Method of producing powered medicine multi-dose administering device and apparatus thereof

A method of assembling a powdered medicine administering device which permits an inner cylinder to move between a medicine filling position and a blow-out position upon turning a nozzle, comprising the steps of:

• incorporating first and second filters (12, 13) on the outer side of a bottom portion of a container (10) with the bottom portion being positioned on the upper side, the second filter (13) being coarser than the first filter (12);
• turning the container upside-down so that the open end of the container faces upward;
• inserting the inner cylinder (15) in the container from the side of open end of the container;
• filling the container with a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from the side of open end of the container;
• securing and fitting the inner closure (19) to the open end of the container as well as to the inner cylinder so that the inner cylinder partly protrudes toward outside of the container;
• and
• rotatably fitting the nozzle (20) to the open end of the container while coupling it to the inner closure (19) in a manner to transmit the rotation.

A method of producing a powdered medicine multi-dose administering device which includes a container (10) capable of storing a multi-dose amount of powdered medicine and having, in the bottom portion thereof, a hole (10a) for containing a single-dose amount of the medicine and a first filter-fitting portion (11a), a first filter (12) fitted into the first filter-fitting portion, a second hole (10b) and a second filter-fitting portion (11b) provided in the bottom portion of the container, a second filter (13) coarser than the first filter (12) being fitted to the second filter-fitting portion, an inner cylinder (15) capable of being rotated between a filling position and an administering position while maintaining contact with the inner bottom surface of the container, an inner closure (19) having a center hole for rotatably supporting an upper part of the inner cylinder and for closing an opening at the upper end of the container being fitted to the inner periphery of the opening at the upper part of the container, and a nozzle (20) coupled to the upper end of the inner cylinder so as to transmit the rotation, rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of the opening at the upper part of the container and having a medicine discharge passage (20a), wherein, at the filling position, the powdered medicine in the container is supplied to the medicine-containing hole (10a) through an opening (17) in the inner cylinder and the second filter and the second hole are communicated with the medicine passage (18) in the inner cylinder and, at the administering position, air is blown into the medicine-containing hole (10a) through the first filter, so that the medicine in the medicine-containing hole is discharged to the exterior through the medicine passage (18) of the inner cylinder and the medicine discharge passage (20a) of the nozzle,

• said method of producing a powdered medicine multi-dose administering device comprising the steps of:
• inserting the second filter (13) in the second filter-fitting portion (11b);
• inserting the first filter (12) in the first filter-fitting portion (11a);
• inserting the inner cylinder (15) in the container body (10);
• filling the container with the powdered medicine;
• inserting the inner closure (19) to the container and fitting it to the inner cylinder;
• fitting the nozzle (20) to the container to couple it to the inner cylinder;
• and
• inspecting the thus obtained assembly.

An apparatus for producing a powdered medicine multi-dose administering device which includes a container (10) capable of storing a multi-dose amount of powdered medicine and having, in the bottom portion thereof, a hole (10a) for containing a single-dose amount of the medicine and a first filter-fitting portion (11a), a first filter (12) fitted into the first filter-fitting portion, a second hole (10b) and a second filter-fitting portion (11b) provided in the bottom portion of the container, a second filter (13) coarser than the first filter (12) being fitted to the second filter-fitting portion, an inner cylinder (15) capable of being rotated between a filling position and an administering position while maintaining contact with the inner bottom surface of the container, an inner closure (19) having a center hole for rotatably supporting an upper part of the inner cylinder and for closing an opening at the upper end of the container being fitted to the inner periphery of the opening at the upper part of the container, and a nozzle (20) coupled to the upper end of the inner cylinder so as to transmit the rotation, rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of the opening at the upper part of the container and having a medicine blow-out passage (20a), wherein, at the filling position, the powdered medicine in the container is supplied to the medicine-containing hole (10a) through an opening (17) in the inner cylinder and the second filter and the second hole are communicated with the medicine passage (18) in the inner cylinder, and, at the administering position, the air is blown into the medicine-containing hole (10a) through the filter, so that the medicine in the medicine-containing hole is discharged to the exterior through the medicine passage (18) of the inner cylinder and the medicine discharge passage (20a) of the nozzle, said an apparatus for automatically producing a powdered medicine multi-dose administering device, comprising:

