Inhaler Blister Strip Positioning for Dose Precision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dry powder inhalers face issues with precision and reproducibility of dosage, risk of overdose, and inefficient delivery of medication to the lungs, often due to improper handling and design flaws that lead to incomplete or lost doses, and bulky dose counters that are difficult to read.
Innovation Solution
A dry powder inhaler design that features a compact, user-friendly structure with individual blister reservoirs on a flexible strip, where each dose is opened and dispensed only during inhalation, utilizing a mechanism that ensures complete expulsion and includes a readable dose counter integrated into the device for accurate tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the dose is loaded into an expulsion duct before inhalation, then the device is ready for use, but the user risks losing the dose if the inhaler is dropped, shaken or tampered with between loading and inhalation
Solution Approach 1:
The device performs preliminary actions of opening the blister and transferring the dose to the expulsion duct only when inhalation is detected, not in advance. This ensures the dose is prepared at the exact moment of need, eliminating the risk of loss from handling between loading and inhalation while maintaining readiness.
2Manufacturing precision
If the device stores all doses inside, then dosing precision can be maintained, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the dose storage into individual sealed blisters arranged on a flexible strip, with only one blister opened at a time. This allows precise dosing control for the active blister while keeping the overall device compact, as doses are separated into discrete units rather than stored as a bulk quantity.
3Ease of operation
If the closing layer is peeled or peeled off to open the reservoir, then the dose can be accessed, but complete opening is difficult to control without risking opening the next reservoir
Solution Approach 1:
The device replaces the manual peeling action with a controlled mechanical piercing system. A piercing element is positioned to puncture the closing layer of the blister at a precise location, allowing the dose to be accessed through a controlled opening rather than requiring manual peeling, thus ensuring complete opening without risking damage to adjacent reservoirs.
4Ease of operation
If the closing wall is pierced to open the reservoir, then the dose can be accessed, but the cut-out wall parts risk retaining part of the dose inside
Solution Approach 1:
The device introduces an intermediary mechanism - a movable support means that actively moves the opened blister toward the piercing means after the piercing element creates the opening. This ensures complete extraction of the dose through the pierced wall, preventing any portion from being retained by cut-out wall parts, thereby guaranteeing dose completeness.
5Loss of information
If a dose counter is added to track doses, then the user can monitor remaining doses, but the counter increases device size and is often difficult to read
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses visual indicators that change color or appearance to display dose information. A window in the housing reveals visual indicators showing the number of remaining doses, providing clear dose tracking information without requiring a bulky digital display, thus maintaining compact device size while ensuring readability.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for dispensing fluid products, that comprises a body (10) provided with a dispensing opening (15), said device (10) further including a flexible elongated strip (20) bearing a plurality of tanks (21) each containing a fluid product dose, tank opening means (80) for opening a respective tank upon each actuation, first moving means (30) for moving said flexible strip (20) before and/or during and/or after each actuation in order to bring a full tank opposite said tank opening means, and second moving means (50) for moving a full tank (21) against said opening means (80) upon each actuation of the device, wherein said device includes positioning means (300) adapted for precisely positioning the full tank relative to the tank opening means (80) when it is moved against the same in order to ensure a predetermined and reproducible opening upon each actuation.