Powder delivery device

• US 7,455,248 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genzyme Corporation (Sanofi )
• Original Assignee: Genzyme Corporation (Sanofi )
• Inventors: Boccuti, A. David, Gentile, Andrew, Kablik, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boeckmann; Jason J
• Application Number:
  US11/084,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20050205087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 222631-633, 239310-318, 239/329, 239/330, 239/337, 239/346, 239/355, 239361-363, 239/373, 239375-378, 239/526, 239/650, 239/654, 128/200.23, 604/58, 604/61
• US Class Current: 239/654
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/74 Synthetic polymeric materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0035 Gamma radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/042 Polysaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/00 Insufflators for therapeutic or disinfectant purposes , i.e. devices for blowing a gas, powder or vapour into the body hand-held units in which gas flow is produced by muscular energy at the moment of use B05B11/062
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 41/00 Drugs used in surgical methods, e.g. surgery adjuvants for preventing adhesion or for vitreum substitution
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/062 designed for spraying particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1422 the means for supplying particulate material comprising moving mechanical means, e.g. to impart vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1486 for spraying particulate material in dry state
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/08 Chitin; Chondroitin sulfate; Hyaluronic acid; Derivatives thereof

Abstract

A pistol-shaped powder delivery device consolidates propellant pulse creation, powder storage, powder aerosolization and aerolsolized powdered delivery in a single device while providing dose, pattern and coverage control of the output spray. The single-hand-held, single-hand-operated device includes a housing having a handle portion that is selectively collapsed to generate a propellant pulse that is conveyed into and through powder stored in a reservoir mounted at an upward angle to the horizontal in a receptacle provided in the housing. Powder in the reservoir is caused to be aerosolized by the propellant pulse whereupon aerosolized powder exits the reservoir through an open end of, and elongate slots provided in the sidewall of, an elongate hollow member extending from an outlet in the receptacle through the stored powdered material into a head space in the reservoir. The outlet is connected a barrel portion for output of the aerosolized powder spray.

Claims

1. A powder delivery device, comprising:

a powdered material reservoir defining an internal volume adapted to receive and store a quantity of powdered material, said reservoir including an elongate body, said body having a reservoir longitudinal axis, a closed outer end and an open inner end; and

a substantially pistol-shaped housing, said housing including a handle portion, a barrel portion and a connecting portion between said handle portion and said barrel portion;

said handle portion defining a hollow cavity, a first inlet selectively connecting said hollow cavity to the surrounding atmosphere and a first outlet connecting said hollow cavity to said connecting portion, wherein at least part of said handle portion is formed of a resilient material such that said hollow cavity may be selectively collapsed by an inwardly directed force applied by a user'"'"'s hand grasping said handle portion so as to expel a content of said cavity through said first outlet, and wherein after collapse, said resilient material part is selectively restored to its non-collapsed configuration upon the release of said inwardly applied force by the resilience of said resilient material in combination with a content input into said cavity selectively received through said first inlet;

said barrel portion defining an open ended, elongate, hollow shaft centered on a barrel longitudinal axis, said shaft opening to the atmosphere at said open end thereof and opening into said connecting portion at the other end thereof; and

said connecting portion defining a receptacle adapted to securely, sealingly and removably receive said open end of said reservoir and to hold said reservoir with its reservoir longitudinal axis disposed at a rearwardly extending upward angle relative to said barrel longitudinal axis of said barrel portion opposite to said handle portion;

including internal conduit means joining said first outlet of said handle portion to a second inlet located in said receptacle; and

including an elongate, hollow element extending through a second outlet located in said receptacle so as to open at one end into an end of a passageway in said connecting portion that opens at its other end into said shaft of said barrel portion, and also extending outwardly from said second outlet at substantially the same angle to said barrel longitudinal axis as said reservoir longitudinal axis when said reservoir is mounted in said receptacle to an open end, said outwardly extending portion of said elongate, hollow member further defining a plurality of opposed openings located at spaced intervals along its length;

whereby, when said internal volume of said reservoir contains a quantity of powdered material and said reservoir is mounted in said receptacle, a collapse of said hollow cavity causes a content of said hollow cavity to be forced into said internal volume of said reservoir in the form of a pulse so as to aerosolize a portion said powdered material stored in said reservoir and to cause at least some of said aerosolized powdered material to be discharged from said open end of said barrel portion via said open end and said openings in said elongate, hollow member, said internal passageway of said connecting portion and said shaft of said barrel portion.

