Inhaler and method and arrangement for administering an active substance

An inhaler comprising:

• a housing having a main body, wherein the main body is configured to receive an active substance container containing an active substance, and an air channel extending within the housing between at least one air inlet opening of the housing and an inhalation opening of the housing;
• an administration element for nebulising or vaporising the active substance fed from the active substance container to the administration element for mixing the active substance with air flowing in the air channel;
• an electronic control apparatus;
• an electronic data storage device;
• and
• a sensor system having a flow measuring apparatus for measuring at least one of a volume flow and a mass flow of at least one of the air flowing through the air channel and the active substance flowing through the air channel for storage as active substance delivery data in the electronic data storage device;
• wherein:
• the electronic control apparatus is configured to convert active substance administration data, provided in the electronic data storage device for administering the active substance by the inhaler, into administration data in order to control the mixing, by the administration element, of the active substance with the air flowing in the air channel;
• and
• the electronic control apparatus is configured to calculate a quantity of the active substance delivered from the active substance container based on the active substance delivery data detected by means of the flow measuring apparatus and to compare the quantity with the active substance administration data.

A method for administering an active substance with an inhaler, the inhaler comprising:

• a housing having a main body, wherein the main body is configured to receive an active substance container containing an active substance, and an air channel extending within the housing between at least one air inlet opening of the housing and an inhalation opening of the housing;
• an administration element for nebulising or vaporising the active substance fed from the active substance container to the administration element for mixing the active substance with air flowing in the air channel;
• an electronic control apparatus;
• an electronic data storage device;
• and
• a sensor system having a flow measuring apparatus for measuring at least one of a volume flow and a mass flow of at least one of the air flowing through the air channel and the active substance flowing through the air channel for storage as active substance delivery data in the electronic data storage device;
• wherein the method comprises:
• providing active substance administration data in the electronic data storage device of the inhaler;
• converting the active substance administration data into administration data by means of the electronic control apparatus of the inhaler;
• controlling the mixing of the active substance, by the administration element, with the air flowing in the air channel using the administration data;
• calculating a quantity of the active substance delivered from the active substance container based on the active substance delivery data detected by means of the flow measuring device;
• and
• comparing the active substance administration data with the active substance delivery data.

An arrangement for administering an active substance, the arrangement comprising a communication terminal comprising at least one of a mobile application, an application terminal, and cloud storage, the arrangement further comprising an inhaler comprising:

• a housing having a main body, wherein the main body is configured to receive an active substance container containing an active substance, and an air channel extending within the housing between at least one air inlet opening of the housing and an inhalation opening of the housing;
• an administration element for nebulising or vaporising the active substance fed from the active substance container to the administration element for mixing the active substance with air flowing in the air channel;
• an electronic control apparatus;
• an electronic data storage device;
• and
• a sensor system having a flow measuring apparatus for measuring at least one of a volume flow and a mass flow of at least one of the air flowing through the air channel and the active substance flowing through the air channel for storage as active substance delivery data in the electronic data storage device;
• wherein:
• the electronic control apparatus is configured to convert active substance administration data, provided in the electronic data storage device for administering the active substance by the inhaler, into administration data in order to control the mixing, by the administration element, of the active substance with the air flowing in the air channel;
• the electronic control apparatus is configured to calculate a quantity of the active substance delivered from the active substance container based on the active substance delivery data detected by means of the flow measuring apparatus and to compare the quantity with the active substance administration data;
• and
• at least one of the communication terminal, the application terminal, and the cloud storage are configured to either or both transmit data to or receive data from the inhaler.