DOSING SYSTEM FOR AN INHALATION DEVICE

• US 20160193434A1
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vectura GmbH (Vectura Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Vectura GmbH (Vectura Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: GLEIXNER, Raimund Johannes, HARTMANN, Monika, HEISS, Martin Christoph, HUBER, Martin, KOLB, Tobias, MUELLINGER, Bernhard
• Granted Patent: US 10,682,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• 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 15/0066 with means for varying the dose size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0085 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/02 with activated or ionised fluids, e.g. electrohydrodynamic [EHD] or electrostatic devices; Ozone-inhalators with radioactive tagged particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/2426 Slit valve
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/248 Ball-valve
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3386 Low level detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/584 having a color code
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/24 Check- or non-return valves

Abstract

The invention relates to a dosing system for an inhalation device which is capable of aliquoting a precise and accurately metered volume from a larger pre-defined fill volume. The dosing system comprises a filling chamber for receiving a liquid to be aerosolized, the filling chamber having a lateral wall, an inlet opening and an outlet opening with a closing means (11) for closing the outlet opening. The dosing system further comprises an overflow chamber surrounding the inlet opening of the filling chamber and a plunger which can be inserted, at least partially, into the filling chamber, and which sealingly contacts the lateral wall such as to displace liquid from said filling chamber upon insertion, and push a metered volume of the liquid out from the filling chamber through the outlet opening and feed it to the nebulizing means of the inhalation device.

Claims

1. A dosing system for an inhalation device, comprising

(a) a filling chamber (1) for receiving a liquid to be aerosolized, the filling chamber (1) having a lateral wall (42), an inlet opening (2) and an outlet opening (3) with a closing means (11) for closing the outlet opening (3);

(b) an overflow chamber (5) surrounding the inlet opening (2) of the filling chamber (1) for isolating any excess volume of liquid which is not supposed to be administered to the user so that it cannot be re-dosed accidentally; and

(c) a plunger (4) which is at least partially insertable into the filling chamber (1), and which sealingly contacts the lateral wall (42) while being at least partially inserted into the filling chamber (1) such as to push, after the filling chamber (1) has received at least a predefined fill volume of the liquid, a metered volume of the liquid out from the filling chamber (1) through the outlet opening (3), wherein the metered volume is smaller than the fill volume.

2. The dosing system according to claim 1, wherein the inhalation device comprises a nebulizer selected from the group consisting of ultrasonic nebulizers, jet nebulizers, and vibrating mesh nebulizers.

3. The dosing system according to claim 1, wherein the dosing system has an operating orientation, and wherein the filling chamber has an upper end and a lower end, and wherein, in the operating orientation, the inlet opening (2) is located at the upper end of the filling chamber (1), and the outlet opening (3) is located at the lower end of the filling chamber (1).

4. The dosing system according to claim 1, wherein the outlet opening (3) is closable by means of a capillary tube, a liquid flow resistor, a nozzle, a valve, a one-way valve, a duckbill valve, a slit valve or a ball valve.

5. The dosing system according to claim 2, wherein the dosing system has an operating orientation, and wherein the nebulizer is a vibrating mesh (8) nebulizer;

and wherein, in the operating orientation, the mesh (8) of the vibrating mesh nebulizer is positioned below the outlet opening (3) and has a horizontal orientation.

6. The dosing system according to claim 1, wherein the filling chamber has a portion into which the plunger (4) is inserted, and wherein the plunger has a portion which is insertable into the filling chamber (1);

and wherein the filling chamber (1), or the portion of the filling chamber (1) into which the plunger (4) or the insertable portion of the plunger (4) is inserted; and

/or the plunger (4), or the portion of the plunger (4) which is insertable into the filling chamber (1), is substantially cylindrical and/or is made of a flexible material.

10. The dosing system according to claim 1, wherein the outlet opening (3) is surrounded by a residual pocket (12).

11. The dosing system for an inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein

(a) the lateral wall (42) has an upper end, and wherein the upper end of the lateral wall (42) forms a bulge (44), and/or

(b) wherein the overflow chamber (5) has an outer wall (45) with an upper end, and wherein the upper end of the outer wall forms a bulge.

12. The dosing system according to claim 1, wherein the lateral wall (42) has an outer side (46) facing the overflow chamber (5) and the outer wall (45) of the overflow chamber (5) has an inner side (47) facing the overflow chamber (5),

wherein the outer side (46) and/or the inner side (47) is concavely curved or leaning towards the overflow chamber (5).

7. The dosing system according to claim wherein the dosing system comprises a lid (9), and

wherein the plunger (4) is connectable to, or an integral part of, the lid (9) and is sized and shaped such as to be capable of closing the filling chamber (1), or

wherein the plunger (4) is connectable to, or an integral part of, the lid (9) and wherein the lid (9) is capable of closing the filling chamber (1).

8. The dosing system according to claim 7, wherein the plunger (4) is at least partially inserted into the filling chamber (1) when closing the lid (9), and wherein during its insertion, the plunger (4) seals the filling chamber (1) towards the inlet opening (2) such that no liquid leaves the filling chamber (1) through the inlet opening (2).

9. The dosing system according to claim 7 or 9, wherein, wherein the lid (9) is a flip-top lid (9).

13. A dosing system for an inhalation device, comprising

(a) a nebulizer chamber (7);

(b) an aerosol head component (14);

(c) a filling chamber (1a) for receiving a liquid to be aerosolized, formed by the nebulizer chamber (7) and the aerosol head component (14), the filling chamber (1a) having a lateral wall (42), an inlet opening (2), an outlet opening (3) and a mesh (8) affixed to the outlet opening (3); and

(d) a plunger (4) which is at least partially insertable into the filling chamber (1a), and which sealingly contacts the lateral wall (42) of the filling chamber (1a) upon being at least partially inserted into the filling chamber (1a) after the filling chamber (1a) has received at least a predefined fill volume of the liquid such as to isolate a metered volume of the liquid;

wherein the metered volume is smaller than the fill volume.

14. (canceled)

15. A method for dosing a liquid to be aerosolized comprising the steps of:

(1) providing a filling chamber (1) for receiving a liquid to be aerosolized, the filling chamber having (a) a lateral wall (42), (b) an inlet opening (2) and (c) an outlet opening (3) with a closing means (11) for closing the outlet opening (3);

(2) providing an overflow chamber (5) surrounding the inlet opening (2) of the filling chamber (1) for isolating any excess volume of liquid which is not supposed to be administered to the user so that it cannot be re-dosed accidentally; and

(3) providing a plunger (4) which is at least partially insertable into the filling chamber (1), and which sealingly contacts the lateral wall (42) while being at least partially inserted into the filling chamber (1) such as to push, after the filling chamber (1) has received at least a predefined fill volume of the liquid, a metered volume of the liquid out from the filling chamber (1) through the outlet opening (3); and

(4) filling the filling chamber (1) with at least a predefined fill volume of the liquid; and

(5) at least partially inserting the plunger (4) such as to push a metered volume of the liquid out from the filling chamber (1) through the outlet opening (3), wherein the metered volume is smaller than the fill volume.