2. The powder delivery device according to claim 1, wherein said reservoir defines J-shaped or L-shaped slots in opposing portions of an outer surface of its sidewall for engagement with projections provided in said receptacle, a longer leg of each of said J-shaped or L-shaped slots opening into said open end of said reservoir and extending along said sidewall substantially parallel to said reservoir longitudinal axis and a shorter leg of each of said slots extending from a closed end of each of said longer legs circumferentially in the same direction around part of said reservoir.

3. The powder delivery device according to claim 1, wherein said connecting portion defines a second substantially hollow cavity, and said conduits and said passageway are supported in said second substantially hollow cavity by internal rib members.

4. The powder delivery device according to claim 1, wherein first inlet comprises a one-way content intake valve.

5. The powder delivery device according to claim 1, wherein said second inlet comprises an opening into said receptacle containing a one-way propellant pulse inlet valve for when said reservoir is attached to said receptacle allowing propellant pulses to enter said open end of said reservoir, and for when propellant pulses are not flowing through said conduit preventing powdered material in said reservoir from entering said conduit or said cavity in said handle portion.

6. The powder delivery device of claim 1, wherein said receptacle defines an outer cavity having a sidewall including a lower edge, an annular base extending radially inwardly from said lower edge of said sidewall, and an inner wall portion extending axially outwardly from an inner edge of said annular base substantially parallel to, but a distance shorter than the smallest axial dimension of, said sidewall such that an axially outwardly facing open groove is located adjacent to said base in said connecting portion of said housing, said sidewall of said cavity defines a substantially circular cross-sectional area, and said outer cavity is adapted to receive said open end of said reservoir in said groove and to support said reservoir in said connecting portion of said housing such that said reservoir longitudinal axis is disposed at about 45°

to said barrel longitudinal axis.

7. The powder delivery device of claim 6, wherein said inner wall portion of said outer cavity includes an inner surface that tapers radially outwardly from its axially outermost edge to its axially innermost edge such that when said open end of a reservoir engages said groove, said open end of said reservoir engages said tapered surface at a position located axially outwardly of said annular base such that when said reservoir thereafter is forced axially inwardly toward said base, said tapered surface tends to radially compress toward said reservoir longitudinal axis and said open end of said reservoir tends to radially flare outwardly relative to said reservoir longitudinal axis, whereby said reservoir may be sealingly attached to said receptacle.

8. The powder delivery device of claim 7, wherein said receptacle and said reservoir respectively include portions adapted to interact with one another in order to releaseably maintain said open end of said reservoir in sealed engagement with said groove.

9. The powder delivery device of claim 7, wherein said receptacle further comprises an inner cavity extending axially inwardly from an inner periphery of said base of said outer cavity, said inner cavity having a radially inwardly curved sidewall connecting said inner periphery of said base to a substantially flat bottom portion, wherein said second inlet enters said receptacle through said bottom portion of said inner cavity and said second outlet exits said inner cavity through said curved sidewall at a position located substantially vertically upwardly relative to said second inlet opposite said handle portion of said housing.

