Pre-metered dose magazine for dry powder inhaler
A dry powder inhaler including a housing having a mouthpiece and a delivery passageway connected to the mouthpiece, a magazine positioned within the housing and including a plurality of reservoirs for holding doses of dry powder, and wherein the magazine is movable within the housing so that the reservoirs are sequentially positioned within the delivery passageway of the housing upon movement of the magazine, a cover connected to the housing and movable to open and close the mouthpiece of the housing, and a rake connected to the cover, extending into the housing and engageable with the magazine so that, upon the cover being moved to open the mouthpiece, the rake moves the magazine and causes one of the reservoirs of the magazine to be positioned within the delivery passageway.
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The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/783,796, filed Feb. 20, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, and claims priority of United Kingdom Patent Application No. 0303870.0, filed on Feb. 20, 2003.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present disclosure relates to a dry powder inhaler for administering dry powder medicament to a patient. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a magazine having a plurality of individually separated, pre-metered doses for a breath-actuated dry powder inhaler and a method for providing pre-metered doses of dry powder medicament for inhalation by a patient.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMetered dose medicament inhalers are well known for dispensing medicament to the lungs of a patient. In most cases, the inhalers include a reservoir containing dry powder medicament in bulk form, and means for metering the medicament from the reservoir in discrete amounts for inhalation by a patient.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,144, which is assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure shows a breath-actuated dry-powder inhaler having a medicament reservoir. The reservoir contains dry powder medicament in bulk form, and the inhaler includes a metering chamber for removal of the powdered medicament from the reservoir in discrete amounts. The inhaler also includes an air inlet for entraining the removed powdered medicament through a mouthpiece upon patient inhalation. The reservoir and metering chamber of the inhaler shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,144 properly function to dispense discrete amounts of powdered medicament to a patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,381, which is assigned to the assignee of the present disclosure shows a pre-metered dose assembly for consistently supplying precise doses of medicament for a dry powder inhaler. The assembly includes a cap defining a dry powder delivery passageway and a magazine including a plurality of separate reservoirs for holding pre-metered doses of dry powder. The cap is movable with respect to the magazine for sequentially positioning the reservoirs within the delivery passageway of the cap. A breath-induced low pressure through the dry powder delivery passageway of the assembly entrains dry powder from the reservoir positioned in the passageway for inhalation by a patient using the inhaler. Providing the powdered medicament in pre-metered doses further ensures that the medicament is consistently dispensed to a patient in precise doses.
What is still desired is a new and improved dry powder inhaler for administering dry powder medicament to a patient. The dry powder inhaler will also preferably include a magazine having a plurality of individually separated and sealed, pre-metered doses and mechanisms for advancing the magazine during use and for deploying the doses from the magazine for inhalation by a patient using the inhaler.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present disclosure provides a dry powder inhaler including a housing having a mouthpiece and a delivery passageway connected to the mouthpiece, a magazine positioned within the housing and including a plurality of reservoirs for holding doses of dry powder, and wherein the magazine is movable within the housing so that the reservoirs are sequentially positioned within the delivery passageway of the housing upon movement of the magazine, a cover connected to the housing and movable to open and close the mouthpiece of the housing, and a rake connected to the cover, extending into the housing and engageable with the magazine so that, upon the cover being moved to open the mouthpiece, the rake moves the magazine and causes one of the reservoirs of the magazine to be positioned within the delivery passageway.
Further features and advantages of the presently disclosed pre-metered dose magazine and method for providing pre-metered doses will become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure relates from the following detailed description and attached drawings.
