Rotatable Cover Energy Storage for Breath-Actuated Inhalers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing breath-actuated inhalers face challenges such as high manufacturing costs, complexity, and performance issues due to mechanical breath-actuation systems requiring tight tolerances, which can lead to instability and accidental disassembly, and often require full priming of energy storage mechanisms, making them unsuitable for price-sensitive markets.

Innovation Solution

A compact inhaler design featuring a rotatable cover that drives a resilient member to store energy through a cam arrangement, providing a linear force for actuation and preventing accidental disassembly by blocking certain rotational positions, thus reducing manufacturing costs and improving user safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If mechanical breath-actuation systems are used to coordinate dose release with inhalation, then therapeutic benefit is improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase due to tight tolerance requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoordination of dose release with inhalationVSAvoidmechanical breath-actuation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical breath-actuation systems with a simpler mechanism where a resilient member (spring) is compressed by the patient's inhalation flow directly acting on a diaphragm or membrane, eliminating the need for tightly toleranced mechanical linkages while still achieving coordinated dose release

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses pneumatic pressure from the patient's inhalation to directly compress the resilient member through a diaphragm or membrane, converting inhalation flow into mechanical energy storage without complex mechanical transmission systems

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Reliability

If tight tolerances are applied to mechanical breath-actuation systems to ensure stability, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of breath-actuation systemVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates tightly toleranced mechanical linkages by using a direct pneumatic-to-mechanical conversion system where inhalation pressure acts on a diaphragm to compress a spring, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the operational parameters from requiring tight mechanical tolerances to using pressure-flow characteristics of inhalation to drive a resilient member, allowing for broader manufacturing tolerances and lower production costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Force

If energy storage mechanisms are fully primed before use, then sufficient actuation force is ensured, but device size and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveactuation forceVSAvoidpriming mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a self-priming mechanism where the patient's own inhalation action compresses the resilient member during normal use, eliminating the need for separate manual priming steps or complex pre-charging mechanisms while ensuring sufficient actuation force is available

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Ease of operation

If mechanical breath-actuation systems are designed to be sensitive to inhalation, then ease of operation is improved, but stability deteriorates due to accidental triggering

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensitivity to inhalationVSAvoidstability against accidental disassembly

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent requires a deliberate user action (such as removing a cap or actuating a release mechanism) to enable the breath-actuation function, preventing accidental triggering while maintaining sensitivity to genuine inhalation attempts during proper use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 solution enables a compact, reliable, and cost-effective inhaler mechanism that ensures proper medicament delivery by coordinating dose release with inhalation, while preventing accidental disassembly and improving manufacturing efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a resilient member and defining a void for receiving a canister; in which the cover is configured to drive the resilient member to store energy therein upon rotation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

providing a linear force for actuation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCam mechanism: Cam

Data Source

PatentUS12036356B2Energy storage mechanism for an inhaler

Publication Date: 2024.07.16 KINDEVA DRUG DELIVERY LP

AI summary

An inhaler has a housing having a patient port and a cover rotatable about a cover axis between a closed position in which the cover covers the patient port, and an open position in which the patient port is accessible, a spring surrounding a medicament container in which the cover axis intersects the container, and in which the cover is configured to drive the resilient structure to store energy therein upon rotation from the closed position towards the open position.