Compliance-assisting module for an inhaler

• US 10,463,816 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Norton (Waterford) Limited (Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Norton (Waterford) Limited (Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Calderon Oliveras, Enrique, Buck, Daniel, Fleming, Frederic Scott, Weitzel, Douglas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Osinski, Bradley J
• Application Number:
  US15/506,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20170274163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/00 Inhalators drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0026 Hinged caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0065 Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0071 having a display or indicator
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0078 on a strip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0083 Timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/009 using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0091 mechanically breath-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0858 Pressure sampling ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• 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 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3358 : Measuring barometric pressure, e.g. for compensation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3372 : Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 : remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 : local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3576 : with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 : using modem, internet or bluetooth
• 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 2205/52 : with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/58 : Means for facilitating use, e.g. by people with impaired vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 : by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 : by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/584 : having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 : Lighting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/70 : with testing or calibration facilities
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7536 : allowing gas passage, but preventing liquid passage, e.g. liquophobic, hydrophobic, water-repellent membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8212 : with means or measures taken for minimising energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/16 : Rotating swirling helical flow, e.g. by tangential inflows
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 : on the body
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 : delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation

Abstract

An inhaler includes a mouthpiece cover, a pressure sensor, a first indicator and a second indicator. The first indicator may be configured to indicate based on a state of the cover, and the second indicator may be configured to indicate based on an output of the pressure sensor. For example, when the mouthpiece cover opens, the first indicator may illuminate and a dose of medication may be transferred from a reservoir to a dosing cup. The second indicator may illuminate if an amount of inhaled medication reaches a predetermined threshold for successful inhalation.

Claims

1. An inhaler comprising:

a mouthpiece cover;

a dosing cup;

a medication reservoir configured to deliver a dose of medication into the dosing cup upon the mouthpiece cover moving from a closed position to an open position;

a pressure sensor;

a light; and

a processor configured to control the light to be in a first state when the mouthpiece cover is in the closed position, a second state upon medication being delivered from the medication reservoir to the dosing cup, and a third state based on an output of the pressure sensor.

2. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the first state is off, the second state is on, and the third state is off.

3. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the first state is off, the second state is on, and the third state is flashing.

4. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the first state is off, the second state is flashing, and the third state is on.

5. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the third state is indicative of a successful inhalation from the inhaler.

6. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the light to be in the third state when the output received from the pressure sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7. The inhaler of claim 6, wherein the output of the pressure sensor comprises a pressure measurement corresponding to an amount of airflow through a mouthpiece of the inhaler.

8. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the light to be in a fourth state based on a number of actuations of the mouthpiece cover from the closed position to the open position.

9. The inhaler of claim 8, wherein the fourth state is indicative of no doses of medication remaining in the inhaler.

10. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the light to be in a fourth state to indicate that it is time for the user to take the dose of medication.

11. A method of signaling states of an inhaler to a user, the method comprising:

controlling a light of the inhaler to be in a first state when a mouthpiece cover of the inhaler is in a closed position;

delivering a dose of medication into a dosing cup upon the mouthpiece cover moving from the closed position to an open position;

controlling the light to be in a second state upon the dose of medication being delivered into the dosing cup;

receiving a signal from a pressure sensor of the inhaler, the signal indicative of a drop of pressure within the inhaler;

determining that the signal exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

controlling the light to be in a third state based on the signal exceeding the predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first state is off, the second state is on, and the third state is off.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first state is off, the second state is on, and the third state is flashing.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first state is off, the second state is flashing, and the third state is on.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the third state is indicative of a successful inhalation.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal from the pressure sensor comprises a pressure measurement corresponding to an amount of airflow through a flow channel of the inhaler.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling the light to be in a fourth state based on a number of actuations of the mouthpiece cover from the closed position to the open position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the fourth state is indicative of no doses of medication remaining in the inhaler.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising controlling the light to be in a fourth state to indicate that it is time for the user to take the dose of medication.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising delivering the dose of medication to the user via a flow channel of the inhaler when the user inhales from a mouthpiece of the inhaler.