So that those having ordinary skill in the art will more readily understand how to construct a pre-metered dose magazine and dry powder inhaler in accordance with the present disclosure, exemplary embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the drawing figures wherein:
During use, the patient opens a mouthpiece cover 14 of the inhaler 10, inhales, then closes the cover. The mouthpiece cover 14 is also shown in
As shown in
During operation, the magazine 12 is movable with respect to the upper portion 20 of the housing 18 for sequentially positioning reservoirs 30 of the magazine 12 within a delivery passageway 32 of the upper portion. Then, a breath-induced low pressure at an outlet port 34 (shown in
Preferably, the magazine 12 is movable with respect to the upper portion 20 of the housing for sequentially positioning the dry powder reservoirs 30 of the magazine within the delivery passageway 32 of the upper portion. However, it should be understood that the magazine 12 could be made stationary, and the upper portion 20 made movable with respect to the magazine for sequentially positioning the passageway over the reservoirs.
The magazine 12 is provided with an annular shape such that rotation of the annular magazine sequentially positions the plurality of the dry powder reservoirs 30 within the delivery passageway 32 of the upper portion 20 of the housing 18. The annular magazine 12 includes teeth 40 extending radially outwardly that are engaged by a pivotal rake 42 of the mouthpiece cover 14 for advancing the magazine 12 upon the cover 14 being opened.
The dry powder reservoirs 30 are provided in the top surface of the magazine 12 and are uniformly sized and spaced with respect to one another. The magazine 12 preferably includes a seal over the top surface for sealing the doses of dry powder in the reservoirs 30 of the magazine in a moisture resistant and airtight manner prior to the reservoirs being positioned within the delivery passageway 32 of the upper portion 20. The seal can comprise, for example, a metal foil secured to the annular top surface of the magazine 12 with adhesive and covering the dry powder in the reservoirs 30 in a moisture resistant and airtight manner. The upper portion 20 of the housing 18 can include means for piercing the foil above each of the reservoirs 30 prior to the reservoirs being positioned within the delivery passageway 32 of the upper portion. The means for piercing can comprise, for example, a blade extending downward from the upper portion 20 of the housing 18 in front of the venturi of the delivery passageway 32.
It is intended that a manufacturer will fill the reservoirs 30 of the magazine 12 with properly metered individual doses of dry powder medicament, or a medicament composition including medicament and a suitable particulate carrier such as lactose. The filled reservoirs 30 are then sealed in a moisture resistant and airtight manner, with the foil for example, and the magazine 12 and the upper portion 20 of the housing 18 are provided assembled as part of the inhaler 10. The inhaler 10 and the magazine 12 may be disposable. Alternatively, the dose magazine 12 may be removably insertable into a non-disposable inhaler 10 so that an empty magazine can be replaced by a full magazine.
Preferably, the magazine 12 is movable with respect to the upper portion 20 of the housing 18 through a plurality of discrete increments, wherein at each increment one of the plurality of the dry powder reservoirs 30 of the magazine is positioned within the delivery passageway 32 of the upper portion. In addition, the magazine 12 is preferably movable in a single direction only with respect to the housing 18, so that a user can access the reservoirs 30 in sequence, without being able to access one of the reservoirs 30 more than once. Furthermore, movement between the magazine 12 and the upper portion 20 of the housing is preferably prevented after all the dry powder reservoirs 30 of the magazine have been positioned in the delivery passageway 32 of the upper portion, to provide an indication to a patient that all of the doses of the magazine have been used. For example, the magazine 12 is provided with a radially inwardly extending catch 44, as shown in
The inhaler 10 can also include an indicator for indicating the number of dry powder reservoirs 30 containing dry powder, i.e., the number of pre-metered doses remaining in the magazine 12. The indicator can comprise, for example, sequential printed numbers corresponding to the reservoirs 30 of the magazine 12 provided on the outer surface of the magazine, so that the number of reservoirs that have passed through the delivery passageway 32 of the upper portion 20 of the housing 18 can be determined by partly opening the cover 14 (without causing the magazine to advance) and viewing the numbers on the magazine. Although not shown, the inhaler can also be provided with a lock for locking the mouthpiece cover 14 in an opened or closed position upon the advancement of a final medicament reservoir of the magazine.
