Rotary shafts – gudgeons – housings – and flexible couplings for ro – Torque transmitted via flexible element – Coil spring
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-11
2004-03-09
Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)
Rotary shafts, gudgeons, housings, and flexible couplings for ro
Torque transmitted via flexible element
Coil spring
C464S062100, C464S062100, C464S062100, C464S062100, C464S062100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06702683
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the packaging of dry powders and particularly to the metering and packaging of precise quantities of pharmaceuticals and drugs for medical uses. The invention has particular utility in the metering and packaging of dry powders, particularly precise amounts of dry powder pharmaceuticals and drugs, and will be described in connection with such utility, although other utilities are contemplated.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The convenience of administering a single dose of a medication which releases multiple active ingredients in a controlled fashion and in a chosen location over an extended period of time, as opposed to the administration of a number of single doses at regular intervals, has long been recognized in the pharmaceutical arts. The advantage to the patient and clinician in having consistent and uniform blood levels of medication over an extended period of time are likewise recognized. The advantages of a variety of controlled-release dosage forms are well known. Among the most important advantages are: (1) increased contact time for the drug to allow for local activity in the stomach, small intestine, colon, or other locus of activity; (2) increased and more efficient absorption for drugs which have specific absorption sites; (3) the ability to reduce the number of dosages per period of time; (4) employment of less total drug; (5) minimization or elimination of local and/or systemic side effects; (6) minimization of drug accumulation associated with chronic dosing; (7) improved efficiency and safety of treatment; (8) reduced fluctuation of drug level; and (9) better patient compliance with overall disease management.
Additionally, many experts believe controlled release drug delivery has many important non-therapeutic ramifications as well, including a financial saving to the patient in terms of fewer lost work days, reduced hospitalization and fewer visits to the physician.
It is known that certain design parameters are critical to proper drug delivery. Typically, they are: (1) delivering the drug to the target tissue; (2) supplying the drug for a predetermined period of time; and (3) fabricating a delivery system that provides drug in the desired spatial and temporal pattern. Controlled release drug delivery systems are intended to utilize these parameters to achieve the aforementioned advantages as compared to conventional pharmaceutical dosing.
Previously direct placement of medication onto a substrate generally was limited to medical placement of large doses or required technology where the active pharmaceutical was mixed with the substrate or matrix to provide differential delivery, or coated with a material with desired release characteristics.
As used herein “controlled-release” is used to describe a system, i.e. method and materials for making an active ingredient available to the patient in accordance with a preselected condition, i.e. time, site, etc.. Controlled-release includes the use of instantaneous release, delayed release and sustained release. “Instantaneous release” refers to immediate release to the patient. “Delayed release” means the active ingredient is not made available until some time delay after administration. Typically, dosages are administered by oral ingestion, although other forms of administration are contemplated in accordance with the present invention. “Sustained release” refers to release of active ingredient whereby the level of active ingredient available to the patient is maintained at some level over a period of time. The method of effecting each type of release can be varied. For example, the active-ingredient can be placed on a semi-permeable membrane having predetermined diffusion, dissolution, erosion or breakdown characteristics.
Alternatively, the active ingredient can be masked by a coating, a laminate, etc. Regardless of the method of providing the desired release pattern, the present invention contemplates delivery of a controlled-release system which utilizes one or more of the “release” methods and materials. Moreover, the present invention advantageously can be employed in the development of multiple different release system(s).
The patent and scientific literature is replete with various sustained release (SR) methods and materials. For common methods of obtaining SR systems, see “Sustained and Controlled Release Drug Delivery Systems,” Robinson, Joseph R., Ed., PP 138-171, 1978, Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, N.Y. For example it is known to fill polymeric capsules with a solid, liquid, suspension or gel containing a therapeutic agent which is slowly released by diffusion through the capsule walls. Heterogeneous matrices, for example, compressed tablets, control the release of their therapeutic agents either by diffusion, erosion of the matrix or a combination of both. Other SR systems focus on the fabrication of laminates of polymeric material and therapeutic agent which are then formed into a sandwich, relying on different diffusion or erosion rates to control release of the therapeutic agent. Liquid-liquid encapsulation in a viscous syrup-like solution of polymer also has been known to be useful in controlling release of the therapeutic agent. Additionally, it is generally known that heterogeneous dispersions or solutions of therapeutic agents in water-swellable hydrogen matrices are useful in controlling the release of the agent by slow surface-to-center swelling of the matrix and subsequent diffusion of the agent from the water-swollen part of the matrix.
During dissolution of a controlled-release matrix tablet, the dosage form generally remains as a non-disintegrating, slowly eroding entity from which the therapeutic agent leaches out, through a diffusion controlled process. Conventional SR formulations are generally designed to release their active ingredients over an extended period of time, usually 8-24 hours. Conventional SR formulations use waxes or hydrophilic gums as the primary drug carriers to prolong the release of the active ingredients.
Starch USP (potato or corn) is commonly used as a component in conventional tablet or hard shell capsule formulations.
The existing sustained release technologies generally involve relatively complicated formulations and manufacturing processes which often are difficult and expensive to precisely control. For example, one well known SR delivery system, OROS, marketed by the Alza Corporation, involves laser drilling through a tablet to create passages for the release of the drug from the tablet core. In controlled release technologies, it is desirable to be able to incorporate the active ingredient in its controlled-release pattern in a single dosage unit without deteriorating the active ingredient. Moreover, the dosage unit should be able to deliver the system without interfering with its release pattern.
Various methods have been devised to enable controlled-release systems to be delivered to a patient without destruction of the delivery system during manufacturing, handling and distribution. For example, controlled-release systems have been provided in the form of beads or particles which are packaged in a gelatin capsule for oral dosage. This method of delivery of the controlled-release system prevents damage to the coating on the beads.
Furthermore, when controlled-release active ingredients are incorporated in compression tablets, it may be difficult for many people to swallow such tablets. Moreover, dissolution of high compression tablets often initially is slow and erratic and may result in localized hot spots of alimentary tract irritation where disintegration and release of the active ingredient finally occurs. And, present systems do not allow for the accurate deposition of doses of powdered medication onto different substrates either in single packets, layered packet, or multipackets on the same plane of the base substrate. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by offering a simple and inexpensive means of incorporating active ingredient (the drug) with a multitude of
Abrams Andrew L.
Gumaste Anand V.
Hayes & Soloway P.C.
Microdose Technologies, Inc.
Page Thurman K.
Tran S.
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