10. The powder delivery device of claim 1, wherein said handle portion comprises

a generally elliptical, hollow bulb formed of a resilient material mounted in a support structure;

said bulb comprising in aligned relation along a bulb longitudinal axis a first end portion and a second end portion connected by a hollow, thin-walled portion;

said first end portion having a first length, a first peripheral cross-section perpendicular to said first length and defining an open ended first passageway centered on said bulb longitudinal axis;

said second end portion having a second length longer than said first length, a second peripheral cross-section of similar maximum diameter to said first peripheral cross-section, and defining a second passageway centered along said bulb longitudinal axis containing a one-way valve so oriented as to allow passage through said second passageway only in an axial direction toward said first passageway in said first end portion; and

said thin-walled portion defining a symmetrical cavity centered on said bulb longitudinal axis having a substantially truncated elliptical cross-section measured in a plane containing said bulb longitudinal axis, and

said support structure comprises a rear wall connecting said connecting portion to a pocket at an outer end of said rear wall adapted to receive and hold said second end portion of said bulb with said second passageway in said second end portion aligned with an opening formed in a base of said pocket, and walls extending from a side of said connecting portion substantially opposite said receptacle adapted to receive an hold at least a front part of said first portion of said bulb such that said first passageway therein is in communication with said internal conduit means located in said connecting portion;

whereby said thin-walled portion of said bulb defines front, left and right sides of said handle portion such that said symmetrical cavity of said bulb can be collapsed by a user'"'"'s hand grasping said handle portion of said device so as to force a content of said symmetrical cavity of said bulb into said reservoir through said internal conduit means.

11. The powder delivery device of claim 1, wherein said barrel portion defines an outer hollow shaft portion having a first diameter and an inner hollow shaft portion having a second diameter smaller than said first diameter, said inner and outer hollow shaft portions both being centered on the same barrel longitudinal axis and connected by a radially extending wall portion, wherein said outer shaft portion is adapted to receive and hold one end of an elongate cannula against said radially extending wall portion.

12. The powder delivery device according to claim 1 further comprising:

an open ended, elongate cannula associated with said barrel portion of said housing defining an open lumen extending therethrough,

said cannula having a substantially constant internal diameter centered on a cannula longitudinal axis, including a first portion adjacent to an inlet one of said open ends substantially fixedly disposed within said elongate, hollow shaft of said barrel portion of said housing with said cannula longitudinal axis substantially aligned with said barrel longitudinal axis, and including a second portion adjacent an outlet one of said open ends projecting outwardly from said open end of said shaft of said barrel portion of said housing; and

a diffuser associated with said outlet open end of said cannula, said diffuser defining an extension of said lumen of said cannula the diameter of which gradually narrows and thereafter gradually widens as it extends outwardly from said outlet open end of said cannula so as to achieve a desired spray pattern exiting from said powder delivery device as measured at a preferred spray initiation distance from a target surface.

13. The powder delivery device according to claim 11, wherein said cannula defines a circumferential groove adjacent the end thereof inserted into said barrel portion, and said outer hollow shaft portion of said barrel portion of said housing defines a plurality of radial inwardly extending projections disposed circumferentially along an interior wall of said outer shaft portion in axially outwardly spaced relation to said radial wall portion such that when said cannula is inserted into said outer shaft portion of said barrel portion of said housing, the end of said cannula adjacent to said circumferential groove abuts said radial wall portion of said barrel portion of said housing and said inwardly extending projections engage said circumferential groove so as to tend to lock said cannula in said outer shaft portion of said barrel portion of said housing.

14. The powder delivery device according to claim 1, wherein said device can be manipulated such that the spatial orientation of said barrel longitudinal axis can be disposed at up to about 90°

below the horizontal without adverse impact upon the operability of the device.

15. The powder delivery device according to claim 14, wherein said barrel longitudinal can be disposed between about 20°

and about 70°

below the horizontal without adverse impact upon the operability of the device.

16. The powder delivery device according to claim 1, wherein said opposing, spaced, diametrically opposed openings in said elongate hollow member comprise axially aligned longitudinal slots.

