Hinged dry powder inhaler comprising a circulating airflow chamber
AssigneeCambridge Consultants Limited
InventorsSimon James Smith, David Stuart Harris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dry powder inhaler comprises two parts (2, 4) connected by an integrally molded, e.g. living hinge (6), so as to be moveable from an open position to a closed position. At least one of the parts (2, 4) defines at least part of a circulating airflow chamber (12), wherein when said parts (2, 4) are in said closed position, the inhaler comprises an airflow path including the circulating airflow chamber (12).
Claims19
A dry powder inhaler comprising two parts connected by an integrally moulded hinge configured to hinge the two parts of the inhaler from an open position to a closed position, at least one of said parts defining at least part of a circulating airflow chamber, wherein when said parts are in said closed position, the inhaler comprises an airflow path including the circulating airflow chamber, the inhaler further comprising a dose to be inhaled which is sealed in the at least part of the circulating airflow chamber by a frangible membrane and being arranged such that the frangible membrane is broken by an action of closing the inhaler prior to use and the dose is exposed to an entraining airflow in the circulating airflow chamber upon inhalation, and
- wherein the circulating airflow chamber having air and entrained substance particles circulate further comprises an axis and being elongate along said axis, an air inlet, a closed base and a vortex finder, said chamber being shaped wherein at least a part of the chamber decreases in cross-sectional area in a direction away from the air inlet,
- wherein the air inlet is configured to direct air to circulate around the periphery of the chamber, and the vortex finder is configured such that air exits therethrough after a reversal of axial direction at the base of the chamber to set up a reverse flow cyclone in the chamber wherein air circulates in two generally concentric overlapping columns in opposite axial directions.
A dry powder inhaler comprising two parts connected by an integrally moulded hinge configured to hinge the two parts of the inhaler from an open position to a closed position, at least one of said parts defining at least part of a circulating airflow chamber, wherein when said parts are in said closed position, the inhaler comprises an airflow path including the circulating airflow chamber, the inhaler further comprising a dose to be inhaled which is sealed in the at least part of the circulating airflow chamber by a frangible membrane and being arranged such that the frangible membrane is broken by an action of closing the inhaler prior to use and the dose is exposed to an entraining airflow in the circulating airflow chamber upon inhalation, the inhaler further comprising, at least when in its closed position:
- said circulating airflow chamber having an outlet extending substantially axially therefrom;
- a mouthpiece channel having a central axis;
- and a plenum portion connecting said outlet and said mouthpiece channel, the mouthpiece channel axis being offset from, and making a non-parallel angle with, an axis of the outlet such that air exits the outlet at least partly tangentially into the mouthpiece via the plenum portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.