Inhaler with Pivoting Lever and Blister Compartmentalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inhalation devices for medicament delivery require frequent blister replacement and lack a mechanism for efficient storage and disposal of used blisters, complicating user experience and device maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a housing with a blister strip drive mechanism and a pivoting actuating lever that sequentially aligns blisters with a piercing member, allowing for easy inhalation of medicament doses while retaining used blisters within the device, utilizing a flexible spiral element for compact storage and a dividing wall to separate used and unused compartments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If conventional inhalation devices store multiple blisters, then the device can be used repeatedly without frequent replacement, but the device complexity increases due to indexing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the blister storage function with the device housing itself, creating an integrated chamber that holds multiple blisters. The actuating lever serves dual purposes: it actuates the piercing mechanism and simultaneously indexes the blister strip, eliminating the need for separate indexing mechanisms and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining multi-dose capability
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating lever is designed as a multi-functional component that performs multiple operations: it pivots to move the piercing member, it indexes the blister strip to the next position, and it controls the sequencing of dose delivery. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the device structure
2Ease of operation
If used blisters are retained within the device, then hygiene is maintained and disposal is simplified, but the device complexity increases due to compartmentalization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The device housing is segmented into distinct compartments: a first chamber for storing unused blisters and a second chamber for collecting used blisters. A partition wall with an opening and closure mechanism separates these chambers, allowing organized storage and easy disposal of used blisters while maintaining hygiene during the medication delivery process
Solution Approach 2:
A closure mechanism acts as an intermediary between the two chambers, controlling access to the used blister compartment. This closure can be opened to dispose of used blisters and closed to maintain hygiene, providing a simple interface that manages the complexity of compartmentalization
3Device complexity
If a pivoting actuating lever is used to align blisters, then the mechanism is simplified compared to linear indexing, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic pivoting actuating lever that rotates about a fixed axis to index the blister strip. This rotational motion is inherently more compact and mechanically simpler than linear indexing mechanisms. The design incorporates cam surfaces and guide features that accommodate normal manufacturing tolerances, reducing the stringency of precision requirements compared to rigid linear positioning systems
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
This configuration enables a robust, user-friendly inhalation device that reduces the need for frequent blister replacement, maintains hygiene by retaining used blisters, and simplifies storage through compact coiling and compartmentalization, enhancing the device's usability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
so that the blister piercing member pivots about said first axis in response to rotation of the actuating member from an initial position about a second axis to puncture the lid of an aligned blister so an airflow through the blister is generated to entrain the dose contained therein
Data Source
AI summary
An inhaler comprising a housing to receive a strip having a plurality of blisters is disclosed. Each blister has a puncturable lid and contains a dose of medicament for inhalation by a user. A mouthpiece is pivotally mounted to the housing through which a dose of medicament is inhaled by a user. The inhaler also has an actuating mechanism including a lever operable to sequentially move each blister into alignment with a blister piercing member depending from the mouthpiece. The actuating lever is also operable to cause the mouthpiece to pivot so that the blister piercing member punctures the lid of an aligned blister so that, when a user inhales through the mouthpiece, an airflow through the blister is generated to entrain the dose contained therein and carry it, via the mouthpiece, into the user's airway.