Surgery – Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer – Gas stream aspirating medicament from reservoir
Patent
1996-03-27
1997-09-16
Millin, Vincent
Surgery
Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
Gas stream aspirating medicament from reservoir
12820014, 12820513, 12820524, 12820518, B65D 8314
Patent
active
056669470
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the formation and delivery of an atomised liquid. This invention is applicable for administering a drug dosage to a human or an animal by way of inhalation of the drug dosage through the respiratory tract.
It is well known to administer drugs to humans through the respiratory tract. Conventional methods of such administration utilise inhalers which the user places in the mouth and inhales during the release of the drug dosage from the inhaler. Such inhalers normally use Freon as the means by which the drug is sprayed into the mouth of the user. The drug to be administered is either dissolved or carried in solid or liquid suspension by the Freon. Upon release from the inhaler, the Freon vaporises and propels the drug into the users mouth.
Normally, the effectiveness of the drug is related to the amount of the drug that actually passes through the mouth and throat of the user and which is deposited on the lower respiratory tract. It is common to define the effectiveness of the drug delivery system in terms of "percentage respirable dose". The higher the percentage respirable dose, the better the ability of the system to deliver the drug to where it is most effective. Apart from the obvious benefits of having a high percentage respirable dose in that there is less wastage of what in many instances is a relatively expensive respirable drug, there is an additional benefit in that there will be reduced side-effects from the respirable drug being absorbed in the mouth or upper respiratory tract or being transported to the users digestive system. Futher, there is at the present time an imperative for new systems of administering a drug dosage to humans or animals which preferably do not use propellants such as Freon (which is believed to be environmentally harmful due to its effects on the earth's ozone layer) and which are capable of achieving the required percentage respirable dose. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for delivering atomised liquids. A preferred object is to provide a method and apparatus for delivering a respirable drug capable of achieving a high percentage respirable dose.
The present invention therefore provides in one aspect a method of delivering an atomised liquid including supplying a liquid to an admixing chamber, separately supplying a compressed gas to the admixing chamber, the compressed gas at least substantially completely evacuating the liquid held in the admixing chamber and delivering the liquid through an atomising means to atomise the liquid, wherein the quantity of the liquid and the compressed gas supplied to the admixing chamber is controlled to thereby maintain a predetermined mass ratio of the liquid and the supplied compressed gas.
Liquid may be supplied to the admixing chamber subsequent to the compressed gas. Alternatively, compressed gas may be supplied to the admixing chamber subsequent to the liquid. The compressed gas may completely entrain the liquid held within the admixing chamber. The gas may conveniently be air although other gases are also envisaged. Preferably, the liquid contains a drug in solution or in liquid or solid suspension for administering to the respiratory tract of a human or an animal. Preferably, the contents of the admixing chamber pass through the atomising means for a predetermined duration which is less than the normal duration of the inhalation event of a human or an animal.
Preferably, the predetermined amount and pressure of the compressed gas is selected so that the entire contents of the admixing chamber are passed through the atomising means in a time period which is less than the duration of the normal inhalation event of the human or animal. In one form of the invention, it is possible for this time period to be adjusted to suit the individual user.
Preferably, the particle size distribution of the atomised liquid produced by release of the contents of the admixing chamber through the atomising means is such that sufficien
REFERENCES:
patent: 3979027 (1976-09-01), Loeffler
patent: 5062419 (1991-11-01), Rider
Millin Vincent
Orbital Engine Company (Australia) Pty. Limited
Wieland Robert N.
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