| abstract |
A dispensing apparatus comprises a pressurised dispensing container (3), a housing (2) for the container defining a bore, the container having a body (50) which is axially slidable in the bore, the container having a collapsible metering valve (8) located at a first end (6) of the body for dispensing metered quantities of fluid and actuated by axial depression of a valve stem (9) defining a dispensing flowpath, a valve actuator (11) fixedly connected to the housing at a corresponding first end (7) thereof and defining a further dispensing flowpath for product fluid dispensed through the stem, and trigger means (30) operable to urge the container body axially towards the first end of the housing such that the valve stem is depressed by relative movement together of the valve and actuator and thereby dispensing a metered quantity of fluid, wherein the container body defines a chamber (4) and the container includes means (5) dividing the chamber into a product fluid reservoir (25) communicating with the valve and a propellant fluid reservoir (26), the dividing means being movable such that propellant pressure is applied to the product fluid without mixing of the respective fluids. The apparatus is suitable for the nasal administration of insulin. |