17. The powder delivery device according to claim 1, wherein said shaft of said barrel portion includes an inner wall, and a portion of said inner wall adjacent to said open end of said shaft slopes gradually radially inwardly and then gradually radially outwardly along its axial length so as to create a diffusion portion adjacent said open end of said shaft of said barrel portion whereby the characteristics of an output powder spray may be controlled according to the relationship between the dimensions of said portion of said inner wall of said shaft adjacent to said open end of said barrel portion of said housing and the diameter of the portion of said shaft of said barrel portion located immediately inwardly of said shaft portion adjacent to said open end of said barrel portion.

18. A powder delivery device, comprising:

a powdered material reservoir defining an internal volume adapted to receive and store a quantity of powdered material, said reservoir including an elongate body, said body having a reservoir longitudinal axis, a closed outer end and an open inner end; and

a substantially pistol-shaped housing, said housing including a handle portion, a barrel portion and a connecting portion between said handle portion and said barrel portion;

said handle portion including a generally elliptical, hollow bulb formed of a resilient material mounted in a support structure;

said bulb comprising in aligned relation along a bulb longitudinal axis a first end portion and a second end portion connected by a hollow, thin-walled portion;

said first end portion having a first length, a first peripheral cross-section perpendicular to said first length and defining an open ended first passageway centered on said bulb longitudinal axis;

said second end portion having a second length longer than said first length, a second peripheral cross-section of similar maximum diameter to said first peripheral cross-section, and defining a second passageway centered along said bulb longitudinal axis containing a one-way valve so oriented as to allow passage through said second passageway only in an axial direction toward said first passageway in said first end portion; and

said thin-walled portion defining a symmetrical cavity centered on said bulb longitudinal axis having a substantially truncated elliptical cross-section measured in a plane containing said bulb longitudinal axis, and

said support structure comprising a rear wall connecting said connecting portion to a pocket at an outer end of said rear wall adapted to receive and hold said second end portion of said bulb with said second passageway in said second end portion aligned with an opening formed at the base of said pocket, and walls extending from a side of said connecting portion substantially opposite said receptacle adapted to receive an hold at least a front part of said first portion of said bulb such that said first passageway therein is in communication with said internal conduit means in said connecting portion;

 

whereby said thin-walled portion of said bulb defines front, left and right sides of said handle portion such that said symmetrical cavity of said bulb can be collapsed by a user'"'"'s hand grasping said handle portion of said device forcing a content of said symmetrical cavity of said bulb into said reservoir through said connecting portion, and

 

whereby after collapse, said bulb is selectively restored to its non-collapsed configuration upon the release of said force by the resilience of said resilient material in combination with a content input into said thin-walled portion selectively received through said second passageway;

said barrel portion defining an open ended, elongate, hollow shaft centered on a barrel longitudinal axis, said shaft opening to the atmosphere at said open end thereof and opening into said connecting portion at the other end thereof; and

said connecting portion defining a receptacle adapted to securely, sealingly and removably receive said open end of said reservoir and to hold said reservoir longitudinal axis at a rearwardly extending upward angle relative to said barrel longitudinal axis substantially opposite to said handle portion;

including internal conduit means joining said first outlet of said handle portion to a second inlet located in said receptacle; and

including an elongate, hollow element extending through a second outlet in said receptacle so as to open at one end into an end of a passageway in said connecting portion that opens at its other end into said shaft of said barrel portion, and also extending outwardly from said second outlet at substantially the same angle to said barrel longitudinal axis as said reservoir longitudinal axis when said reservoir is mounted in said receptacle to an open end, said outwardly extending portion of said elongate, hollow member further defining a plurality of opposed longitudinal slots at spaced intervals along its length;

whereby, when said internal volume of said reservoir contains a quantity of powdered material and said reservoir is mounted in said receptacle, a collapse of said bulb causes a content of said bulb to be forced into said internal volume of said reservoir in the form of a pulse so as to aerosolize a portion said powdered material stored in said reservoir and to cause at least some of said aerosolized powdered material to be discharged from said open end of said barrel portion via said open end and said longitudinal slots in said elongate, hollow member, said internal passageway of said connecting portion and said shaft of said barrel portion.

