Medicament dispenser
View Patent ↗An inhaler that includes a fluid medicament supply, an ejector, an accumulator in fluid communication with the ejector, a valve that is in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic, and a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic.
1. A medicament dispenser, comprising:
a fluid medicament supply;
an ejector;
an accumulator for storing medicament in fluid communication with the ejector;
a valve in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator;
a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic; and
a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic; and
a compliant member that regulates pressure within the accumulator, wherein the compliant member is a resilient member.
2. The dispenser of claim 1 , where the sensor is configured to sense fluid pressure within the accumulator.
3. The dispenser of claim 1 , where the sensor is configured to sense a volume defined by the accumulator.
4. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is fluidically coupled to the accumulator.
5. The dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the sensor is configured to sense pressure adjacent the ejector.
6. The dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the valve to increase the pressure adjacent the ejector.
7. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the compliant member is configured to regulate pressure by deforming elastically in response to changes in accumulator pressure.
8. The dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the compliant member is configured to regulate negative accumulator pressure.
9. The dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the sensor is coupled to the compliant member to sense the accumulator volume.
10. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the valve includes a microvalve.
11. The dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the microvalve includes an electrostatic actuator, a magnetic actuator, or a piezoelectric actuator.
12. The dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to provide information to a user of the dispenser.
13. The dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the information includes the number of doses of medicament remaining in the dispenser.
14. The dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the information includes an indication to replace the fluid medicament supply.
15. A method of dispensing a medicament using a medicament dispenser including a fluid medicament supply, an ejector, an accumulator for storing medicament in fluid communication with the ejector, a valve in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic, and a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic, the method comprising:
sensing a medicament pressure within the accumulator;
recharging the accumulator from the fluid medicament supply where recharging the accumulator includes opening a valve between the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, where recharging the accumulator relaxes a compliant member that is fluidically coupled to the accumulator; and
ejecting medicament from the accumulator.
16. A method of dispensing a medicament using a medicament dispenser including a fluid medicament supply, an ejector, an accumulator for storing medicament in fluid communication with the ejector, a valve in fluid communication with the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, a sensor configured to sense an accumulator characteristic, and a controller configured to operate the valve in response to the accumulator characteristic, the method comprising:
sensing a medicament pressure within the accumulator;
recharging the accumulator from the fluid medicament supply where recharging the accumulator includes opening a valve between the fluid medicament supply and the accumulator, where recharging the accumulator flexes a compliant member that is fluidically coupled to the accumulator; and
ejecting medicament from the accumulator.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising comparing the sensed pressure to a minimum acceptable medicament pressure within the accumulator.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising sensing a second medicament pressure within the accumulator and comparing the second pressure to a desired pressure.
19. The method of claim 18 , where the second pressure is less than the desired pressure, further comprising generating a notification that the fluid medicament supply should be renewed.