• a production unit for inserting the first filters in the first filter-fitting portions, inserting the second filter (13) in the second filter-fitting portion (11b);
• inserting the inner cylinder in the container body, filling the container with the powdered medicine, fitting the inner closure to the container and to the inner cylinder, and fitting the nozzle (20) to the container while coupling it to the inner cylinder to produce an assembly;
• and
• an inspection unit for inspecting the assembly that is produced and for measuring the amount of injection of a single-dose amount of the powdered medicine.

A powdered medicine multi-dose administering device which includes:

• a container (10) capable of storing a multi-dose amount of powdered medicine and having, in the bottom portion thereof, a first hole (10a) for containing a single-dose amount of the medicine and a filter-fitting portion (11a);
• a first filter (12) fitted into the filter-fitting portion, an inner cylinder (15) capable of being rotated between a filling position and an administering position while maintaining contact with the inner bottom surface of the container;
• an inner closure (19) having a center hole for rotatably supporting an upper part of the inner cylinder and for closing an opening at the upper end of the container being fitted to the inner periphery of the opening at the upper part of the container;
• a nozzle (20) coupled to the upper end of the inner cylinder so as to transmit the rotation, rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of the opening at the upper part of the container and having a medicine discharge passage (20a);
• a pump (21) capable of blowing air into the first hole (10a) through the first filter (12);
• wherein, at the filling position, the powdered medicine in the container is supplied to the medicine-containing hole (10a) through an opening (17) in the inner cylinder, and, at the administering position, the air is blown into the medicine-containing hole (10a) through the first filter, so that the medicine in the medicine-containing hole is discharged to the exterior through a medicine passage (18) of the inner cylinder and the medicine discharge passage (20a) of the nozzle;
• and
• wherein a second hole (10b) and a second filter-fitting portion (11b) are provided in the bottom portion of the container, a second filter (13) coarser than the first filter (12) is fitted to the second filter-fitting portion, and the second filter and the second hole are communicated with the medicine passage (18) in the inner cylinder at the filling position.

An assembly of a powdered medicine multi-dose administering device which includes:

• a container body (10) capable of storing a multi-dose amount of powdered medicine and having, in the bottom portion thereof, a first hole (10a) for containing a single-dose amount of the medicine and a filter-fitting portion (11a);
• a first filter (12) fitted into the filter-fitting portion, an inner cylinder (15) capable of being rotated between a filling position and an administering position while maintaining contact with the inner bottom surface of the container;
• an inner closure (19) having a center hole for rotatably supporting an upper part of the inner cylinder and for closing an opening at the upper end of the container being fitted to the inner periphery of the opening at the upper part of the container;
• a nozzle (20) coupled to the upper end of the inner cylinder so as to transmit the rotation, rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of the opening at the upper part of the container and having a medicine discharge passage (20a);
• wherein, at the filling position, the powdered medicine in the container is supplied to the medicine-containing hole (10a) through an opening (17) in the inner cylinder, and, at the administering position, air is blown into the medicine-containing hole (10a) through the first filter, so that the medicine in the medicine-containing hole is discharged to the exterior through a medicine passage (18) of the inner cylinder and the medicine discharge passage (20a) of the nozzle;
• and
• wherein a second hole (10b) and a second filter-fitting portion (11b) are provided in the bottom portion of the container, a second filter (13) coarser than the first filter (12) is fitted to the second filter-fitting portion, and the second filter and the second hole are communicated with the medicine passage (18) in the inner cylinder at the filling position.