Aerosol inhalation systems and interface elements for use therein

• US 7,743,764 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aeon Research And Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aeon Research And Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Dhuper, Sarita, Dhuper, Sunil Kumar, D'Alo, Herbert Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas; Steven O
• Application Number:
  US11/535,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20070068516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.14, 128/200.21, 128/200.22, 128/203.12, 128/203.13, 128/203.15, 128/203.16, 128/203.18, 128/203.22, 128/203.24, 128/204.18, 128/205.24
• US Class Current: 128/200.14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0086 Inhalation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0088 with variable volume
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/009 using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, an aerosol inhalation system including an accessory is defined by a first conduit member for delivering medication in the form of aerosol particles to a patient, as well as a first holding chamber for holding the aerosol particles prior to deliver to the first conduit member. The accessory includes a valve mechanism associated with the first conduit member and including a first valve assembly and a second valve assembly. The aerosol inhalation system includes at least one device in fluid communication with the first holding chamber for producing the aerosol particles. For example, the device can be either an MDI, a nebulizer or both devices can be used simultaneously. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol inhalation system is a closed system and is therefore capable of delivering a fixed concentration of the medication to the patient, thereby overcoming the above deficiencies that are associated with the prior art devices.

Claims

1. An aerosol inhalation system comprising:

a first conduit member for delivering medication in the form of aerosol particles to a patient;

a first holding chamber for holding the aerosol particles prior to deliver to the first conduit member;

a valve mechanism associated with the first conduit member and including a first valve assembly and a second valve assembly, the first valve assembly being positionable between an open position and a closed position where the fluid is prevented from flowing between the first holding chamber and the first conduit member as when the patient exhales, the first valve assembly assuming the open position as the patient inhales, the second valve assembly being positionable between an open position where the first conduit member is vented to atmosphere as when the patient exhales and a closed position when the patient inhales and the first valve assembly opens, and

at least one device in fluid communication with the first holding chamber for producing the aerosol particles;

wherein the aerosol inhalation apparatus is a closed system and is therefore capable of delivering a fixed concentration of the medication to the patient due to the second valve assembly being closed when the patient inhales and the medication is delivered to the patient, wherein the first holding chamber has a variable interior volume and is defined by a body that is collapsible and expandable in length so as to vary the interior volume.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first conduit member comprises a hollow conduit body that carries the aerosol particles from the first holding chamber when the patient inhales for purpose of delivering the medication into the patient and carries discharged gases from the patient when the patient exhales for purpose of venting these gases to atmosphere.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first holding chamber has a variable length such that when the length of the first holding chamber is at a minimum, the interior volume thereof is at a minimum and when the length of the first holding chamber is at a maximum, the interior volume thereof is at a maximum.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a bellows type structure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the body is formed of a corrugated plastic material.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the body includes a reinforcing member to ensure integrity of the body as the body either collapses or expands along its length.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the reinforcing member comprises a coil structure.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first valve assembly is disposed proximate an interface between the first conduit member and the first holding chamber and includes a first valve and a first valve seat having an opening extending therethrough for permitting selective flow of the aerosol particles when the first valve is open relative to the first valve seat, the first valve sealingly seating against the first valve seat in the closed position.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second valve assembly is disposed between the first valve assembly and an open outlet end of the first conduit member, the second valve assembly including a second valve and a second valve seat having an opening extending therethrough for permitting the discharged gases to flow into atmosphere when the second valve is open relative to the second valve seat, the second valve sealingly seating against the second valve seat in the closed position.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the first valve is a flap valve.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the second valve is a flap valve.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one device comprises one of a metered dose inhaler and a nebulizer.

13. The system according to claim 12, further including:

a second holding chamber in fluid communication with the first holding chamber and including a first port for attachment to the at least one device.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein when the at least one device comprises a metered dose inhaler (MDI), the first holding chamber includes an MDI port that permits fluid attachment to the MDI;

and wherein the second holding chamber is fluidly connected to the first holding chamber by means of one or more collapsible/expandable linking conduits that communicate with an interior of both the first and second holding chambers, wherein when the linking conduit is in an expandable position, the at least one device in the form of a metered dose inhaler (MDI) can be disposed between the first and second chambers and placed in fluid communication with the first holding chamber, while still permitting a nebulizer to be fluidly attached to the first port of the second holding chamber for delivering aerosol particles into an interior of the second holding chamber and through the linking conduit to the first holding chamber that is fluidly connected thereto.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the second holding chamber includes a second port with a reservoir bag fluidly attached to the second port, the linking conduit having a variable length.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the second holding chamber has a variable interior volume.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second holding chamber is defined by a body that has a variable length such that when the length of the first holding chamber is at a minimum, the interior volume thereof is at a minimum and when the length of the first holding chamber is at a maximum, the interior volume thereof is at a maximum.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the body defining the second holding chamber comprises a bellows type structure.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein apparatus has two or more settings correlated to a weight of the patient, wherein for each selling, a body defining the first holding chamber is in one of a compressed state or an expanded state and the body defining the second holding chamber is in one of a compressed state or an expanded state.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the two or more settings comprise at least a child selling and an adult setting, wherein the first holding chamber is at least partially expanded in the child state and the second holding chamber is fully compressed in the child state.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first holding chamber is frilly expanded and the second holding chamber is at least partially expanded in the adult setting.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the bodies defining the first and second holding chambers, respectively, includes a lock mechanism for locking the body of the respective holding chamber in a position where an interior volume thereof is fixed to a predetermined value.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein each linking conduit branches into a plurality of inlet conduits that are received in corresponding radial openings formed in an end connector at the inlet end of the first holding chamber so as to more uniformly disperse the aerosol particles from the second holding chamber into the first holding chamber.

