Inhaler
An inhaler for delivering metered doses of powdered medicament, the inhaler having a plurality of compartments spaced in an array and each arranged to contain a metered dose of the medicament, a lever to displace the compartments one by one into line with an inhalation aperture that constitutes a mouthpiece, each compartment including inner and outer edges, the plurality of compartments being closed by a sealing layer, the inhaler further having a mechanism adapted to lift the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of the compartment to open an air passageway defined by the compartment and the sealing layer so that, in use, on inhalation through the mouthpiece, air flow in the air flow passageway picks up and entrains the powder in the compartment to be drawn with the air out of the inhaler through the mouthpiece.
This invention relates to inhalers and in particular to inhalers for use with powered medicaments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThere are many types of inhalers that can provide delivered metered doses. The majority of inhalers of this kind are designed to provide multiple doses. It is however known that inhalers of this kind can also be used to provide a single dose.
In situations where a metered dose is to be dispensed it is important that the inhaler always dispenses the exact dose. There is also a problem with inhalers of this kind if there is a tendency to allow unintentional additional dosing. Inhalers need to be small, compact, easy to use and yet not too expensive. The inhalers also need to satisfy safety criteria set down by appropriate standards.
It is these issues that have brought about the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an inhaler for delivering metered doses of powdered medicament, the inhaler having a plurality of compartments spaced in an array and each arranged to contain a metered dose of the medicament, means to displace the compartments one by one into line with an inhalation aperture that constitutes a mouthpiece, each compartment including inner and outer edges, the plurality of compartments being closed by a sealing layer, means to lift the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of the compartment to open an air passageway defined by the compartment and the sealing layer so that, in use, on inhalation through the mouthpiece, air flow in the air flow passageway picks up and entrains the powder in the compartment to be drawn with the air out of the inhaler through the mouthpiece.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a disposable cartridge adapted to be received in a body of an inhaler, the cartridge having a plurality of compartments spaced in an array and each arranged to contain a metered dose of medicament, the compartments being displaceable one by one into line with an outlet aperture, each compartment including inner and outer edges, the plurality of compartments being closed by a sealing layer, means to lift the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of the compartment to open an air passageway defined by the compartment and the sealing layer so that, in use, air flow in the air flow passageway picks up and entrains the powder in the compartment to be drawn with the air out of the cartridge through the outlet aperture.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSEmbodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only in which:
As shown in the exploded view of
As shown in
The cartridge 50 is shown in greater detail in
The base foil 60 is covered first by a perforated layer 80 which is in turn covered by a lidding foil layer 90. Both the perforated layer and lidding foil 80 and 90 have internal apertures 81 and 91. The apertures 56, 61, 81 in the cartridge base 55, base foil 60 and perforated layer 80 include a cut-out 57, 62 and 82 that is radially aligned with a cut-out 58, 63, and 83 in the outer periphery. The lidding foil 90 is securely bonded to the perforated layer 80 which is attached to the base foil 60 to seal the compartments 70 once filled with medicament powder.
The cartridge 50 is designed to hold a plurality of metered doses of powdered medicament in separate sealed compartments 70 and the operation of the lever 30 displaces the drive cam 18 which rotates components of the cartridge 50 to expose individual doses to the air passageway that is in communication with the mouthpiece 26. As shown in
As shown in
It is however understood that more or less than ten compartments 70 can be positioned on the base foil 60 and the cartridge base 55 can include as many peripheral cutouts as are necessary to ensure that each compartment is indexed to the required position by displacement of the lever 30. The base foil 60 is positioned axially aligned on top of the cartridge base 55.
