Powdered medicine administration device

Abstract

A powdered medicine administration device (1) comprises a lock mechanism that restricts switching to a medicine fill position or a medicine administration position due to a rotation operation of a movable body (3), from a condition in which a counter (14), which comprises an annular body rotatably retained by a body section (2) and is marked with a scale (26) indicating the remaining number of administrations of the medicine, has rotated a prescribed amount in a feed direction, specifically to a position where the administration of the medicine has been completed a prescribed number of times.

Description

Powder drug dispenser

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder drug dispenser for administering a powdered drug.

[0002] Generally, when administering a powdered drug, a powder drug dispenser is used. This powder drug dispenser includes a main body having an administration drug chamber for accommodating a single dose of the powdered drug, a drug storage chamber for storing multiple doses of the drug, and a movable body that is relatively reciprocally rotatably connected to the main body and has a drug ejection passage through which the administered drug is ejected, and an air supply mechanism for pumping and supplying air toward the drug ejection passage. The movable body can be switched between a drug filling position where the drug storage chamber communicates with the administration drug chamber and a drug administration position where the drug ejection passage communicates with the administration drug chamber as it rotates.

[0003] Some powder drug dispensers are equipped with a configuration that can grasp the number of times the drug can be administered. This powder drug dispenser consists of an annular body rotatably held by the main body, and includes a counter on which a display indicating any one of the remaining amount of the drug in the drug storage chamber, the number of times the drug has been administered, and the remaining number of times the drug can be administered is marked, and a rotation mechanism that rotates the counter at a constant interval in the feed direction as the movable body reciprocally rotates. Therefore, the user can visually recognize the change in the display of the counter that rotates as the movable body reciprocally rotates. Thereby, the user can recognize whether the drug can be administered, the remaining number of times the drug can be administered, etc., and for example, can predict the time when the drug will run out or the time to replace the powder drug dispenser, and can prepare a new powder drug dispenser at the timing before the drug runs out.

[0004] Furthermore, the powder drug dispenser includes a stopper that restricts the counter from rotating more than a predetermined amount in the feed direction. The case where the counter rotates a predetermined amount in the feed direction means that the administration of the drug is repeated and the remaining amount of the drug in the drug storage chamber is less than the amount required for a single administration, the state where the preset number of times the drug can be administered has been reached, or the state where the remaining number of times the drug can be administered has become zero "0". And the stopper has a structure that does not return to the initial state after the display of the counter reaches any of the above.

[0005] Furthermore, the rotation mechanism includes a plurality of protrusions provided on the inner circumference of the counter, a rotation claw portion provided on the movable body which moves over the protrusions when the movable body rotates in the opposite direction to the feed direction of the counter, and engages with the protrusions when the movable body rotates in the feed direction of the counter to rotate the counter in the feed direction, and a check claw portion provided on the main body which engages with the protrusions to restrict the counter from rotating in the opposite direction to the feed direction, and allows the counter to rotate by moving over the protrusions when the counter rotates in the feed direction (Patent Document 1).

[0006] Patent No. 5205049

[0007] The powder drug dispenser described in Patent Document 1 restricts the rotation of the counter after it has rotated a predetermined amount by providing a stopper, thereby preventing the counter display from fluctuating (returning to its initial state). This allows the user to easily understand when the preset number of doses has been reached. In other words, it prevents situations where the powder drug dispenser is used even after the preset number of doses has been reached.

[0008] However, the powder drug dispenser described in Patent Document 1 has a structure that allows the movable part to rotate between the drug filling position and the drug dispensing position even when the stopper restricts the rotation of the counter. As a result, there is a risk that the user may mistakenly believe that it is acceptable to administer drugs using this powder drug dispenser and continue to use it.

[0009] The objective of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a powder drug dispenser that prevents the drug from being used after a predetermined number of doses by making the user aware that the drug cannot be dispensed when a predetermined number of doses has been reached, thereby preventing the drug from being used after the predetermined number of doses has been reached.

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention comprises: a main body having a drug administration chamber for storing a single dose of powdered drug; a movable body having a drug storage chamber for storing multiple doses of drug and a drug ejection passage from which the drug to be administered is ejected, and which is connected to the main body so as to be reciprocally rotatable, and which can be switched between a drug filling position in which the drug storage chamber communicates with the drug administration chamber and a drug administration position in which the drug ejection passage communicates with the drug administration chamber as the movable body rotates; an air supply mechanism for pressurizing and supplying air toward the drug ejection passage; a counter consisting of a ring body rotatably held in the main body, which has an indicator showing either the remaining amount of drug in the drug storage chamber, the number of drug administrations, or the remaining number of drug administrations; a rotation mechanism for rotating the counter in the feeding direction at regular intervals as the movable body rotates; and a stopper for restricting the counter from rotating beyond a predetermined amount in the feeding direction. The rotating mechanism comprises a plurality of protrusions provided on the inner circumference of the counter; a rotating claw portion provided on the movable body, which moves over the protrusions when the movable body rotates in the opposite direction to the feed direction of the counter, and engages with the protrusions when the movable body rotates in the feed direction of the counter, causing the counter to rotate in the feed direction; and a check claw portion provided on the main body, which engages with the protrusions, restricts the counter from rotating in the opposite direction to the feed direction, and allows the counter to rotate by moving over the protrusions when the counter rotates in the feed direction, and the powder drug dispenser is configured to allow visual confirmation of the fluctuation of the display of the counter as it rotates in conjunction with the reciprocating rotation of the movable body, and is further equipped with a locking mechanism that restricts switching from a state in which the counter has rotated by a predetermined amount in the feed direction to the drug filling position or the drug dispensing position by the rotation of the movable body.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, by restricting the rotation of the movable part when a preset number of doses has been reached, the user can be made aware that medication cannot be dispensed, and misuse of the powder drug dispenser after the preset number of doses has been reached can be prevented.

