Inhaler Dose Integrity via Breath-Triggered Reservoir Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dry powder inhalers face issues with precision and reproducibility of dosage, risk of overdose due to dose loss during handling, and difficulty in ensuring complete opening of individual reservoirs without risking adjacent doses, leading to potential under-dosing or overdose.
Innovation Solution
A dry powder inhaler design that includes a blister strip with a guide wheel and opening means triggered by inhalation, ensuring precise dosing and reproducibility, with a dose counter and mechanism to prevent dose loss if the device is closed without inhalation, and a system for high efficiency in powder delivery to the lungs.
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 reservoir and positioning the dose in the expulsion duct only after detecting inhalation has started. The inhalation detection mechanism triggers the opening means to pierce the reservoir and release the dose, ensuring the dose is not exposed before the user actually inhales, thus preventing loss from accidental handling.
2Reliability
If the opening means is actuated by inhalation to synchronize dose expulsion with inhalation, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but the forces applied to open the reservoir are difficult to control, risking opening adjacent reservoirs
Solution Approach 1:
The opening means is designed with segmented or localized piercing elements that target only the specific reservoir currently positioned in the expulsion duct. The piercing mechanism is spatially restricted to penetrate only the active reservoir's closing layer, preventing adjacent reservoirs from being opened even when significant forces are applied during inhalation.
3Ease of operation
If the closing wall is pierced to open the reservoir, then opening is achieved, but the cut-out wall parts risk retaining part of the dose inside the reservoir
Solution Approach 1:
The opening means completely removes or extracts the closing layer (foil or membrane) of the reservoir through piercing and peeling action, rather than just making a small puncture. This complete removal ensures that no portion of the dose is retained by wall fragments, allowing 100% of the powdered dose to be expelled into the duct for delivery to the user.
4Reliability
If individual reservoirs are used to ensure better sealing, then dose integrity is improved, but the device size increases to store multiple doses
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual reservoirs are arranged in a compact, nested configuration within the device body. The reservoirs can be positioned in a stacked or layered arrangement that maximizes space utilization, allowing multiple sealed doses to be stored in a minimal volume while maintaining the integrity and sealing of each individual reservoir.
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 achieves high efficiency in delivering a large portion of the dose to the intended area with minimal risk of overdose or underdose, ensuring absolute dose integrity and precise dosing reproducibility, with a high emptying rate of over 95% and low variability across successive actuations.
Implementation Method 1
detection means in the form of a deformable diaphragm which can be deformed during inhalation
Implementation Method 2
a spring which exerts a force on the support means to move the latter in the direction of its open position
Data Source
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AI summary
Inhaler comprising a body, at least one cap piece that is movable between a closed position and an open position, individual chambers formed on a chamber supporting member, movable supporting means (50) that take said chamber supporting member and are displaceable between a non-dispensing position and a dispensing position, a device for indicating doses dispensed or yet to be dispensed, said indicating device comprising a rotary indicating piece (127) having indicating means such as numbers, colours and/or symbols, and an actuator (160) operating in conjunction with said movable supporting means to turn said rotary indicating piece, when said movable supporting means return from the dispensing position to the non-dispensing position.