Drug administration inhaler with mechanical counting function

Abstract

The utility model discloses an administration inhaler with a mechanical counting function. The administration inhaler comprises a shell, a driving device, a screw device and a vernier. Wherein the shell is of an L-shaped hollow tubular structure and comprises a medicine storage tank cavity, a liquid medicine nozzle, an observation window and a scale strip. The observation window is of a hollow structure on the shell, surrounds the axis direction of the medicine storage tank cavity and spirally extends in the lengthwise direction of the shell. The scale strip is arranged along the edge of the observation window. The vernier is arranged in the shell, and the vernier can be observed through the observation window. According to the drug administration inhaler, the lengthwise direction of the drug storage tank cavity is used as a display area of the vernier, the spiral arrangement is adopted, and the length of the scale strip is further prolonged, so that the scale strip can display a more accurate scale range, and a more accurate and clear pressing frequency display function is provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a mechanically counting drug delivery inhaler, belonging to the field of medical device technology. Background Technology

[0002] The primary function of an aerosol inhaler is to deliver medication in a predetermined form into the patient's mouth and throat, allowing appropriately sized drug particles to directly act on the lungs. However, existing aerosol inhalers generally lack a counting function, or their counting scale is not clearly designed, making it difficult for patients to know the dosage used and the remaining medication. This situation may lead to patients being unable to accurately assess the remaining medication, thus affecting treatment effectiveness and even endangering their lives in emergencies.

[0003] Chinese utility model patent ZL 201822239064.3 discloses an aerosol inhalation delivery actuator with a counting function. This solution includes an L-shaped outer shell with a drug reservoir for housing the aerosol bottle, a drug nozzle connected to the reservoir, and a recording device for displaying the number of sprays. Furthermore, a counting device is installed within the reservoir to record and display the number of sprays or the remaining drug level. This design allows patients to anticipate the amount of medication used and the remaining amount, improving convenience and safety.

[0004] While some existing inhalers with counting functions offer this feature, their dense and difficult-to-distinguish scales make it challenging for patients to track the dosage and remaining amount of medication. This indicates that despite some attempts in the market, there is still room for improvement in ensuring patients can clearly and accurately understand their medication usage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a mechanically counting inhaler.

[0006] To achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A mechanically counting inhaler includes a housing, a drive mechanism, a screw assembly, and a vernier; wherein,

[0008] The housing is an L-shaped hollow tubular structure, including a medicine storage chamber, a medicine nozzle, an observation window, and a scale bar; wherein, the observation window is a hollow structure on the housing, extending spirally along the longitudinal direction of the housing around the axis of the medicine storage chamber; the scale bar is set along the edge of the observation window; the vernier is set inside the housing, and the vernier can be observed through the observation window.

[0009] Preferably, the driving device includes a first fixed base, a driving rod, and a spring; wherein the first fixed base is a hollow tubular structure, one end of which contacts and connects to the bottom of the outer shell, and the other end extends upward;

[0010] The drive rod is a rod-shaped structure with a longitudinal direction; the drive rod is coaxially arranged with the first fixed base, the drive rod is disposed inside the first fixed base, and the upper end protrudes outside the first fixed base;

[0011] The spring surrounds the drive rod and is disposed between the first fixed seat and the drive rod.

[0012] Preferably, the drive rod further includes a drive disc, a connecting rod, and a drive helical gear; wherein the drive disc has a flat round structure, is coaxially arranged with the drive rod, and contacts and connects with the upper end of the drive rod;

[0013] The connecting rod is a rod-shaped structure with a bent or arc-shaped axis, one end of which contacts and connects to the drive disc, and the other end contacts the shoulder of the medicine storage tank;

[0014] The plurality of drive helical teeth are arranged along the circumference of the drive disk, with the center of the arrangement located on the axis of the drive rod.

[0015] Preferably, the lower end of the drive rod has an enlarged structure corresponding to the first fixed seat, which prevents the drive rod from coming out of the first fixed seat.

[0016] Preferably, the screw device includes a screw, a second fixed seat, and a third fixed seat; wherein the second fixed seat and the third fixed seat are in contact with and connected to the housing, and are arranged in a vertical direction;

[0017] The screw is a rod-shaped structure with external threads, its upper end is rotatably connected to the third fixed seat, and its lower end is rotatably connected to the second fixed seat; the screw and the drive rod are arranged coaxially, and the screw is located above the drive rod.

