Dry powder inhaler
AssigneeDura Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
InventorsRobert F. Eisele, Karen Davies, Nelson Holton, Tim Kline, Ian Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drug powder inhaler has a cover plate pivotably attached to a lid on an inhaler housing. A lever is pivotably attached to the cover plate. A blister pack disk is rotatably mounted on the housing under the cover plate. A powder duct in the housing extends from a staging chamber underneath one end of the lever to an aerosolizing chamber. An actuator in the housing is pressed to shear open a blister on the blister pack disk and thereby deliver the drug dose contents of the blister into the staging chamber. A switch senses pressure in the mouthpiece and switches on a motor spinning an impeller within the aerosolizing chamber, when inhalation is detected.
Claims19
An inhaler comprising:
- a housing;
- a cover plate pivotably attached to a lid on the housing;
- a lever pivotably attached to the cover plate, the lever having an actuator end and a blister end;
- a blister pack disk rotatably mounted on the housing, under the cover plate;
- a powder duct in the housing under the blister end of the lever;
- and
- an actuator extending through the housing and aligned with the actuator end of the lever.
A method of powder inhalation by a patient comprising the steps of:
- placing a disk having blisters containing a powder on an inhaler;
- opening a blister and releasing powder from the blister into a staging chamber in the inhaler;
- sensing inhalation by the patient;
- spinning up an impeller in a mixing chamber in the inhaler in response to the sensed inhalation;
- and
- drawing air and the powder from the staging chamber into the mixing chamber, after the impeller is already spinning.
A method of delivering a powder medicament for inhalation by a patient comprising the steps of:
- providing a dry powder inhaler,
- providing a plurality of blisters on a carrier on the dry powder inhaler;
- pivoting a tab under the blister from a first tab position to a second tab position to shear the blister open;
- pivoting a lever on the inhaler from a first lever position to a second lever position, to crush the blister;
- moving the tab back to the first position;
- and
- advancing the carrier to open a subsequent blister.
A dry powder inhaler comprising:
- a housing having a top surface;
- at least one rachet post on the top surface;
- a cover attached to the housing;
- an arm pivotably attached to the housing, the arm having a fixed end and a free end;
- a tab extending from the free end of the arm toward the top surface of the housing;
- and
- a lifter on the cover, for raising and lowering the free end of the arm as the arm pivots about the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.