Folded Nasal Inhaler Casing for Simpler Unit-Dose Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dry powder inhalers for nasal administration face challenges in assembly and manufacturing complexity due to separate casing parts, requiring complex handling and orientation during use, which increases costs and reduces efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A dry-powder inhaler design featuring a casing with a first and second portion connected by a hinge, allowing assembly by folding, with an angled outlet and integrated components for nasal administration, enabling one-piece injection molding and simplified assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a unit-dose nasal inhaler is designed to be compact and portable, then it can be easily carried and administered, but the dose reservoir may not be fully depleted and residual medication remains
Solution Approach 1:
The piston is designed to move dynamically from an initial position to a final position, creating variable compression forces during the actuation process. This dynamic movement ensures complete depletion of the dose reservoir by maintaining sufficient pressure differential throughout the entire stroke, preventing residual medication from remaining in the reservoir.
2Loss of substance
If the piston compresses the powder too strongly, then the powder is fully depleted from the reservoir, but powder particles may be forced past the piston and contaminate the plunger
Solution Approach 1:
The piston surface is designed with specific local properties including a smooth finish and appropriate hardness to interact with the powder without causing excessive force. The piston geometry and surface characteristics are optimized to compress the powder effectively while preventing particles from being forced past the piston edge, thus avoiding plunger contamination.
3Reliability
If the piston is pre-compressed before sealing, then sealing force is improved, but the force required to actuate the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The piston is pre-compressed to a predetermined position before the sealing operation, creating an initial compression state that facilitates effective sealing when the device is actuated. This preliminary positioning ensures that the piston is ready to seal immediately upon activation, improving sealing reliability without requiring excessive actuation force.
4Loss of substance
If the device uses a complex mechanism to ensure complete dose depletion, then residual medication is minimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The piston's own movement and compression action during normal device operation serve dual purposes: it both administers the medication dose and ensures complete depletion of the reservoir. The piston's geometry and movement characteristics are designed to automatically prevent residual medication without requiring additional complex mechanisms or components.
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 design simplifies manufacturing, reduces costs, and ensures efficient nasal administration without requiring specific orientations, enhancing user-friendliness and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
the piston compresses the powder in the dose reservoir and forces it through the orifice
Implementation Method 2
a spring biased piston is positioned within the sealed dose reservoir
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A dry-powder nasal inhaler (10) comprising a casing (19) is provided. The casing (19) comprises a first casing portion (11); a second casing portion (12); a hinge arrangement (40) connecting said first casing portion (11) and second casing portion (12). The dry-powder inhaler (10) is assembled by means of folding the first casing portion (11) and the second casing portion (12) together. The first casing portion (11) comprises a cavity (81) for receiving the lidding foil (95), said cavity being adapted to contain a dry- powder medicament. The first casing portion (11) and second casing portion (12) when folded together are adapted to form an inlet (9) for allowing a lidding foil (95) extending out there from and an outlet (8) for providing the medicament.