Drug delivery apparatus and method

1. A nebulizer comprising:

a first removable component comprising a first data carrier, wherein the first removable component is a mouthpiece and the first data carrier stores information about the mouthpiece;

a second removable component comprising a second data carrier, wherein the second removable component is a mesh assembly that is attached to a medication chamber such that the second data carrier stores information related to both the mesh assembly and the medication chamber;

a third removable component comprising a third data carrier, wherein the third removable component is a plunger assembly, the plunger assembly including a medication metering chamber, the third data carrier storing information related to the plunger assembly; and

at least one data reader for communicating with the first data carrier of the first removable component, the second data carrier of the second removable component, and the third data carrier of the third removable component, wherein the first removable component, the second removable component, and the third removable component are useable as part of the nebulizer at the same time.

2. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first removable component, the second removable component, and the third removable component are individual ones of sets of associated removable components.

3. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least one data reader is adapted to identify a particular removable component from its associated set of removable components using information contained in the first data carrier of the first removable component, the second data carrier of the second removable component, or the third data carrier of the third removable component.

4. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 2 ,

wherein the first removable component is a mouthpiece from a set of removable mouthpieces,

wherein the mouthpieces in the set of removable mouthpieces are differentiated by their resistance;

wherein the second removable component is a mesh assembly from a set of removable mesh assemblies; and

wherein the mesh assemblies in the set of removable mesh assemblies are differentiated by a type of medication in corresponding medication chambers.

5. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising one or more processors configured to execute control software for controlling an operation of the nebulizer, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the operation of the nebulizer based on information provided by the first data carrier, the second data carrier, and the third data carrier.

6. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 4 wherein the one or more processors are configured such that the operation of the nebulizer is only possible once a of the first, second, and third removable components are detected as being attached to the nebulizer.

7. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first data carrier, second data carrier, the third data carrier, and the at least one data reader comprise a radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging system.

8. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first data carrier comprises a first RFID tag, the second data carrier comprises a second RFID tag, the third data carrier comprises a third RFID tag, and the at least one data reader comprises an antenna.

9. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the RFID tagging system is configured to communicate with RFID tags mounted in removable components attached to the nebulizer.

10. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in use, the same single data reader communicates with the first data carrier, the second data carrier, and the third data carrier.

11. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first data carrier is adapted to store information that indicates a type of mouthpiece formed by the first removable component, and wherein the second data carrier is adapted to store information for preventing a mesh from being used in the nebulizer after a predetermined number of uses.

12. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first data carrier or the second data carrier stores a count value, the count value being incremented or decremented after each use of the mesh.

13. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a mesh of the second removable component and the second data carrier are coplanar in the second removable component.

14. A nebulizer, the nebulizer comprising:

a removable mouthpiece comprising an associated first data carrier for communicating, in use, with a data reader provided in the nebulizer, the first data carrier forming part of the mouthpiece such that removal of the mouthpiece removes the first data carrier therewith;

a removable mesh assembly that is attached to a medication chamber such that a second data carrier stores information related to both the mesh assembly and the medication chamber, the removable mesh assembly comprising the second data carrier that communicates, in use, with the data reader; and

a removable plunger assembly comprising a third data carrier, the plunger assembly including a medication metering chamber, the third data carrier storing information related to the plunger assembly.

15. A nebulizer as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the removable mouthpiece, the removable mesh assembly, and the removable plunger assembly individually form parts of sets of interchangeable removable components for use with the nebulizer, and wherein the data carriers provide, in use, information relating to which removable components from the sets of interchangeable removable components are being used with the nebulizer.

16. A method of operating a nebulizer, the method being implemented in a computer system including one or more processors configured to execute software, the method comprising:

receiving information from a first data carrier associated with a removable mouthpiece of the nebulizer, the first data carrier storing information about the mouthpiece;

receiving information from a second data carrier associated with a removable mesh assembly of the nebulizer, which is attached to a medication chamber such that the second data carrier stores information related to both the mesh assembly and the medication chamber;

receiving information from a third data carrier associated with a removable plunger assembly, the plunger assembly including a medication metering chamber, the third data carrier storing information related to the plunger assembly;

operating a data reader to receive the information from the first data carrier, the information from the second data carrier, and the information from the third data carrier; and

controlling an operation of the nebulizer based on the information received from the first data carrier, the second data carrier, and the third data carrier.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising preventing the nebulizer from being used when the mesh assembly has been used a predetermined number of times.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising controlling the operation of the nebulizer based on a type of mouthpiece fitted to the nebulizer, a type of plunger assembly fitted to the nebulizer, a type of medication chamber in the mesh assembly fitted to the nebulizer, and a number of times the mesh of the mesh assembly fitted to the nebulizer has been used.