Releasable monitor with optical dose counter for a medicament inhaler

A medicament inhaler system adapted to deliver doses of medicament, the medicament inhaler system comprising:

• a medicament inhaler, having a structure sufficient in itself to deliver doses of medicament to a patient, the medicament inhaler including:
• a medicament container;
• an outer casing surrounding the medicament container, the outer casing having an exterior surface;
• a delivery aperture;
• and
• at least one moving part(s) configured to move to enable delivery of each dose of medicament from the medicament container through the delivery aperture;
• and
• a monitoring device for monitoring patient usage of the medicament inhaler, the device being located outside an airflow path of the medicament inhaler, the device including:
• a) a housing releasably attachable to the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler, wherein the housing includes a first side and a second side arranged to receive the medicament inhaler there between, wherein the device is operable to monitor patient usage of the medicament inhaler by monitoring movement of the at least one moving part of the medicament inhaler without requiring any physical modifications to the medicament inhaler and without participating in the way in which the medicament inhaler moves to deliver each dose of medicament from the medicament container;
• b) an optical dose counter coupled to the housing and operable from a position outside of the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler, the optical dose counter being configured to determine when a dose of medicament is being dispensed by the medicament inhaler by transmitting electromagnetic signals through the medicament inhaler from a position outside of the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler, the optical dose counter including:
• i) at least one electromagnetic signal transmitter configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal from a position outside of the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler;
• and
• ii) at least one electromagnetic signal receiver configured to receive the electromagnetic signal from a position outside of the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler;
• and
• c) an electronic control module within the housing, the electronic control module housed including, or being in communication with, the optical dose counter, the electronic control module being adapted to monitor and/or store data relating to patient usage of the medicament inhaler;
• wherein, when a first moving part of the at least one moving part(s) of the medicament inhaler is in a rest position, the electromagnetic signal emitted from the transmitter includes a beam directed towards a first portion of the medicament inhaler and the electromagnetic signal receiver detects a rest characteristic of the electromagnetic signal;
• wherein, when the at least one moving part of the medicament inhaler is in a dose-dispensing position, the electromagnetic signal emitted from the transmitter comprises a beam directed towards at least a second portion of the medicament inhaler and the electromagnetic signal receiver detects a dose-dispensing characteristic of the electromagnetic signal, such that the electronic control module detects a change between the rest characteristic and the dose-dispensing characteristic of the electromagnetic signal to determine that a dose of medicament is being dispensed, and
• wherein, the at least one moving part includes a part configured to rotate from the rest position to the dose-dispensing position.

A method of treating a respiratory disease, comprising:

• 1) delivering doses of medicament to a patient using a medicament inhaler, the medicament inhaler having a structure sufficient in itself to deliver doses of medicament to a patient, the medicament inhaler including a medicament container;
• an outer casing surrounding the medicament container, the outer casing having an exterior surface;
• a delivery aperture;
• and at least one moving part(s) configured to move to enable delivery of each dose of medicament from the medicament container through the delivery aperture;
• and
• 2) monitoring patient usage of the medicament inhaler using a device for monitoring patient usage of the medicament inhaler, the device being located outside an airflow path of the medicament inhaler, the device including:
• a) a housing releasably attachable to the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler, wherein the housing includes a first side and a second side arranged to receive the medicament inhaler there between, wherein the device is operable to monitor patient usage of the medicament inhaler by monitoring movement of the at least one moving part of the medicament inhaler without requiring any physical modifications to the medicament inhaler and without participating in the way in which the medicament inhaler moves to deliver each dose of medicament from the medicament container;
• b) an optical dose counter coupled to the housing and operable from a position outside of the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler, the optical dose counter being configured to determine when a dose of medicament is being dispensed by the medicament inhaler by transmitting electromagnetic signals through the medicament inhaler from a position outside of the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler, the optical dose counter including:
• i) at least one electromagnetic signal transmitter configured to transmit an electromagnetic signal from a position outside of the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler;
• and
• ii) at least one electromagnetic signal receiver configured to receive the electromagnetic signal from a position outside of the exterior surface of the outer casing of the medicament inhaler;
• and
• c) an electronic control module housed within the housing, the electronic control module including, or being in communication with, the optical dose counter, the electronic control module being adapted to monitor and/or store data relating to patient usage of the medicament inhaler;
• wherein, when a first moving part of the at least one moving part of the medicament inhaler is in a rest position, the electromagnetic signal emitted from the transmitter includes a beam directed towards a first portion of the medicament inhaler and the electromagnetic signal received from the receiver detects a rest characteristic of the electromagnetic signal;
• and
• wherein, when the first moving part is rotated to a dose-dispensing position, the electromagnetic signal emitted from the transmitter includes a beam directed towards at least a second portion of the medicament inhaler and the electromagnetic signal received from the receiver detects a dose-dispensing characteristic of the electromagnetic signal, such that the electronic control module detects a change between the rest characteristic and the dose-dispensing characteristic of the electromagnetic signal to determine that a dose of medicament is being dispensed.