[0012] This is a front view showing a powder drug dispenser according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a plan view showing a powder drug dispenser with the movable body rotated to the drug dispensing position. This is a cross-sectional view of the powder drug dispenser with the movable body rotated to the drug dispensing position, taken from the direction indicated by arrow III-III in Figure 2. This is a perspective view showing a counter according to the first embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view of the powder drug dispenser with the movable body rotated to the drug dispensing position, taken from the direction indicated by arrow V-V in Figure 3. This is a front view showing a powder drug dispenser with the movable body rotated to the drug filling position. This is a plan view showing a powder drug dispenser with the movable body rotated to the drug filling position. This is a cross-sectional view of the powder drug dispenser with the movable body rotated to the drug filling position, taken from the direction indicated by arrow VIII-VIII in Figure 7. This is a cross-sectional view of the powder drug dispenser with the movable body rotated to the drug filling position, taken from the direction indicated by arrow IX-IX in Figure 8. This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the movable body is positioned at the drug dispensing position. This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the rotating claw portion has overcome the projection by rotating the movable body in the direction opposite to the feed direction of the counter. This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the rotating claw portion has engaged with the projection that has been overcome by rotating the movable body in the feed direction of the counter. This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the movable body is rotated in the feed direction of the counter, thereby rotating the counter in the feed direction. This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the movable body is rotated in the opposite direction to the feed direction of the counter, so that the rotating claw engages with the locking projection and the movable body is locked so that it cannot be switched to the drug administration position. This is a cross-sectional view showing the locking mechanism (locking projection), etc., according to the second embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the rotating claw engages with the locking projection according to the second embodiment and the movable body is locked so that it cannot be switched to the drug administration position. This is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of a powder drug dispenser equipped with a locking mechanism according to the third embodiment.

[0013] Hereinafter, a powder drug dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] First, Figures 1 to 14 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, the powder drug dispenser 1 according to the first embodiment administers powdered drugs into the nasal cavity. In this embodiment, the case in which the powder drug dispenser 1 is used upright is illustrated, and the longitudinal direction is described as the vertical direction.

[0015] The powder drug dispenser 1 is composed of the main body 2, movable body 3, pump unit 4, counter 14, stopper 25, rotating mechanism 27, and locking mechanism 30, which will be described later.

[0016] The main body 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a drug administration chamber 6, which will be described later, inside. The movable body 3 is connected to the upper side of the main body 2 in the axial direction (longitudinal direction). The connection structure of the movable body 3 to the main body 2 is such that the movable body 3 is able to reciprocate and rotate in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the main body 2. Note that the position "O" shown in Figures 2 and 7 is the rotation center position (rotation axis) of the movable body 3 relative to the main body 2.

[0017] As shown in Figure 3, the main body 2 is provided with a pump section 4 which is an air supply mechanism, a fitting recess 5, a drug administration chamber 6, a counter housing recess 7, a through hole 8, and a check claw section 9.

[0018] The pump unit 4, which serves as an air supply mechanism, comprises an air chamber 10 formed inside the main body 2 and a flexible pump outer wall 11 surrounding the air chamber 10. The pump unit 4 can press the pump outer wall 11 from all sides to reduce the size of the air chamber 10, thereby pressurizing and supplying the air inside the air chamber 10 to the drug discharge passage 13 through an air passage 12, which will be described later.

[0019] The fitting recess 5 is a cylindrical recess that leaves a ring-shaped portion on the upper outer circumference of the main body 2 to which the movable body 3 is connected. When the movable body 3 is connected to the main body 2, the small-diameter portion 20, which constitutes the movable body 3, fits movably into the fitting recess 5.

[0020] The drug administration chamber 6 is formed in the bottom surface 24 of the fitting recess 5. The drug administration chamber 6 is formed as a bottomed recess with a conical peripheral wall, a so-called mortar-shaped bottomed recess that opens upwards. The volume of the drug administration chamber 6 is set to a value that can accommodate the drug for one dose.

[0021] The counter housing recess 7 is located on the upper side of the main body 2 and is formed as a ring-shaped recess surrounding the fitting recess 5. The counter housing recess 7 includes an outer circumference guide portion 7A and an inner circumference guide portion 7B. A ring-shaped counter 14, which will be described later, is rotatably sandwiched and housed between the outer circumference guide portion 7A and the inner circumference guide portion 7B.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5, the outer peripheral guide portion 7A is formed as a cylindrical wall portion that forms the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 2. The inner peripheral guide portion 7B is formed as an arc-shaped wall portion divided into three sections in the circumferential direction, at a position that supports the counter 14 from the inner peripheral side.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 and 8, the through hole 8 is formed to penetrate vertically through the bottom surface 24 of the fitting recess 5 and communicates with the air chamber 10. When the movable body 3 is connected to the main body 2, the projection 15, described later, formed on the movable body 3 is inserted into the through hole 8. With the projection 15 inserted into the through hole 8, the movable body 3 can reciprocate and rotate around the through hole 8 and the projection 15. The tip of the projection 15 is provided with a flexible, enlarged diameter portion 16. The enlarged diameter portion 16 engages with the edge of the through hole 8 on the air chamber 10 side, thereby holding the movable body 3 in a rotatable and secure position relative to the main body 2.

