Piezo inhaler

• US 6,196,218 B1
• Filed: 02/24/1999
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Injet Digital Aerosols Limited
• Original Assignee: Ponwell Enterprises Limited
• Inventors: Voges, Robert Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, TEENA KAY
• Application Number:
  US09/256,144
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 128/202.21, 128/200.12, 128/200.14, 128/200.23, 128/203.15, 128/203.12, 131/194, 131/329, 131/328, 239/406, 239/102.2, 239/4, 239/67, 239/68, 239/69, 239/99
• US Class Current: 128/200.14
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/05 Devices without heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/48 Fluid transfer means, e.g. pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/001 Particle size control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0023 retractable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0066 with means for varying the dose size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0083 Timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 19/00 Local anaesthesia syringes therefor A61M5/00; Hypothermia A61M5/42 takes precedence; cooling blood in a bypass of the arterial system A61M1/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0024 with an on-off output signal, e.g. from a switch
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0607 generated by electrical means, e.g. piezoelectric transducers

Abstract

An inhaler provides a controlled delivery of an inhalant and includes an inhaler housing and a mouthpiece coupled to the inhaler housing. A piezoelectric dispenser-head is coupled to the inhaler housing and configured to be coupled to the dispensing chamber. The piezoelectric dispenser-head includes an array of dispensing channels and an array of dispensing nozzles. The array of dispensing channels are formed with actuatable walls made at least partially of a piezoelectric material. Application of an electric field to selected side walls reduces a volume in an associated channel and creates a pressure pulse of flowable substance in the associated channel through a dispensing nozzle.

Claims

1. An inhaler for dispensing a flowable substance, said inhaler comprising:

an inhaler housing;

a mouthpiece coupled to the inhaler housing; and

a piezoelectric dispenser-head coupled to the inhaler housing and configured to be coupled to a dispensing chamber, the piezoelectric dispenser-head including an array of dispensing channels and an array of dispensing nozzles, wherein each said dispensing channel comprises first and second side walls which are disposed in spaced relation, wherein said first side wall of each said channel comprises a piezoelectric material, wherein application of an electric field to said piezoelectric material of said first side wall of any of said channels reduces a volume of its corresponding said channel, wherein when a flowable substance is disposed within any of said channels, such a flowable material directly interfaces with said piezoelectric material of its corresponding said first side wall and said application of said electric field to said piezoelectric material of its corresponding said first side wall creates a pressure pulse within such a flowable substance so as to direct such a flowable substance through at least one of said dispensing nozzles.

2. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein said first side wall of each said channel is formed of a first section and a second section.

3. The inhaler of claim 2, wherein each said second section is at least partially formed of a piezoelectric material.

4. The inhaler of claim 3, wherein each said first section is at least partially formed of a piezoelectric material.

5. The inhaler of claim 3, wherein each said first section is formed of a non-piezoelectric material.

6. The inhaler of claim 1, further comprising:

a porous membrane positioned adjacent to the array of dispensing nozzles.

7. The inhaler of claim 6, wherein the membrane has sufficient porosity to emit such a flowable substance as an aerosol.

8. The inhaler of claim 6, wherein the membrane has sufficient porosity to provide droplets of such a flowable substance with diameters of less than 10 microns.

9. The inhaler of claim 6, wherein the membrane has pores with diameters in a range of 0.25 to 6 microns.

10. The inhaler of claim 6, wherein the membrane is made of a hydrophobic material.

11. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein said dispensing channels are disposed in parallel relation to each other.

12. The inhaler of claim 1, further comprising:

an actuation sensor coupled to the dispenser-head, the actuation sensor generating an actuation signal in response to a detection of an inhalation to actuate the dispenser-head.

13. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is detachably coupled to the inhaler housing.

14. The inhaler of claim 1, further comprising:

a reservoir housing for such a flowable substance detachably coupled to the inhaler housing, the reservoir housing including an embedded chip.

15. The inhaler of claim 14, further comprising:

a pin code coupled to the reservoir housing.

16. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the inhaler produces a vaporized fluidic medium with droplet sizes of 10 microns or less.

17. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the inhaler produces a vaporized fluidic medium with droplet sizes of 5 microns or less.

18. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein:

each said channel further comprises a third wall and a fourth wall which is disposed in spaced relation to said third wall, wherein said first and second side walls of each said channel extend between their corresponding said third wall and said fourth wall, wherein each said channel further comprises a front end through which such a flowable substance is discharged.

19. The inhaler of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the dispenser-head.

20. The inhaler of claim 19, wherein the controller includes a microprocessor.

21. The inhaler of claim 19, wherein the controller includes a microelectronic circuit.

22. The inhaler of claim 19, wherein the controller includes a microprocessor coupled to a microelectronic circuit.

23. The inhaler of claim 19, wherein the controller is a programmable logic circuit.

24. The inhaler of claim 19, wherein the controller is positioned in the inhaler housing.

25. The inhaler of claim 19, further comprising:

an on/off switch coupled to the controller.

26. The inhaler of claim 19, wherein the controller produces a dose signal in response to an actuation signal.

27. The inhaler of claim 19, wherein the dose signal is selected from the group of a voltage, current, AC, DC, digital and analog signal.

28. The inhaler of claim 26, wherein the dispensing chamber ejects such a flowable substance from a least one of the plurality of dispensing nozzles as droplets.

29. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides an ejection of a predetermined number of droplets in a selected dose volume.

30. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides a frequency of droplet ejection defining a dose rate.

31. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides a synchronization of an inhalation detection and initiation of a droplet creation.

32. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides a time spacing and frequency of droplet ejection.

33. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides a delivery of a controlled volume of droplet ejection during a selected period of time.

34. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides a selection of droplet delivery from at least one of the plurality of dispensing nozzles.

35. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides a delivery of a predetermined number of droplets.

36. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides a controlled rate of droplet delivery.

37. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller counts and stores a number of dosage signals for a predetermined length of time.

38. The inhaler of claim 37, wherein the controller generates a dose signal in response to a counting and storage of the number of dose signals for the predetermined length of time.

39. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides a time delay between a receipt of the actuation signal and an issuance of the dose signal.

40. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the controller provides a dose complete signal.

41. The inhaler of claim 28, wherein the dose signal is a plurality of ejection signals.

42. A method for dispensing a flowable substance, comprising the steps of:

providing a flowable substance to a channel, wherein said channel comprises first and second side walls which are disposed in spaced relation, wherein at least part of said first side wall comprises a piezoelectric material which directly interfaces with said flowable substance;

applying an electric field across at least said first side wall;

deforming said first side wall in response to said applying step;

reducing a volume of said channel in response to said deforming step; and

discharging said flowable substance from said channel using said reducing step.

43. A method, as claim in claims 42, further comprising the step of:

directing said flowable substance through a porous membrane after said discharging step.