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US 6,550,473 B1Granted
Collapsible, disposable MDI spacer and method
AssigneeThayer Medical Corporation
InventorDavid T. Sladek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disposable, expandable/collapsible medication inhalation apparatus for use with an MDI inhaler includes an elongated housing for receiving a plume of medication particles ejected by the MDI inhaler, a mouthpiece, and an inhalation valve disposed between the mouthpiece and the housing. A pair of foldable side sections are pressed together to expand the apparatus. An exhalation port in the mouthpiece allows exhalation through the mouthpiece. A collapsible boot adapter receives a mouthpiece of the MDI inhaler. The inhalation apparatus is constructed from a single sheet of foldable sheet material.
Claims18
A medication inhalation apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a collapsible/expandable housing collapsible into a substantially flat configuration and expandable to bound a first volume, the first volume receiving a plume of medication particles ejected by an MDI inhaler;
- (b) a collapsible/expandable mouthpiece section disposed at a first opening of the housing and bounding a second volume, the mouthpiece section including a mouthpiece opening in an end of the mouthpiece section;
- (c) a collapsible one-way inhalation valve disposed between the mouthpiece opening and the first volume for allowing one-way flow of gas from the first volume to the mouthpiece opening;
- and
- (d) a collapsible boot adapter panel connected to an inlet end of the housing, and an opening for receiving a mouthpiece of the MDI inhaler,
- the housing including a first foldable side section including a first fold line and a second foldable side section including a second fold line, the first foldable side section including a first side panel connected along a third fold line to a top panel and a second side panel connected along a fourth fold line to a bottom panel, the second foldable side section including a third side panel connected along a fifth fold line to the bottom panel and a fourth side panel connected along a sixth fold line to the top panel, wherein simultaneously pressing the first and second foldable side sections inward expands the housing,
- the one-way inhalation valve including an inhalation flap and a valve seat, whereby an exhalation by a patient through the mouthpiece opening presses the inhalation flap against the valve seat to prevent flow of exhaled gas from the mouthpiece opening into the first volume, the exhaled gas flowing through an opening in the mouthpiece section between the one-way inhalation valve and the mouthpiece opening,
- inhalation through the mouthpiece opening causing a portion of the inhalation flap to move away from the valve seat to provide a path for the flow of gas from the first volume into the mouthpiece section.
5 more elements
A method of expanding a medication inhalation apparatus from an initially flat, collapsed configuration, comprising:
- (a) providing
- i. a housing and a mouthpiece section in the collapsed configuration, the mouthpiece section being disposed at an outlet end of the housing, the mouthpiece section including a mouthpiece opening in an end wall of the mouthpiece section,
- ii. a one-way inhalation valve disposed between the mouthpiece opening and the housing when expanded for allowing one-way flow of gas from the housing to the mouthpiece opening when the medication inhalation apparatus is expanded, and
- iii. a collapsible boot adapter panel connected to an inlet end of the housing, and an opening in the boot adapter panel for receiving a mouthpiece of an MDI inhaler, the one-way inhalation valve including an inhalation flap and a valve seat, an exhalation by a patient through the mouthpiece opening pressing the inhalation flap against the valve seat to prevent flow of exhaled gas from the mouthpiece opening into the housing, the exhaled gas flowing through an opening in the mouthpiece section between the one-way inhalation valve and the mouthpiece opening, inhalation through the mouthpiece opening causing a portion of the inhalation flap to move away from the valve seat to provide a path for the flow of gas from inside the volume into the mouthpiece section;
- and
- (b) manually expanding the housing, the mouthpiece section, and the boot adapter panel by pressing a pair of foldable side panels of the housing into configurations approximately perpendicular to a top panel of the housing and a bottom panel of the housing, and simultaneously forcing a panel in which the inhalation valve is disposed to be substantially inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis extending between the mouthpiece opening and the opening in the boot adapter panel when the housing is in an expanded configuration such that the inhalation valve is aligned between the mouthpiece opening and the opening in the boot adapter when the housing is in the expanded configuration.
3 more elements
A method of expanding a medication inhalation apparatus from an initially flat, collapsed configuration, comprising:
- (a) providing
- i. a housing and a mouthpiece section in the collapsed configuration, the mouthpiece section being disposed at an outlet end of the housing, the mouthpiece section including a mouthpiece opening in an end wall of the mouthpiece section,
- ii. a one-way inhalation valve disposed between the mouthpiece opening and the housing when expanded for allowing one-way flow of gas from the housing to the mouthpiece opening when the medication inhalation apparatus is expanded, and
- iii. a collapsible boot adapter panel connected to an inlet end of the housing, and an opening in the boot adapter panel for receiving a mouthpiece of an MDI inhaler, the one-way inhalation valve including an inhalation flap and a valve seat, an exhalation by a patient through the mouthpiece opening pressing the inhalation flap against the valve seat to prevent flow of exhaled gas from the mouthpiece opening into the housing, the exhaled gas flowing through an opening in the mouthpiece section between the one-way inhalation valve and the mouthpiece opening, inhalation through the mouthpiece opening causing a portion of the inhalation flap to move away from the valve seat to provide a path for the flow of gas from inside the volume into the mouthpiece section;
- and
- (b) manually expanding the housing, the mouthpiece section, and the boot adapter panel by pressing a pair of foldable side panels of the housing into configurations approximately perpendicular to a top panel of the housing and a bottom panel of the housing, and simultaneously forcing a panel in which the inhalation valve is disposed to be substantially inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis extending between the mouthpiece opening and the opening in the boot adapter panel when the housing is in an expanded configuration such that the inhalation valve is aligned between the mouthpiece opening and the opening in the boot adapter when the housing is in the expanded configuration, each foldable side panel including a straight foldable line, each foldable side panel being connected along an upper arcuate fold line to a top panel of the housing, each foldable side panel being connected along a bottom arcuate fold line to a bottom panel of the housing.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.