[0018] Preferably, the screw includes helical screw teeth; wherein...

[0019] Multiple helical screw teeth are disposed at the lower end of the screw and arranged along the circumference of the screw, with the center of the arrangement located on the axis of the screw; the shape and position of the helical screw teeth correspond to the driving helical teeth.

[0020] Preferably, the screw further includes a reset rod; wherein...

[0021] The reset rod is an integrally formed structure on the screw, located at the upper end of the screw and coaxial with the screw; the reset rod is positioned higher than the third fixing seat and extends upward from the third fixing seat.

[0022] Preferably, the vernier is a circular ring structure, with its outer diameter being smaller than the inner diameter of the medicine storage tank cavity and its inner diameter being larger than the outer diameter of the medicine storage tank; the vernier is set in a horizontal direction.

[0023] Preferably, the vernier includes a screw hole; wherein...

[0024] The axis of the screw hole is perpendicular to the vernier; the thread specification of the screw hole corresponds to the screw rod, and the vernier is set on the screw rod through the threaded connection of the screw hole.

[0025] Compared to existing technologies, this invention features a transparent window and vernier along the longitudinal direction of the inhaler, effectively expanding the range of scale display. In existing technologies, the intervals between scale lines represent 5 to 20 presses, while the full range corresponds to 120 to 200 presses, resulting in a large numerical range and inaccurate readings. To address this issue, this invention extends the display area of ​​the vernier and scale bars, making the display of press counts more precise and clear. This improves patients' understanding of medication dosage and accurate judgment of remaining medication levels when using the inhaler. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mechanically counting inhaler according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the inhaler for drug delivery in the diagram;

[0028] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the partial structure of the inhaler for drug delivery, viewed in the AA direction;

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The inhaler for drug delivery is shown in a schematic diagram in partial view B. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical content of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0031] The technical concept in this embodiment of the invention is to provide a transparent window and a vernier along the longitudinal direction of the inhaler to increase the scale display range. Specifically, the drug reservoir is connected to a drive device that drives the vernier to move along the longitudinal direction. The position of the vernier is observed through the viewing window, and the corresponding scale is read.

[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment of the present invention provides a mechanically counting inhaler, including a housing 1, a drive device 2, a screw device 3, and a vernier 4. The housing 1 is an L-shaped hollow tubular structure, including a drug reservoir 11 and a drug nozzle 12. The drug reservoir 11 and the drug nozzle 12 are in contact and connected at a certain angle. The drug reservoir 11 is used to hold the aerosol drug container, and the drug nozzle 12 is used to spray the drug solution; this part is prior art and will not be described in detail here. Because the longitudinal direction of the drug reservoir 11 is significantly longer than that of the drug nozzle 12, the longitudinal direction of the drug reservoir 11 referred to in this embodiment is also the longitudinal direction of the housing 1.

[0033] The housing 1 also includes an observation window 13 and a scale bar 14. The observation window 13 is a perforated structure on the housing 1, extending spirally along the longitudinal direction of the housing 1, surrounding the axis of the medicine storage cavity 11. In other words, the observation window 13 spirally surrounds the longitudinal direction of the housing 1, extending upwards from the lower part of the medicine storage cavity 11. Optionally, the angle covered by the observation window 13 along the circumference of the medicine storage cavity 11 is greater than 180°, i.e., it surrounds half of the medicine storage cavity 11. Optionally, the angle covered by the observation window 13 along the circumference of the medicine storage cavity 11 is greater than 360°, i.e., it surrounds the entire medicine storage cavity 11. Preferably, the observation window 13 is covered by a transparent material to allow the interior of the medicine storage cavity 11 to be seen through the observation window 13, and to improve the structural strength of the housing 1 at the observation window 13.

[0034] The scale bar 14 is set along the edge of the observation window 13 to read the values.

[0035] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the driving device 2 includes a first fixed base 21, a driving rod 22, and a spring 23. The first fixed base 21 is a hollow tubular structure, with one end contacting and connecting to the bottom of the outer casing 1, and the other end extending upward.

