Powder dispersion devices and methods
First Claim
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1. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis, the housing comprising;
a powder receiving chamber within the housing that is adapted to receive an aerosolized powdered medicament from an inlet channel, wherein the inlet channel is in fluid communication with a powder storage location, and wherein the aerosolized powdered medicament flows generally axially along the longitudinal axis of the housing from the powder storage location through the inlet channel and into the powder receiving chamber;
a dispersion chamber within the housing downstream of the powder receiving chamber that is adapted to receive at least a portion of the aerosolized powdered medicament from the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber comprising substantially cylindrical side walls that are coaxial with the longitudinal axis, the dispersion chamber holding a single actuator that oscillates in a generally axial direction along the longitudinal axis, wherein the aerosolized powdered medicament flows generally axially along the longitudinal axis of the housing through the powder receiving chamber and into the dispersion chamber; and
an outlet channel within the housing downstream of the dispersion chamber through which air and powdered medicament exit the inhaler to be delivered to a patient, wherein the aerosolized powdered medicament flows generally axially along the longitudinal axis of the housing through the dispersion chamber and into the outlet channel;
wherein a geometry of the inhaler is such that a flow profile is generated within the dispersion chamber that causes the single actuator to oscillate along the longitudinal axis, thus enabling the oscillating actuator to effectively disperse powdered medicament received in the dispersion chamber for delivery to the patient through the outlet channel; and
wherein the powder receiving chamber comprises continuous side walls to define a longitudinal flow path along the longitudinal axis from the powder receiving chamber to the dispersion chamber, and wherein the side walls of the dispersion chamber are continuous to define a longitudinal flow path along the longitudinal axis from the powder receiving chamber to the outlet channel, and wherein the outlet channel comprises continuous side walls to define a longitudinal flow path from the dispersion chamber to an outlet end of the outlet channel, and wherein the flow paths of the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber and the outlet channel together define a single continuous flow path that extends from an inlet end of the inlet channel to the outlet end of the outlet channel through which the powdered medicament flows from the powder storage location to the outlet end of the outlet channel, wherein the continuous side walls that define the flow paths of the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber, and the outlet channel prevent air from entering the single continuous flow path except for air that is introduced to the single continuous flow path via the inlet end of the inlet channel.
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Abstract
A dry powder inhaler may include a powder storage, an inlet channel, a dispersion chamber, and an outlet channel. A geometry of the inhaler may be such that a flow profile is generated within the dispersion chamber that causes an actuator to oscillate, enabling the actuator when oscillating to deaggregate powdered medicament within the dispersion chamber to be aerosolized and entrained by the air and delivered to a patient through the outlet channel.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:
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a housing having a longitudinal axis, the housing comprising; a powder receiving chamber within the housing that is adapted to receive an aerosolized powdered medicament from an inlet channel, wherein the inlet channel is in fluid communication with a powder storage location, and wherein the aerosolized powdered medicament flows generally axially along the longitudinal axis of the housing from the powder storage location through the inlet channel and into the powder receiving chamber; a dispersion chamber within the housing downstream of the powder receiving chamber that is adapted to receive at least a portion of the aerosolized powdered medicament from the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber comprising substantially cylindrical side walls that are coaxial with the longitudinal axis, the dispersion chamber holding a single actuator that oscillates in a generally axial direction along the longitudinal axis, wherein the aerosolized powdered medicament flows generally axially along the longitudinal axis of the housing through the powder receiving chamber and into the dispersion chamber; and an outlet channel within the housing downstream of the dispersion chamber through which air and powdered medicament exit the inhaler to be delivered to a patient, wherein the aerosolized powdered medicament flows generally axially along the longitudinal axis of the housing through the dispersion chamber and into the outlet channel; wherein a geometry of the inhaler is such that a flow profile is generated within the dispersion chamber that causes the single actuator to oscillate along the longitudinal axis, thus enabling the oscillating actuator to effectively disperse powdered medicament received in the dispersion chamber for delivery to the patient through the outlet channel; and wherein the powder receiving chamber comprises continuous side walls to define a longitudinal flow path along the longitudinal axis from the powder receiving chamber to the dispersion chamber, and wherein the side walls of the dispersion chamber are continuous to define a longitudinal flow path along the longitudinal