Apparatus, systems and related methods for processing, dispensing and/or evaluatingl dry powders

• US 7,677,411 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2003
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oriel Therapeutics, Inc. (Novartis Ag)
• Original Assignee: Oriel Therapeutics, Inc. (Novartis Ag)
• Inventors: Crowder, Timothy M., Boekestein, Vanessa, Hickey, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicolas; Frederick C.
• Application Number:
  US10/606,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,455 Days
• Field of Search: 222/1, 222/63, 222/161, 222164-166, 222/196, 222/196.1, 222200-203, 222/185.1, 222/198, 222/181.1, 222/52, 128/203.15, 310/311, 310/313.R, 310/313.A, 310/318, 310/322, 310/330, 310/334, 310/317, 310/323.06, 31031601-31603, 700/231, 700/244, 700/263, 700/240, 198/533
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0003 with means for dispensing more than one drug
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0005 with means for agitating the medicament
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/001 using ultrasonic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0045 using multiple prepacked dosages on a same carrier, e.g. blisters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0048 the dosages being arranged in a plane, e.g. on diskettes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0051 the dosages being arranged on a tape, e.g. strips
• 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 15/0068 Indicating or counting the number of dispensed doses or of remaining doses
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0075 on a disc
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/35 Communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 37/04 by vibratory feeders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/66 using vibrating or knocking devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/66 Use of indicator or control devices, e.g. for controlling gas pressure, for controlling proportions of material and gas, for indicating or preventing jamming of material controlling the flow of coal firing systems C21B5/003

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products flowably process dry powders using a non-linear vibratory signal individualized or customized to a target dry powder undergoing processing to facilitate fluidic flow through a flow channel.

Claims

1. A method of flowably dispensing or processing dry powders from a device having a dry powder flow path, comprising:

generating a first non-linear vibration input signal, the first non-linear input signal comprising a carrier frequency modulated by a plurality of different selected frequencies that correspond to a first non-pharmaceutical dry powder formulation;

applying the first non-linear vibration input signal to a portion of a dry powder flow path while the first dry powder formulation is flowing therethrough; and

providing a second non-pharmaceutical dry powder and mixing the first and second dry powders based on the generating and applying steps.

2. A method of flowably dispensing or processing dry powders from a device having a dry powder flow path, comprising:

generating a first non-linear vibration input signal, the first non-linear input signal comprising a plurality of different selected frequencies that correspond to a first non-pharmaceutical dry powder formulation;

applying the first non-linear vibration input signal to a portion of a dry powder flow path while the first dry powder formulation is flowing therethrough;

generating a second non-linear vibration input signal, the second non-linear input signal comprising a plurality of different selected signal frequencies that correspond to predetermined flow characteristics of a second non-pharmaceutical dry powder formulation; and

applying the second non-linear vibration input signal to the flow path while the second non-pharmaceutical dry powder formulation is flowing therethrough, the second input signal being different from the first input signal.

3. A method of flowably dispensing or processing dry powders from a device having a dry powder flow path, comprising:

generating a first non-linear vibration input signal, the first non-linear input signal comprising a carrier frequency modulated by a plurality of different selected frequencies that correspond to a first non-pharmaceutical or pharmaceutical dry powder formulation; and

applying the first non-linear vibration input signal to a portion of a dry powder flow path while the first dry powder formulation is flowing therethrough,

wherein the vibration input signal comprises imparting a high frequency motion onto a selected portion of a hopper in the flow path, with outer bounds of a motion induced by the vibration input of the hopper is small.

4. A method of flowably dispensing or processing dry powders from a device having a dry powder flow path, comprising:

generating a first non-linear vibration input signal, the first non-linear input signal comprising a carrier frequency modulated by a plurality of different selected frequencies that correspond to a first non-pharmaceutical or pharmaceutical dry powder formulation; and

applying the first non-linear vibration input signal to a portion of a dry powder flow path while the first dry powder formulation is flowing therethrough,

wherein the first non-linear vibration input signal is generated using a plurality of superpositioned modulating frequencies, and

wherein the number of superpositioned modulating frequencies is at least three.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the number of superpositioned modulating frequencies is four.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the four modulating frequencies are in the range of between about 10-15Hz.

7. A method of operating a dry powder filling system for dispensing non-pharmaceutical formulations of dry powder substances, comprising:

generating a vibratory signal comprising a carrier frequency modulated by a plurality of selected frequencies, wherein the selected frequencies corresponding to identified a priori flow characteristic frequencies of a non-pharmaceutical dry powder;

applying the vibratory signal to a dry powder in a dispensing flow path of a bulk powder enclosure;

then

dispensing meted quantities of the dry powder from the dispensing flow path during the applying step,

wherein the a priori flow characteristic frequencies correspond to observed frequencies in an avalanche-analysis spectrum of the dry powder, and wherein the non-linear vibratory signal “

x_signal”

is a cumulative signal that comprises a sum of selected observed frequencies derived from an avalanche-analysis spectrum of the dry powder.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the non-linear input signal “

x_signal”

is derived from a mathematical equation;

x_signal=xf₂+xf₃+xf₄+. . . xf_n

where said f₂, f₃, f₄ . . . f_n, respectively, correspond to most observed frequencies in an avalanche-based analysis spectrum of the dry powder and said “

x”

used with f₂, f₃, f₄, f_n, is a variable representing amplitude weight for a respective observed frequency.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein one or more of said xf2, xf3, xf4, . . . xfn is multiplied by a phase adjustment.