[0036] The drive rod 22 is a rod-shaped structure with a longitudinal direction and an enlarged lower end, corresponding to the first fixed seat 21, which prevents the drive rod 22 from dislodging from the first fixed seat 21. The upper end of the drive rod 22 includes a drive disk 221, a connecting rod 222, and drive helical teeth 223. The drive disk 221 is a flat round structure, coaxially arranged with the drive rod 22, and contacts and connects to the upper end of the drive rod 22. The connecting rod 222 is a rod-shaped structure with a bent or arc-shaped axis, one end of which contacts and connects to the drive disk 221, and the other end contacts the shoulder of the medicine storage tank. Multiple drive helical teeth 223 are arranged along the circumference of the drive disk 221, with the center of this arrangement located on the axis of the drive rod 22.

[0037] The drive rod 22 is coaxially arranged with the first fixed seat 21, and the spring 23 is arranged around the drive rod 22. The outer diameter of the spring 23 is smaller than the outer diameter of the drive disc 221. Therefore, one end of the spring 23 contacts the upper end of the drive rod 22 by abutting against the drive disc 221, and the other end contacts the first fixed seat 21. In its natural state, the spring 23 is in its relaxed or pre-compressed stroke, and the upper end of the drive rod 22 is pushed out of the first fixed seat 21 by the spring 23, but does not come out. When the drive rod 22 is subjected to a downward force, the drive rod 22 is pressed into the first fixed seat 21, the spring 23 is compressed, and provides a restoring force.

[0038] The screw assembly 3 includes a screw 31, a second fixed seat 32, and a third fixed seat 33. The second fixed seat 32 and the third fixed seat 33 are in contact with and connected to the housing 1, and are arranged vertically. The screw 31 is a rod-shaped structure with external threads; its upper end is rotatably connected to the third fixed seat 33, and its lower end is rotatably connected to the second fixed seat 32. Furthermore, the screw 31 is coaxially arranged with the drive rod 22, and the screw 31 is located above the drive rod 22.

[0039] The screw 31 includes screw helical teeth 311. Multiple screw helical teeth 311 are disposed at the lower end of the screw 31, arranged along the circumference of the screw 31, with the center of this arrangement located on the axis of the screw 31. The shape and position of the screw helical teeth 311 correspond to the driving helical teeth 223. When the driving helical teeth 223 press against the screw helical teeth 311, it can drive the screw 31 to rotate around its axis. In other words, the function of the driving rod 22, the driving helical teeth 223, the screw 31, and the screw helical teeth 311 is similar to the telescopic locking structure of a pressure pen. For details, please refer to the content disclosed in Chinese Utility Model Patent No. ZL 202322484858.7.

[0040] The screw 31 also includes a reset rod 312. The reset rod 312 is an integrally formed structure on the screw 31, located at the upper end of the screw 31 and coaxial with it. Preferably, the surface of the reset rod 312 has a recessed or raised structure to increase friction. Preferably, the reset rod 312 is positioned on the screw 31 higher than the third fixing seat 33, that is, extending upward from the third fixing seat 33.

[0041] The vernier 4 is a circular ring structure, horizontally positioned inside the housing 1. Its outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the medicine storage tank cavity 11, while its inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the medicine storage tank. The vernier 4 includes a threaded hole 41, the axis of which is perpendicular to the vernier 4. The thread specification of the threaded hole 41 corresponds to that of the screw 31, and the vernier 4 is threaded onto the screw 31 through the threaded connection of the threaded hole 41. In other words, the vernier 4 is equivalent to a screw sleeve fitted onto the screw 31. The vernier 4 cannot rotate with the screw 31; however, it moves up and down along the screw 31 as the screw 31 rotates. The vernier 4 is horizontally positioned within the medicine storage tank cavity 11, and its portion can be observed through the observation window 13. In conjunction with the scale bar 14, the vernier 4 indicates the amount of rotation of the screw 31.

[0042] In its natural state, the reservoir is located within the reservoir cavity 11 of the inhaler. The shoulder of the reservoir contacts the connecting rod 222, and the drive helical gear 223 and the screw helical gear 311 are in contact with each other. When the reservoir is pressed to dispense the medication, the shoulder of the reservoir compresses the connecting rod 222 and the drive rod 22 downwards, compressing the spring 23. After the pressure is released, the reservoir rebounds under internal pressure. The spring 23 causes the drive rod 22 to return to its original position, compressing the helical gear 223 into contact with the screw helical gear 311, and driving the screw 31 to rotate along its axis, similar to the telescopic locking mechanism of a pressure-sensitive pen. The rotating screw 31 drives the vernier 4 to move. The position value of the vernier 4 can be read through the observation window 13 and the scale bar 14. This value indicates the remaining number of presses or the number of presses already made by the reservoir.

