US3971377A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Medicament dispensing process for inhalation therapy
Assignee: Alza Corp
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Filing: 1975-07-21
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Granted: 1976-07-27
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Expires: 1995-07-21
Abstract
Abstract A process for dispensing medicaments in aerosol form for inhalation therapy is disclosed. The process comprises: providing a hollow elongate housing having air inlet and air outlet passages; generating a positive pressure, air-stream between the inlet and outlet passages; rotationally releasing medicament from a container within the housing into the air-stream; and inserting the outlet passage into the oral or nasal cavity of the patient.
Inventors
- 👤 Nalinkant C. Damani
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 12:55
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M15/00; A61M15/0028; A61M15/0001; A61M15/0005; A61M15/0006; A61M15/003; A61M15/0033; A61M2202/00; A61M2202/06; A61M2202/064
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
A process of dispensing medicament for inhalation by a patient comprising: a. providing a hollow elongate housing having air inlet and air outlet passages; b. mounting a closed container of medicament within the housing on a fixed axis of rotation; c. opening said container; d. operating an internal rotation producing means to generate a positive pressure air stream between the air inlet and the air outlet to discharge the air stream from the outlet; e. rotating the container of medicament about said axis within the housing by said rotation producing means; f. dispensing a dosage of medicament from the container into the airstream while the container is rotating; and g. inserting the air outlet passage into the oral or nasal cavity of the patient.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
124 words
A process of dispensing medicament for inhalation by a patient comprising: a. providing a hollow elongate housing having air inlet and air outlet passages; b. mounting a closed container of medicament within the housing on a fixed axis of rotation; c. opening said container; d. operating an internal rotation producing means to generate a positive pressure air stream between the air inlet and the air outlet to discharge the air stream from the outlet; e. rotating the container of medicament about said axis within the housing by said rotation producing means; f. dispensing a dosage of medicament from the container into the airstream while the container is rotating; and g. inserting the air outlet passage into the oral or nasal cavity of the patient.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the medicament is dispensed into the airstream in a finely divided solid form.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the medicament is dispensed into the airstream in liquid form and the process includes: h. passing the liquid medicament through an atomizer disposed within the housing between the medicament dispensing site and the air outlet passage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the airstream is generated by an electrically driven propeller positioned in the housing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the airstream is generated by a hand driven propeller positioned in the housing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the container is opened by piercing the container.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the container contains a plurality of doses of medicament and the airstream is generated intermittently with a single dose of medicament being dispensed with each occurrence of the generation of the airstream.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the airstream is generated continuously.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-07-27 | 1980-01-26 | 1980-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-07-27 | 1984-01-26 | 1984-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-07-27 | 1988-01-26 | 1988-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |