Receptacle packaging with inhaler-accommodating geometry
A packaging for a receptacle loadable into an inhaler for pulmonary delivery of the contents of the receptacle. The packaging includes a base and a cover, which base has a surface defining a well that accommodates the receptacle. The well-defining surface includes a first region and a differently shaped second region, which first surface region is shaped to support the receptacle in alignment within the well, and which second surface region accommodates a first end of the receptacle aligned in the well and has a mouth geometry enlarged from the first surface region to allow a portion of an inhaler to be inserted therein to receive the first end of the receptacle for scooping the receptacle into the inhaler from the well.
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The present invention pertains to pharmaceutical packaging, and, in particular, to a packaging for a receptacle loadable into an inhaler and containing a pharmaceutical powder for inhalation.
One manner of introducing a pharmaceutical into a patient is by a pulmonary administration, during which the pharmaceutical is inhaled by the patient through use of an inhaler. For example, the pharmaceutical may be provided in the form of an inhalable powder filled within an interior volume of a receptacle, such as a thin walled, semi-rigid capsule. After dropping the capsule into an inhalation chamber of an inhaler, and then operating the inhaler to open the capsule, such as by piercing, to allow the powder to escape from the capsule interior volume into the inhalation chamber, the user can inhale the pharmaceutical from that chamber, typically through a chamber-capping mouthpiece or nosepiece of the inhaler. After use, the spent or substantially powder-free capsule then can be removed from the inhaler and discarded.
One well known method of packaging capsules is the use of thermoformed blister packs. To place one of such pack's capsules into an inhaler, a user may peel back a cover of a blister and remove the capsule from that blister. On occasion, a patient may need to repeat this process with capsules in additional blisters for a proper dose. To remove a capsule from the blister, some patients may try to pick the capsule out using a finger and thumb. This technique may be difficult to accomplish as there may be little space between the capsule and the walls of the blister. Alternatively, a patient may improvise with an instrument, such as a nail file or a spoon, to try and remove the capsule from the blister, or the patient might simply dump the capsule out of the blister into her hand. However, these methods also have shortcomings, as the capsule may be lightweight and easily mishandled, and further some patients may be reluctant to touch the capsule with bare hands for fear of, for example, dirtying the capsule.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a receptacle packaging that can overcome one or more of these and other shortcomings of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one form thereof, the present invention provides for a packaging for a unit dosage form or pharmaceutical preparation, wherein the packaging possesses a well characterized shape that permits the preparation to be easily and completely removed from the well by scooping with a delivery device, such as a device having a mouth that is essentially cylindrical.
In one form thereof, the present invention provides a packaging for an inhaler receptacle, the receptacle having a shell body enclosing an interior hollow filled with a powdered pharmaceutical that may pass from the hollow when the body is pierced or otherwise opened by operation of an inhaler loaded with the receptacle for pharmaceutical administration, the packaging including a base having a surface defining a well that accommodates the receptacle, and a cover for the well to maintain sterility of the receptacle within the well, which cover is at least partially removable from over the well to allow access to the receptacle. The well-defining surface includes a first region and a differently shaped second region, which first region is shaped to support the receptacle in alignment within the well, which second region accommodates a first end of the receptacle aligned in the well and has a mouth geometry or portion enlarged from the first region to allow a portion of an inhaler to be inserted therein to receive the first end of the receptacle for scooping the receptacle into the inhaler from the well.