As its name implies, the de-agglomerator breaks down agglomerates of dry powder before inhalation of the dry powder by a patient. The de-agglomerator includes two diametrically opposed inlet ports 46 that extend in a direction substantially tangential to the circular cross-section of the swirl chamber formed within the de-agglomerator. As a result, air flows entering the chamber through the inlet ports 46 are at least initially directed transverse with respect to the chamber and collide with the air flow entering through the supply port to create a combined turbulent air flow.
The de-agglomerator includes vanes 48 at the first end of the swirl chamber 52. The vanes 48 are sized such that at least a portion of the combined air flows collide with oblique surfaces of the vanes. The geometry of the swirl chamber 52 causes the combined air flows and the entrained dry powder to follow a turbulent spiral path, or vortex, through the chamber. Thus, particles and any agglomerates of the dry powder constantly impact against the wall of the swirl chamber and collide with each other, resulting in a mutual grinding or shattering action between the particles and agglomerates. In addition, particles and agglomerates deflected off the oblique surfaces of the vanes 48 cause further impacts and collisions. The constant impacts and collisions cause any agglomerates of dry powder to break into additional particles, and cause the particles to be substantially micronized.
Upon exiting the swirl chamber 52, the direction of the combined air flow and the entrained dry powder is again changed through the outlet port 34, which extends through the mouthpiece 16 of the housing 18. The combined air flow and the entrained dry powder retain a swirl component of the flow, such that the air flow and the entrained dry powder spirally swirl through the outlet port 34. Since the micronized powder and any remaining agglomerates maintain the swirl imparted from the swirl chamber, the swirling flow causes additional impacts in the outlet port 34 so as to result in further breaking up of any remaining agglomerates prior to being inhaled by a patient. The de-agglomerator, therefore, ensures that particles of the dry powder are small enough for adequate penetration of the powder into a bronchial region of a patient's lungs during inhalation.
The de-agglomerator is assembled from two pieces: the cup-like base 24 shown in
The top piece 26 also includes an upwardly extending cylindrical guide 50, and a chimney (not viewable) extending upwardly from the supply port 36 within the guide, as shown best in
The de-agglomerator, the magazine and the housing are preferably manufactured from a plastic such as polypropylene, acetal or moulded polystyrene, but may be manufactured from metal or another suitable material.
The inhaler of
In some embodiments of the invention, the dosage form for use with the invention comprises anti-inflammatory agents suitable for inhalation administration. Such anti-inflammatory agents may include, for example, bronchodilators and steroids. Representative β2-adrenergic receptor agonist bronchodilators include, without limitation, salmeterol, formoterol, bambuterol, albuterol, terbutaline, pirbuterol, bitolterol, metaproterenol, isoetharine, isoproterenol, fenoterol, or procaterol. Non-limitating anti-inflammatory steroids contemplated for use with the invention include budesonide, beclomethasone, fluticasone, and triamcinolone diacetate. Additional anti-inflammatory agents contemplated include ipatropium bromide and sodium cromoglycate.
Therapeutically effective formulations and dosages to be administered using the devices described herein are well known to practitioners. One of skill in the art will appreciate that practitioners may opt to alter dosages and/or formulations to fit a particular patient/animal need.
The moisture resistant, air-tight material can comprise, for example, metal foil secured to the magazine with adhesive. In addition, the foil layers may include selective adhesive, e.g., no adhesive positioned in contact with the medicament, in order to maintain dose uniformity. The moisture resistant, air-tight material can also comprise, for example, a laminate of metal foil secured to a layer of plastic, which in turn is secured to the magazine with adhesive.
It should be understood that the foregoing detailed description and exemplary embodiments are only illustrative of a dry powder medicament inhaler and elements thereof according to the present disclosure. Various alternatives and modifications to the presently disclosed inhaler and inhaler elements can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives and modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the following claims.