[0024] The check claws 9 are provided on each of the three inner circumference guide portions 7B of the counter housing recess 7 (see Figure 5). The three check claws 9 engage with a plurality of projections 17 formed on the inner circumference of the counter 14, which will be described later, and restrict the rotation of the counter 14 in the opposite direction to the feed direction of the counter 14 (direction A indicated by arrow). The "feed direction" of the counter 14 will be described later. The tips of the projections 17 of the counter 14 are positioned to slide against the outer circumference surface of the inner circumference guide portion 7B.

[0025] The movable body 3 comprises a large-diameter portion 18 located on the central side in the longitudinal direction, a nozzle portion 19 formed on the upper side of the large-diameter portion 18, a small-diameter portion 20 formed on the lower side of the large-diameter portion 18 and having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 18, a protruding portion 15 formed on the lower end side of the small-diameter portion 20, and an enlarged diameter portion 16 formed on the tip side of the protruding portion 15.

[0026] When the movable body 3 is connected to the main body 2, the small-diameter portion 20 is positioned inside the fitting recess 5, and the protruding portion 15 is inserted into the through hole 8. As a result, the movable body 3 can rotate around the through hole 8 and the protruding portion 15 (point O) in the direction indicated by arrow B, which is the same as the feed direction of the counter 14 (direction indicated by arrow A), and in the direction indicated by arrow C, which is opposite to the feed direction (direction indicated by arrow A).

[0027] Furthermore, the movable body 3 has a drug storage chamber 21, a drug ejection passage 13, and an air passage 12. The small-diameter portion 20 is formed as an irregularly shaped cylindrical body whose cross-sectional shape in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the movable body 3 is elliptical.

[0028] The drug storage chamber 21 is formed as a space for storing powdered drug and is divided into a large-diameter section 18 and a small-diameter section 20. The volume of the drug storage chamber 21 is set to a value that can be filled with the drug for the number of doses set in the powder drug dispenser 1. The lower side of the drug storage chamber 21 is narrowed in a funnel shape, and its lower end is an opening 22. The opening 22 connects the drug storage chamber 21 and the drug dispensing chamber 6 when the movable body 3 is rotated to the drug filling position shown in Figures 6 to 9 (see Figure 8). In this state, when the drug storage chamber 21 and the drug dispensing chamber 6 are connected, the powdered drug stored in the drug storage chamber 21 flows down into the drug dispensing chamber 6 through the opening 22. The inner circumferential shape of the drug storage chamber 21 is formed in a funnel shape, which makes it easier for the drug to flow down towards the drug dispensing chamber 6.

[0029] The drug ejection passage 13 is a passage for administering powdered drug contained in the drug administration chamber 6 to the affected area by ejecting it from the nozzle portion 19. As shown in Figure 3, the drug ejection passage 13 is formed in a continuous manner with a small diameter portion 20, a cylindrical portion 23 extending vertically within the drug storage chamber 21, and a nozzle portion 19. The drug ejection passage 13 communicates with the drug administration chamber 6 when the movable body 3 is rotated to the drug administration position shown in Figures 1 to 3 and 5. When the movable body 3 is rotated to the drug administration position, the opening 22 of the drug storage chamber 21 is closed by the bottom portion 24 of the fitting recess 5, and does not communicate with the drug administration chamber 6.

[0030] The air passage 12 is formed in a small-diameter portion 20 so as to pass through the axis of the protruding portion 15. The lower end of the air passage 12 opens into the air chamber 10, and the upper end is bent at an acute angle to open into the drug ejection passage 13. The position where the air passage 12 opens into the drug ejection passage 13 is on the lower end side of the drug ejection passage 13 and is close to the drug administration chamber 6.

[0031] Next, the structure of the counter 14 and the mechanism for rotating the counter 14 will be described. The counter 14 can display one of the following: the remaining amount of drug in the drug storage chamber 21, the number of drug administrations, or the remaining number of drug administrations. In this embodiment, the case in which the counter 14 displays the remaining number of drug administrations as a scale 26 is illustrated. This remaining number of administrations is the number obtained by subtracting the number of administrations already performed from the number of administrations that can be pre-set in the powder drug dispenser 1, and indicates how many more times the drug can be administered. That is, the counter 14 can display "0" as a scale 26 in the viewing window 29, which is the number of times there are no remaining doses, obtained by subtracting "N" times, which indicates the set number of drug administrations. Figure 1 shows that the remaining number of drug administrations is "10" times as indicated on the scale 26. "N" is the number corresponding to the number of times the drug powder can be administered.

[0032] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the counter 14 consists of a ring-shaped body rotatably held by the main body 2. The counter 14 has a plurality of protrusions 17 and one locking protrusion 31 on its inner circumferential surface. Each individual protrusion 17 is triangular in shape, and these triangular protrusions 17 are arranged in a continuous pattern to form a sawtooth shape. Specifically, each protrusion 17 is formed from an upright surface 17A that rises from the inner wall surface of the counter 14 toward the center of the counter 14, and an inclined surface 17B formed between the upper end (innermost end) of the upright surface 17A and the inner wall surface.

