BEAD-CONTAINING DRY POWDER INHALER

• US 20120291780A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Respira Therapeutics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Respira Therapeutics, Inc.
• Inventors: Pappo, Jacques, Smyth, Hugh, Donovan, Martin J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,651,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0003 with means for dispensing more than one drug
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/001 using ultrasonic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0021 Mouthpieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0028 using prepacked dosages, one for each application, e.g. capsules to be perforated or broken-up
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0036 hollow piercing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0063 Storages for pre-packed dosages
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/127 by Venturi effect, i.e. entrainment mixers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/43 making noise when used correctly

Abstract

A dry powder inhaler includes a chamber holding a bead-like actuator to which a powdered medicament is adhered. Air is drawn into the chamber through an inlet flow channel and exits through an outlet flow channel. The bead-like actuator oscillates in response to the air flow, dislodging powdered medicament to be entrained in the air flow and delivered to the patient.

Claims

1. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:

an inlet channel through which air enters the inhaler;

a chamber that receives air from the inlet channel, the chamber being of a size and shape to contain a bead-like actuator having an outer surface to which at least one medicament is adhered; and

an outlet channel through which air and the powdered medicament leave the inhaler to be delivered to a patient;

wherein the geometry of the inhaler is such that a flow profile is generated within the chamber that causes the bead-like actuator to oscillate, thus detaching the medicament from the surface of the bead-like actuator to be entrained by the air and delivered to the patient through the outlet channel.

2. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, wherein the cross sectional area of the flow path through the inhaler undergoes a step increase at the entrance to the chamber.

3. The dry powder inhaler of claim 2, wherein at the entrance to the chamber the diameter of the chamber is at least 1.5 times the diameter of the inlet channel.

4. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, wherein the inlet channel comprises a tapered tube.

5. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, wherein the outlet channel comprises a tube whose cross section changes along the length of the tube.

6. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, wherein the outlet channel comprises a mouthpiece adapted to be placed within the mouth of the patient.

7. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, wherein the outlet channel comprises a nasal adapter adapted to conform to the nostrils of the patient.

8. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, further comprising one or more bypass channels that receive supplemental air from outside the inhaler and deliver the supplemental air to the patient without the supplemental air having passed through the chamber.

9. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, wherein the inlet channel is a first inlet channel and the chamber is a first chamber, the dry powder inhaler further comprising a second inlet channel and a second chamber.

10. The dry powder inhaler of claim 9, wherein air and powdered medicament leaving the first and second chambers are delivered to the outlet channel.

11. The dry powder inhaler of claim 9, wherein the outlet channel is a first outlet channel, the dry powder inhaler further comprising a second outlet channel, and wherein air and powdered medicament leaving the first chamber are delivered to the first outlet channel, and air and powdered medicament leaving the second chamber are delivered to the second outlet channel.

12. The dry powder inhaler of claim 9, wherein the first and second chambers are of the same dimensions.

13. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, wherein the dry powder inhaler is separable or openable to permit insertion of a capsule into the chamber, the capsule containing the bead-like actuator.

14. The dry powder inhaler of claim 13, further comprising features for puncturing seals at ends of the capsule.

15. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, further comprising a retaining member disposed at an end of the chamber opposite the inlet channel, the retaining member having one or more openings size to permit air and the powdered medicament to pass through the retaining member, and to prevent the bead-like actuator from passing through the retaining member.

16. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, wherein the chamber is configured such that the bead-like actuator is permitted to freely move within the chamber while oscillating such that the bead-like actuator is unanchored while oscillating.

17. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, wherein the medicament comprises a powder that is adhered to the bead-like actuator.

18. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1, further comprising multiple types of medicaments adhered to the bead-like actuator.

19. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:

an inlet channel through which air enters the inhaler;

a chamber that receives air from the inlet channel;

a bead-like actuator disposed within the chamber, wherein the bead-like actuator has an outer surface to which a medicament is adhered; and

an outlet channel through which air and the powdered medicament leave the inhaler to be delivered to a patient;

wherein the geometry of the inhaler is such that a flow profile is generated within the chamber that causes the bead-like actuator to oscillate, thus detaching the medicament from the surface of the bead-like actuator to be entrained by the air and delivered to the patient through the outlet channel.

20. The dry powder inhaler of claim 19, wherein the bead-like actuator comprises expanded polystyrene.

21. The dry powder inhaler of claim 19, wherein the bead-like actuator comprises polyolefin.

22. The dry powder inhaler of claim 19, wherein the bead-like actuator has a density between about 0.001 and about 5.0 g/cm³.

23. The dry powder inhaler of claim 19, wherein the bead-like actuator has a diameter of at least about 500 microns.

24. The dry powder inhaler of claim 19, wherein the bead-like actuator has a diameter between about 1,000 and 25,000 microns.

25. The dry powder inhaler of claim 19, wherein a combination of medicaments is adhered to the bead-like actuator.

26. The dry powder inhaler of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of chambers disposed on a rotary element for selectively aligning any of the chambers with the outlet channel.

27. The dry powder inhaler of claim 19, wherein the inhaler includes multiple chambers, and wherein each chamber includes a bead-like actuator with a medicament.

28. The dry powder inhaler of claim 27, wherein the at least some of the bead-like actuators include different medicaments.

29. The dry powder inhaler of claim 27, wherein at least one of the bead-like actuators includes multiple medicaments thereon.

30. A method, comprising:

obtaining a dry power inhaler that includes an inlet channel, a chamber, and an outlet channel, the chamber holding a bead-like actuator, wherein one or more powdered medicaments are adhered to an outside surface of the bead-like actuator; and

inhaling through the outlet channel, causing air to flow into the inlet channel, through the chamber, and through the outlet chamber, the flowing air also causing the bead-like actuator to oscillate to dislodge powdered medicament from the surface of the bead-like actuator to be entrained in the flowing air and carried through the outlet channel.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

separating or opening portions of the inhaler comprising the chamber and the outlet channel;

loading the bead-like actuator into the chamber; and

re-engaging or closing the two portions of the inhaler.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein a combination of powdered medicaments is adhered to the bead-like actuator.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the dry powder inhaler includes at least two chambers holding at least one bead-like actuator in each chamber, wherein the bead-like actuators each have medicament adhered to them, and wherein the flowing air causes each bead-like actuator to oscillate to dislodge powdered medicament to be inhaled.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the bead-like actuators each have the same powdered medicament adhered thereto.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein at least two bead-like actuators have different powdered medicaments adhered thereto.

36. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:

an inlet channel through which air enters the inhaler;

a chamber that receives air from the inlet channel;

a bead-like actuator disposed within the chamber, wherein the bead-like actuator has an outer surface to which at least one medicament is adhered; and

an outlet channel through which air and the powdered medicament leave the inhaler to be delivered to a patient;

wherein the geometry of the inlet and the chamber, and the mass of the bead-like actuator, are configured such that the bead-like actuator oscillates at a desired frequency and amplitude within the chamber when fluid flows through the chamber in order to detach the medicament from the outer surface of the bead-like actuator to be delivered to the patient through the outlet channel.