| CPC A61B 5/4833 (2013.01) [A61M 15/007 (2014.02); A61M 15/0026 (2014.02); A61M 15/0083 (2014.02); G16H 20/13 (2018.01); A61M 15/009 (2013.01); A61M 2205/14 (2013.01); A61M 2205/18 (2013.01); A61M 2205/332 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3306 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3331 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3375 (2013.01); A61M 2205/502 (2013.01); A61M 2205/52 (2013.01); A61M 2205/581 (2013.01); A61M 2205/582 (2013.01); A61M 2205/583 (2013.01); A61M 2205/587 (2013.01); A61M 2205/8206 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. An adherence monitor for a medicament inhaler, the inhaler including a body, a mouthpiece for operatively inhaling a medicament, a cap for the mouthpiece, and a tether connecting the cap to the body, the adherence monitor comprising:
a housing configured to enclose at least a portion of the body of the medicament inhaler in use, and
a tether opening formed in the housing, the tether opening configured to receive the tether, the adherence monitor being configured to be fitted to the inhaler in a position at least partially surrounding the body of the inhaler without removing the cap from the tether and without removing the cap from the mouthpiece and a path length of the tether around the adherence monitor is unchanged relative to the path length of the tether when the adherence monitor is not fitted to the inhaler, such that cap and tether function of the medicament inhaler avoids being modified by placement of the medicament inhaler into the adherence monitor;
wherein the tether opening is a slot extending through a base portion of the housing;
wherein the tether operatively passes through the slot, around the base portion to the mouthpiece;
wherein the housing includes an opening at a front thereof, the opening being between an interior of the housing where the body of the inhaler is located and an exterior of the housing;
the opening having a lateral border between sides of the housing and the opening, the lateral border having a lower portion extending further forward than a recessed portion of the lateral border above the lower portion;
said base portion including a left floor portion and a right floor portion;
said floor portions located on opposite sides of said tether opening;
said floor portions sized and oriented to support a lower end of the body of the medicament inhaler and prevent downward movement relative to the adherence monitor;
said floor portions bounded by a rear wall extending upwardly from rearward portions of said floor;
said rear wall resisting rearward movement of the medicament inhaler relative to said floor of said base portion;
said floor portions bounded by side walls extending upwardly from lateral portions of said floor opposite said tether slot and extending up to transition into becoming said sides of the housing;
said side walls resisting lateral movement of the medicament inhaler relative to said floor of said base portion;
said floor portions bounded by front walls extending upwardly at least partially from forward portions of said floor;
said front walls resisting forward movement of said medicament inhaler relative to said floor of said base portion;
said floor portions bounded on inner sides thereof closest to each other by said slot of said tether opening;
said rear wall, said lateral walls and said front walls acting together to keep the medicament inhaler restrained, when inserted into the adherence monitor and in contact with the floor, from any motion other than vertical motion of a canister of the medicament inhaler relative to an actuator of the medicament inhaler for dispensing of a dose of medicament out of the canister and through the mouthpiece;
wherein portions of said front walls above said floor portions terminate below the cap of the medicament inhaler when the cap is located upon the mouthpiece of the medicament inhaler and the medicament inhaler is located adjacent to said floor portions, such that transitioning of said cap from being on said mouthpiece and off of said mouthpiece occurs freely and fully without interference by said front walls extending upwardly at least partially from forward portions of said floor portions;
wherein said opening in said front of the adherence monitor and said lateral border of said opening of the adherence monitor are positioned to avoid blocking a downward-directed surface coupled to the canister of the medicament inhaler and located on a front side of the medicament inhaler, such that the medicament inhaler is free from obstruction by the adherence monitor, whether the downward-directed surface is in a first position or a second position that is moved downward relative to the first position when the cap of the medicament inhaler is off of the mouthpiece for actuation of the medicament inhaler; and
said opening allowing the cap of the medicament inhaler to be placed on the mouthpiece of the medicament inhaler and block downward movement of the downward-directed surface and actuation of the medicament inhaler without interference by the adherence monitor.
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20. A method for fitting an adherence monitor according to claim 1 to a medicament inhaler, the medicament inhaler including a body, a mouthpiece for operatively inhaling the medicament, a cap for the mouthpiece, and a tether connecting the cap to the body, the method including the steps of:
placing the medicament inhaler through an opening in the front of the housing of the adherence monitor, the adherence monitor including the housing configured to enclose at least a portion of the medicament inhaler in use, the tether opening configured to receive the tether, the adherence monitor being configured to be fitted to the inhaler without removing the cap from the tether and without removing the cap from the mouthpiece and the path length of the tether around the monitor is unchanged relative to the path length of the tether when the adherence monitor is not added to the inhaler, and wherein the tether operatively passes through the slot, around the base to the mouthpiece;
keeping the cap on the mouthpiece during said placing step with the opening in the front of the housing avoiding interference with the cap located upon the mouthpiece and the slot avoiding interference with the tether;
removing the cap from the mouthpiece when the inhaler is to be used, without cap removal being interfered with by the adherence monitor; and
replacing the cap upon the mouthpiece after the inhaler has been used, without cap replacement being interfered with by the adherence monitor.
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