[0043] Rotating the reset rod 312 can rotate the screw 31, that is, move the position of the vernier 4 so that after replacing the new medicine tank, the vernier 4 can be reset to zero.

[0044] In summary, the mechanically counting inhaler provided by this embodiment of the invention utilizes the longitudinal direction of the drug reservoir cavity 11 as the display area of ​​the vernier 4 by positioning the screw 31 above the drive rod 22. Furthermore, the spiral arrangement further extends the length of the scale bar 14, allowing it to display a more precise scale range. For example, each scale line interval represents one press, while in existing inhalers, the scale line interval represents 5 to 20 presses. Therefore, this invention provides a more accurate and clearer press count display function.

[0045] It should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "horizontal", "vertical", "top", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0046] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0047] The above provides a detailed description of a mechanically counting inhaler provided by this utility model. Any obvious modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential content of this utility model will constitute an infringement of the patent rights of this utility model and will incur corresponding legal liability.

Claims

1. A mechanically counting inhaler, characterized in that... It includes a housing, a drive unit, a screw assembly, and a vernier; among which, The housing is an L-shaped hollow tubular structure, including a medicine storage chamber, a medicine nozzle, an observation window, and a scale bar; wherein, the observation window is a hollow structure on the housing, extending spirally along the longitudinal direction of the housing around the axis of the medicine storage chamber; the scale bar is set along the edge of the observation window; the vernier is set inside the housing, and the vernier can be observed through the observation window.

2. The inhaler for drug delivery as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The driving device includes a first fixed base, a driving rod, and a spring; wherein... The first fixing base is a hollow tubular structure, with one end contacting and connecting to the bottom of the shell, and the other end extending upward; The drive rod is a rod-shaped structure with a longitudinal direction; the drive rod is coaxially arranged with the first fixed base, the drive rod is disposed inside the first fixed base, and the upper end protrudes outside the first fixed base; The spring surrounds the drive rod and is disposed between the first fixed seat and the drive rod.

3. The drug delivery inhaler as described in claim 2, characterized in that... The drive rod further includes a drive disc, a connecting rod, and a drive helical gear; wherein... The drive disc has a flat, round structure, is coaxially arranged with the drive rod, and contacts and connects with the upper end of the drive rod; The connecting rod is a rod-shaped structure with a bent or arc-shaped axis, one end of which contacts and connects to the drive disc, and the other end contacts the shoulder of the medicine storage tank; The plurality of drive helical teeth are arranged along the circumference of the drive disk, with the center of the arrangement located on the axis of the drive rod.

4. The drug delivery inhaler as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The lower end of the drive rod has an enlarged structure corresponding to the first fixed seat, which prevents the drive rod from coming out of the first fixed seat.

5. The drug delivery inhaler as described in claim 3, characterized in that... The screw assembly includes a screw, a second fixed seat, and a third fixed seat; wherein... The second and third fixing seats are in contact with and connected to the housing, and are arranged in a vertical direction; The screw is a rod-shaped structure with external threads, its upper end is rotatably connected to the third fixed seat, and its lower end is rotatably connected to the second fixed seat; the screw and the drive rod are arranged coaxially, and the screw is located above the drive rod.

6. The drug delivery inhaler as described in claim 5, characterized in that... The screw includes helical screw teeth; wherein... Multiple helical screw teeth are disposed at the lower end of the screw and arranged along the circumference of the screw, with the center of the arrangement located on the axis of the screw; the shape and position of the helical screw teeth correspond to the driving helical teeth.

7. The inhaler for drug delivery as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that... The screw also includes a reset rod; wherein... The reset rod is an integrally formed structure on the screw, located at the upper end of the screw and coaxial with the screw; the reset rod is positioned higher than the third fixing seat and extends upward from the third fixing seat.

8. The drug delivery inhaler as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The vernier is a circular ring structure, with its outer diameter being smaller than the inner diameter of the medicine storage tank cavity and its inner diameter being larger than the outer diameter of the medicine storage tank; the vernier is set in the horizontal direction.

9. The inhaler for drug delivery as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that... The vernier includes a screw hole; wherein... The axis of the screw hole is perpendicular to the vernier; the thread specification of the screw hole corresponds to the screw rod, and the vernier is connected to the screw rod through the threaded connection of the screw hole.

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