Blister Package Moisture Barrier for Pulmonary Cartridges
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Pharmaceutical formulations for pulmonary delivery, such as dry powder inhalers, are sensitive to degradation due to exposure to moisture, requiring improved packaging that provides structural rigidity and a moisture barrier to prevent physical damage and environmental factors.
Innovation Solution
Blister packages with a laminated composite base material, including a fluoropolymer like ACLAR, and a soft tempered aluminum foil lid, offering a high moisture barrier and structural rigidity to protect cartridges during shipping, handling, and storage, while allowing for easy dispensation of medicaments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional packaging is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but moisture barrier performance is insufficient causing formulation degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The blister package employs a composite laminate structure consisting of multiple layers including a fluoropolymer layer (e.g., PCTFE) as the moisture barrier layer, combined with other polymer layers to form a multi-layer packaging system. This composite structure provides superior moisture protection compared to single-material packaging while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through established lamination processes.
2Strength
If single-material packaging is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but structural rigidity is insufficient allowing material curling
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging utilizes a multi-layer laminate composite where the fluoropolymer layer is combined with other polymer layers having complementary mechanical properties. This composite construction provides enhanced structural rigidity and dimensional stability, preventing the curling and deformation that occur in single-material packaging, while the modular nature of composite materials allows for optimization of mechanical properties without excessive complexity.
3Reliability
If enhanced moisture barrier packaging is implemented, then formulation protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluoropolymer-based laminate structure utilizes established lamination and thermoforming technologies that are already part of the pharmaceutical packaging manufacturing ecosystem. The composite material layers can be produced through conventional extrusion and lamination processes, and the final blister formation is achieved through standard thermoforming techniques, thereby maintaining manufacturing feasibility while achieving superior moisture barrier performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The blister packages effectively prevent water infiltration, maintain the stability of pharmaceutical formulations, and provide structural support, ensuring the integrity of the cartridges and medicaments during storage and use, while facilitating easy dispensing.
Implementation Method 1
a laminated composite base material, including a fluoropolymer like ACLAR, and a soft tempered aluminum foil lid, offering a high moisture barrier
Implementation Method 2
The blister packages can provide structural rigidity that resists curling of the material used
Implementation Method 3
the blister package can provide a high moisture barrier to protect a cartridge comprising a drug formulation during shipping, handling and/or storage
Data Source
AI summary
A blister packaging for a pharmaceutical cartridge or capsule and methods of forming same are disclosed.