[0033] Here, the multiple protrusions 17 include the first protrusion 17S that the rotating claw portion 28 (described later) contacts when the remaining number of drug administrations is "N" (the state of the powder drug dispenser 1 when new), the last protrusion 17F that the rotating claw portion 28 engages with when the remaining number is "0" (subtracted counterclockwise from the first protrusion 17S), and intermediate protrusions 17 between the first protrusion 17S and the last protrusion 17F. Figure 13 shows the state after the rotating claw portion 28 has rotated the counter 14 in the direction of arrow A by rotating the movable body 3 from the drug filling position toward the drug administration position in the direction of arrow B, with the end of the rotating claw portion 28 engaged with the upright surface 17A of the last protrusion 17F.

[0034] Furthermore, on the inner circumferential surface of the counter 14, a locking projection 31, described later, is positioned in a counterclockwise direction from the last projection 17F. The locking projection 31 is formed as an elongated projection with a length equivalent to about four projections 17 lined up. Also, when the powder drug dispenser 1 is new (before use), as shown in Figure 5, the rotating claw portion 28 is in contact with the inclined surface 17B of the first projection 17S while engaging (contacting) the upright surface 31A of the locking projection 31.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, a stopper 25 is provided on the lower side of the counter 14. The counter housing recess 7, in which the counter 14 is housed together with the stopper 25, is provided with an engaging portion (not shown) that engages with the stopper 25 when the counter 14 rotates by a predetermined amount in the direction indicated by arrow A in Figure 5. In this case, the stopper 25 restricts the counter 14 from rotating any further in the feed direction (direction indicated by arrow A) by engaging with the engaging portion of the counter housing recess 7.

[0036] More specifically, the position of the engagement portion of the counter housing recess 7 is such that the stopper 25 engages when the counter 14 is rotated in the feeding direction to the position indicating "0" with no remaining count on the scale 26, that is, when the rotating claw portion 28 overcomes the last projection 17F and engages (after the counter 14 is rotated in the direction of arrow A with the end of the rotating claw portion 28 in contact with the upright surface 17A of the last projection 17F due to the movable body 3 rotating from the drug filling position to the drug administration position). As a result, the counter 14 is structured so that it cannot rotate any further in the feeding direction once it has rotated to the position indicating "0".

[0037] The outer surface of the counter 14 is marked with a scale 26 that indicates the remaining number of times the drug can be administered. This scale 26 is represented, for example, by a series of numbers (...10,...3,2,1,0) and is marked at predetermined intervals along the circumference of the counter 14.

[0038] The rotation mechanism 27 rotates the counter 14 in the feed direction (direction A indicated by arrow) at regular intervals (rotates in a step-like manner) in accordance with the reciprocating rotational movement of the movable body 3. The rotation mechanism 27 is composed of a plurality of protrusions 17, a rotating claw portion 28, and a check claw portion 9.

[0039] The rotating claw portion 28 is located inside the large-diameter portion 18 and is provided on the outer circumference of the small-diameter portion 20 of the movable body 3. The rotating claw portion 28 is formed as a flexible plate-like member that protrudes from the outer circumference of the small-diameter portion 20 toward the inner circumference (projection 17) of the counter 14. The rotating claw portion 28 is formed to flex and ride up onto the projection 17 as the movable body 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow C (counterclockwise, opposite to the feed direction A of the counter 14) from the drug administration position shown in Figure 5 toward the drug filling position shown in Figure 9.

[0040] Figures 5 and 10 show the state in which the movable body 3 has been rotated (positioned) relative to the main body 2 to the drug administration position. In Figure 5, the powder drug dispenser 1 is in a new state, and the rotating claw portion 28 is in contact with the upright surface 31A of the locking projection 31. When the rotating claw portion 28 rotates to the drug filling position, it moves in the direction of arrow C while sliding along the inclined surface 17B of the first projection 17S. At this position of the rotating claw portion 28, "N" is displayed in the viewing window portion 29. "N" is an integer indicating the maximum number of times that can be administered. On the other hand, Figure 10 shows the powder drug dispenser 1 after being used several times, and the rotating claw portion 28 is in contact with the intermediate projections 17, excluding the first projection 17S and the last projection 17F.

[0041] Figure 10 shows the state in which the movable body 3 has been rotated to the drug administration position while the rotating claw portion 28 is engaged with the intermediate projection 17 (contacting the upright surface 17A). In this state, the drug can be administered. Figure 11 shows the state in which the rotating claw portion 28 has overcome the projection 17 and contacted the inclined surface 17B of the adjacent projection 17 by rotating the movable body 3 toward the drug filling position in the direction of arrow C (the movable body 3 is in the drug filling position). Here, when the movable body 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow C, the check claw portion 9 provided on the main body 2 is engaged with the upright surface 17A of the projection 17. For this reason, even if the rotating claw portion 28 slides along the inclined surface 17B of the projection 17, the counter 14 does not rotate in the opposite direction to the feed direction (direction of arrow A).