The lower cover 51 has an arcuate slot 9 through which the drive cam 18 extends to engage the cartridge base. The lower cover 51 of the cartridge 50 has a central upstanding circular spigot 84 that includes an internal upstanding ring 85. As shown in
As shown in
The role of the wedge shaped openers 86, 87 is illustrated with particular reference to
The lid 15 of the inhaler is shown in greater detail in
As shown in
The lid also includes the small viewing tab 101 that exposes through magnification an arcuate line of numbering that would be positioned on the lidding foil 90 and exposed through the hole 44 in the upper cover 52. The numbering reflects the number of recesses 70 with unused doses so that the user of the inhaler can know how many doses remain in the cartridge. The inhaler 10 also includes a number of other features that reduce inadvertent additional dosage and reduce the likelihood of accidental displacement of the medicament. It is only on a full displacement of the lever 30 to the right as shown in
The lever 30 that closes off the airflow passageway and does not open this passageway until the lever has again been displaced fully to the right. As the lever 30 is displaced the openers 86, 87 lift the lidding foil 90 from the perforated layer 80 to expose the radially inner and outer sections of recessed compartment 70. By the time the lever 30 has moved to the fully displaced position the foil 90 has been lifted from the radially inner and outer sections of the compartment 70 to open the air passageway. At that time the air passageway is open to the mouthpiece 26 allowing inhalation. If the lever is closed i.e. returned to its original position to the left without taking the dose that dose will then be lost because it will be indexed into an inoperative position when the lever has moved again. Thus reducing the possibility of unintentional additional dosing.
The cover 52 that is positioned over the foils 60, 80 and 90 protects doses that are not used from escape into the inhaler so that once the cartridge is discarded any residual medicament is discarded with the cartridge. Because the openers 86, 87 only lifts the lidding foil 90 off the perforated layer 80 an unadministered dose becomes effectively sealed in its recess 70 as it is indexed past the openers which allows the lidding foil to return to its former position with the bar 47 closing off the compartment 70.
The flap 112 operates as a one-way valve to ensure that exhalation does not have any effect on the medicament. The valve virtually prevents or at least minimises the amount of air that can be blown into the device so that exhalation does not dislodge or disturb a readied dose or for that matter disturb a dose that has not been administered. When in its uppermost position the one way valve 112 closes the air flow pathway exit to minimise the possibility of air flow over the unadministered dose.
The shape of the cutouts in the periphery of the ase is such that when the last dose has been dispensed the lever cannot further rotate the disc so that the user becomes aware that the cartridge is empty and can thus replace the cartridge.
FIGS. 15 to 17 illustrate a second embodiment that utilises a different cartridge which is shown in
The assembly of the disc base 151, two foil layers 160 and 190 and flip top assembly 180 is then covered by a plastics cover 195 that has a central aperture 196 and a downwardly extending annular skirt 197 that covers the components. An arcuate cutout 198 is provided in the periphery of the skirt 197 of the cover 195 through which a lever (not shown), similar to the first embodiment, can extend to engage the disc base 151. The rotation of the disc base 151 and foil layers 160 and 190 and flip top assembly 180 relative to the cover 195 is illustrated in
Displacement of the lever rotates the disc base 151 causing the inner and outer lugs 187, 188 on the flip top member 181 to ride up on radial projections on the base of the inhaler (not shown) to cause the arms 184, 185 of the flip top members 181 to flex upwardly as shown in
The flip top assembly 180 has a dual role of displacing the top foil 190 layer from the lower foil 160 and thus exposing each compartment 170 whilst at the same time forming a framework for an air passageway that flows from the aperture in the top of the lid of the inhaler down through the centre of the inhaler and along the radial arms 184, 185 to pass through the end of the radial outer arm 185 and through the mouthpiece in the periphery of the body. The flip top members 181 lift the top foil 190 off the lower foil 160 and the radial edges of the compartment and the skeletal structure of the members 181 coupled with the foil surfaces provides the air passageway so that the user inhales through the mouthpiece drawing air down and into the inhaler and through the passageway. The air current picks up the powder in the exposed recess 170. The powder is then entrained in the air to leave the inhaler via the mouthpiece.
In the third embodiment shown in
To ensure that the top foil 290 lifts off a single compartment 270 the radially outer 271 and radially inner edges 272 of each compartment 270 are at a position lower than the centre of the compartment 273 so that the disc opener flanges 226 only have to lift the radially inner 291 and radial outer 292 edges of the top foil level with the centre 293. It is for this reason that the top foil 290 is illustrated with what appear to be concentric rings. The central ring 293 allows the radially inner and radially outer sections of the top foil 290 to lift into the open position. This arrangement provides a narrow passageway whereby the central portion of the top foil 290 remains above the recessed compartment 270 and the air current to ensure that the air current is in close proximity to the powdered medicament.
When the top foil 290 is bonded to the lower foil 260 there is no bond in the gap 268 between the first 264 and last 265 compartments (except for the compartment periphery—a sealing band surrounding the compartment) which means that it becomes a simple exercise to insert the disc opening flanges 226 between the foil surfaces in that gap 268 to complete assembly.
