Nebulizing drug delivery device with interlock detection and temperature protection

• US 20060201501A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Morrison, Mark, Lieberman, Eric A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,631,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.270
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/001 Particle size control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/002 by flow deviation causing inertial separation of transported particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0085 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3389 Continuous level detection A61M2205/3393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0615 spray being produced at the free surface of the liquid or other fluent material in a container and subjected to the vibrations

Abstract

The present invention provides a nebulizing device with a housing that includes a mouthpiece module., an intermediate module, and a base module. An aerosol generator is in communication with a fluid. A barrier is disposed between the fluid and a drug solution provided within the housing. A signal transmitter and a signal receiver are carried by the housing. The signal is either initiated or terminated when one of the modules is separated or misaligned from the other modules. The device further includes a variable volume resilient structure disposed in communication with the fluid to provide volumetric relief in the event that the fluid expands.

Claims

1. A nebulizing drug delivery device, comprising:

a housing, the housing comprising a mouthpiece module, an intermediate module, and a base module,

an aerosol generator disposed within the housing;

a signal transmitter carried by the housing;

a signal receiver carried by the housing; and

a conduit for transmitting a signal from the transmitter to the receiver, the conduit establishing a signal path between the base module, the intermediate module, and the mouthpiece module,

the conduit being disabled when one of the modules is separated from the other of the modules to prevent the signal from being transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver,

the aerosol generator being disabled when the signal is prevented from being transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver as a result of one of the modules being separated from the other of the modules.

2. A nebulizing device according to claim 1, wherein the base module carries electronics for operating the aerosol generator.

3. A nebulizing device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is an IR signal transmitter and the receiver is an IR signal receiver, and the conduit comprises a light pipe for carrying the IR signal.

4. A nebulizing device according to claim 3, wherein the light pipe is disconnected when one of the modules is disconnected from the other modules.

5. A nebulizing drug delivery device, comprising:

a housing, the housing comprising a mouthpiece module, an intermediate module, and a base module;

an aerosol generator disposed in the intermediate module that generates acoustic waves in a drug solution that is provided within the housing, the acoustic waves in the drug solution operating to form nebulized particles from the drug solution that can be communicated to a user through an outlet of the mouthpiece module;

a signal transmitter carried by the housing;

a signal receiver carried by the housing; and

a conduit for transmitting a signal from the transmitter to the receiver, the conduit establishing a signal path between the mouthpiece module, the intermediate module and the base module, the conduit being disabled when one of the modules is misaligned from the other of the modules to prevent the signal from being transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver, the aerosol generator being disabled when the signal is prevented from being transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver as a result of one of the modules being separated from the other of the modules.

6. A nebulizing device according to claim 5, wherein the base module carries electronics for operating the aerosol generator.

7. A nebulizing device according to claim 5, wherein the transmitter is an IR signal transmitter and the receiver is an IR signal receiver, and the conduit comprises a light pipe for carrying the IR signal.

8. A nebulizing device according to claim 7, wherein the light pipe is disconnected when one of the modules is disconnected from the other modules.

9. A nebulizing device comprising:

a housing, the housing comprising a first housing assembly and a second housing assembly, the first housing assembly carrying an aerosol generator and control electronics that operate the aerosol generator to generate acoustic waves within a drug solution provided into the first housing assembly, the acoustic waves in the drug solution operating to form nebulized particles from the drug solution, the second housing assembly including an outlet through which the nebulized particles are communicated to a user;

a signal transmitter carried by the housing;

a signal receiver carried by the housing; and

a conduit for transmitting a signal from the transmitter to the receiver, the conduit establishing a signal path between the first housing assembly and the second housing assembly, the conduit being disabled when one of the housing assemblies is misaligned from the other of housing assemblies to prevent the signal from being transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver, the aerosol generator being disabled when the signal is prevented from being transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver as a result of one of the housing assemblies being separated from the other of the housing assemblies.

10. A nebulizing device according to claim 9, wherein the first housing assembly comprises a plurality of separable components.

11. A nebulizing device according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of separable components comprises a cup component in which the drug solution is provided that includes the aerosol generator, and a base component that includes the control electronics.

12. A nebulizing device according to claim 9, wherein the transmitter is an IR signal transmitter and the receiver is an IR signal receiver, and the conduit comprises a light pipe for carrying the IR signal.

13. A nebulizing device according to claim 12, wherein the light pipe is disconnected when one of the housing assemblies is disconnected from the other housing assembly.

14. A nebulizing device according to claim 13, wherein the light pipe is disconnected when one of the plurality of separable components is disconnected from others of the plurality of separable components.