Atomising devices and methods
AssigneeDMW (Technology) Limited
InventorsTerence E. Weston, Stephen T. Dunne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metered dose inhaler for dispensing a fluid medicament as droplets of small mean particle size without the use of pressurized gas or liquefied propellants. A liquid drug is contained in a fluid reservoir, and metered quantities of the drug are successively presented into a reduced cross-section pressure chamber, with non-return valves controlling the flow of liquid through the device. The metered quantity of the drug is then subjected to a sudden and great increase in pressure by releasing a piston into the pressure chamber. The liquid drug is thereby ejected through an atomizing head, to reduce it to a fine atomized spray of small mean particle size, preferably less than approximately 12 micrometers.
Claims76
A device for dispensing a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomising means, comprising:
- a chamber for containing said metered quantity of fluid at a first pressure;
- an energy storage means for retaining and applying a predetermined amount of energy to said chamber so as to subject said metered quantity of fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure from said first pressure to a second pressure of at least 50 bar to permit discharge of said metered quantity of fluid from said chamber at said second pressure;
- and
- atomising means for atomising said fluid discharged from said chamber, said atomising means comprising an outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter of 100 micrometers or less, whereby said fluid is atomized into droplets having a mean size suitable for inhalation into the lungs.
A device for dispensing a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomising means, comprising:
- a chamber for containing said metered quantity of fluid at a first pressure;
- an energy storage means for retaining and applying a predetermined amount of energy to said chamber so as to subject said metered quantity of fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure from said first pressure to a second pressure of 50 bar or more to permit discharge of said metered quantity of fluid from said chamber at said second pressure;
- and
- atomising means for atomising said fluid from said chamber comprising an outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter of 100 micrometers or less and configured so that said fluid forms a jet of fluid, and an impingement body located in the line of trajectory of said jet, said impingement body adapted to cause break up of said jet into a spray of droplets, said droplets having a mean size suitable for inhalation into the lungs.
A device for dispensing a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomising means, comprising:
- a chamber for containing said metered quantity of fluid at a first pressure;
- an energy storage means for retaining and applying a predetermined amount of energy to said chamber so as to subject said metered quantity of fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure from said first pressure to a second pressure of 50 bar or more to permit discharge of said metered quantity of fluid from said chamber at said second pressure;
- and
- atomising means for atomising said fluid from said chamber comprising a plurality of outlet apertures, each of said plurality of outlet apertures having a hydraulic diameter of 100 micrometers or less and configured so that said fluid forms a plurality of jets of fluid, said plurality of jets of fluid impinging upon one another to form a spray of droplets, said droplets having a mean size suitable for inhalation into the lungs.
A device for dispensing a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of fine droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomizing means, comprising:
- a chamber for containing said metered quantity of fluid at a first pressure;
- an energy storage means for retaining and applying a predetermined amount of energy to said chamber so as to subject said metered quantity of fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure from said first pressure to a second pressure of at least about 100 bar to permit discharge of said metered quantity of fluid from said chamber at said second pressure;
- and
- atomizing means for atomizing said fluid discharged from said chamber, said atomizing means comprising an outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter suitable for formation of atomized droplets having a mean size of less than 10 micrometers for inhalation into the lungs.
A device for discharging a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomising means, comprising:
- a chamber for containing said metered quantity of fluid at a first pressure;
- an energy storage means;
- means for applying a predetermined amount of energy to said energy storage means;
- means for releasing said predetermined amount of energy from said energy storage means to said chamber so as to subject said fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure to a second pressure and to initiate discharge of said fluid from said chamber;
- and
- atomising means for receiving said metered quantity of pressurized fluid from said chamber as a single discharge from said chamber, and for atomising said metered quantity of fluid, said atomising means comprising an outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter of 100 micrometers or less whereby said fluid is atomized into droplets having a mean size suitable for inhalation into the lungs.
A method of discharging a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomising means, comprising the steps of:
- providing said metered quantity of fluid in a chamber at which said fluid is held at a first pressure;
- applying a predetermined amount of energy to an energy storage means;
- releasing said predetermined amount of energy from said energy storage means to said chamber so as to subject said fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure to a second pressure and to initiate discharge of said fluid from said chamber;
- and
- discharging said metered quantity of pressurized fluid from said chamber as a single discharge from said chamber through an outlet aperture in the atomising means, said outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter of 100 micrometers or less, thereby atomising said fluid into droplets having a mean size suitable for inhalation into the lungs.
A method of discharging a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomising means, comprising the steps of:
- providing said metered quantity of fluid in a chamber at which said fluid is held at a first pressure;
- applying a predetermined amount of energy to an energy storage means;
- releasing said predetermined amount of energy from said energy storage means to said chamber so as to subject said fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure from said first pressure to a second pressure of at least 50 bar;
- and
- discharging said fluid from said chamber through an outlet aperture in the atomising means, said outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter of 100 micrometers or less, thereby atomising said fluid into droplets having a mean size suitable for inhalation into the lungs.
A metered dose inhaler for supplying fluid medicament to the lungs, comprising:
- a chamber for containing a metered quantity of fluid medicament at a first pressure;
- an energy storage means for retaining and applying a predetermined amount of energy to said chamber so as to subject said metered quantity to a predetermined increase in pressure from said first pressure to a second pressure of at least 50 bar to permit discharge of said metered quantity from said chamber at said second pressure, said energy storage means comprising a piston adapted to act directly on said chamber to pressurize said metered quantity, a spring, and a latching mechanism whereby said energy storage means can be held in a cocked state prior to release of the energy from said spring;
- and
- atomising means for atomising said metered quantity discharged from said chamber, said atomising means comprising a first outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter of 100 micrometers or less.
A device for dispensing a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomising means, comprising:
- a chamber for containing said metered quantity of fluid at a first pressure;
- an energy storage means for retaining and applying a predetermined amount of energy to said chamber so as to subject said metered quantity of fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure from said first pressure to a second pressure of at least 50 bar to permit discharge of said metered quantity of fluid from said chamber at said second pressure;
- and
- atomising means for atomising said fluid discharged from said chamber, said atomising means comprising an outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter of suitable size for formation of droplets having a mean size of less than 10 micrometers for inhalation into the lungs.
A method of discharging a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomising means, comprising the steps of:
- providing said metered quantity of fluid in a chamber at which said fluid is held at a first pressure;
- applying a predetermined amount of energy to an energy storage means;
- releasing said predetermined amount of energy from said energy storage means to said chamber so as to subject said fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure from said first pressure to a second pressure of at least 50 bar;
- and
- discharging said fluid from said chamber through an outlet aperture in the atomising means, said outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter of suitable size for formation of droplets having a mean size of less than 10 micrometers, thereby atomising said fluid into droplets having a mean size suitable for inhalation into the lungs.
A device for discharging a metered quantity of fluid as a spray of droplets by discharging the metered quantity of fluid under pressure through an atomising means, comprising:
- a chamber for containing said metered quantity of fluid at a first pressure;
- an energy storage means;
- means for applying a predetermined amount of energy to said energy storage means;
- means for releasing said predetermined amount of energy from said energy storage means to said chamber so as to subject said fluid to a predetermined increase in pressure to a second pressure to permit discharge of said metered quantity of fluid from said chamber at said second pressure;
- and
- atomising means for receiving said metered quantity of pressurized fluid from said chamber, and for atomising said metered quantity of fluid, said atomising means comprising an outlet aperture having a hydraulic diameter of 100 micrometers or less whereby said fluid is atomized into droplets having a mean size suitable for inhalation into the lungs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.