Inhaler

Abstract

In one embodiment, the inhaler comprises a body having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface on which a mouthpiece is provided, and a longitudinal channel formed therein extending from the first surface to the second surface; a cartridge connected to the first surface of the body and communicating with the channel, the cartridge containing an inhalable powder; and a plurality of baffles arranged in the channel, wherein when an inhalation force is applied to the mouthpiece, the baffles limit the particle size of the inhalable powder transferred to the mouthpiece.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An inhaler is disclosed. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, an inhaler is a device used to inhale compositions such as drugs and other substances as a liquid or gas through the oral or nasal cavity during the inhalation process. Such inhalers include a container containing the inhalable composition, and the composition is sprayed from the container along a tube connected to the container and ultimately into the oral or nasal cavity of the user through an inhalation port. Inhalers include liquid inhalers and vapor inhalers, as well as powder inhalers that spray fine powder of the composition as particulates, and aerosol inhalers that aerosolize the composition and deliver it.

[0003] Dry powder inhalers deliver a fixed dose of pharmacological substances into the body. They are primarily used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They use finely dried powder of 5-10 μm or less to ensure efficient absorption of the substance. A fixed amount of the drug is packed into a hard capsule for metered delivery. Recently, the range of applications for dry powder inhalers has expanded, from single-dose and multi-dose dry powder inhalers to dry powder inhalers for inhaling pharmacological substances, functional substances, and recreational substances such as nicotine.

[0004] The above-mentioned background art is what the inventors possessed or learned in the process of deriving the present invention, and is not necessarily publicly known art that was disclosed to the general public prior to the filing of the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1759972 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of one embodiment is to provide an inhaler that can be inhaled immediately by fastening a dry powder cartridge without a separate capsule crushing device, and that has the function of removing impurities or particles that aggregate and cause coughing through the inertial dust collection principle.

[0007] The problems to be solved by the embodiments are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned object, one embodiment of an inhaler includes a main body having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface on which a mouthpiece is provided, and having a vertical channel formed therein extending from the first surface to the second surface; a cartridge connected to the first surface of the main body and communicating with the channel, the cartridge containing inhalable powder; and a plurality of baffles arranged in the channel, wherein when an inhalation force is applied to the mouthpiece, the baffles can limit the particle size of the inhalable powder transferred to the mouthpiece.

[0009] According to one aspect, the baffle includes a first baffle member having one end fixed to the inner wall of the channel and the other end extending toward the longitudinal centerline of the channel, and a second baffle member extending further toward the centerline at an angle to the other end of the first baffle member, the second baffle member preventing particles of the inhalable powder exceeding a predetermined size from passing through the channel.

[0010] According to one aspect, the second baffle member can extend beyond the centerline of the channel.

[0011] According to one aspect, the plurality of baffles may be spaced apart within a range of 20 to 70% of the length of the main body in the vertical direction.

[0012] According to one aspect, a portion of the channel adjacent to the second surface may be formed in a spiral shape.

[0013] According to one aspect, the channel may be formed to have a constant cross-sectional area.

[0014] According to one aspect, the channel may be formed in a shape in which a cross-sectional area decreases toward the second surface.

[0015] According to one aspect, the device further includes a mesh disposed between the main body and the cartridge, the mesh being capable of restricting the particle size of inhalable powder flowing from the cartridge into the channel.

[0016] According to one aspect, a plurality of magnetic fastening members may be provided on the first surface of the body and one side of the cartridge, respectively, and the fastening members of the body and the cartridge may be detachably coupled to each other.

[0017] According to one aspect, a groove is formed on one side of the cartridge, the groove having a shape that matches the shape of the end of the body adjacent to the first surface, and the end of the body can be inserted into the groove in a snap-fit ​​manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to one embodiment of the inhaler, the dry powder cartridge can be fastened and inhaled immediately without the need for a separate capsule crushing device, and the inertial dust collection principle has the effect of removing impurities or particles that aggregate and cause coughing.

[0019] The effects of the inhaler according to one embodiment are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an inhaler according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 shows an inhaler with a body having channels of different shapes formed therein. [Figure 3] 1 shows the main body and cartridge joined together by a magnetic fastening method. [Figure 4] 1 shows the body and cartridge mating together. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The following drawings attached to this specification illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention and, together with the detailed description of the invention, serve to further understand the technical concept of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to only the matters depicted in such drawings.

[0022] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, specific structural or functional descriptions disclosed in this specification are merely examples for the purpose of describing the embodiments, and the embodiments may be implemented in various different forms, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification. It should be understood that all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives to the embodiments are included in the scope of the claims.

