Apparatus, system and method for positive confirmation of inhaled drug delivery by attenuation at point-of-use

• US 20050072421A1
• Filed: 10/03/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Next Breath LLC (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Next Breath LLC (AptarGroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Somaraju, Shailaja, Suman, Julie
• Application Number:
  US10/677,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20050072421A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.230
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/00 Inhalators drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04
• 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 15/009 using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for providing positive confirmation of inhaled drug delivery by light or radiation attenuation at point-of-use is disclosed, including a tube adapted to be coupled at an outlet to an inhaler; a light or radiation source coupled to the tube; and a light or radiation detector coupled to the tube, where the source transmits light or radiation along a path intersecting a path of an emission such as a drug dose emitted from the inhaler, and where the detector receives the light or radiation from the source.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing positive confirmation of inhaled drug delivery by attenuation of light or radiation at point-of-use comprises:

a sensing mechanism that senses emissions from an inhaler, wherein said sensing mechanism is adapted to be coupled to the inhaler.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said emissions comprise at least one of:

aerosol;

drug particles;

propellants;

flavors;

colors; and

other emissions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a tube adapted to be coupled at an outlet of the inhaler.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sensing mechanism comprises at least one of:

an optical sensing device; and

a radiation sensing device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a tube adapted for coupling to an outlet of the inhaler, wherein said optical sensing mechanism comprises at least one of:

a light source coupled to said tube; and

a detector coupled to said tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said light source transmits light along a path intersecting a path of an emission emitted from the inhaler, and wherein said detector receives the light from said light source.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said light comprises at least one of:

a visible spectrum light;

ultraviolet spectrum light; and

an infrared spectrum light.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said radiation sensing device operates in similar fashion to a smoke detector in sensing said emissions.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said outlet is a dry powder inhaler (DPI) outlet.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises:

an inhaler.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said inhaler comprises at least one of:

a dry power inhaler (DPI);

a pressurized metered dose inhaler (MDI); and

a pressurized MDI-spacer combination.

12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said tube comprises a cylinder having a geometrically shaped cross-section comprising at least one of:

a circular cross-section;

a rectangular cross-section;

a square cross-section;

a polygon cross-section;

a symmetrical cross-section;

an asymmetric cross-section; and

a cross-section suitable for coupling with specific types of inhalers.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a deflector that deflects emissions to avoid emission accumulation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said deflector deflects emissions from at least one of said sensing mechanism, a light source, and a detector.

15. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a tube adapted for coupling to an outlet of the inhaler, wherein said radiation sensing mechanism comprises at least one of:

a radiation source coupled to said tube; and

a detector coupled to said tube.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said radiation source transmits radiation along a path intersecting a path of an emission emitted from the inhaler, and wherein said detector receives the radiation from said radiation source.

17. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said light comprises:

alpha radiation.

18. An apparatus for providing positive confirmation of emission delivery by attenuation at point-of-use comprises:

sensing means for sensing emissions from an emitter, and

coupling means for coupling said sensing means to the emitter.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the emitter comprises an inhaler.

20. A method for providing positive confirmation of emission delivery at point-of-use comprising:

sensing emissions from an emitter.