Nasal Delivery Devices

• US 20150013677A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OptiNose, Inc.
• Original Assignee: OptiNose AS (OptiNose, Inc.)
• Inventors: Djupesland, Per Gisle, Gordon, Joseph, Leclerc, Michael, Mahmoud, Ramy A., Siwinski, Shane
• Granted Patent: US 10,076,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.18
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0021 Mouthpieces therefor
• 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 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0216 Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0618 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0625 Mouth

Abstract

A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject comprises: a housing (15); a nosepiece (17) for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject; a mouthpiece (19) through which the subject in use exhales; and a flexible coupling (20) which couples the mouthpiece to the housing, wherein the flexible coupling provides for asymmetric translation of the mouthpiece relative to the nosepiece.

Claims

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

a housing;

a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject;

a mouthpiece through which the subject in use exhales; and

a flexible coupling which couples the mouthpiece to the housing, wherein the flexible coupling provides for asymmetric translation of the mouthpiece relative to the nosepiece.

2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the nosepiece includes an outlet from which substance is delivered, and a seat against which the nare of a nostril of the subject is in use seated, in achieving a sealing fit between the nosepiece and the nasal cavity of the subject.

3. The delivery device of claim 2, wherein the nosepiece includes a tapered section which in use is located within a nasal cavity of the subject and tapers outwardly from the outlet.

4. The delivery device of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mouthpiece comprises a tubular section.

5. The delivery device of claim 4, wherein the tubular section is formed of a rigid material.

6. The delivery device of claim 4, wherein the tubular section is formed of a semi-rigid material.

7. The delivery device of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flexible coupling is a resilient element.

8. The delivery device of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the asymmetric translation of the mouthpiece relative to the nosepiece provides for greater movement in a direction along the axis of the nosepiece than in a direction laterally to the nosepiece.

9. The delivery device of claim 8, wherein the distal end of the mouthpiece is configured to move a distance at least 1.5 times greater in a direction parallel to the axis of the nosepiece than in a direction orthogonally to the axis of the nosepiece.

10. The delivery device of claim 8, wherein the distal end of the mouthpiece is configured to move a distance at least 1.75 times greater in a direction parallel to the axis of the nosepiece than in a direction orthogonally to the axis of the nosepiece.

11. The delivery device of claim 8, wherein the distal end of the mouthpiece is configured to move a distance at least 2 times greater in a direction parallel to the axis of the nosepiece than in a direction orthogonally to the axis of the nosepiece.

12. The delivery device of any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the flexible coupling comprises an annular coupling member which is attached in one part to the housing and another part to the mouthpiece, such that exhalation through the mouthpiece delivers an air flow into the housing.

13. The delivery device of claim 12, wherein the coupling member is configured to provide a hinge section about which the mouthpiece is preferentially hinged when biased upwardly or downwardly by application of a biasing force.

14. The delivery device of claim 13, wherein the hinge section is provided to one side thereof, proximate the nosepiece.

15. The delivery device of claim 14, wherein the coupling member has a shorter dimension to the one side thereof, thereby ensuring that the mouthpiece is hinged about the one side of the coupling member.

16. The delivery device of claim 15, wherein the coupling member has a progressively-increasing dimension to the other side thereof, distal the nosepiece.

17. The delivery device of any of claims 12 to 16, wherein the coupling member has an arcuate, bowed profile which becomes larger towards the other side thereof, and provides for stretching when the mouthpiece is biased upwardly and compression when the mouthpiece is biased downwardly.

18. The delivery device of claim 17, wherein the profile section is bowed outwardly, whereby the biasing force required to bias the mouthpiece upwardly is less than the biasing force required to bias the mouthpiece downwardly.

19. The delivery device of claim 17 or 18, wherein the profile section of the coupling member is formed of graded material, such that the material of the coupling member is less resilient at the one side thereof than the other side thereof.

20. The delivery device of any of claims 12 to 16, wherein the coupling member is formed of graded material, such that the material of the coupling member is less resilient at the one side thereof than the other side thereof.

21. The delivery device of any of claims 12 to 20, wherein the coupling member is configured to provide the axis of the mouthpiece at an angle of between about 45 and about 55 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

22. The delivery device of claim 21, wherein the coupling member is configured to provide the axis of the mouthpiece at an angle of between about 48 and about 52 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

23. The delivery device of claim 21, wherein the coupling member is configured to provide the axis of the mouthpiece at an angle of about 50 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

24. The delivery device of any of claims 21 to 23, wherein the coupling member is configured to allow for the mouthpiece to be moved upwardly through an angle of between about 7 and about 17 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

25. The delivery device of claim 24, wherein the coupling member is configured to allow for the mouthpiece to be moved upwardly through an angle of between about 9 and about 15 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

26. The delivery device of claim 24, wherein the coupling member is configured to allow for the mouthpiece to be moved upwardly through an angle of between about 10 and about 14 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

27. The delivery device of claim 24, wherein the coupling member is configured to allow for the mouthpiece to be moved upwardly through an angle of about 12 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

28. The delivery device of any of claims 21 to 27, wherein the coupling member is configured to allow for the mouthpiece to be moved downwardly through an angle of between about 4 and about 10 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

29. The delivery device of claim 28, wherein the coupling member is configured to allow for the mouthpiece to be moved downwardly through an angle of between about 5 and about 9 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

30. The delivery device of claim 28, wherein the coupling member is configured to allow for the mouthpiece to be moved downwardly through an angle of between about 6 and about 8 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

31. The delivery device of claim 28, wherein the coupling member is configured to allow for the mouthpiece to be moved downwardly through an angle of about 7 degrees relative to the axis of the nosepiece.

32. The delivery device of any of claims 12 to 31, wherein the coupling member is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

33. The delivery device of claim 32, wherein the TPE has a durometer of between about 40 and about 60.

34. The delivery device of claim 33, wherein the TPE has a durometer of between about 45 and about 55.

35. The delivery device of claim 33, wherein the TPE has a durometer of about 50.

36. The delivery device of any of claims 1 to 35, further comprising:

a substance supply unit which is manually actuated to deliver substance to the nasal cavity of the subject.

37. A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:

a housing;

a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject;

a mouthpiece through which the subject in use exhales; and

a flexible coupling which couples the mouthpiece to the housing, providing for movement of the mouthpiece relative to the nosepiece.

38. A method of delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a nasal delivery device comprising;

a housing;

a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject;

a mouthpiece through which the subject in use exhales; and

a flexible coupling which couples the mouthpiece to the housing, wherein the flexible coupling provides for asymmetric translation of the mouthpiece relative to the nosepiece;

fitting the nosepiece to a nasal cavity of the subject; and

locating the mouthpiece in the mouth of the subject by flexing the asymmetric coupling and thereby asymmetrically translating the mouthpiece relative to the nosepiece.