Methods of venting, sealing, and dispensing from a medicament container

Abstract

A sealing assembly movable within an opening of a medicament container allows (1) gases to be vented from the container, (2) medication to be stored in the container, and (3) medication to be dispensed from the container. Methods of limiting exposure of the medication to oxygen to prevent degradation of the medication while in the medicament container are also disclosed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 285,692, filed Nov. 1, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 330,945, filed Nov. 2, 2001, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 350,972, filed Jan. 25, 2002. These disclosures are each incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to medicament dispensing mechanisms for administering a predetermined dosage of medication. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a medicament dispensing kit or injector used for dispensing a gas sensitive medication (e.g., dihydroergotamine (DHE) and epinephrine) that limits the exposure of the medication to the undesirable gas thereby improving and maintaining the effectiveness of the medication over time. The present invention is also directed to methods of producing a kit that limits exposure of the medicatio...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a packaging system for medication that minimizes exposure to oxygen while permitting easy self administering.

[0007]It is another object of the present invention to provide a packaging system for medication that limits degradation of the medication.

[0008]It is another object of the present invention provide a medicament dispensing kit that provides for the stable storage of a dose of an oxygen sensitive medicament (e.g., DHE or epinephrine).

Problems solved by technology

DHE (as with other medicaments), however, degrades when exposed to oxygen.

Breaking the ampoule may be hazardous because it may produce shards of glass or particles that may mix with the medication and be injected or inhaled by the migraine sufferer.

While the ampoule is open and prior to insertion in either the syringe or the nasal sprayer, the DHE is exposed to oxygen, which can lead to degradation of the DHE.

As such, the sufferer may improperly administer the correct dosage of medication or take an over or under dosage of the medication.

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