[0042] FIG. 12 shows a state in which the movable body 3 rotated to the drug filling position is rotated in the direction of arrow B toward the drug administration position. When the movable body 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow B, the rotation claw portion 28 contacts the rising surface 17A of the protrusion 17 that has been overcome and rotates the counter 14 in the feeding direction (direction of arrow A) by one pitch of the protrusion 17. This "feeding direction" is the direction in which the counter 14 is allowed to rotate, and is also the direction in which the scale 26 visible from the visual recognition window portion 29 described later varies according to the number of drug administrations. Thereby, the movable body 3 is reciprocally rotated so as to rotate the movable body 3 in the direction of arrow C from the drug administration position toward the drug filling position and further rotate the movable body 3 in the direction of arrow B from the drug filling position toward the drug administration position. The counter 14 rotates stepwise by one pitch of the protrusion 17 in the feeding direction (direction of arrow A). Further, when the movable body 3 is rotated to the drug filling position, the tip of the rotation claw portion 28 that has overcome the protrusion 17 hits the inclined surface 17B of the adjacent protrusion 17, generating a striking sound.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the visual recognition window portion 29 is provided on the outer peripheral side guide portion 7A of the counter housing recess 7 that houses the counter 14. The visual recognition window portion 29 is an opening for visually recognizing the scale 26 marked on the outer peripheral surface of the counter 14. The visual recognition window portion 29 is formed in a size that allows only one of the plurality of scales 26 marked on the counter 14 to be visually recognized. Therefore, as the counter 14 rotates in the feeding direction, the scale 26 visible from the visual recognition window portion 29 varies.

[0044] Next, the configuration and operation of the locking mechanism 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, 9, and 13. The locking mechanism 30 locks the movable body 3 so that it cannot be switched to the drug administration position when the counter 14 rotates in the feeding direction (direction of arrow A) and reaches a position indicating "0" rotations and the movable body 3 is rotated toward the drug filling position. The locking mechanism 30 includes a reverse claw portion 9, an engaging portion of the counter housing recess 7, a stopper 25 of the counter 14, and a locking protrusion 31 described later.

[0045] As shown in Figures 5 and 9, the locking projection 31 is located between the outer diameter end of the inclined surface 17B of the first projection 17S and the outer diameter end of the upright surface 17A of the last projection 17F, and is formed as an elongated projection with a length dimension equivalent to about four projections 17 lined up. More specifically, the locking projection 31 is formed by an upright surface 31A that rises from the outer diameter end of the inclined surface 17B of the first projection 17S of the counter 14 toward the center of the counter 14, an inclined surface 31B that slopes from the outer diameter end (lower end) of the upright surface 17A of the last projection 17F toward the inner diameter side in the direction of arrow C, and an arc-shaped fixed surface 31C that connects the inner diameter end of the inclined surface 31B and the inner diameter end of the upright surface 31A.

[0046] Furthermore, the locking projection 31 is located on the opposite side of the feeding direction (direction A) from the last projection 17F that the rotating claw portion 28 engages with (contacts) the upright surface 17A when the counter 14 shows "0" on the scale 26 in the viewing window portion 29 (the state after the counter 14 has been rotated in the direction of arrow A with the end of the rotating claw portion 28 in contact with the upright surface 17A as the movable body 3 rotates from the drug filling position to the drug administration position) (see Figure 13). In other words, the locking projection 31 is located on the inner circumference side of the counter 14 and is positioned in a counterclockwise direction following the last projection 17F.

[0047] The operation of the locking mechanism 30 configured in this way will now be explained. Figure 13 shows the state in which the rotating claw portion 28 is engaged (contacted) with the upright surface 17A of the last projection 17F by rotating the movable body 3 in the direction of arrow B. In this state shown in Figure 13, the drug can be administered. Also, when viewed after the administration of the drug, Figure 13 shows the state in which the prescribed number of drug administrations have been completed (the scale 26 showing "0" is displayed in the viewing window portion 29). Furthermore, when the rotating claw portion 28 is engaged (contacted) with the upright surface 17A of the last projection 17F, the stopper 25 of the counter 14 is engaged with the engaging portion of the counter housing recess 7. Therefore, the rotation of the counter 14 in the feeding direction (direction of arrow A) is restricted.

[0048] Next, as shown in FIG. 14, the movable body 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow C toward the drug filling position. At this time, the rotation claw portion 28 moves onto the fixing surface 31C while sliding on the inclined surface 31B of the locking projection 31.

[0049] When the rotation claw portion 28 has moved onto the fixing surface 31C of the locking projection 31, the tip of the rotation claw portion 28 is pressed against the fixing surface 31C by utilizing the elastic force of the rotation claw portion 28. In this state, the frictional force between the tip of the rotation claw portion 28 and the fixing surface 31C increases. Therefore, when attempting to rotate the movable body 3 in the direction of arrow B toward the drug administration position from the state shown in FIG. 14, since the rotation of the counter 14 in the direction of arrow A is restricted by the stopper 25, the movable body 3 cannot rotate in the direction of arrow B. As a result, the movable body 3 cannot be switched to the drug administration position. That is, from the state where the counter 14 has rotated a predetermined amount in the feeding direction, the locking mechanism 30 restricts the switching of the movable body 3 to the drug filling position or the drug administration position by the rotational operation of the movable body 3. In other words, the locking mechanism 30 prevents the used powder drug dispenser 1 after the administration of the drug a specified number of times from being continuously used.

[0050] The powder drug dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment is configured as described above. Next, the drug administration operation will be described.

[0051] After the administration operation of the powdered drug is completed, the powder drug dispenser 1 is such that, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIG. 5, the movable body 3 is located at the drug administration position, the administration drug chamber 6 and the drug ejection passage 13 are in communication, and the air passage 12 is in communication with the drug ejection passage 13. However, the powdered drug is not stored in the administration drug chamber 6.

