Control unit for flow regulation

• US 20040261792A1
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Company Kg (C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Company Kg (C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Wolf, Harald, Fachinger, Andreas, Memmesheimer, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 7,604,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/00 Inhalators drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/02 Equipment for testing the apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a control unit for flow regulation for use in an apparatus for testing the delivery of a dose of powder from a powder inhaler, a collecting tube for use in conjunction with the control unit and an apparatus containing the control unit and the collecting tube.

Claims

1. Control unit for flow regulation for use in an apparatus for testing the delivery of a dose of powder from a powder inhaler, containing

a first valve controllable by a time switch,

a time switch for controlling the first valve,

a connector connected to the first valve and allowing air to pass through,

a throughflow control valve connected to the connector,

a connector for a suction device provided on the first valve,

a connector for a collecting tube or an impactor, provided on the throughflow control valve, and

means for measuring the airflow volume through the collecting tube or the impactor,

characterised in that the means for measuring the airflow volume comprise a calibratable flow sensor.

2. Control unit according to claim 1, wherein the calibratable flow sensor is a flywheel flow sensor.

3. Control unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a damping filter is mounted on an intake tube formed on the flow sensor.

4. Control unit according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the time switch and an apparatus for indicating the values measured by the calibratable flow sensor are integrated in a control device.

6. Collecting tube for use in conjunction with a control unit for flow regulation according to one of claims 1 to 5,

characterised in that the inner surface of the collecting tube with a peak-to-valley height of at most 6.3 has a very smooth surface.

7. Collecting tube according to claim 6, that in the basic shape of a hollow cylinder having two notches each for receiving an O-ring on one side and conically formed on the other side of the hollow cylinder.

8. Apparatus for testing the delivery of a dose of powder from a powder inhaler, containing

a control unit for flow regulation according to one of claims 1 to 5,

a vacuum pump mounted on the connection for a suction device and

a collecting tube according to one of claims 6 or 7 or a cascade impactor.

9. Process for testing the delivery of a dose of powder from a powder inhaler using an apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that in a first step using a measuring collecting tube the suction time needed to achieve the required suction volume is determined and in a second step using a dose collecting tube in the suction time determined powder is introduced into the dose collecting tube from a powder inhaler mounted on the dose collecting tube, the dose collecting tube, unlike the measuring collecting tube, having no connecting olive for the attachment of a pressure gauge.

5. Control unit for flow regulation for use in an apparatus for testing the delivery of a dose of powder from a powder inhaler, containing

a first valve controllable by a time switch,

a time switch for controlling the first valve,

a connector connected to the first valve and allowing air to pass through,

a throughflow control valve connected to the connector,

a connector for a suction device provided on the first valve,

a connector for a collecting tube or an impactor, provided on the throughflow control valve, and

means for measuring the airflow volume through the collecting tube or an impactor,

two connecting points for a pressure gauge provided in front of and behind the throughflow control valve in the direction of suction,

pressure measuring gauges each mounted at the connecting point via a connecting member,

characterised in that the connecting members consist of an inner capillary which carries the air and an outer tube which encases the capillary.