[0023] Furthermore, in describing components of the embodiments, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are merely used to distinguish the component from other components, and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the components. When a component is described as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the different component, but additional components may be "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" between the components.

[0024] Components having common functions with components included in one embodiment will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, the description of one embodiment will be applied to other embodiments, and detailed description will be omitted to the extent that they overlap.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows an inhaler 10 according to one embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows an inhaler 10' with a body 100' having channels formed therein of another shape.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows the main body 100 and the cartridge 200 coupled together by a magnetic fastening method.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows the body 100 and cartridge 200' mated together.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, an inhaler 10 according to one embodiment includes a body 100 , a cartridge 200 and a baffle 300 .

[0030] The main body 100 includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a plurality of side surfaces surrounding the first and second surfaces. A cartridge 200 may be coupled to the first surface. A mouthpiece 120 may be provided on the second surface. A channel 110 is formed inside the main body 100, penetrating the first and second surfaces. The channel 110 is a passage through which inhalable powder is transferred to the mouthpiece 120 for delivery to the user. Here, the inhalable powder may be transferred to the mouthpiece 120 along a vertical direction from the first surface to the second surface.

[0031] The channel 110 may be spirally shaped with a helical shape at the end adjacent the second surface, so that a vortex may be generated in the flow of inhalable powder.

[0032] Referring again to FIG. 1, the channel 110 may be formed with a constant cross-sectional area.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, the channel 110' may be formed in a shape in which the cross-sectional area decreases as it approaches the second surface.

[0034] The cross-sectional area or cut-off size of the channels 110, 110' may be configured to transition between 20-50 μm, or 50-100 μm at a flow rate of 1.67 lpm of inhalable powder, for example.

[0035] The main body 100 may also be provided with a flow rate distribution structure at an end adjacent to the second surface for adjusting the amount of inhalation of the inhalable powder.

[0036] Furthermore, the main body 100 is made of materials such as PLA, ABS, PC, and PP, and may also be made of other biodegradable (environmentally friendly) materials or metals.

[0037] The cartridge 200 is coupled to the first surface of the main body 100. The cartridge 200 may contain an inhalable powder therein and may be internally connected to the channel 110 of the main body 100. The cartridge 200 may contain one or more doses of the inhalable powder. The inhalable powder may contain, for example, nicotine, nicotine salt, caffeine, taurine, vitamins, or other substances. The inhalable powder may also contain flavor particles such as natural flavor particles or menthol. The inhalable powder may be provided, for example, in the form of a dry powder. Here, the dry powder used in the inhaler 10 may contain or not contain a carrier. The size of the inhalable powder is approximately 5 to 10 μm, and may include menthol particles of 20 μm or larger.

[0038] As described above, the inhalable powder is transferred through the channel 110 so that the user can inhale the inhalable powder into their body.

[0039] In addition, the cartridge 200 can be detachably coupled to the first surface. Therefore, when the inhalable powder contained in the cartridge 200 runs out, it can be replaced with a new cartridge 200 and attached to the main body 100. Here, the cartridge 200 may be fastened by a magnet or by a snap-fit ​​fastening. The fastening method of the cartridge 200 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0040] Meanwhile, the inhaler 10 according to one embodiment is a device that transfers inhalable powder using the inertial force of particles, and if the transferred inhalable powder particles are larger than a certain size, they may cause the user to cough. Therefore, a plurality of baffles 300 may be provided in a zigzag configuration as a countermeasure structure to prevent particles or impurities larger than a certain size from being transferred into the body due to aggregation or clumping between particles.

[0041] The baffle 300 is disposed in the channel 110 .

[0042] When an inhalation force is applied to the mouthpiece 120, the inhalable powder contained in the cartridge 200 is transferred through the channel 110 toward the mouthpiece 120. Here, the baffle 300 can limit the particle size of the inhalable powder transferred to the mouthpiece 120.

[0043] For example, the baffle 300 may filter the inhalable powder passing through the channel 110 to remove particles above a predetermined size.

[0044] A plurality of baffles 300 may be provided, and the respective baffles 300 may be arranged alternately and spaced apart along the inner wall of the channel 110 in the longitudinal direction, as shown in FIG.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 3, the baffle 300 includes a first baffle member 310 and a second baffle member 320 .

[0046] The first baffle member 310 has one end fixed to the inner wall of the channel 110 and the other end extending toward the longitudinal centerline of the channel 110. For example, the length of the first baffle member 310 may be 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90% of the length of the channel 110 in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction.