[0052] When administering the drug next after the administration of the drug has ended, the movable body 3 at the drug administration position is turned in the direction of arrow C shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 toward the drug filling position shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 7. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, the rotation claw portion 28 rides over one projection 17 while being elastically deformed. When the movable body 3 rotates to the drug filling position, as shown in FIG. 8, the drug storage chamber 21 and the administration drug chamber 6 are in communication, and a part of the drug in the drug storage chamber 21 flows down into the administration drug chamber 6 and is stored.

[0053] Furthermore, when the movable body 3 rotates to the drug filling position, the tip of the rotating claw portion 28, which has overcome the projection 17, strikes the inclined surface 17B of the adjacent projection 17, generating a striking sound. Therefore, a user of the powder drug dispenser 1 can recognize that the movable body 3 has rotated to the drug filling position by hearing the resulting striking sound.

[0054] After rotating the movable body 3 to the drug filling position and filling the drug administration chamber 6 with the drug, the movable body 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow B, as shown in Figure 12, to rotate the movable body 3 from the drug filling position to the drug administration position. When the movable body 3 is rotated to the drug administration position, the drug administration chamber 6 and the drug ejection passage 13 are connected, as shown in Figure 3.

[0055] After rotating the movable body 3 to the drug administration position, the tip of the nozzle 19 is inserted into the nasal cavity and the outer wall 11 of the pump is pressed. When the outer wall 11 of the pump is pressed, the air in the air chamber 10 is pumped through the air passage 12 into the drug ejection passage 13, and the pumped air lifts up the powdered drug in the drug administration chamber 6. The lifted drug, along with the air, is ejected from the tip of the nozzle 19 through the drug ejection passage 13 and administered into the nasal cavity.

[0056] When the movable body 3 is rotated from the drug filling position to the drug dispensing position, as shown in Figure 12, the rotating claw portion 28 contacts the upright surface 17A of the projection 17 of the counter 14, rotating the counter 14 in the direction of arrow A. As a result, the counter 14 rotates together with the movable body 3 in the feeding direction (direction of arrow A), and the scale 26 visible through the viewing window portion 29 changes. Therefore, by viewing the scale 26 through the viewing window portion 29, the user of the powder drug dispenser 1 can predict when the drug will run out or when it is time to replace the powder drug dispenser 1, and can prepare a new powder drug dispenser 1 before the drug runs out. Furthermore, by viewing the "0" on the scale 26 through the viewing window portion 29, the user can recognize that there is no drug remaining in the powder drug dispenser 1.

[0057] However, the powder drug dispenser described in Patent Document 1 has a structure that allows the movable body to rotate between the drug filling position and the drug dispensing position even after the prescribed number of drug doses have been administered and the drug has run out. Therefore, it is possible that a user might mistakenly believe that the drug can be administered (and is usable) because the movable body is rotating back and forth, and continue to use a powder drug dispenser that has no drug left.

[0058] However, in this embodiment, a locking mechanism 30 is provided to lock the movable body 3 so that it cannot be switched from the drug filling position to the drug administration position when the movable body 3 is rotated from the position where the counter 14 has rotated to the position where a predetermined amount, specifically, a predetermined number of drug administrations, has been completed in the feeding direction.

[0059] Therefore, once the predetermined number of drug doses have been administered, the movable body 3 cannot be switched to the drug administration position, and thus drug administration cannot be performed. This prevents the continued use of a used powder drug dispenser 1 that has no remaining drug. As a result, the user can be made aware that drug administration is not possible once the predetermined number of drug doses has been administered, thus preventing the use of a used powder drug dispenser 1.

[0060] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 30 includes a locking projection 31 located on the opposite side of the feeding direction from the last projection 17F that the rotating claw portion 28 engages with when the counter 14 has rotated to the position where a predetermined number of drug doses have been administered. The locking mechanism 30 can lock the movable body 3 from switching from the drug filling position to the drug administration position by having the check claw portion 9 contact the upright surface 17A of the projection 17 after the movable body 3 has been rotated from the state where the counter 14 has rotated a predetermined amount in the feeding direction and the rotating claw portion 28 has engaged with the last projection 17F, thereby preventing the movable body 3 from switching.

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, by providing a groove 60 on the upper surface of the locking mechanism 30 into which the end of the rotating claw portion 28 is fitted, the movable body 3 can be further locked to prevent it from switching from the drug filling position to the drug administration position. Specifically, when the rotating claw portion 28 attempts to rotate in the direction of arrow A, the end of the rotating claw portion 28 fits into the groove 60, restricting the rotation of the rotating claw portion 28, thereby reliably locking the movable body 3 to prevent it from switching from the drug filling position to the drug administration position.

[0062] Next, Figures 15 and 16 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The characteristic of this embodiment is that the locking projection of the locking mechanism is located on the inner circumferential surface of the counter and is positioned to be continuous with the last projection. In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in the first embodiment described above, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0063] In Figures 15 and 16, the locking mechanism 41 according to the second embodiment locks the movable body 3 to prevent it from switching to the drug administration position when the movable body 3 is rotated toward the drug filling position while the counter 14 is rotated in the feeding direction (direction of arrow A) and has rotated to the position indicating "0". The locking mechanism 41 is composed of an engaging portion of the counter housing recess 7, a stopper 25 of the counter 14, and a locking projection 42 described later.

