Nasal devices

• US 20060107957A1
• Filed: 07/02/2003
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OptiNose, Inc.
• Original Assignee: OptiNose AS (OptiNose, Inc.)
• Inventors: Djupesland, Per Gisle
• Granted Patent: US 7,481,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/206.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/00 Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes in general B05B; aerosol containers B65D83/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0021 Mouthpieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0051 the dosages being arranged on a tape, e.g. strips
• 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 15/0098 Activated by exhalation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/08 Inhaling devices inserted into the nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/04 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/30 Vaccines
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/06 Packaging for specific medical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body

Abstract

A nasal delivery device for and a method of delivering substance to a nasal airway of a subject, in particular in the mass treatment, especially mass vaccination, of subjects, the delivery device comprising: an interface unit, as a replaceable unit, including at least one nosepiece unit for fitting to a respective nostril of a subject and including a nozzle from which substance is in use delivered, and at least one delivery unit including a substance supply unit for delivering substance to the nozzle of the at least one nosepiece unit; and an actuation unit for actuating the at least one delivery unit of the interface unit.

Claims

1. A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal airway of a subject, comprising:

an interface unit, as a replaceable unit, including at least one nosepiece unit for fitting to a respective nostril of a subject and including a nozzle from which substance is in use delivered, and at least one delivery unit including a substance supply unit for delivering substance to the nozzle of the at least one nosepiece unit; and

an actuation unit for actuating the at least one delivery unit of the interface unit.

2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the interface unit comprises a disposable unit.

3. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the interface unit comprises a single integral unit.

4. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the interface unit is packaged in protective packaging.

5. The delivery device of claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of interface units attached to a belt such as to allow for successive attachment of the interface units to the actuation unit.

6. The delivery device of claim 5, wherein the actuation unit is configured successively to provide the interface units thereto through use of the belt as a guide.

7. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the substance supply unit comprises a substance pump unit for delivering substance, the substance pump unit including a chamber containing substance and a piston member which is movable in the chamber to deliver a flow of substance from the chamber.

8. The delivery device of claim 7, wherein the substance comprises a liquid.

9. The delivery device of claim 7, wherein the substance comprises a powder.

10. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the interface unit includes a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece into which the subject in use exhales.

11. The delivery device of claim 10, wherein the mouthpiece is fluidly connected to the at least one nosepiece unit such as to provide an air flow therethrough on exhalation by a subject into the mouthpiece.

12. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the at least one delivery unit includes a gas supply unit for supplying a gas flow through the at least one nosepiece unit.

13. The delivery device of claim 12, wherein the gas supply unit comprises a gas pump unit for delivering a gas flow, the gas pump unit comprising a cylinder and a piston member which is movable in the cylinder to deliver a gas flow through the at least one nosepiece unit.

14. The delivery device of claim 12, wherein the at least one delivery unit is configured such that the gas supply unit initiates supply of a gas flow prior to actuation of the substance supply unit to deliver substance.

15. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the actuation unit includes a gas supply unit for supplying a gas flow through the at least one nosepiece unit.

16. The delivery device of claim 15, wherein the actuation unit is configured such that the gas supply unit initiates supply of a gas flow prior to actuation of the substance supply unit to deliver substance.

17. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the at least one delivery unit is actuated in response to exhalation by the subject.

18. The delivery device of claim 17, wherein the actuation unit includes a detection unit for detecting exhalation by the subject, at least one drive unit for actuating the at least one delivery unit, and a control unit for actuating the at least one drive unit in response to detecting exhalation by the subject.

19. The delivery device of claim 18, wherein the detection unit includes a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure in the mouthpiece, and the control unit is configured to actuate the at least one drive unit in response to detection of a predeterminable pressure by the detection unit.

20. The delivery device of claim 18, wherein the detection unit includes a flow sensor for detecting a flow rate through the mouthpiece, and the control unit is configured to actuate the at least one drive unit in response to detection of a predeterminable flow rate by the detection unit.

21. The delivery device of claim 17, wherein the actuation unit includes at least one drive unit for actuating the at least one delivery unit, and a trigger mechanism for actuating the at least one drive unit in response to exhalation by the subject into the mouthpiece.

22. The delivery device of claim 21, wherein the trigger mechanism is configured to actuate the at least one drive unit in response to generation of a predeterminable pressure in the mouthpiece.

23. The delivery device of claim 21, wherein the trigger mechanism is configured to actuate the at least one drive unit in response to detection of a predeterminable flow rate through the mouthpiece.

24. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the interface unit includes first and second nosepiece units for fitting to respective nostrils of the subject, and first and second delivery units, each including a substance supply unit for delivering substance through the respective nosepiece unit.

25. The delivery device of claim 24, wherein the actuation unit is configured to actuate the first and second delivery units in succession such that substance is first delivered into one nasal cavity and subsequently into the other nasal cavity.

26. A method of delivering substance to a nasal airway of a subject, comprising the steps of:

providing an interface unit, as a replaceable unit, to an actuation unit, the interface unit including at least one nosepiece unit for fitting to a respective nostril of a subject and including a nozzle from which substance is delivered, and at least one delivery unit including a substance supply unit for delivering substance to the nozzle of the at least one nosepiece unit, and the actuation unit being configured to actuate the at least one delivery unit of the interface unit;

fitting the interface unit to a subject; and

actuating the actuation unit to actuate the at least one delivery unit such as to deliver substance to a nasal airway of the subject.

27-51. -51. (canceled)

52. A nasal delivery component, as a disposable component, comprising at least one nosepiece unit for fitting to a respective nostril of a subject and including a nozzle from which substance is in use delivered, and at least one delivery unit including a substance supply unit for delivering substance to the nozzle of the at least one nosepiece unit.

53-66. -66. (canceled)

67. An actuation unit for receiving and actuating an interface unit, as a replaceable unit, to deliver substance to a nasal airway of a subject, the interface unit including at least one nosepiece unit for fitting to a respective nostril of a subject and including a nozzle from which substance is in use delivered, and at least one delivery unit including a substance supply unit for delivering substance to the nozzle of the at least one nosepiece unit, the actuation unit comprising:

at least one drive unit for actuating the at least one delivery unit of the interface unit.

68-85. -85. (canceled)