Drug Delivery Apparatus and Method

• US 20090025714A1
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips RS North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Denyer, Jonathan S.H., Rabbetts, Ian, Prince, Ivan R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,875,697 B2
• 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 15/002 with air flow regulating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0021 Mouthpieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0085 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0036 in the breathing tube and used in both inspiratory and expiratory phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/04 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards

Abstract

A drug delivery apparatus includes a mouthpiece portion having an internal conduit for delivering an aerosol including the drug to the patient. The internal conduit has an inlet end and a mouthpiece end that is structured to be received in the patient'"'"'s mouth. The mouthpiece portion is structured to operate at a substantially fixed inhalation flow rate when the patient inhales through the mouthpiece end. The apparatus further includes an aerosol generator for generating the aerosol from a drug supply and injecting the aerosol into a first region within the mouthpiece portion located between an outlet of the aerosol generator and the inlet end of the conduit. The mouthpiece portion also includes a flow accelerating mechanism that causes a localized flow rate at the first region to be greater than the inhalation flow rate. A method is also provided that increases the local flow rate within the mouthpiece portion.

Claims

1. A drug delivery apparatus for delivering an aerosol including a drug to a patient, comprising:

a mouthpiece portion including an internal conduit for delivering said aerosol to said patient, said internal conduit having an inlet end and a mouthpiece end opposite said inlet end that is structured to be received in the mouth of the patient, said mouthpiece portion being structured to operate at an inhalation flow rate when said patient inhales through said mouthpiece end;

a aerosol generator for generating said aerosol from a supply of said drug and injecting said aerosol into a first region within said mouthpiece portion located between an outlet of said aerosol generator and said inlet end of said internal conduit;

wherein said mouthpiece portion includes a flow accelerating mechanism, said flow accelerating mechanism causing a localized flow rate at said first region to be greater than said inhalation flow rate.

2. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said flow accelerating mechanism is an insert inserted within said internal conduit at said inlet end, said insert having an orifice.

3. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said internal conduit is generally cylindrically shaped and has a cross sectional diameter, and wherein said orifice is generally circular and has an orifice diameter, said orifice diameter being smaller than said cross sectional diameter.

4. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said internal conduit is generally cylindrically shaped and has a cross sectional diameter, and wherein said orifice is defined by a first arcuate edge located opposite a second arcuate edge, wherein a degree of curvature of said first arcuate edge is greater than a degree of curvature of said second arcuate edge.

5. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said second arcuate edge is located closer to an outer edge of a top surface of said insert than said first arcuate edge, and wherein said first arcuate edge is located closer to a center of said insert than said second arcuate edge.

6. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said orifice includes an enlarged portion located adjacent to an outer edge of a top surface of said insert.

7. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said flow accelerating mechanism is formed integrally as part of said internal conduit.

8. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said flow accelerating mechanism comprises an end portion of said internal conduit at said inlet end, said end portion having an orifice.

9. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said internal conduit is generally cylindrically shaped and has a cross sectional diameter, and wherein said orifice is generally circular and has an orifice diameter, said orifice diameter being smaller than said cross sectional diameter.

10. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said internal conduit is generally cone shaped and tapers outwardly from said inlet end.

11. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said aerosol generator includes a mesh plate having a plurality of holes, a horn, and a piezoelectric transducer operatively coupled to said horn for causing said horn to vibrate, wherein vibration of said horn forces said drug through said holes of said mesh plate to form said aerosol.

12. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said internal conduit is generally cylindrically shaped, and wherein said insert is generally cylindrically shaped and includes a body structured to be received within said internal conduit at said inlet end.

13. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said insert also includes a body, an outer lip extending around an outer periphery of said body, and one or more flanges extending from said outer lip, wherein said outer lip is structured to rest on top of said inlet end and wherein said one or more flanges are structured to fit over an outside of said inlet end to hold said insert in place.

14. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said flow accelerating mechanism causes said localized flow rate to be in the range of approximately 100 cm/sec to approximately 500 cm/sec.

15. The drug delivery apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said mouthpiece portion is structured to operate at an inhalation flow rate in the range of approximately 10 l/min to approximately 25 l/min.

16. A method of delivering an aerosol including a drug to a patient, comprising:

providing a mouthpiece portion including an internal conduit for delivering said aerosol to said patient, said internal conduit having an inlet end and a mouthpiece end opposite said inlet end that is structured to be received in the mouth of the patient, said mouthpiece portion being structured to operate at an inhalation flow rate when said patient inhales through said mouthpiece end;

generating said aerosol from a supply of said drug and injecting said aerosol into a first region within said mouthpiece portion located between a location at which said aerosol is generated and said inlet end of said internal conduit; and

causing a localized flow rate within said mouthpiece portion at said first region to be greater than said inhalation flow rate.

17. A method of delivering an aerosol including a drug to a patient, comprising:

providing a mouthpiece portion including an internal conduit for delivering said aerosol to said patient, said internal conduit having an inlet end and a mouthpiece end opposite said inlet end that is structured to be received in the mouth of the patient, said mouthpiece portion being structured to operate at an inhalation flow rate when said patient inhales through said mouthpiece end;

detecting the commencement of inhalation by said patient through said mouthpiece end;

generating said aerosol from a supply of said drug and injecting said aerosol into a first region within said mouthpiece portion located between a location at which said aerosol is generated and said inlet end of said internal conduit for at least a portion of the time that said patient in inhaling through said mouthpiece end;

causing a localized flow rate within said mouthpiece portion at said first region to be greater than said inhalation flow rate during said generating step;

signaling said patient to cease inhalation through said mouthpiece end after a pre-set period of time has elapsed from the detection of the commencement of inhalation; and

adjusting the pre-set period of time for subsequent inhalations through said mouthpiece end based upon a time difference between a time that said signaling step is commenced and a time at which said patient actually ceases inhalation through said mouthpiece end.