Inhalation monitoring system and method

• US 10,058,661 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Norton Healthcare Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Norton Healthcare Incorporated
• Inventors: Milton-Edwards, Mark, Chrystyn, Henry, Morrison, Mark Steven, Weitzel, Douglas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Application Number:
  US14/802,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20160158469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 600529-543
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0871 Peak expiratory flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/02 operated by air or other gas pressure applied to the liquid or other product to be sprayed or atomised sprayers for horticulture A01G, A01H; killing insects A01M; air humidifying by nozzles F24F6/14, F24F6/18; cooling by spraying F28B, F28C
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/00 Inhalators drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0025 with caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0026 Hinged caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0051 the dosages being arranged on a tape, e.g. strips
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0081 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0003 Accessories therefor, e.g. sensors, vibrators, negative pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/021 operated by electrical means A61M16/202 – A61M16/205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0007 introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 : with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 : User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 : battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/06 : Packaging for specific medical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/40 : Respiratory characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 : relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An inhalation monitoring system includes an inhaler having a medicament delivery apparatus configured to deliver medicament to a user during an inhalation of the user; inhalation monitoring apparatus, configured to, during the inhalation, gather data for determining a measure of the user'"'"'s lung function and/or lung health; and a processor configured to receive the data from the inhalation monitoring apparatus and, using the data, determine a measure of the user'"'"'s lung function and/or lung health.

Claims

1. A method of inhalation monitoring, the method comprising:

delivering a dose of medicament to a user as a result of the user inhaling via an airflow channel of an inhaler;

providing a pressure measurement via a pressure sensor that is in pneumatic communication with the airflow channel of the inhaler, wherein the pressure measurement is provided based on the user inhaling via the airflow channel of the inhaler;

determining an inspiratory measure based on the pressure measurement; and

determining an expiratory measure based on the inspiratory measure, wherein the expiratory measure is indicative of a lung function of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making the dose of the medicament available for inhalation when a mouthpiece cover of the inhaler is opened.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises a total inhaled volume and the expiratory measure comprises a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises a peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and the expiratory measure comprises a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises a total inhaled volume and the expiratory measure comprises a peak expiratory flow (PEF).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises a peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and the expiratory measure comprises a peak expiratory flow (PEF).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure measurement is associated with multiple inhalations by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the expiratory measure is determined based on biometric data of the user, the biometric data of the user comprising at least one of gender, age, height, or weight.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, via a transmitter, the expiratory measure indicative of the lung function of the user.

10. A system for inhalation monitoring, the system comprising:

a medicament delivery apparatus comprising a mouthpiece, an airflow channel, and medicament, wherein the medicament delivery apparatus is configured to deliver a dose of the medicament to a user as a result of the user inhaling via the airflow channel of the medicament delivery apparatus;

a monitoring apparatus comprising a pressure sensor, wherein the pressure sensor is in pneumatic communication with the airflow channel and wherein the pressure sensor is configured to provide at least one pressure measurement based on the user'"'"'s inhalation via the mouthpiece to receive a dose of the medicament via the airflow channel; and

a processor configured to;

receive the at least one pressure measurement;

determine an inspiratory measure based on the at least one pressure measurement; and

determine an expiratory measure based on the inspiratory measure, wherein the expiratory measure is indicative of a lung function of the user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the medication delivery apparatus further comprises a mouthpiece cover, and

wherein the medication delivery apparatus is configured to make the dose of the medicament available for inhalation when the mouthpiece cover is opened.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises a total inhaled volume and the expiratory measure comprises a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁).

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises a peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and the expiratory measure comprises a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁).

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises a total inhaled volume and the expiratory measure comprises a peak expiratory flow (PEF).

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises a peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and the expiratory measure comprises a peak expiratory flow (PEF).

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one pressure measurement is associated with multiple inhalations by the user.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the expiratory measure is determined based on biometric data of the user, the biometric data of the user comprising at least one of gender, age, height, or weight.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is part of a user device.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is part of a server.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is part of the monitoring apparatus.

21. The system of claim 10, wherein the system further comprises:

a transmitter configured to send the expiratory measure indicative of the lung function of the user.

22. A medicament delivery apparatus, the medicament delivery apparatus comprising:

a mouthpiece;

an airflow channel;

medicament, wherein the medicament delivery apparatus is configured to deliver a dose of the medicament to a user as a result of the user inhaling via the airflow channel of the medicament delivery apparatus;

a pressure sensor, wherein the pressure sensor is in pneumatic communication with the airflow channel and wherein the pressure sensor is configured to provide at least one pressure measurement when a user inhales via the mouthpiece to receive a dose of the medicament via the airflow channel; and

a processor configured to;

receive the at least one pressure measurement;

determine an inspiratory measure based on the at least one pressure measurement; and

determine an expiratory measure based on the inspiratory measure, wherein the expiratory measure is indicative of a lung function of the user.

23. The medicament delivery apparatus of claim 22, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises at least one of a peak inspiratory flow (PIF) or a total inhaled volume, and the expiratory measure comprises at least one of a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) or a peak expiratory flow (PEF).

24. The medicament delivery apparatus of claim 22, wherein the inspiratory measure comprises a peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and the expiratory measure comprises a peak expiratory flow (PEF).