Method of using focused acoustic waves to deliver a pharmaceutical product
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsJaan Noolandi, Babur B. Hadimioglu, Robert A. Sprague
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved method and apparatus for delivering medication to the lungs is described. Acoustic ink printing technology is modified to operate as an inhaler that generates tiny droplets near a patient's nose or mouth. The tiny droplets are easily carried by air currents into the patient's lungs. The inhaler itself is preferably a battery operated portable device that can be easily carried and easily cleaned to avoid contaminating the medication.
Claims16
A method of delivering pharmaceutical product comprising the operations of:
- depositing a pharmaceutical product across a plurality of driver elements and a plurality of acoustic lenses that focuses acoustic energy from the plurality of drivers, the distance from a top surface of the plurality of acoustic lenses to a top surface of the pharmaceutical product being less than 150 micrometers, the plurality of driver elements including at least two drive elements;
- positioning the plurality of driver elements within four inches of a human orifice;
- delivering electrical power to the plurality of driver elements causing the plurality of driver elements to deliver acoustic energy to the pharmaceutical product, at least one driver element in the plurality of driver elements coupled to a plurality of lenses such that when the at least one driver element is energized, the acoustic energy from the at least one driver element is received by a plurality of acoustic lenses, each lens approximately focuses a portion of the acoustic energy at a pharmaceutical and air interface to cause approximately simultaneous ejection of droplets of pharmaceutical product into the human orifice.
A method of delivering pharmaceutical product comprising the operations of:
- depositing a pharmaceutical product across a plurality of driver elements and driver element lenses, the distance from a top surface of the pharmaceutical product and a top surface of the driver element lenses being less than 150 micrometers;
- positioning the plurality of driver elements within four inches of a human orifice;
- delivering electrical power to the plurality of driver elements causing the plurality of driver elements to deliver acoustic energy to the pharmaceutical product, the acoustic energy focused by acoustic lenses to cause ejection of droplets of pharmaceutical product into the human orifice wherein each driver element in the plurality of driver elements is provided with electrical energy within a five second time interval to cause ejection of multiple droplets of pharmaceutical product over the five second or less time interval.
A method of delivering pharmaceutical product comprising the operations of:
- depositing a pharmaceutical product across a plurality of driver elements and driver element lenses, the distance from a top surface of the pharmaceutical product and a top surface of the driver element lenses being less than 150 micrometers;
- positioning the plurality of driver elements within four inches of a human orifice;
- delivering electrical power to the plurality of driver elements causing the plurality of driver elements to deliver acoustic energy to the pharmaceutical product, the acoustic energy focused by acoustic lenses to cause ejection of droplets of pharmaceutical product into the human orifice wherein RF energy output by the driver elements has a frequency higher than 300 MHz in order to generate a droplet sizes smaller than 6 micrometers.
A method of delivering pharmaceutical product comprising the operations of:
- distributing a pharmaceutical product over a plurality of lenses, the distance from a top surface of the plurality of lenses to a top surface of the pharmaceutical product being less than 150 micrometers, the plurality of lenses including at least two lenses;
- and
- focusing acoustic energy from the plurality of lenses to cause ejection of droplets of pharmaceutical product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.