Apparatus for the inhalation of medicinal agents

Claim 1

In an apparatus for the inhalation of medicinal agents as an aerosol effluent from the apparatus which includes a housing with a venturi tube-shaped interior configuration and with a dispensing aperture opening into the housing in the vicinity of the venturi constriction which is between an air inlet chamber and an exhaust chamber from which the aerosol effluent is inhaled; the provision of a metering mechanism comprising a connector member detachably mounted in fixed position on said housing and having a transfer aperture aligned with the dispensing aperture in said housing; a metering disk rotably mounted on said connector member and including means adapted to support a medicament container and having a central opening and at least one metering chamber therethrough radially outwardly of the said central opening and alignable with said transfer aperture; and composite mounting means detachably connecting said metering disk to said connector member for permissive rotation of the metering disk to selectively align a metering chamber with the aligned transfer and dispensing apertures for discharging a metered dose of medicament into the venturi tube-shaped interior of the housing and for closing the metering chamber against access of additional medicament thereto from the container, said composite mounting means including a pin component extending from said connector member and having an upper portion and a lower circular portion, said central opening being rotatably mounted on said circular portion thereby permitting the rotation of the metering disk and a locking cap component in removable non-rotating engagement with the upper portion of the pin component for securing said metering disk to said connector member, said locking cap component including a lateral extension covering said metering chamber when aligned with said transfer aperture.