One advantage of the present invention is that a packaging may be provided which allows a user to load an inhaler (or other delivery device) with a pharmaceutical powder-filled receptacle (or other unit dosage form) without manually touching that receptacle.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a packaging may be provided that has blisters from which receptacles can be easily removed without making the overall packaging undesirably larger, which larger size might thereby waste valuable space in the overall packaging.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a packaging may be provided a blister shaped to permit an inhaler end to be inserted therein, whereby a receptacle he blister may be scooped directly into an inhalation chamber of the inhaler.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that a packaging may be provided that receptacle within a blister of that packaging to be dragged or scooped out therefrom.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe above-mentioned and other advantages and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be better understood, by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjucntion with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent an embodiment of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and certain features may be exaggerated or omitted in some of the drawings in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to
The receptacle packaging, generally designated 20, holds a plurality of distinct receptacles, each maintained in sterility separate from the others. Each receptacle may be separately loaded into an inhaler to allow pulmonary delivery of the contents thereof. Packaging 20 may be scored, as shown at 22, to allow, for example, a user or manufacturer to divide packaging 20 into two or more, up to the plurality, such as eight, ten or more, of smaller receptacle packagings. As will be described in more detail below with respect to
With additional reference now to
Receptacle 60 is shown as a capsule having a thin-walled shell formed by body member 63 and cap member 67. Body member 63 has generally cylindrical side walls 64 that terminate in a rounded, closed end 65. Cap member 67 has generally cylindrical side walls 69 and a rounded, closed end 71, which cap member during manufacture fits over an open end of body member 63 and is maintained thereat in a suitable fashion known in the art, such as via an annular snap fit. The otherwise hollow, interior volume 73 formed by cap member 67 and body member 63 being together is filled during receptacle manufacture with a powder, generally indicated at 75, suitable for inhalation by a user. Powder 75 includes the pharmaceutical material desired to be delivered pulmonarily, including the active ingredient and typically one or more excipients. The shown orientation of the receptacle within the Figures is merely illustrative and not intended to imply a necessary orientation.
Cap member 67 and body member 63 are made of any suitable material that allows for an opening of one or both such members, such as via a piercing element forming one, two or more holes therein, or such as the two members being pulled apart, or such as one or both of the members being sliced apart, within the inhaler during inhaler use. Such opening allows powder 75 to pass from interior volume 73 as appropriate. For example, the capsule shell may be made of a gelatin, hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), cellulose, water soluble polysaccharides (e.g., pullulan) or gelatin/PEG, as is known in the art. One suitable fillable capsule is available from Qualicaps of Whitsett, N.C., and is known as Posilok® capsule.
Other forms of receptacles may be used with the packaging of the present invention. For example, instead of the capsule-shape receptacle shown, the receptacles may be differently shaped, such as less elongated or rounded, or differently formed, such as being a film-covered containment well.
Base 24 is shown in
Upper surface 29 of base 24 is generally planar and includes a protruding peel tab 30 to facilitate the gripping and subsequent removal of cover 28. Well 26 is formed of a contoured surface particularly adapted for the periphery of the receptacle to be housed therein as well as the intended scoop or drag removal of the receptacle. Well 26 is shown as having a depth sufficient to fit the entire height of receptacle 60, as well as to provide a slight headroom above the receptacle to account for variations in manufacture, thereby allowing cover 28 to lie flat over the well. Other well depths, including lesser depths provided the cover account for the protrusion of the receptacle above the upper surface, may be employed within the scope of the invention.
The contoured surface forming well 26 slopes downward at a distal end to provide an end face or receptacle stop surface 31 that is generally upright. This surface can vary from exactly vertical while providing its stopping function, such as possibly including an undercut, or such as including a draft angle of about 5° to about 1° (e.g., about 4°, 3°, or 2°) from vertical to facilitate manufacture. As used herein, distal and proximal refer to locations relative to the positioning of an inhaler when inserted into the inhaler-accommodating geometry of the well described more fully below for scoop removal of the receptacle, wherein, for example, proximal end of the well refers to the location at which the inhaler is to be inserted, and distal end of the well refers to the end of the well farthest away from such proximal end. Receptacle stop surface 31 is for abutting contact with receptacle 60 when the receptacle may be pushed distally by the inhaler during removal of the receptacle from well 26.
