Aerosol generator and methods of making and using an aerosol generator

A method of making an aerosol generator, comprising the steps of:

• arranging a heater relative to a flow passage so as to heat the flow passage, the flow passage having an inlet and an outlet;
• connecting the inlet of the flow passage to a source of material to be volatilized;
• providing an openable and closeable valve between the source of material and the flow passage;
• providing a pressurization arrangement which causes material in the source of material to be introduced into the flow passage from the source of material when the valve is in an open position;
• connecting the valve to a source of power which opens and closes the valve;
• connecting the heater to the source of power;
• connecting the source of power to a control device which controls supply of power from the source of power to the heater and the valve.

A method of generating an aerosol, comprising the steps of:

• generating a first signal, indicative of a user's intention to generate an aerosol, to a control device;
• sending responsively to the first signal, a second signal to a source of power to cause the source of power to open an openable and closeable valve, the valve being disposed between a source of material to be volatilized and a flow passage, opening of the valve permitting material from the source of material to flow from the source of material and into the flow passage;
• causing material from the source of material to flow from the source of material and into the flow passage;
• sending responsively to the first signal, a third signal to the source of power to supply power to a heater disposed relative to the flow passage to heat the flow passage;
• and
• heating material from the source of material in the flow passage with the heater to a vaporization temperature such that the material volatilizes and expands out of an outlet of the flow passage.

A metering device in an inhaler comprising:

• a pressurized source of medicated fluid;
• a metering chamber in fluid communication with the pressurized source of fluid;
• and
• a displacement member which ejects a predetermined volume of the fluid from the metering chamber;
• wherein the metering chamber comprises a bore in a valve and the displacement member comprises a piston;
• and
• wherein the bore extends radially through a central axis of a rotary valve body, the rotary valve body being arranged in an inhaler housing such that a predetermined volume is simultaneously loaded into the bore while a previously loaded predetermined volume is ejected out of the bore upon rotation of the valve body 180° around the central axis.

A metering device in an inhaler having a heater arranged to volatilize medicated fluid in a heated flow passage comprising:

• a pressurized source of medicated fluid;
• a first flow passage in fluid communication with the pressurized source of medicated fluid;
• a metering chamber in fluid communication with the first flow passage;
• a second flow passage in fluid communication with the metering chamber and the heated flow passage;
• and
• a displacement member which ejects a predetermined volume of the fluid from the metering chamber into the second flow passage, wherein the metering chamber comprises a bore in a valve and the displacement member comprises a flexible diaphragm in the bore, the pressurized fluid from the pressurized source of fluid causing the diaphragm to eject the predetermined volume of the fluid from the bore.

A metering device in an inhaler comprising:

• a pressurized source of medicated fluid;
• a metering chamber in fluid communication with the pressurized source of fluid;
• and
• a displacement member which ejects a predetermined volume of the fluid from the metering chamber;
• wherein the metering chamber comprises an elastically deformable delivery passage, the displacement member being engageable with the elastically deformable delivery passage to eject the predetermined volume.

A method for metering a predetermined amount of medication in an inhaler, the inhaler including a metering device comprising a pressurized source of medicated fluid and a metering chamber in fluid communication with the pressurized source of fluid and a heated flow passage, the method comprising:

• filling the metering chamber with fluid from the pressurized source;
• and
• activating a displacement member to eject a predetermined volume of fluid from the metering chamber into the heated flow passage;
• wherein the metering chamber comprises a bore in a rotary valve and the displacement member comprises a slidable piston or diaphragm in the bore, the predetermined volume being ejected from the bore by moving the piston or diaphragm;
• and
• wherein the metering device further comprises a mechanism arranged to discharge vaporized fluid from the heated flow passage each time the rotary valve is actuated, the method further comprising heating the flow passage to form a vaporized fluid which is discharged from the flow passage and forms an aerosol when the rotary valve is rotated a predetermined amount.

A method for metering a predetermined amount of medication in an inhaler, the inhaler including a metering device comprising a pressurized source of medicated fluid and a metering chamber in fluid communication with the pressurized source of fluid and a heated flow passage, the method comprising:

• filling the metering chamber with fluid from the pressurized source;
• and
• activating a displacement member to elect a predetermined volume of fluid from the metering chamber into the heated flow passage;
• and
• wherein the chamber comprises a delivery chamber having an elastic portion, the method further comprising filling the elastic portion with fluid and using the displacement member to deform the elastic portion of the delivery passage to eject the predetermined volume.