Dispensing device

• US 6,318,640 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Electrosols, Ltd. (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Inventors: Coffee, Ronald Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Application Number:
  US09/535,518
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 239/3, 239/690, 239/695, 239/696, 239/708, 239/102.2, 128/203.12, 128/203.14, 128/204.13, 128/204.21, 361/227, 361/228
• US Class Current: 239/3
• 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: B05B 5/003 by mixing two sprays of opposite polarity
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/0255 spraying and depositing by electrostatic forces only
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/0531 Power generators
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/16 Arrangements for supplying liquids or other fluent material

Abstract

A comminuting liquid device, a medicament delivery device, an inhaler, a method of providing droplets for delivery to the respiratory tract, a pocket-sized dispenser, and a method of mixing liquids by droplet coalescence. Liquids are subjected to electrical potentials to produce electrically charged droplets for delivery to the upper respiratory tract.

Claims

1. A device for comminuting liquid, comprising:

a first liquid supplier having a first liquid outlet and operable to supply liquid with a resistivity in the range of 10² to 10⁸ ohm meters to the first liquid outlet with a flow rate selected from 0.3 and 1.0 microliters per second;

a second liquid supplier having a second liquid outlet and operable to supply liquid with a resistivity in the range of 10² to 10⁸ ohm meters to the second liquid outlet with a flow rate of 0.3 or 1.0 microliters per second;

a first electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to a first electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a first comminution;

a second electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to a second electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a second comminution, wherein the first aid second electrical potentials are of opposite polarity and the first and second comminutions mix to produce droplets having a diameter in the range 0.1 to 25 micrometers.

4. A device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, comprising an electrical potential regulator for regulating the charge on the mixed comminution so that the mixed comminution has a net charge other than zero.

5. A device according to claims 1, 2, or 3, having means for regulating the flow rate of liquid.

6. A device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the first and second electrical potentials are such that the mixed comminution has an overall charge.

2. A device for comminuting liquid, comprising:

a first liquid supplier having a first liquid outlet and operable to supply liquid with a resistivity in the range of 10² to 10⁸ ohm meters to the first liquid outlet with a flow rate selected from 0.3 and 1.0 microliters per second;

a second liquid supplier having a second liquid outlet and operable to supply liquid with a resistivity in the range of 10² to 10⁸ ohm meters to the second liquid outlet;

a first electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to a first electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a first comminution;

a second electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to a second electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a second comminution, wherein the first and second electrical potentials are of opposite polarity and the droplets of the first and second comminutions mix to produce droplets having a diameter in the range 0.5 to 10 micrometers.

3. A device for comminuting liquid, comprising:

a first liquid supplier having a first liquid outlet;

a second liquid supplier having a second liquid outlet;

a first electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to an electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a first liquid droplet spray cloud;

a second electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to an electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a second liquid droplet spray cloud; and

a mixing zone for receiving the first and second spray clouds whereby substantial admixing of the droplets of the first and second spray clouds occurs in the mixing zone to produce droplets having a diameter in the range 0.5 to 10 micrometers.

7. A medicament delivery device comprising:

a first liquid reservoir containing a medicament;

a second liquid reservoir contaiaing deioinsed water;

a first liquid supply pipe coupled to the first liquid reservoir;

a second liquid supply pipe coupled to the second liquid reservoir;

a first electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to a first electrical potential to provide a first comminution with an average charge of +/−

Qa; and

a second electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to a second electrical potential to provide a second comminution with an average charge of −

/+ Qb which mixes with the first comminution to provide a mixed comminution having an overall net value of (Qa−

Qb).

8. A medicament delivery device comprising:

a first liquid reservoir containing a medicament comprising a beta-2 agonist;

a second liquid reservoir containing an inert carrier liquid;

a first liquid supply pipe coupled to the first liquid reservoir;

a second liquid supply pipe coupled to the second liquid reservoir;

a first electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to a first electrical potential to provide a first droplet spray; and

a second electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to a second electrical potential of opposite polarity to the first electrical potential to provide a second droplet spray, the first and second droplet sprays being such that the first and second droplet sprays mix to provide droplets having a diameter in the range 0.1 to 10 micrometers.

9. An inhaler comprising;

a first liquid supplier having a first liquid outlet;

a second liquid supplier having a second liquid outlet;

a first electrohydrodyamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to an electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a first comminution;

a second electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to an electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a second comminution, the first and second outlets being angled towards one another so as to direct the first and second comminutions towards one another to cause substantial admixing of the first and second comminutions to produce droplets having a diameter in the range 0.1 to 10 micrometers.