[0047] The second baffle member 320 extends further toward the centerline of the first baffle member 310 while forming an angle with the other end of the first baffle member 310. The angle between the second baffle member 320 and the other end of the first baffle member 310 may be between 30 and 120 degrees. Preferably, the angle may be 90 degrees. The second baffle member 320 may extend further beyond the centerline of the channel 110. Such a second baffle member 320 prevents particles of the inhalable powder that exceed a predetermined size from passing through the channel 110.

[0048] The predetermined particle size filtered by the baffle 300 may vary depending on the length and shape of the first baffle member 310 and the second baffle member 320, or the spacing between the first baffle members 310. The area within the channel 110 where the multiple baffles 300 are arranged may be 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, or 70% of the entire length of the channel 110 in the vertical direction.

[0049] As described above, by placing multiple baffles in the channel 110 through which the inhalable powder passes, one embodiment of the inhaler 10 can prevent particles or impurities above a certain size from being transferred into the body.

[0050] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the inhaler 10 according to one embodiment may further include a mesh screen 400 .

[0051] The mesh netting 400 is disposed between the main body 100 and the cartridge 200. The mesh netting 400 can limit the particle size of the inhalable powder flowing from the cartridge 200 into the channel 110. That is, the mesh netting 400 can pre-filter inhalable powder exceeding a predetermined size before the inhalable powder is filtered by the baffle 300.

[0052] The mesh may be made of the same material as the main body 100, such as PLA. The mesh may be made of a chemically stable metal that is not toxic when inhaled, such as stainless steel.

[0053] 3, the inhaler 10 according to one embodiment may include a plurality of fastening members 220 on each of the main body 100 and the cartridge 200. The fastening members 220 may be disposed adjacent to a first surface of the main body 100. Alternatively, the fastening members 220 may be disposed on one side of the cartridge 200 at positions corresponding to the fastening members 220 disposed on the main body 100. The fastening members 220 may be implemented as magnetic structures such as magnets. The fastening members 220 of the main body 100 and the fastening members 220 of the cartridge 200 may be implemented as magnets of different polarities and may be detachably coupled to each other.

[0054] 4, a cartridge 200' of an inhaler according to another embodiment may have a groove 220' formed on one side. The groove 220' may be formed in a similar shape to match the end of the main body 100 adjacent to the first surface. Therefore, the end of the main body 100 can be inserted and coupled to the groove 220' of the cartridge 200' in a snap-fit ​​manner.

[0055] As described above, one embodiment of the inhaler 10 can transfer inhalable powder while selectively removing particles above a certain size using baffles 300 arranged in a zigzag configuration, allowing the user to take multiple or single inhalations of the inhalable powder.

[0056] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments and drawings that are limited to specific features, such as specific components, but these are provided to facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made from these embodiments. For example, the described techniques may be performed in a different order than described, and / or the described components, such as structures and devices, may be combined or combined in a different manner than described, or may be substituted or replaced with other components or equivalents, and still achieve suitable results. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should encompass not only the following claims, but also all equivalent or similar modifications within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. a main body including a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface on which a mouthpiece is provided, the main body having a longitudinal channel formed therein from the first surface to the second surface; a cartridge coupled to a first surface of the body and communicating with the channel, the cartridge containing an inhalable powder; a plurality of baffles disposed in the channel; Including, An inhaler, wherein the baffle limits the particle size of inhalable powder transferred to the mouthpiece when an inhalation force is applied to the mouthpiece.

2. The baffle is a first baffle member having one end secured to the inner wall of the channel and another end extending toward the longitudinal centerline of the channel; a second baffle member extending further toward the centerline while forming an angle with the other end of the first baffle member; Including, 2. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the second baffle member does not allow particles of the inhalable powder exceeding a predetermined size to pass through the channel.

3. 3. The inhaler of claim 2, wherein the second baffle member extends beyond the centerline of the channel.

4. 2. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the baffles are spaced apart within a range of 20 to 70% of the longitudinal length of the body.

5. The inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the channel is spirally shaped in a portion adjacent the second surface.

6. The inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the channel is formed with a constant cross-sectional area.

7. The inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein the channel is formed in a shape in which a cross-sectional area decreases toward the second surface.

8. further comprising a mesh screen disposed between the body and the cartridge; 10. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the mesh screen restricts the particle size of inhalable powder passing from the cartridge into the channel.

9. a plurality of magnetic fastening members are provided on the first surface of the body and one side of the cartridge, respectively; The inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the fastening members of the main body and the cartridge are detachably coupled to each other.

10. a groove having a shape that matches the shape of an end portion of the body adjacent to the first surface is formed on one side of the cartridge; The inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the end of the body is snap-fitted into the groove.

Images