The cover 295 of the disc 250 is provided with a raised inclined section 296 over the position of the disc opener 220 to accommodate the upstanding posts and flanges 226.
Features of the Preferred Embodiments
The inhaler is reusable, whilst the empty cartridges are discarded.
Cartridges can be supplied with a range of dose number, medicament type and volume.
Full and partially full cartridges can be loaded into and removed from the inhaler as required—either well before a dose is required or just prior to use.
Loading of the cartridge does not open a dose for inhalation.
The dose is opened and prepared for inhalation by simply sliding the indexing lever.
The access to the mouthpiece is opened or closed by simply sliding the indexing lever.
The possibility of unintentional additional dosing is minimised.
Exhalation into the inhaler does not affect the effectiveness of the next dose from the cartridge.
The inhaler via the cartridge has a “doses remaining” indicator.
The inhaler has an indicator to indicate correct dosage received.
The cartridge covers and foils protect the user from residues in opened compartments of the cartridge.
Although in the preferred embodiments the inhaler comprises an inhaler body and disposable cartridge it is understood that in a simple form the inhaler may simply be like the cartridge that is without the external body. The cartridge would include a mechanism to displace the compartments and cause opening of each compartment when it is aligned with an outlet aperture that would serve as the mouthpiece.
Medications Used with the Inhaler
The inhaler may be used to provide medications selected from the following therapy areas: anti-influenza, analgesic, anti-anginal preparation, antiallergic, anti-infective, anticancer, antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, bronchodilator, cortiscosteroid, diuretic, anticholinergic, hormone, xanthine, osteoporosis, hypertension, therapeutic protein or peptide, vaccine, diagnostic agent or gene therapy agent.
The inhaler may be used to provide medications selected from the following group: zanamivir, codeine, dihydromorphine, ergotamine, fentanyl, morphine, diltiazem, cromoglycate, ketotifen, nedocromil, cephalosporins, penicillins, streptomycin, sulphonamides, tetracyclines, pentamidine, methapyrilene, beclomethasone dipropionate, fluticasone propionate, flunisolide, budesonide, rofleponide, mometsasone furoate, triamcinolone acetonide, noscapine, albuterol sulphate, salmeterol xinafoate, salmeterol, ephedrine, adrenaline, fenoterol, formoterol, isoprenaline, metaproterenol, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pirbuterol acetate, reproterol hydro chloride, rimiterol, terbutaline sulphate, isoetharine, tulobuterol, orciprenaline, adenosine 2a agonists, α4 integrin inhibitors, amiloride, ipratropium, tiotropium, atropine or oxitropium, cortisone, hydrocortisone or prednisolone, aminophylline, choline theophyllinate, lysine theophyllinate or theophylline, insulin or glucagon, or salts, esters, or solvates thereof, alone or in combination.
Claims
1. An inhaler for delivering metered doses of powdered medicament, the inhaler having a plurality of compartments spaced in an array and each arranged to contain a metered dose of the medicament, a lever to displace the compartments one by one into line with an inhalation aperture that constitutes a mouthpiece, each compartment including inner and outer edges, the plurality of compartments being closed by a sealing layer, the inhaler further having a mechanism adapted to lift the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of the compartment to open an air passageway defined by the compartment and the sealing layer so that, in use, on inhalation through the mouthpiece, air flow in the air flow passageway picks up and entrains the powder in the compartment to be drawn with the air out of the inhaler through the mouthpiece.
2. The inhaler according to claim 1 wherein the compartments are spaced in an annular array and the means to lift the sealing layer lifts the inner and outer edges of the sealing layer.
3. The inhaler according to claim 1 wherein each compartment is covered by a perforated layer and the sealing layer covers the perforated layer with the lifting means lifting the inner and outer edges of the sealing layer from the perforated layer.
4. The inhaler according to claim 1 wherein the lever is moveable from an inoperative position to an operative position in which one compartment is indexed to align with the inhalation aperture and the inner and outer edges of the sealing layer are lifted off the compartment, the lever being returnable to the operative position.
5. The inhaler according to claim 4 wherein the inhaler has a sealing bar that pushes down the inner and outer edges of the compartment as the lever is returned to the inoperative position.