24. An accessory for an aerosol inhalation system comprising:

a main conduit body having an open first and an opposing open second end;

a first port formed as part of the main conduit body;

a second port formed as part of the main conduit body;

a first holding chamber operably coupled to second end of the main conduit body and in selective fluid communication with the first end of the main conduit body; and

a valve mechanism associated with the main conduit body and including a first valve assembly and a second valve assembly, the first valve assembly being positionable between an open position and a closed position where the fluid is prevented from flowing between the first holding chamber and the first port when the patient exhales, the first valve assembly assuming the open position as the patient inhales, the second valve assembly being disposed in the first port and being positionable between an open position where a portion of main conduit body is vented to atmosphere, when the patient exhales, and a closed position when the patient inhales and the first valve assembly opens;

wherein the first holding chamber has a variable volume and includes a main connector port to permit attachment of at least one device for generating and delivering the aerosol particles to the first holding chamber, the first holding chamber having an air vent with a third valve assembly that opens when the patient inhales and closes when the patient exhales to assist in flow of the aerosol particles from the first holding chamber into the main conduit body;

wherein a body defining the first holding chamber has a variable length such that when the length of the first holding chamber is at a minimum, the interior volume thereof is at a minimum and when the length of the first holding chamber is at a maximum, the interior volume thereof is at a maximum, wherein the body comprises a bellows type structure.

25. The accessory of claim 24, wherein the first valve assembly is disposed between the first and second ports and includes a first flap valve such that when the first flap valve assumes the closed position, fluid is prevented from flowing within the main conduit body between the first and second ports.

26. The accessory of claim 24, further including a nebulizer fluidly sealingly attached to the second port.

27. The accessory of claim 24, wherein the second valve assembly includes a flap valve disposed in the first port and opening and the third valve assembly includes a flap valve operably mounted to an interior wall of the holding chamber such that in the closed position, the flap valve covers the air vent formed in the interior wall.

28. The accessory of claim 24, further including an MDI connector port formed as part of the body defining the first holding chamber and being in fluid communication therewith.

29. An aerosol inhalation system comprising:

a first conduit member for delivering medication in the form of aerosol particles to a patient;

a first holding chamber for holding the aerosol particles prior to deliver to the first conduit member, wherein the first holding chamber is defined by a body having a bellows shape that is collapsible and expandable in length so as to vary an interior volume of the first holding chamber;

a valve mechanism associated with the first conduit member and including a first valve assembly and a second valve assembly, the first valve assembly being positionable between an open position and a closed position where the fluid is prevented from flowing between the first holding chamber and the first conduit member as when the patient exhales, the first valve assembly assuming the open position as the patient inhales, the second valve assembly being positionable between an open position where the first conduit member is vented to atmosphere as when the patient exhales and a closed position when the patient inhales and the first valve assembly opens, and

at least one device in fluid communication with the first holding chamber for producing the aerosol particles;

wherein the aerosol inhalation apparatus is a closed system and is therefore capable of delivering a fixed concentration of the medication to the patient due to the second valve assembly being closed when the patient inhales and the medication is delivered to the patient.

30. An aerosol inhalation system comprising:

a first conduit member for delivering medication in the form of aerosol particles to a patient;

a first holding chamber for holding the aerosol particles prior to deliver to the first conduit member, wherein the first holding chamber includes an end conduit for connection to an external device;

a valve mechanism associated with the first conduit member and including a first valve assembly and a second valve assembly, the first valve assembly being positionable between an open position and a closed position where the fluid is prevented from flowing between the first holding chamber and the first conduit member as when the patient exhales, the first valve assembly assuming the open position as the patient inhales, the second valve assembly being positionable between an open position where the first conduit member is vented to atmosphere as when the patient exhales and a closed position when the patient inhales and the first valve assembly opens;

a second holding chamber that is fluidly connected to the first holding chamber by means of a pair of conduit members, each conduit member being defined by a body that is collapsible/expandable along its length, wherein the end conduit is disposed between the conduit members that fluidly attach the second holding chamber to the first holding chamber to permit receipt of the external device;

at least one device in fluid communication with the second holding chamber for producing the aerosol particles;

wherein the aerosol inhalation apparatus is a closed system and is therefore capable of delivering a fixed concentration of the medication to the patient due to the second valve assembly being closed when the patient inhales and the medication is delivered to the patient.