Dry Powder Inhaler Air Inlet Width Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inhaler devices for dry powder medications are not fully satisfactory in terms of delivering drug doses effectively and repeatably, with limitations in airflow resistance and drug formulation efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The development of a suction-operated dry powder inhaler device with a rotatable mouthpiece and perforating needles, combined with a dry powder respirable drug blend formulation using a lactose excipient and micronized crystal particles, optimized for improved airflow resistance and drug delivery efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the air inlet hole width is increased to improve airflow, then the airflow resistance decreases, but the drug delivery efficiency and emitted dose uniformity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the air inlet hole width to a specific range (0.6-1.17 mm) to achieve the optimal balance between airflow resistance and drug delivery efficiency. This precise parameter control ensures that the airflow is sufficient to aerosolize the medication while maintaining the emitted dose uniformity within acceptable limits (PMD 10-20%).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a rotatable mouthpiece that can be manually rotated by the user between an open condition (for capsule access) and a closed use condition (for inhalation). This dynamic mechanism allows the device to adapt between different operational states, improving both ease of operation and drug delivery consistency by ensuring proper sealing during inhalation.
2Ease of operation
If a perforating needle is added to perforate the capsule, then the capsule contents can be released, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating a perforating needle that automatically perforates the capsule before inhalation. The needle is positioned to pierce the capsule membrane in advance, allowing the medication to be released into the inhalation chamber when airflow is generated, without requiring additional user actions or complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables self-service by using the user's own inhalation airflow to drive the medication from the perforated capsule into the inhalation chamber. The airflow generated during normal inhalation serves dual purposes: it drives the medication release and creates the aerosol, eliminating the need for separate mechanisms to transfer the powder.
3Productivity
If the recess dimensions are increased to accommodate capsule rotation, then the capsule can spin freely for better content ejection, but the device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by designing the recess with specific dimensional relationships: the height along the longitudinal axis is larger than the capsule diameter, and the transverse diameter is larger than the capsule length. This allows the capsule to rotate freely in multiple dimensions within the recess, improving content ejection efficiency without requiring a proportionally large increase in overall device volume.
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 inhaler device achieves enhanced airflow resistance and drug delivery efficiency, increasing the emitted dose and uniformity of the drug formulation, while reducing particle deposition in the mouthpiece and improving lung filling, thus providing a more effective asthma treatment.
Implementation Method 1
a suction operated inhaler device includes a bottom inhaler body and a top mouthpiece... allows an inhaling suction generated airflow passing through a first air inlet hole to mix with the contents of the capsule for inhaling the contents in the recess through the mouthpiece
Implementation Method 2
at least one perforating needle associated with the inhaler body. The at least one perforating needle is adapted to perforate the capsule to allow a contents of the capsule to enter the capsule recess
Implementation Method 3
allows an inhaling suction generated airflow passing through a first air inlet hole to mix with the contents of the capsule for inhaling the contents in the recess through the mouthpiece
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary dry powder inhaler devices may include a housing body having a medicine capsule recess therein, a pair of air inlets each fluidically connecting to the recess, and an outlet body coupled to the housing body. Each inlet may have a width no greater than 1.17 mm. The outlet body may have a channel fluidically connecting the recess to an opening and configured to allow a user to draw air through the opening, thereby allowing an airstream to be drawn through the air inlets, into the housing body recess where it causes the capsule to spin and eject its contents into the airstream, and through the outlet body channel and opening to deliver the substance into the user's lungs. Dry powder respirable drug blend formulations, methods of manufacturing the formulations and drug/device combinations are also provided.