sticker which can be identified as being part of the at least one pair by the first sticker and the second sticker being substantially identical. 
   
   
       24 . A kit as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the kit additionally comprises instructions to assemble the medicament containing vessel and the actuator body having a medicament delivery outlet to form a metered-dose inhaler, and use one pair of stickers by attaching the first sticker of the pair to the vessel and the second sticker of the pair to the actuator body to identify the vessel and the actuator body to be part of the same metered-dose inhaler. 
   
   
       25 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler comprising the steps of
 providing a medicament-containing vessel;   providing an actuator body for receiving the vessel and having a medicament delivery outlet;   releasably attaching the vessel to the actuator body; and   subsequently attaching a first indicium to the vessel and a second indicium to the actuator body, wherein the first indicium and the second indicium identify the vessel and the actuator body to be part of the same metered-dose inhaler.   
   
   
       26 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler comprising the steps of
 providing a medicament-containing vessel;   providing an actuator body for receiving the vessel and having a medicament delivery outlet;   attaching a first indicium to either the vessel or the actuator body;   releasably attaching the vessel to the actuator body; and   subsequently attaching a second indicium to whichever of the actuator body and the vessel does not comprise the first indicium, wherein the first indicium and the second indicium identify the vessel and the actuator body to be part of the same metered-dose inhaler.   
   
   
       27 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler comprising the steps of
 providing a medicament-containing vessel;   attaching a first indicium to the vessel;   providing an actuator body for receiving the vessel and having a medicament delivery outlet;   attaching a second indicium to the actuator body; and   subsequently releasably attaching the vessel to the actuator, wherein the first indicium and the second indicium identify the vessel and the actuator body to be part of the same metered-dose inhaler.   
   
   
       28 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the first indicium and the second indicium is a sticker; preferably wherein the first indicium is a sticker and the second indium is a sticker. 
   
   
       29 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the first indicium and the second indicium comprises a laser marking; wherein the first indicium comprises a laser marking and the second indicium comprises a laser marking. 
   
   
       30 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the first indicium and the second indicium is printed. 
   
   
       31 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the first indicium and the second indicium are substantially identical. 
   
   
       32 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the first indicium and the second indicium comprise numbers and/or letters. 
   
   
       33 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the vessel and/or the actuator body comprise a manufacturing batch number and the first indicium and the second indicium comprise the manufacturing batch number of either the vessel or the actuator body. 
   
   
       34 . A method for manufacturing a metered-dose inhaler as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the first indicium and the second indicium is the manufacturing batch number of the vessel.