19. The powder delivery device according to claim 18, wherein said shaft of said barrel portion includes an inner wall, and a portion of said inner wall adjacent to said open end of said shaft slopes gradually radially inwardly and then gradually radially outwardly along its axial length so as to create a diffusion portion adjacent said open end of said shaft of said barrel portion whereby the characteristics of an output powder spray may be controlled according to the relationship between the dimensions of said portion of said inner wall of said shaft adjacent to said open end of said barrel portion of said housing and the diameter of the portion of said shaft of said barrel portion located immediately inwardly of said shaft portion adjacent to said open end of said barrel portion.

20. The powder delivery device according to claim 18 further comprising:

an open ended, elongate cannula associated with said barrel portion of said housing defining an open lumen extending therethrough,

said cannula having a substantially constant internal diameter centered on a cannula longitudinal axis, including a first portion adjacent to an inlet one of said open ends substantially fixedly disposed within said elongate, hollow shaft of said barrel portion of said housing with said cannula longitudinal axis substantially aligned with said barrel longitudinal axis, and including a second portion adjacent an outlet one of said open ends projecting outwardly from said open end of said shaft of said barrel portion of said housing; and

a diffuser associated with said outlet open end of said cannula, said diffuser defining an extension of said lumen of said cannula the diameter of which gradually narrows and thereafter gradually widens as it extends outwardly from said outlet open end of said cannula so as to achieve a desired spray pattern exiting from said powder delivery device as measured at a preferred spray initiation distance from a target surface.

21. A powder delivery device, comprising:

a powdered material reservoir defining an internal volume adapted to receive and store a quantity of powdered material, said reservoir including an elongate body, said body having a reservoir longitudinal axis, a closed outer end and an open inner end; and

a substantially pistol-shaped housing, said housing including a handle portion, a barrel portion and a connecting portion between said handle portion and said barrel portion;

said handle portion including a generally elliptical, hollow bulb formed of a resilient material mounted in a support structure;

said bulb comprising in aligned relation along a bulb longitudinal axis a first end portion and a second end portion connected by a hollow, thin-walled portion;

said first end portion having a first length, a first peripheral cross-section perpendicular to said first length and defining an open ended first passageway centered on said bulb longitudinal axis;

said second end portion having a second length longer than said first length, a second peripheral cross-section of similar maximum diameter to said first peripheral cross-section, and defining a second passageway centered along said bulb longitudinal axis containing a one-way valve so oriented as to allow passage through said second passageway only in an axial direction toward said first passageway in said first end portion; and

said thin-walled portion defining a symmetrical cavity centered on said bulb longitudinal axis having a substantially truncated elliptical cross-section measured in a plane containing said bulb longitudinal axis, and

said support structure comprising a rear wall connecting said connecting portion to a pocket at an outer end of said rear wall adapted to receive and hold said second end portion of said bulb with said second passageway in said second end portion aligned with an opening formed at the base of said pocket, and walls extending from a side of said connecting portion opposite said receptacle adapted to receive an hold at least a front part of said first portion of said bulb such that said first passageway therein is in communication with said internal conduit means in said connecting portion;

whereby said thin-walled portion of said bulb defines front, left and right sides of said handle portion such that said symmetrical cavity of said bulb can be collapsed by a user'"'"'s hand grasping said handle portion of said device forcing a content of said symmetrical cavity of said bulb into said reservoir through said connecting portion, and

whereby after collapse, said bulb is selectively restored to its non-collapsed configuration upon the release of said force by the resilience of said resilient material in combination with a content input into said thin-walled portion selectively received through said second passageway;

said barrel portion defining an open ended, elongate, hollow shaft centered on a barrel longitudinal axis, said shaft opening to the atmosphere at said open end thereof and opening into said connecting portion at the other end thereof; and

said connecting portion including;