In the embodiment shown in
Also shown in
In the embodiments depicted in
Surface 34 defines a distal cavity region 36 in which receptacle 60 is designed to closely fit, although usually not in a friction or press fit manner. However, such a press fit is within the scope of the invention. Receptacle 60 rests on a bottom well surface 37 below cavity region 36 and extends proximally therefrom. If the radius of curvature of the transition from receptacle stop surface 31 to bottom surface 37 is substantially greater than that of the receptacle end, it faces, the receptacle 60 may be pushed out of the packaging 20 when the inhaler 90 attempts to scoop the receptacle. Preferably, the ratio of the radius of curvature of the transition to the radius of curvature of the receptacle is less than 1.3, preferably less than or equal to 1. The embodiments depicted in
The proximal end of well 26 includes a mouth portion or scoop geometry, generally designated 40. Mouth portion 40 is enlarged in width from that of cavity region 36 and is sized and shaped in conjunction with the inhaler or device intended to be utilized with the receptacle housed within packaging 20′. For an inhaler having a substantially cylindrical exterior periphery around its inhalation chamber as shown in
In the embodiment depicted in
The bottom of concave portion 47 blends into the bottom surface 49 of the proximal portion of well 26. At least one of bottom surface 49 and/or 37 supports receptacle 60. In one embodiment, the bottom surface 49 is at the same depth from upper surface 29 as is well bottom surface 37. In another embodiment, the bottom surface 49 is at a depth from the upper surface 29 slightly below the depth of well bottom surface 37.
The radius of curvature of concave portion 47 at the proximal end of the well is larger than that of the capsule proximal end. For example, the radius of curvature of the lower region 47 depicted in
In the shown embodiment, because the mouth portion 40 continues distally until the point at which surfaces 34 are provided, well 26 has somewhat of a mushroom shape at a depth or height at which the tops of ribs 34 are disposed. The mouth portion 40 and well 36 preferably meet and transition in at least one transitional surface, e.g. surface 39 (e.g. a plane or concave, relative to the mouth portion), shown in
Cover 28 may be formed and attached to the base in a variety of manners known in the art. For example, cover 28 may be made of any known material, or combination of materials, and designed to provide for a suitable ease of removal while thwarting unintended access. Suitable materials known in the art include paper, foil, or a plastic sheet, and including combinations thereof. While the embodiment of
An alternate embodiment of the packaging of the present invention is illustrated in
Receptacle packaging 20′ is shown in
With packaging 20′ oriented such that cover 28 does not face downward, and preferably such that base 24 is horizontally disposed, a user may first peel back or otherwise remove cover 28 to expose at least a portion of receptacle 60. It will be appreciated that cover 28 may be fully removed before receptacle scooping, as receptacle stop surface 31 at the distal end of well 26 will serve as a backstop for receptacle 60 during inhaler insertion, which backstop could otherwise be furnished by the cover being only partially removed.
Inhaler 90 can then be manipulated to move in a downward and distal direction such that that inhaler tip 96 will first enter and typically slide along mouth portion 40. Tip 96 includes a central hole that opens directly to the inhalation chamber 94 of inhaler 90, which chamber is formed by an interior wall 95 of inhaler body 92. As inhaler 90 continues to be so moved, tip 96 slides under the rounded end of receptacle 60 as such end inserts into the central hole of the tip, and then the receptacle is cammed upward by engagement with interior wall 95 so as to continue to enter chamber 94. As inhaler 90 is continued to be manipulated by the user to move generally distally, and as shown in
After inhaler 90 and/or base 24 has been moved sufficiently to cause receptacle 60 to move into inhaler chamber 94, for example as shown in
While this invention has been shown and described as having preferred designs, the present invention may be modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.
Claims
1. A packaging for a unit dosage form, said packaging comprising:
- a base having a well-defining surface that defines a well that accommodates the unit dosage form;
- a cover for said well, said cover being at least partially removable to allow access to the unit dosage form;
- wherein said well-defining surface includes a first surface region and a differently shaped second surface region, said first surface region shaped to support the unit dosage form in alignment within the well, said second surface region accommodating a first end of the receptacle aligned in the well and having a mouth geometry enlarged from said first surface region to allow a portion of a delivery device to be inserted therein to receive the first end of the unit dosage form for scooping into the delivery device from said well.
2. A packaging for an inhaler receptacle, the receptacle having a shell body enclosing an interior hollow filled with a powdered pharmaceutical that may pass from the hollow when the body is pierced or otherwise opened by operation of an inhaler loaded with the receptacle for pharmaceutical administration, said packaging comprising:
- a base having a well-defining surface that defines a well that accommodates the receptacle;
- a cover for said well to maintain sterility of the receptacle within said well, said cover being at least partially removable to allow access to the receptacle; p1 wherein said well-defining surface includes a first region and a differently shaped second region, said first region shaped to support the receptacle in alignment within the well, said second region accommodating a first end of the receptacle aligned in the well and having a mouth portion enlarged from said first region to allow a portion of an inhaler to be inserted therein to receive the first end of the receptacle for scooping the receptacle into the inhaler from said well.