6. The inhaler according to claim 1 wherein the inhaler comprises a body adapted to receive a cartridge that carries the compartments, the inhalation aperture being provided in the body in a position aligned with an outlet aperture in the cartridge, and the lever being mounted on the body to be displaceable from the inoperative position to the operative position in which a fresh compartment is displaced and opened so that the opened compartment is aligned with the inhalation aperture.
7. The inhaler according to claim 6 wherein the lever includes a component that closes the inhalation aperture in the inoperative position and opens the aperture in the operative position.
8. The inhaler according to claim 5 wherein the body defines a compartment into which the cartridge is located, a lid being pivoted to the body to close off the compartment.
9. The inhaler according to claim 8 wherein the lid includes an air entry aperture.
10. The inhaler according to claim 9 wherein the lid includes indicator means to provide a visual indication that air has been drawn through the inhaler.
11. The inhaler according to claim 10 wherein the indicator means comprises a member displaceable in response to a minimum air flow.
12. The inhaler according to claim 11 wherein the member is displaceable from a start position to a finish position, the finish position reflecting minimum air flow.
13. The inhaler according to claim 5 wherein the cartridge comprises a disc assembly mounted within upper and lower covers, the disc assembly being axially rotatable relative to the lower cover.
14. The inhaler according to claim 13 wherein the disc assembly comprises the array of spaced compartments sealed by a disc shaped sealing layer.
15. The inhaler according to claim 14 wherein the array of compartments are formed in a metal foil disc shaped sheet that is positioned on a similarly formed disc shaped base member.
16. The inhaler according to claim 13 wherein the lower cover has a pair of spaced projections that extend past slots in the disc assembly to engage the underside of the sealing layer whereby rotation of the disc assembly past the projections causes the projections to lift the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of the compartments one by one as the compartments move over the projections.
17. The inhaler according to claim 13 wherein the upper cover is capable of oscillating relative to the lower cover, the oscillation causing rotation of the member to the start position.
18. The inhaler according to claim 1 wherein the mechanism comprises a flip top member secured to the sealing layer and having portions adapted to flex upwardly relative to the compartment to lift the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of the compartment.
19. The inhaler according to claim 18 wherein the inhaler includes means to flex the portions upwardly as the compartment is displaced relative to the inhaler.
20. The inhaler according to claim 1 wherein the mechanism comprises an opener in the form of wedge shaped members mounted spaced apart on a plate which is positioned beneath the array of compartments, the wedge shaped members engaging the underside of the sealing layer, the plate being fixed relative to the inhaler so that displacement of the array of compartments relative to the inhaler causes each compartment to move past the wedge shaped members to lift the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of the compartment.
21. The inhaler according to claim 1 wherein the inhaler has a one way valve that allows air to be drawn in through the inhaler and out of the mouthpiece but prevents flow of air in the reverse direction.
22. The inhaler according to claim 1 wherein ten compartments are spaced in an array.
23. A disposable cartridge adapted to be received in a body of an inhaler, the cartridge having a plurality of compartments spaced in an array and each arranged to contain a metered dose of medicament, the compartments being displaceable one by one into line with an outlet aperture, each compartment including inner and outer edges, the plurality of compartments being closed by a sealing layer, and a mechanism adapted to lift the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of the compartment to open an air passageway defined by the compartment and the sealing layer so that, in use, air flow in the air flow passageway picks up and entrains the powder in the compartment to be drawn with the air out of the cartridge through the outlet aperture.
24. An inhaler for delivering metered doses of powdered medicament, the inhaler comprising a body adapted to receive a disposable disc shaped cartridge, the cartridge having a plurality of compartments spaced in an annular array and each arranged to contain a metered dose of the medicament, a lever to displace the compartments one by one into line with an inhalation aperture positioned in the body to constitute a mouthpiece, each compartment including inner and outer edges, the plurality of compartments being closed by a sealing layer, the inhaler also being provided with a mechanism adapted to lift the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of the compartment to open an air passageway defined by the inner and outer edges, the compartment and the sealing layer so that, in use, on inhalation through the mouthpiece, air flow in the air flow passageway picks up and entrains the powder in the compartment to be drawn with the air out of the inhaler through the mouthpiece.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 8, 2005
Publication Date: Aug 11, 2005
Inventors: Robert Allan (Greensborough), Gregory Pike (Dandenong)
Application Number: 11/073,739