A ventilator circuit apparatus is provided for the administration of an aerosolized drug from a nebulizer through an endotracheal tube to a patient on a mechanical ventilator with humidification of the breathing gases. Means to disconnect the nebulizer without interrupting the airflow to the patient is provided, with a T-fitting and three-way valve in the ventilator circuit that permits the nebulizer to be bypassed by the airflow, allowing the nebulizer to be removed from the apparatus without interrupting the flow of breathing gases to the patient. In embodiment, the nebulizer is breath-enhanced jet nebulizer. In an embodiment, the jet nebulizer is breath-actuated, by the use of an air pressure sensor that toggles the flow of pressurized air to the nebulizer that drives the jet required for nebulization.

An inhalation-synchronized fluid dispenser device having a body (10; 10′) provided with a mouthpiece (400), a fluid reservoir (100) containing a fluid and a propellant gas being mounted to slide axially in the body (10; 10′), a metering valve (200) including a valve member (210) assembled on the reservoir (100) for selectively dispensing the fluid. The device includes an actuator element (500, 500′, 500″; 550) movable and/or deformable between a non-actuation position and an actuation position; an inhalation-controlled trigger system including an inhalation-sensitive member (60, 61; 65, 66) deformable and/or movable under the effect of inhaling and when deformed and/or moved, moving and/or deforming the actuator element (500, 500′, 500″; 550) from its non-actuation position towards its actuation position; an electronic dose counter (1000); and a signal-transmitter (1100) for communicating, in particular communicating remotely, information relating to the actuations of the device.

An inhalation-synchronized fluid dispenser device having a body; a mouthpiece; a reservoir; a valve; a blocking element; a trigger element; and an inhalation-controlled trigger system including an inhalation-sensitive member deformable or movable so that when the inhalation-sensitive member is deformed and/or moved, it moves and/or deforms the trigger element towards its release position, thereby making it possible to move and/or deform the blocking element towards its actuation position. The device has a ring that co-operates with the blocking element, such that in the blocking position, an axial projection of the ring co-operates with an axial blocking extension so as to block the reservoir, and in the actuation position, the axial projection co-operates with an axial recess, thereby enabling the reservoir to move axially.

An inhalation-synchronized fluid dispenser device having a body provided with a mouthpiece, a fluid reservoir containing a fluid and a propellant gas mounted to slide axially, a metering valve including a valve member assembled on the reservoir for selectively dispensing the fluid. The device also includes an actuator element movable and/or deformable between a non-actuation position and an actuation position; and an inhalation-controlled trigger system including an inhalation-sensitive member deformable and/or movable under the effect of inhaling so as to move and/or deform the actuator element from its non-actuation position towards its actuation position. The actuator element is a locking element that, in its non-actuation position, enables the valve member of the metering valve to move axially in the body together with the reservoir, preventing said metering valve from being actuated when the reservoir is moved axially in the body without inhaling.

A breath actuated metered dose inhaler may comprise a canister fire system configured to fire a medicament containing canister in response to patient inhalation. The canister fire system may comprise a pneumatic force holding unit and having a rest configuration in which a metering valve of the canister is in a refill configuration; a prepared configuration in which a canister actuation force is retained by the pneumatic force holding unit and the canister fire system is actuatable by patient inhalation induced airflow; and a fire configuration in which the metering valve is in a dose delivery position. When in the prepared configuration, the force retained by the pneumatic force holding unit may be reduced by less than about 6% over a period of 5 minutes, preferably less than about 3% over a period of 5 minutes.

An inhaler for delivery of a medicament by inhalation is disclosed. The inhaler comprises the following components. An inhaler body for receiving a canister having a dispensing valve. A drive mechanism comprising a biasing means such as a spring and a moving component such as a yoke, the drive mechanism for driving the canister, when received in the inhaler body, from a rest position in which the valve is closed to at least an actuating position in which the valve is open. The drive mechanism drives the canister when the biasing means is released from a loaded configuration to move the moving component from a first position to a second position. A resetting mechanism, for example a mouthpiece cap arrangement for pushing upwardly on the yoke, for resetting the drive mechanism by moving the moving component from the second position to the first position and reloading the biasing means to the loaded configuration. A return mechanism for returning the canister from the actuating position to the rest position, wherein the return mechanism comprises a damping system, the damping system configured to enable the canister to automatically return from the actuating position to the rest position within a predetermined time period measured from the release of the biasing means from the loaded configuration. A method of operation of an inhaler is also disclosed.

A dry powder medicament inhaler for metering an inhalation of dry powdered medicament may include at least one inlet and at least one outlet, wherein a communication between said inlet and outlet at least includes a mixing and deaggregation chamber and at least two dosage communications between the inlet and the chamber. The inhaler may also include a dosage mechanism for arranging at least one dose of a medicament between the inlet and the chamber, such that said at least one dose may be delivered upon inhalation at said outlet through said communications. The inhaler may further include a locking mechanism, wherein on moving the dosage mechanism from a dose collecting position to a dose administering position the locking mechanism may be moved from an unlocked to a locked position preventing the metering of any further doses prior to resetting of the locking mechanism. Instead of a locking mechanism, the inhaler may include a dosage indicator or a counterweight mechanism. The inhaler may also include combinations of a locking mechanism, a dosage indicator, and a counterweight mechanism.

The invention refers to an inhalation device for powdered drugs to be received by a patient by an inhalation-caused air stream, comprising at least one powder reservoir, metering means for repeatedly metering a powder dose from the reservoir, a transportation mechanism for moving said metering means from a filling position for receiving a powder dose into an emptying position for releasing said powder dose into a powder channel, at least one activating device for manual operation by the patient being operatively connected to said transportation mechanism such that upon operation a single powder dose is being metered, said activating device comprising a dosage key (5) acting on said transportation mechanism when actuated by the patient. According to the invention, said transportation mechanism furthermore comprises a dosage lever (6) acting on said metering means, said dosage lever (6) being locked in the inhalation position of said metering means after said dosage key (5) has been properly pressed down by the patient. The dosage lever (6) in the inhalation position engages a trigger member and is releasable by actuation of the trigger member. The trigger member comprises at least one cam surface and the dosage lever (6) engages the cam surface tangentially in said locked inhalation position.

An inhalation-synchronized fluid dispenser device having a body, a reservoir containing a fluid and a propellant gas that slides axially in the body, a metering valve, a blocking element movable and/or deformable between a non-actuation position and an actuation position, and an inhalation-controlled trigger system that moves and/or deforms the blocking element from the non-actuation position towards the actuation position. The device includes an actuator fastened on the reservoir and having a proximal wall fastened on the end of the reservoir, a body that slides axially past the proximal wall, and a spring arranged between the proximal wall and a distal wall of the body, the body sliding axially past the proximal wall between a rest position and a cocked position in which the spring is compressed, such that on actuation of the trigger system, the compressed spring moves the reservoir so as to actuate the metering valve.

A breath actuated metered dose inhaler may include a canister fire system configured to fire a medicament containing canister in response to patient inhalation. The canister fire system may include a pneumatic force holding unit and having a rest configuration in which a metering valve of the canister is in a refill configuration; a prepared configuration in which a canister actuation force is retained by the pneumatic force holding unit and the canister fire system is actuatable by patient inhalation induced airflow; and a fire configuration in which the metering valve is in a dose delivery position. When in the prepared configuration, the force retained by the so pneumatic force holding unit may be reduced by less than about 6% over a period of 5 minutes, preferably less than about 3% over a period of 5 minutes.