[0064] The locking projection 42 is located on the opposite side of the feed direction from the last projection 17F that the rotating claw 28 engages with when the counter 14 shows "0" on the scale 26 in the viewing window 29. In other words, the locking projection 42 is located on the inner circumferential surface of the counter 14 and is positioned as a triangular projection in a counterclockwise direction from the last projection 17F. The locking projection 42 has an upright surface 42A and an inclined surface 42B.

[0065] The operation of the locking mechanism 41 configured in this way will now be explained. Figure 15 shows the state in which the movable body 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow B, causing the rotating claw portion 28 to engage (contact) with the upright surface 17A of the last projection 17F. In this state shown in Figure 15, powdered drug can be administered. Also, when viewed after drug administration, Figure 15 shows the state in which the prescribed number of drug administrations have been completed (the scale 26 showing "0" is displayed in the viewing window portion 29). In this state, the counter 14 is restricted from rotating in the feeding direction (direction of arrow A).

[0066] Next, the movable body 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow C toward the drug filling position, and the rotating claw portion 28 moves to a position where it has overcome the locking projection 42. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 16, the movable body 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow B toward the drug administration position. In this case, when the rotating claw portion 28 has overcome the locking projection 42, even if the movable body 3 is to be rotated in the direction of arrow B toward the drug administration position, the counter 14 is restricted from rotating in the direction of arrow A by the stopper 25. Therefore, the movable body 3 cannot be switched to the drug administration position because its rotation is restricted at the position where the rotating claw portion 28 contacts the upright surface 42A of the locking projection 42. In other words, the locking mechanism 41 prevents the continued use of the used powder drug dispenser 1 after the prescribed number of drug administrations have been completed.

[0067] Thus, in the second embodiment configured in this way, the same functions and effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0068] Next, Figure 17 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. The characteristic of this embodiment is that the locking mechanism includes a first engaging portion located on the inner circumference of the counter, opposite to the projection with which the rotating claw portion engages when the counter has rotated a predetermined amount, and a second engaging portion provided on the rotating claw portion, which engages with the first engaging portion when the movable body is rotated toward the drug filling position. The locking mechanism locks the movable body so that it cannot be switched to the drug filling position by engaging the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion when the movable body is rotated from a state in which the counter has rotated a predetermined amount in the feeding direction. In the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in the first embodiment described above, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0069] In Figure 17, the counter 51 according to the third embodiment, like the counter 14 according to the first embodiment, is made of a ring body and has a plurality of protrusions 17 (including the first protrusion 17S and the last protrusion 17F) on its inner circumferential surface, a stopper 25 on its lower side, and a scale 26 on its outer circumferential surface. However, the counter 51 according to the third embodiment differs from the counter 14 according to the first embodiment in that the space between the first protrusion 17S and the locking protrusion 31 is a smooth section 52 without protrusions 17, and the first engaging section 54, described later, is provided on the side of this smooth section 52 where the last protrusion 17F is located.

[0070] The locking mechanism 53 according to the third embodiment locks the movable body 3 to prevent it from switching to the drug filling position when the movable body 3 is rotated toward the drug filling position while the counter 14 is rotating in the feed direction (direction of arrow A) and has rotated to the position indicating "0". The locking mechanism 53 includes a first engaging part 54 and a second engaging part 55, which will be described later.

[0071] The first engaging portion 54 is located on the inner circumference of the counter 14, on the opposite side of the feed direction from the last projection 17F that the rotating claw portion 28 engages with, when the counter 14 has rotated by a predetermined amount, that is, when the counter 14 has rotated in the feed direction (direction A indicated by arrow) to the position indicating "0". In other words, the first engaging portion 54 is positioned where the tip of the rotating claw portion 28 contacts when the rotating claw portion 28 overcomes the last projection 17F. Furthermore, a hook portion 54A is provided at the tip of the first engaging portion 54 so as to bend toward the last projection 17F. The hook portion 54A can engage with the second engaging portion 55 provided on the rotating claw portion 28.

[0072] The second engaging portion 55 is provided on the tip side of the rotating claw portion 28. The second engaging portion 55 is formed as a recessed groove that engages with the hook portion 54A of the first engaging portion 54 when the movable body 3 is rotated in the direction of arrow C toward the drug filling position. The second engaging portion 55 only needs to have a shape that can engage with the hook portion 54A, and can be formed as a hole (opening) or a claw in addition to a recessed groove.

[0073] Thus, in this third embodiment, the same functions and effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained.

[0074] In each embodiment, the description is given using the case where one nozzle portion 19 is provided on the movable body 3 as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the movable body may be configured to have two nozzle portions.

[0075] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the case in which a triangular projection 17 and a locking projection 31 are provided on the inner circumference of the counter 14 is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the projection and locking projection may be other shapes besides triangular, such as square or slanted plate shapes. This configuration can be similarly applied to other embodiments.

[0076] Next, as a powder drug dispenser included in the above embodiment, for example, the following embodiment can be considered.