10. A method of providing droplets for delivery to the respiratory tract, which method comprises:

supplying liquid along a first pipe to a first outlet for directing liquid into a mixing zone;

supplying liquid along a second pipe to a second outlet for directing liquid into the mixing zone;

subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to a first electrical potential causing the liquid to form a first comminution of droplets of one polarity; and

subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to a second electrical potential causing the liquid to form a second comminution of droplets of a polarity opposite to the one polarity which droplets mix in the mixing zone with the droplets of the first comminution to form a mixed comminution having droplets with diameters in the range of from about 10 micrometers to 20 micrometers which is delivered to the respiratory tract.

11. An inhaler comprising:

a first reservoir for liquid;

a first pipe coupled to the first reservoir and having a first outlet;

a second reservoir for liquid;

a second pipe coupled to the second reservoir and having a second outlet;

a first electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to an electrical potential to cause the liquid to form a first comminution of one polarity;

a second electrohydrodynamic comminuter for causing liquid issuing fromn the second outlet to form a second comminution of a polarity opposite to the one polarity; and

a mixing zone into which the first and second comminutions are directed whereby a mixed comminution comprising droplets having a diameter in the range 0.1 to 25 micrometers for delivery to the respiratory tract of a user is formed.

12. A pocket-sized dispenser comprising means for supplying liquid to first and second outlets;

a first electrohydrodynamic comminution means for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to an electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a comminution of one polarity; and

a second electrohydrodynamic comminution means for subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to an electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a comminution of the opposite polarity, the first and second electrohydrodynamic comminution means therefore giving rise to formation of two opposite polarity comminutions and being arranged so as to cause substantial admixing of the two opposite polarity comminutions to produce droplets having a diameter in the range 0.1 to 25 micrometers.

13. A method of mixing liquids by droplet coalscence, which method comprises:

supplying liquid containing a first chemical to a first liquid outlet;

supplying liquid containing a second chemical to a second liquid outlet;

subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to a first electrical potential causing the liquid to form a first comminution of droplets of one polarity; and

subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to a second electrical potential causing the liquid to form a second comminution of droplets of a polarity opposite to the one polarity whereby the opposite polarity comminutions mix and the first and second chemicals of the oppositely charged droplets chemically react upon mixing of the opposite polarity comminution to produce chemically reactive droplets having a diameter in the range 0.1 to 25 micrometers.

14. A method according to claim 13, which comprises controlling the rate of flow of liquid and the electrical potentials so as to provide droplets having a diameter in the range 0.5 to 1.0 micrometers.

15. A method according to claim 13, which comprises controlling the rate of flow of liquid and the electrical potentials to provide droplets having a diameter in the ranqe of 10 to 20 micrometers.

16. A device for comminuting liquid, comprising:

a first liquid supplier having a first liquid outlet and operable to supply liquid with a flow rate selected from 0.3 and 1.0 microliters per second;

a second liquid supplier having a second liquid outlet and operable to supply liquid with a flow rate of 0.3 or 1.0 microliters per second;

a first electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to a first electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a first comminution;

a second electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to a second electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a second comminution, wherein the first and second electrical potentials are of opposite polarity and the first and second comminutions mix to produce droplets having a diameter in the range 0.1 to 25 micrometers.

17. A device for comminuting liquid, comprising:

a first liquid supplier having a first liquid outlet and operable to supply liquid with a flow rate selected from 0.3 and 1.0 microliters per second;

a second liquid supplier having a second liquid outlet;

a first electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the first outlet to a first electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a first comminution;

a second electrohydrodynamic comminuter for subjecting liquid issuing from the second outlet to a second electrical potential to cause the liquid to be comminuted to form a second comminution, wherein the first and second electrical potentials are of opposite polarity and the droplets of the first and second comminutions mix to produce droplets having a diameter in the range 0.5 to 10 micrometers.

18. An inhaler for enabling inhaled delivery of a therapeutic agent to the upper respiratory tract including the nasal mucosa, the inhaler comprising:

a liquid supplier having a liquid outlet and being arranged to provide a supply liquid comprising the therapeutic agent to the liquid outlet;

a voltage supplier for applying a high voltage directly to the liquid outlet to cause comminution of liquid issuing from the liquid outlet to produce electrically charged droplets comprising the therapeutic agent; and

a controller for adjusting the electrical charge of the droplets to control the charge on droplets delivered to the upper respiratory tract to enable supply of the therapeutic agent to specific airways.

19. An inhaler according to claim 18, wherein the controller comprises:

a further liquid supplier having a further liquid outlet and being arranged to provide a further liquid to the further liquid outlet;

a further voltage supplier for applying directly to the further liquid outlet a further high voltage of opposite polarity to said high voltage to cause comminution of further liquid issuing from the further liquid outlet to produce electrically charged further droplets which have an electrical charge of the opposite polarity to the droplets comprising the therapeutic agent and which admix with said droplets comprising the therapeutic agent to produce electrically charged output droplets comprising the therapeutic agent and having an electric charge determined by the electrical charge on the droplets and the further droplets.