US 11,833,291 B2
Preservative-free single dose inhaler systems
John S. Patton, San Francisco, CA (US); Ryan S. Patton, San Francisco, CA (US); Mei-chang Kuo, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Yehuda Ivri, Newport Beach, CA (US)
Assigned to Aerami Therapeutics, Inc., Brisbane, CA (US)
Filed by Aerami Therapeutics, Inc., Durham, NC (US)
Filed on Jul. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/874,531.
Application 17/874,531 is a continuation of application No. 16/685,382, filed on Nov. 15, 2019, granted, now 11,400,241.
Application 16/685,382 is a continuation of application No. 15/165,662, filed on May 26, 2016, granted, now 10,525,214, issued on Jan. 7, 2020.
Application 15/165,662 is a continuation of application No. 14/606,623, filed on Jan. 27, 2015, granted, now 9,545,488, issued on Jan. 17, 2017.
Application 14/606,623 is a continuation of application No. 14/039,254, filed on Sep. 27, 2013, granted, now 9,004,061, issued on Apr. 14, 2015.
Application 14/039,254 is a continuation of application No. 13/004,662, filed on Jan. 11, 2011, granted, now 8,950,394, issued on Feb. 10, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/335,769, filed on Jan. 12, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2023/0051645 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61M 15/00 (2006.01); A61M 11/00 (2006.01); A61K 9/00 (2006.01); A61K 38/28 (2006.01); A61K 9/12 (2006.01); A61K 33/30 (2006.01); A61M 16/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 15/0028 (2013.01) [A61K 9/0073 (2013.01); A61K 9/122 (2013.01); A61K 33/30 (2013.01); A61K 38/28 (2013.01); A61M 11/00 (2013.01); A61M 11/001 (2014.02); A61M 11/005 (2013.01); A61M 15/009 (2013.01); A61M 15/0021 (2014.02); A61M 15/0065 (2013.01); A61M 15/0085 (2013.01); A61M 15/0091 (2013.01); A61M 2016/0021 (2013.01); A61M 2016/0039 (2013.01); A61M 2202/0468 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3334 (2013.01); A61M 2205/583 (2013.01); A61M 2205/587 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of aerosolizing a volume of liquid medicament, comprising:
providing an inhaler, comprising:
a housing comprising a mouthpiece and a liquid receptacle fluidly coupled to the mouthpiece, wherein the liquid receptacle defines an opening that extends through an exterior surface of the housing at an inlet end of the opening;
an aerosol generator disposed within the housing, the aerosol generator comprising:
a membrane having a front face, a rear face, and a plurality of apertures that extend between the front face and the rear face; and
a vibratable element; and
a visual indicator, wherein an inlet end of the opening is positioned between, and in general alignment with, the mouthpiece and the visual indicator, with the visual indicator and the opening being positioned on a same surface of the housing and the visual indicator being oriented such that the visual indicator is visible to a user of the inhaler while the user inhales through the mouthpiece;
detecting fluid flow through the mouthpiece as the user inhales using a flow sensor;
activating the vibratable element in response to detecting the fluid flow to aerosolize a dosage of the liquid medicament that has been supplied to the rear face of the membrane as the user inhales via the mouthpiece; and
providing, using the visual indicator, an indication that the entire dosage of liquid has been aerosolized.