[0077] A first embodiment of a powder drug dispenser includes: a main body having a drug dispensing chamber for storing a single dose of powdered drug; a movable body connected to the main body so as to be reciprocally rotatable, having a drug storage chamber for storing multiple doses of drug and a drug ejection passage from which the drug to be dispensed is ejected, and which can be switched between a drug filling position in which the drug storage chamber communicates with the drug dispensing chamber and a drug dispensing position in which the drug ejection passage communicates with the drug dispensing chamber as the device rotates; an air supply mechanism for pressurizing and supplying air toward the drug ejection passage; a counter consisting of a ring body rotatably held in the main body, which has an indicator showing either the remaining amount of drug in the drug storage chamber, the number of drug dispensing sessions, or the remaining number of drug dispensing sessions; a rotation mechanism for rotating the counter in the feeding direction at regular intervals as the movable body reciprocates; and a stopper for restricting the counter from rotating beyond a predetermined amount in the feeding direction. The motion mechanism comprises a plurality of protrusions provided on the inner circumference of the counter; a rotating claw portion provided on the movable body, which moves over the protrusions when the movable body rotates in the opposite direction to the feed direction of the counter, and engages with the protrusions when the movable body rotates in the feed direction of the counter, causing the counter to rotate in the feed direction; and a check claw portion provided on the main body, which engages with the protrusions, restricts the counter from rotating in the opposite direction to the feed direction, and allows the counter to rotate by moving over the protrusions when the counter rotates in the feed direction, and the powder drug dispenser is characterized in that it is equipped with a locking mechanism that restricts switching from a state in which the counter has rotated by a predetermined amount in the feed direction to the drug filling position or the drug dispensing position by the rotation of the movable body.

[0078] In a second embodiment of the powder drug dispenser, the locking mechanism is characterized in that, in the first embodiment, the locking mechanism consists of a locking projection located on the opposite side of the feeding direction from the projection with which the rotating claw engages when the counter has rotated by a predetermined amount, and the locking mechanism locks the movable body so that it cannot be switched to the drug dispensing position by engaging the rotating claw with the locking projection when the movable body is rotated from a state in which the counter has rotated by a predetermined amount in the feeding direction.

[0079] A third embodiment of the powder drug dispenser is characterized in that, in the first embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a first engaging portion located on the inner circumference of the counter, opposite to the projection with which the rotating claw portion engages when the counter has rotated a predetermined amount, and a second engaging portion provided on the rotating claw portion, which engages with the first engaging portion when the movable body is rotated toward the drug filling position, and the locking mechanism locks the movable body so that it cannot be switched to the drug filling position by engaging the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion when the movable body is rotated from a state in which the counter has rotated a predetermined amount in the feeding direction.

[0080] 1 Powder drug dispenser 2 Main body 3 Movable body 4 Pump (air supply mechanism) 6 Drug dispensing chamber 9 Check claw section 13 Drug ejection passage 14, 51 Counter 17 Projection 17S First projection 17F Last projection 21 Drug storage chamber 25 Stopper 26 Scale (display) 27 Rotating mechanism 28 Rotating claw section 30, 41, 53 Locking mechanism 31, 42 Locking projection 54 First engaging section 55 Second engaging section A Feeding direction B Rotation direction of the movable body on the same side as the feeding direction C Rotation direction of the movable body on the opposite side of the feeding direction

Claims

1. The device comprises: a main body having a drug administration chamber for storing a single dose of powdered drug; a movable body having a drug storage chamber for storing multiple doses of drug and a drug ejection passage for ejecting the drug to be administered, and connected to the main body so as to be reciprocally rotatable, and which can be switched between a drug filling position where the drug storage chamber communicates with the drug administration chamber and a drug administration position where the drug ejection passage communicates with the drug administration chamber as the device rotates; an air supply mechanism for pressurizing and supplying air towards the drug ejection passage; a counter consisting of a ring body rotatably held in the main body, which has an indicator showing either the remaining amount of drug in the drug storage chamber, the number of drug administrations, or the number of drug administrations remaining; a rotation mechanism that rotates the counter in the feeding direction at regular intervals as the movable body reciprocates; and a stopper that restricts the counter from rotating beyond a predetermined amount in the feeding direction, wherein the rotation mechanism has a plurality of protrusions provided on the inner circumference side of the counter, A powder drug dispenser comprising: a rotating claw portion provided on the movable body, which moves over the projection when the movable body rotates in the opposite direction to the feed direction of the counter, and engages with the projection when the movable body rotates in the feed direction of the counter to rotate the counter in the feed direction; and a check claw portion provided on the main body, which engages with the projection to restrict the counter from rotating in the opposite direction to the feed direction, and allows the counter to rotate by overcoming the projection when the counter rotates in the feed direction, wherein the change in the display of the counter that rotates in conjunction with the reciprocating rotation of the movable body can be visually observed, and further comprising a locking mechanism that restricts switching from a state in which the counter has rotated by a predetermined amount in the feed direction to the drug filling position or the drug dispensing position by the rotation of the movable body.

2. A powder drug dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a locking projection located on the opposite side of the feeding direction from the projection with which the rotating claw engages when the counter has rotated by a predetermined amount, and the locking mechanism locks the movable body so that it cannot be switched to the drug dispensing position by engaging the rotating claw with the locking projection when the movable body is rotated from a state in which the counter has rotated by a predetermined amount in the feeding direction.

3. A powder drug dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises: a first engaging portion provided on the inner circumference of the counter, located on the opposite side of the feeding direction from the projection with which the rotating claw portion engages when the counter has rotated by a predetermined amount; and a second engaging portion provided on the rotating claw portion, which engages with the first engaging portion when the movable body is rotated toward the drug filling position, wherein the locking mechanism locks the movable body so that it cannot be switched to the drug filling position by engaging the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion when the movable body is rotated from a state in which the counter has rotated by a predetermined amount in the feeding direction.

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