(i) a receptacle adapted to securely, sealingly and removably receive said open end of said reservoir and to hold said reservoir with its reservoir longitudinal axis disposed at a rearwardly extending upward angle relative to said barrel longitudinal axis of said barrel portion opposite to said handle portion, said receptacle including;

(a) an outer cavity having a sidewall including a lower edge, an annular base extending radially inwardly from said lower edge of said sidewall, and an inner wall portion extending axially outwardly from an inner edge of said annular base substantially parallel to, but a distance shorter than the smallest axial dimension of, said sidewall such that an axially outwardly facing open groove is located adjacent to said base in said connecting portion of said housing, said sidewall of said cavity defines a substantially circular cross-sectional area, and said outer cavity is adapted to receive said open end of said reservoir in said groove and to support said reservoir in said connecting portion of said housing such that said reservoir longitudinal axis is disposed at about 45°

to said barrel longitudinal axis, and

(b) an inner cavity extending axially inwardly from an inner periphery of said base of said outer cavity, said inner cavity having a radially inwardly curved sidewall connecting said inner periphery of said base to a substantially flat bottom portion, wherein said second inlet enters said receptacle through said bottom portion of said inner cavity and said second outlet exits said inner cavity through said curved sidewall at a position located substantially vertically upwardly relative to said second inlet opposite said handle portion of said housing;

(ii) internal conduit means joining said first outlet of said handle portion to a second inlet located in said receptacle; and

(iii) an elongate, hollow element extending through a second outlet in said receptacle so as to open at one end into an end of a passageway in said connecting portion that opens at its other end into said shaft of said barrel portion, and also extending outwardly from said second outlet at substantially the same angle to said barrel longitudinal axis as said reservoir longitudinal axis when said reservoir is mounted in said receptacle to an open end, said outwardly extending portion of said elongate, hollow member further defining a plurality of opposed longitudinal slots at spaced intervals along its length;

whereby, when said internal volume of said reservoir contains a quantity of powdered material and said reservoir is mounted in said receptacle, a collapse of said bulb causes a content of said bulb to be forced into said internal volume of said reservoir in the form of a pulse so as to aerosolize a portion said powdered material stored in said reservoir and to cause at least some of said aerosolized powdered material to be discharged from said open end of said barrel portion via said open end and said longitudinal slots in said elongate, hollow member, said internal passageway of said connecting portion and said shaft of said barrel portion.

22. The powder delivery device according to claim 21, wherein said shaft of said barrel portion includes an inner wall, and a portion of said inner wall adjacent to said open end of said shaft slopes gradually radially inwardly and then gradually radially outwardly along its axial length so as to create a diffusion portion adjacent said open end of said shaft of said barrel portion whereby the characteristics of an output powder spray may be controlled according to the relationship between the dimensions of said portion of said inner wall of said shaft adjacent to said open end of said barrel portion of said housing and the diameter of the portion of said shaft of said barrel portion located immediately inwardly of said shaft portion adjacent to said open end of said barrel portion.

23. The powder delivery device according to claim 21 further comprising:

an open ended, elongate cannula associated with said barrel portion of said housing defining an open lumen extending therethrough,

said cannula having a substantially constant internal diameter centered on a cannula longitudinal axis, including a first portion adjacent to an inlet one of said open ends substantially fixedly disposed within said elongate, hollow shaft of said barrel portion of said housing with said cannula longitudinal axis substantially aligned with said barrel longitudinal axis, and including a second portion adjacent an outlet one of said open ends projecting outwardly from said open end of said shaft of said barrel portion of said housing; and

a diffuser associated with said outlet open end of said cannula, said diffuser defining an extension of said lumen of said cannula the diameter of which gradually narrows and thereafter gradually widens as it extends outwardly from said outlet open end of said cannula so as to achieve a desired spray pattern exiting from said powder delivery device as measured at a preferred spray initiation distance from a target surface.