Medicament dispensing system

1. A hand-held inhalation device for treatment of a disease by inhalation of medicament through the mouth or nose of a patient comprising:

(i) a medicament dispenser for dispensing a quantity of medicament,

(ii) a detector for detecting one or more biochemical marker(s) in an exhaled breath of the patient indicative of said disease, the detector comprising a sampler into which the patient is able to exhale, and;

(iii) an electronic processor for processing information obtainable from the detector;

wherein said medicament dispenser dispenses a quantity of medicament determinable by the electronic processor, and; said medicament dispenser, detector and electronic processor are integrated components of the handheld inhalation device.

2. An inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises a sensor.

3. An inhalation device according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor is a non-specific bio- or chemosensor.

4. An inhalation device according to claim 3 , wherein the detector further comprises a pre-separation device.

5. An inhalation device according to claim 4 , wherein the pre-separation device comprises a miniaturised gas chromatograph device, a capillary electrophoresis chip or other electrophoresis device, or a lateral flow membrane.

6. An inhalation device according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor comprises a biosensor.

7. An inhalation device according to claim 6 , wherein said biosensor comprises a sensing layer and a transducer layer.

8. An inhalation device according to claim 7 , wherein said sensing layer comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of enzymes, receptors, micro-organisms, antibodies, antigens, nucleic acids, cells, peptides, proteins and biochemicals.

9. An inhalation device according to claim 7 wherein the sensing layer comprises one or more artificial or synthetic materials analogous to enzymes, receptors, micro-organism, antibodies, antigens, nucleic acids, cells, peptides, proteins and biochemicals.

10. An inhalation device according to claim 7 , wherein the sensing layer comprises a renewable sensing surface.

11. An inhalation device according to claim 7 , wherein the sensing layer comprises a non-renewable sensing surface.

12. An inhalation device according to claim 11 , wherein the sensing layer comprises a disposable component incorporating the non-renewable sensing surface.

13. An inhalation device according to claim 9 , wherein said transducer layer comprises an optical, electrical, semi-conductor, thermal or acoustic mechanism.

14. An inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises spectroscopic detecting means for direct spectroscopic detection of one or more biochemical marker(s).

15. An inhalation device according to claim 14 , wherein the spectroscopic detector is suitable for use in infra red and Raman spectroscopic detection methods.

16. An inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein said device comprises more than one detector for detecting one or more biochemical marker(s).

17. An inhalation device according to claim 16 , wherein said said detectors are arranged in array fashion.

18. An inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic processor comprises a micro-controller with associated analogue and digital electronics and interfaces.

19. An inhalation device according to claim 18 , wherein the electronic processor further comprises an amplifier for amplifying the signal received from the detector.

20. An inhalation device according to claim 1 , additionally comprising an electronic data management system in communication with the electronic processor.

21. An inhalation device according to claim 20 , wherein the electronic data management system includes a database and the electronic processor makes reference to that database in determining the quantity of medicament to dispense from the dispenser.

22. An inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein the medicament dispenser comprises a medicament container and a dispensing mechanism.

23. An inhalation device according to claim 22 , wherein the dispensing mechanism is automatically set in direct response to the determination of the electronic processor.

24. An inhalation device according to claim 22 , wherein the dispensing mechanism is set manually in response to the determination of the electronic processor.

25. An inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein the medicament dispenser is selected from the group consisting of a reservoir dry powder inhaler, a multi-dose dry powder inhaler, a metered dose inhaler and a liquid spray inhaler.

26. An inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein said device comprises a plurality of medicament dispensers, each providing a component part of a combination medicament product.

27. An inhalation device according to claim 26 , wherein the dispensing ratio of each component part of the combination medicament product is variable in response to input from the electronic processor.

28. An inhalation device according to claim 26 comprising:

(a) a first medicament container for containing a first medicament component and first releaser for releasing the contents of said first medicament container; and

(b) at least one further medicament container for containing at least one further medicament component and at least one further releaser for releasing the contents of each said at least one further medicament container,

wherein the first medicament component is kept separate from the at least one further medicament component until the point of release thereof for delivery in combination.