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37. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:
- a housing having a mouthpiece and a delivery passageway connected to the mouthpiece;
- a magazine positioned within the housing and including a plurality of reservoirs for holding doses of dry powder, the magazine being movable within the housing to sequentially position the reservoirs within the delivery passageway, the magazine including a layer of moisture resistant, air-tight material secured to an upper surface of the magazine over the reservoirs;
- a de-agglomerator positioned between the magazine and the mouthpiece for creating turbulent airflow;
- a cover connected to the housing and selectively movable to open and close access to the mouthpiece;
- a rake connected to the cover and extending into the housing, the rake being engageable with the magazine so that, upon movement of the cover to open access to the mouthpiece, the rake moves the magazine and causes one of the reservoirs to be positioned within the delivery passageway; and
- a foil removal mechanism having a rotatable winding wheel that peels the layer of moisture resistant, air-tight material from the upper surface of the magazine as the magazine is moved.
38. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:
- a housing having a mouthpiece and a delivery passageway connected to the mouthpiece;
- a magazine positioned within the housing and including a plurality of reservoirs adapted to hold doses of dry powder, the magazine being movable within the housing to sequentially position the reservoirs within the delivery passageway;
- a cover connected to the housing and selectively movable to open and close access to the mouthpiece; and
- a rake connected to the cover and extending into the housing, the rake being engageable with the magazine so that, upon movement of the cover to open access to the mouthpiece, the rake moves the magazine and causes one of the reservoirs to be positioned within the delivery passageway;
- wherein the magazine includes a pair of continuous strips of material which define the plurality of reservoirs, the strips being separable from one another so as to open the reservoir positioned within the delivery passageway.
39. An inhaler according to claim 38, wherein each strip is wound on a post following separation.
40. An inhaler according to claim 38, further comprising a de-agglomerator positioned between the magazine and the mouthpiece for creating turbulent airflow.
41. An inhaler according to claim 38, wherein the magazine is rotatably movable with respect to the housing in only a single direction.
42. An inhaler according to claim 38, further comprising an indicator for indicating the number of reservoirs containing dry powder remaining in the magazine.
43. An inhaler according to claim 38, further comprising dry powder medicament contained in the reservoirs of the magazine.
44. An inhaler according to claim 38, wherein the strips are formed from a moisture resistant, air-tight material.
45. An inhaler according to claim 38, further comprising means for determining when a last one of the reservoirs has been positioned within the delivery passageway.
46. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:
- a housing having a mouthpiece and a delivery passageway connected to the mouthpiece;
- a strip of material positioned within the housing and defining a plurality of reservoirs adapted to hold doses of dry powder, the strip of material being movable within the housing to sequentially position the reservoirs within the delivery passageway;
- a cover connected to the housing and selectively movable to open and close access to the mouthpiece; and
- a rake connected to the cover and extending into the housing, the rake being engageable with the strip of material so that, upon movement of the cover to open access to the mouthpiece, the rake moves the strip of material and causes one of the reservoirs to be positioned within the delivery passageway; and
- means for opening the reservoir positioned within the delivery passageway to release a dose of dry powder.
47. An inhaler according to claim 46, wherein the means for opening the reservoir separates a first portion of the strip of material from a second portion of the strip of material.
48. An inhaler according to claim 47, further comprising a first post for winding the first portion of the strip of material and a second post for winding the second portion of the strip of material.
49. An inhaler according to claim 46, further comprising a de-agglomerator positioned between the strip of material and the mouthpiece for creating turbulent airflow.
50. An inhaler according to claim 46, wherein the strip of material is rotatably movable with respect to the housing in only a single direction.
51. An inhaler according to claim 46, further comprising an indicator for indicating the number of reservoirs containing dry powder remaining in the strip of material.
52. An inhaler according to claim 46, further comprising dry powder medicament contained in the reservoirs in the strip of material.
53. An inhaler according to claim 46, wherein the strip of material is formed from a moisture resistant, air-tight material.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 16, 2009
Publication Date: Aug 20, 2009
Applicant: Norton Healthcare Ltd (London)
Inventors: Brian Barney (Essex), David O'Leary (Essex), Esther Perea-Borobio (London), Andrew Dickson (Harlow), Sophia Chew (London), Rachel Striebig (London)
Application Number: 12/321,209
International Classification: A61M 15/00 (20060101);