Capsule Impact Sensing in Inhalers for Flow Measurement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inhalers lack the ability to effectively measure and assess user inhalation features such as duration, volume, and flow rate, which are crucial for ensuring proper medication delivery and user compliance.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a spinning capsule in an inhaler to generate impact features, such as sound, which are sensed and correlated to inhalation flow features, allowing for the determination of characteristics like mean value, peak value, and duration, enabling the derivation of inhalation flow features without additional user effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional inhalers are used without impact sensing, then the device structure remains simple, but the ability to measure inhalation flow features (duration, volume, flow rate) is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule itself serves as the sensing element by generating impact features (sound) when it spins and impacts the inhaler walls during inhalation. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate complex sensors, allowing flow measurement without adding significant device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical flow sensors with acoustic sensing. By detecting the sound waves generated by the spinning capsule's impacts, the system can infer flow characteristics without requiring direct mechanical measurement of breath flow
2Measurement precision
If additional sensors are added to measure inhalation features, then measurement capability improves, but the ease of operation and user comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The capsule performs dual functions: delivering medication and generating measurable impact features. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for separate sensors that would require additional user interaction or attention, maintaining ease of operation while enabling measurement
3Productivity
If the capsule is made to spin freely to enable formulation release, then medication delivery improves, but the reliability of impact-based measurement deteriorates due to variable spinning motion
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the impact features generated by the capsule's spinning motion as feedback to determine inhalation characteristics. By analyzing the acoustic signals from the capsule impacts, the system can reliably infer flow features despite the variable nature of free spinning, turning the previously problematic variability into a useful measurement signal
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
Provides convenient and accurate measurement of inhalation flow features, enhancing user compliance and inhaler efficacy by providing direct feedback and enabling monitoring of inhalation patterns for both users and practitioners.
Implementation Method 1
sensing an impact feature relating to impacts of the capsule on the inhaler
Implementation Method 2
One non-limiting example is the sound which may be sensed by a microphone
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for measuring at least one inhalation flow feature in an inhaler, wherein a capsule containing a formulation is located in the inhaler, the method comprising the steps of sensing an impact feature relating to impacts of the capsule on the inhaler and correlating the impact feature to at least one inhalation flow feature. The present invention also relates to an inhaler adapted to aerosolize a formulation contained in a capsule, wherein the inhaler comprises a sensor for sensing an impact feature relating to impacts of the capsule on the inhaler and a processor for correlating the impact feature to at least one inhalation flow feature. The present invention also relates to a system comprising an inhaler adapted to aerosolize a formulation contained in a capsule and a computing device external of the inhaler, wherein the inhaler comprises a sensor for sensing an impact feature relating to impacts of the capsule on the inhaler and a data-receiving-transmitting means to receive and transmit data from and to the external computing device, wherein the external computing device also comprises data-receiving-transmitting means to receive and transmit data from and to the inhaler, wherein the inhaler and/or the external computing device comprises processing means for correlating the impact feature to at least one inhalation flow feature.