Apparatus, systems and related methods for dispensing and /or evaluating dry powders

A method of dispensing a dry powder, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate flow channel having a powder support floor formed of a flexible piezoelectric material and inlet and outlet ports;
• directing a quantity of dry powder into the inlet port of the elongate flow channel;
• vibrating the piezoelectric material with an electric excitation signal so that the piezoelectric material deflects upwardly;
• flowing the dry powder out of the outlet port responsive to the vibrating step;
• and
• adjusting the orientation angle of the elongate floor channel so that the flow channel angularly extends in a non-vertical, non-horizontal configuration and so that the outlet port is lower than the inlet port.

A method of dispensing a dry powder, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate flow channel having a powder support floor formed of a flexible
• piezoelectric material and inlet and outlet pods;
• directing a quantity of dry powder into the inlet port of the elongate flow channel;
• vibrating the piezoelectric material with an electric excitation signal so that the piezoelectric material deflects upwardly;
• and
• flowing the dry powder out of the outlet port responsive to the vibrating step
• wherein the flowing step is carried out to serially dispense dose amounts of dry pharmaceutical powder(s), and
• wherein the flowing step is controllably started and stopped by the application and termination, respectively, of the electric excitation signal to the piezoelectric material.

A method of dispensing a dry powder, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate flow channel having a powder support floor formed of a flexible piezoelectric material and inlet and outlet ports;
• tensioning the piezoelectric material in the flow channel;
• directing a quantity of dry powder into the inlet port of the elongate flow channel;
• vibrating the piezoelectric material with an electric excitation signal so that the piezoelectric material deflects upwardly;
• and
• flowing the dry powder out of the outlet port responsive to the vibrating step.

A method of dispensing a dry powder, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate flow channel having a powder support floor formed of a flexible piezoelectric material and inlet and outlet ports;
• directing a quantity of dry powder into the inlet port of the elongate flow channel;
• vibrating the piezoelectric material with an electric excitation signal so that the piezoelectric material deflects upwardly;
• and
• flowing the dry powder out of the outlet port responsive to the vibrating step
• wherein the excitation signal has a carrier frequency and a plurality of superpositioned modulating frequencies.

A method for selecting and/or determining customizable excitation signals for dispensing dry powders, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate flow channel having a floor of piezoelectric material;
• selecting an angle of orientation for the flow channel such that at least a portion of the flow channel angularly extends in a non-vertical, non-horizontal orientation in the axial direction;
• providing a quantity of a target dry powder;
• outputting a vibration excitation signal having a first carrier frequency from a signal generator to the piezoelectric material;
• flowing the dry powder out of the flow channel;
• outputting a vibration excitation signal having a second carrier frequency from the signal generator to the piezoelectric material;
• and
• determining a dispensing vibration excitation signal for the target dry powder that generates a repeatable or a uniform or a repeatable and uniform fluid-like substantially non-agglomerated flow output based on flow data from the first and second vibration excitation signals,
• wherein the determined vibration excitation signal comprises a carrier frequency modulated by a plurality of modulating frequencies.

A method for selecting and/or determining excitation signals suitable for fluidly dispensing dry powders, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate flow channel;
• providing a quantity of a target dry powder in the flow channel;
• vibrating the target dry powder in the flow channel with a first vibration excitation signal having a first carrier frequency and a first modulating frequency;
• flowing the dry powder out of the flow channel using the first vibration excitation signal;
• vibrating the target dry powder in the flow channel with a second vibration excitation signal different from the first vibration excitation signal, the second vibration excitation signal having a second carrier frequency and a second modulating frequency;
• flowing the target dry powder out of the flow channel using the second vibration excitation signal;
• and
• determining a dispensing vibration signal for the target dry powder that comprises a carrier frequency and at least one selected modulating frequency that generates at least one of a repeatable or uniform fluid-like substantially non-agglomerated flow output using flow data of the target dry powder derived from the first and second vibration excitation signals.