3. The packaging of claim 2 wherein said second region includes a concave surface characterized by a radius of curvature that is greater than a radius of curvature of a proximal end of the receptacle.
4. The packaging of claim 3 wherein said second region includes a concave surface characterized by a radius of curvature that is twice the radius of curvature of a proximal end of the receptacle.
5. The packaging of claim 3 wherein said first region includes a concave surface characterized by a radius of curvature that is less than the radius of curvature of said second region.
6. The packaging of claim 2 wherein said mouth portion includes a sloping surface facing the first end of the receptacle, said sloping surface including a concave portion wherein said sloping surface has an angle of between 30° and 60° from vertical.
7. The packaging of claim 2 wherein said mouth portion includes a sloping surface facing the first end of the receptacle, said sloping surface including a concave portion and a convex portion, said concave portion being deeper within said well than said convex portion.
8. The packaging of claim 7 wherein, along a longitudinal cross-section of said well through a central length of the receptacle aligned within said well, an inflexion point between said concave portion and said convex portion is disposed within a middle portion of the depth of the well.
9. The packaging of claim 2 wherein said mouth portion includes a concave surface facing the first end of the receptacle and extending below the central height of the receptacle, said concave surface having a curvature with a larger radius than a radius of curvature of the first end of the receptacle, whereby the receptacle can ramp up said concave surface when being scooped from the well.
10. The packaging of claim 2 wherein said well-defining surface includes a third region that forms a receptacle stop surface for abutment by a second end of the receptacle aligned within said well during scooping of the receptacle from said well.
11. The packaging of claim 10 wherein a bottom end of said third region transitions to a bottom of the well along a surface having a radius of curvature, wherein the ratio of the radius of curvature of said transition surface to the radius of curvature of a second end of the receptacle is less than 1.3.
12. The packaging of claim 9 wherein a bottom end of said third region transitions to a bottom of the well along a surface having a radius of curvature, wherein the radius of curvature of said transition surface is smaller than a radius of curvature of a second end of the receptacle.
13. The package of claim 12 wherein the slope of said third region is 5° from vertical.
14. The packaging of claim 2 wherein said well-defining surface comprises an inhaler stop surface.
15. The packaging of claim 1 wherein said well-defining surface comprises a thermoplastic blister.
16. The packaging of claim 1 wherein said cover comprises a layer that is connected to said base to be peelable from over the entire well to fully expose the receptacle within said well.
17. A kit comprising a packaging of any one of claims 2-16 having disposed therein a receptacle comprising an inhalable powdered pharmaceutical and an inhaler.
18. A method of loading an inhalation chamber of an inhaler with a receptacle filled with a powdered pharmaceutical without manually touching the receptacle, said method comprising:
- providing a receptacle packaged within a blister pack, the blister pack including an asymmetrical well defined by a base of the blister pack, the lower section of the well having a first end and a second end, the portion of the well proximate the first end having a first width and serving as a mouth portion, the portion of the well adjacent the second end portion having a width lesser than the first width for aligning the receptacle, wherein the mouth portion is sized and shaped to accommodate a tip of the inhaler;
- opening a cover of the blister pack to expose at least the mouth region of the well and at least an end of the receptacle;
- inserting into the mouth region of the well the tip of the inhaler having an opening leading to the inhalation chamber; and
- moving the inhaler and blister pack relative to each other such that the inhaler scoops the receptacle out of the well and through the inhaler opening so as to enter the inhalation chamber.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 6, 2006
Publication Date: Jun 14, 2007
Applicants: Advanced Inhalation Research, Inc. (Cambridge, MA), Eli Lilly and Company (Indianapolis, IN)
Inventors: Peter Ehling (Chicago, IL), William Hundley (Indianapolis, IN), Ethan Jacoby (Medfield, MA), Rodney Monson (Winthrop Harbor, IL)
Application Number: 11/592,987
International Classification: B65D 85/42 (20060101); B65D 83/04 (20060101);