One-Piece Dry Powder Inhaler Base Body Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dry powder inhalers face challenges in manufacturing cost, robustness, and flexibility in delivering powdered formulations effectively to the lungs, with limitations in controlling powder deposition and turbulence.
Innovation Solution
A dry powder inhaler design featuring a one-piece base body with a hinge connection, interchangeable mesh pieces, and specific structural features that enhance manufacturing simplicity, robustness, and flexibility in powder delivery, including a smaller duct diameter to control pressure and turbulence, and a mesh piece with different opening structures to optimize delivery profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a one-piece base body is used instead of multiple assembled parts, then manufacturing cost is reduced and robustness is enhanced, but manufacturing precision may be compromised due to single-piece molding constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The base body is constructed as a single integrated piece combining the capsule chamber, duct support, and mesh holder into one molded component. This eliminates multiple assembly steps and associated precision requirements while reducing manufacturing cost through simplified production processes.
2Productivity
If the duct inner diameter is reduced to control pressure and turbulence, then powder delivery to lower airways is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase to maintain consistent flow characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The duct inner diameter is optimized to a specific small dimension (approximately 4-6mm) to create controlled turbulence and pressure conditions that enhance powder aerosolization. This parameter is carefully selected to balance delivery efficiency with manufacturing feasibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If interchangeable mesh pieces with different opening structures are implemented, then adaptability in delivery profile is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple mesh components
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh piece is designed as a separate, interchangeable component that can be easily removed and replaced. Different mesh configurations (openings, patterns, densities) are available as separate pieces, allowing users to swap between delivery profiles without affecting the main inhaler body.
4Ease of operation
If the capsule chamber width is increased to accommodate capsule insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but the device dimensions and portability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The mouthpiece is designed to pivot open relative to the base body, creating a dynamic opening mechanism. This allows the capsule chamber width to effectively increase during operation for easy capsule insertion, while the inhaler maintains a compact closed form factor for portability.
Data Source
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AI summary
It is provided a dry powder inhaler (2) for a capsule containing dry powder, the dry powder inhaler (2) comprises: a mouth piece (14) with a mouth portion, wherein an opening of the mouth portion leads into a duct; a one- piece base body (10) comprising a capsule chamber portion and being attached to a covering body (6); and an actuator button (8) movable relative to the one-piece base body (10) from a normal position to a perforation position along an actuation direction, wherein the actuation direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein perforation needles attached to the actuator button (8) extend into the capsule chamber when the actuator button (8) is in the perforation position.