axis from the powder receiving chamber to the outlet channel, and wherein the outlet channel comprises continuous side walls to define a longitudinal flow path from the dispersion chamber to an outlet end of the outlet channel, and wherein the flow paths of the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber and the outlet channel together define a single continuous flow path that extends from an inlet end of the inlet channel to the outlet end of the outlet channel through which the powdered medicament flows from the powder storage location to the outlet end of the outlet channel, wherein the continuous side walls that define the flow paths of the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber, and the outlet channel prevent air from entering the single continuous flow path except for air that is introduced to the single continuous flow path via the inlet end of the inlet channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A dry powder inhaler system, comprising:
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a receptacle containing an amount of powdered medicament; and a housing having a longitudinal axis, the housing comprising; an inlet channel that is adapted to receive air and powdered medicament from the receptacle; a powder receiving chamber that is adapted to receive air and powdered medicament from the inlet channel; a dispersion chamber that is adapted to receive air and powdered medicament from the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber comprising substantially cylindrical side walls that are coaxial with the longitudinal axis, the dispersion chamber holding an actuator that is movable within the dispersion chamber along the longitudinal axis; and an outlet channel through which air and powdered medicament exit the dispersion chamber to be delivered to a patient; a flow bypass channel that extends through the housing to an outlet of the housing, wherein the flow bypass channel and the outlet channel are separated by a wall that blocks mixing of a fluid flowing through the flow bypass channel with the air and medicament flowing through the outlet channel in the housing; wherein a geometry of the system is such that a flow profile is generated within the system that causes the actuator to oscillate along the longitudinal axis, thus enabling the oscillating actuator to effectively disperse powdered medicament received in the dispersion chamber for delivery to the patient through the outlet channel; and wherein the powder receiving chamber comprises continuous side walls to define a longitudinal flow path along the longitudinal axis from the powder receiving chamber to the dispersion chamber, and wherein the side walls of the dispersion chamber are continuous to define a longitudinal flow path from the powder receiving chamber to the outlet channel, and wherein the outlet channel comprises continuous side walls to define a longitudinal flow path from the dispersion chamber to an outlet end of the outlet channel, and wherein the flow paths of the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber and the outlet channel together define a single continuous flow path that extends from an inlet end of the inlet channel to the outlet end of the outlet channel through which the powdered medicament flows from a powder storage location to the outlet end of the outlet channel, wherein the continuous side walls that define the flow paths of the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber and the outlet channel prevent air from entering the single continuous flow path except for air that is introduced to the single continuous flow path via the inlet end of the inlet channel. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for aerosolizing a powdered medicament, comprising:
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providing an inhaler comprising a powder receiving chamber, and a dispersion chamber, the dispersion chamber comprising substantially cylindrical side walls, the dispersion chamber containing a single actuator that is movable within the dispersion chamber along a longitudinal axis, and an outlet channel, wherein the powder receiving chamber comprises continuous side walls to define a longitudinal flow path along the longitudinal axis from the powder receiving chamber to the dispersion chamber, and wherein the dispersion chamber comprises continuous side walls to define a longitudinal flow path from the powder receiving chamber to the outlet channel, and wherein the outlet channel comprises continuous side walls to define a longitudinal flow path from the dispersion chamber to an outlet end of the outlet channel, and wherein the flow paths of the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber and the outlet channel together define a single continuous flow path from an inlet end of the powder receiving chamber to the outlet end of the outlet channel through which the powdered medicament flows from a powder storage location to the outlet end of the outlet channel, wherein the continuous side walls that define the flow paths of the powder receiving chamber, the dispersion chamber, and the outlet channel prevent air from entering the single continuous flow path except for air that is introduced to the single continuous flow path via the inlet end of the powder receiving chamber; and inducing air flow and entrained medicament generally axially through the inhaler from the inlet end of the powder receiving chamber, through the dispersion chamber, and to an outlet end of the outlet channel along a longitudinal axis of the inhaler, and to cause the single actuator to oscillate within the dispersion chamber to effectively disperse powdered medicament passing through the powder receiving chamber and into the dispersion chamber for delivery to a patient through the outlet channel. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification