Self-contained heating unit and drug-supply unit employing same

• US 9,370,629 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Grupo Ferrer Internacional SA)
• Original Assignee: Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Grupo Ferrer Internacional SA)
• Inventors: Damani, Ramesh, Hale, Ron L., Myers, Daniel J., Quintana, Reynaldo J., Solas, Dennis W., Song, Soonho, Soni, Pravin, Tom, Curtis, Sharma, Krishnamohan
• Primary Examiner(s): SAVANI, AVINASH A
• Application Number:
  US14/675,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20150265783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 126/263.1, 128/203.26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/00 Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes in general B05B; aerosol containers B65D83/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/041 using heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/047 by exothermic chemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/048 with a flame, e.g. using a burner
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/36 related to heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/364 by chemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8268 Fuel storage cells
• CPC Class Codes: B01B 1/005 Evaporation for physical or chemical purposes; Evaporation apparatus therefor, e.g. evaporation of liquids for gas phase reactions
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 29/10 Packaging two or more different substances isolated from one another in the package but capable of being mixed without opening the package, e.g. forming packages containing a resin and hardener isolated by a frangible partition
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 33/00 Compositions containing particulate metal, alloy, boron, silicon, selenium or tellurium with at least one oxygen supplying material which is either a metal oxide or a salt, organic or inorganic, capable of yielding a metal oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C06B 45/14 a layer or zone containing an inorganic explosive or an inorganic explosive or an inorganic thermic component
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/18 Non-reversible chemical reactions
• CPC Class Codes: F23B 2900/00003 Combustion devices specially adapted for burning metal fuels, e.g. Al or Mg
• CPC Class Codes: F23C 2900/99008 Unmixed combustion, i.e. without direct mixing of oxygen gas and fuel, but using the oxygen from a metal oxide, e.g. FeO
• CPC Class Codes: F24V 30/00 : Apparatus or devices using heat produced by exothermal chemical reactions other than combustion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/34 : Indirect CO2mitigation, i.e. by acting on non CO2directly related matters of the process, e.g. pre-heating or heat recovery

Abstract

Heating units, drug supply units and drug delivery articles capable of rapid heating are disclosed. Heating units comprising a substrate and a solid fuel capable of undergoing an exothermic metal oxidation reaction disposed within the substrate are disclosed. These heating units can be actuated by electrical resistance, by optical ignition or by percussion. Drug supply units and drug delivery articles wherein a solid fuel is configured to heat a substrate to a temperature sufficient to rapidly thermally vaporize a drug disposed thereon are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A drug supply unit comprising:

a heating unit comprising;

an enclosure comprising a substrate having an exterior surface and an interior surface; and

a solid fuel comprising a metal, which metal is a reducing agent, and a metal-containing oxidizing agent, wherein the solid fuel is disposed on the interior surface of the substrate as a layer, wherein the thickness of the layer is in the range 0.001 inches to 0.030 inches and

a drug disposed on a portion of the exterior surface of the substrate;

wherein said drug comprises a film and the film has a thickness of less than 20 μ

m.

2. The drug supply unit of claim 1, wherein the drug supply unit comprises more than one heating unit.

3. A drug delivery device comprising:

a housing defining an airway;

a heating unit comprising;

an enclosure comprising a substrate having an exterior surface and an interior surface; and

a solid fuel comprising a metal, which metal is a reducing agent, and a metal-containing oxidizing agent, wherein the solid fuel is disposed on the interior surface of the substrate as a layer, wherein the thickness of the layer is in the range 0.001 inches to 0.030 inches; and

a drug disposed on a portion of the exterior surface of the substrate, wherein the portion of the exterior surface comprising the drug is configured to be disposed within the airway; and

an igniter comprising an initiator composition configured to ignite the solid fuel;

wherein said igniter comprises a resistive heating element and an initiator composition disposed on the resistive heating element.

4. The drug delivery device of claim 3, wherein the initiator composition comprises at least one metal which is a reducing agent and at least one oxidizing agent.

5. The drug delivery device of claim 4, wherein the metal which is a reducing agent of the initiator composition is selected from at least one of:

aluminum and zirconium.

6. The drug delivery device of claim 3, wherein the oxidizing agent of the initiator composition is selected from a chlorate of an alkali metal, a chlorate of an alkaline earth metal, a perchlorate of an alkali metal, and a perchlorate of an alkaline earth metal.

7. The drug delivery device of claim 6, wherein the oxidizing agent is selected from potassium chlorate and potassium perchlorate.

8. The drug delivery device of claim 3, wherein the initiator composition comprises an additive material.

9. The drug delivery device of claim 8 wherein the additive material is selected from diatomaceous earth, glass beads, and colloidal silica.

10. The drug delivery device of claim 3, further comprising a mechanism for producing an electric current to activate the igniter.

11. The drug delivery device of claim 3, further comprising a mechanism for producing electromagnetic radiation to activate the igniter.

12. The drug delivery device of claim 3, further comprising a mechanism for producing a percussive force to activate the igniter.

13. The drug delivery device of claim 3, wherein the drug delivery device comprises more than one heating unit.