Storage system for powdered pharmaceuticals, and inhaler equipped with this system

• US 20010027789A1
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Astrazeneca AB (Astrazeneca PLC)
• Original Assignee: MEDA Pharma GmbH & Co. KG (Mylan N.V.)
• Inventors: Lange, Karl-Heinz, Goede, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 7,234,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0003 with means for dispensing more than one drug
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0066 with means for varying the dose size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder

Abstract

In order to improve the administration of powdered pharmaceuticals, the invention proposes a storage system for powdered pharmaceuticals, in particular for use or integration in a powder inhaler, for receiving a multiplicity of doses of at least one medically active substance, with at least two storage spaces (4) which are separate from each other and are each intended to hold a multiplicity of doses of a medically active substance, and the invention also proposes an inhaler for powdered pharmaceuticals, the inhaler comprising such a pharmaceutical powder cartridge system (1) as an integral part or as an exchangeable part.

Claims

1. Storage system for powdered pharmaceuticals, in particular for use or integration in a powder inhaler, for receiving a multiplicity of doses of at least one medically active substance, with at least two storage spaces (4) which are separate from each other and are each intended to hold a multiplicity of doses of a medically active substance.

2. Storage system according to

claim 1

, characterized in that the storage system comprises a pharmaceutical powder cartridge system (1) for use in a medical administration device (inhaler).

3. Storage system according to

claim 1

or

2

, characterized in that the storage system further comprises a device (5) for approximately simultaneous administration of pharmaceutical doses from at least two of the separate storage spaces.

4. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to either of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the pharmaceutical powder cartridge system comprises a pharmaceutical powder cartridge which has at least two storage chambers (4).

5. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to

claim 4

, characterized in that the pharmaceutical powder cartridge has a metering device, and the metering device has, for each of the storage chambers (4), a metering cavity (6) for apportioning a predetermined quantity of each medically active substance provided in the storage chambers (4).

6. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to

claim 5

, characterized in that the pharmaceutical powder cartridge system has a device for bringing together the quantities of substance apportioned by the metering chambers.

7. Storage system according to one of

claims 1

to

3

, characterized in that the storage system comprises a pharmaceutical powder cartridge system (1) with at least two pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) which each have at least one storage chamber (4).

8. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to

claim 7

, characterized in that each pharmaceutical powder cartridge (2, 3) has a metering device (5), and each metering device (5) has, for each of the storage chambers (4), a metering cavity (6) for apportioning a predetermined quantity of each medically active substance provided in the storage chambers (4) of the pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3).

9. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to

claim 8

, characterized in that the pharmaceutical powder cartridge system (1) has a device for bringing together the quantities of substance apportioned by the metering chambers (4).

10. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to one of

claims 8

to

9

, characterized in that the metering devices (5) can be coupled together.

11. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to one of

claims 7

to

10

, characterized in that the pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) can be coupled together mechanically.

12. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to

claim 11

, characterized in that, on active surfaces (21, 25) serving to couple the pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) together, the pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) also have indexing means which permit coupling only of pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) intended for this purpose.

13. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to

claim 12

, characterized in that the indexing means have elevations and depressions which permit coupling only of pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) which are intended for this purpose and which have matching elevations and depressions.

14. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to

claim 13

, characterized in that the elevations and depressions are arranged in the form of a matrix.

15. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to one of

claims 7

to

14

, characterized in that, on their active surfaces (21, 25) serving to couple the pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) together, the pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) also have locking means (22, 24, 19, 20, 23) which permit coupling of pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) intended for this purpose.

16. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to

claim 15

, characterized in that the locking means (22, 24) are designed in such a way that the coupled pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) cannot be separated from each other again without damage.

17. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to one of

claims 7

to

16

, characterized in that the pharmaceutical powder cartridge system (1) also has a device for indicating the quantity of pharmaceutical doses remaining in the storage chambers (4) or removed from the storage chambers (4).

18. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to

claim 17

, characterized in that the pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) can be coupled to one another and to the device for indicating the quantity of pharmaceutical doses remaining in the storage chambers (4) or removed from the storage chambers (4).

19. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to either of claims 17 and 18, characterized in that the pharmaceutical powder cartridge system (1) has, for each of the storage chambers (4), a device for indicating the quantity of pharmaceutical doses remaining in the storage chambers (4) or removed from the storage chambers (4).

20. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to one of

claims 2

to

19

, characterized in that the pharmaceutical powder cartridge system (1) comprises two or more pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) which, without the locking and indexing means (19, 20, 22, 23, 24), are identical, show mirror-image symmetry or point-symmetry.

21. Pharmaceutical powder cartridge system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metering devices (5) of the individual pharmaceutical powder cartridges (2, 3) have metering cavities (6) of identical or different volume.

22. Inhaler for powdered pharmaceuticals, characterized in that the inhaler comprises a pharmaceutical powder cartridge system (1) according to one of the preceding claims as an integral part or as an exchangeable part.