Surgery – Respiratory method or device – Means for mixing treating agent with respiratory gas
Patent
1993-02-16
1996-06-04
Asher, Kimberly L.
Surgery
Respiratory method or device
Means for mixing treating agent with respiratory gas
12820321, A61M 1500, A61M 1600, B05D 714, B65D 83106
Patent
active
055223834
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an inhaler for the inhalation of a medicament, usually pulverulent, from a capsule.
Various forms of inhaler are already known, and among these are the ones in which the capsule is pierced, usually at the ends, in order to allow the medicament to be withdrawn during inhalation, and those in which the cap portion of the capsule is removed from the body portion in order to allow the medicament to be extracted.
Extraction of the medicament usually occurs as a result of the inhaled airstream passing over or through the capsule.
With both of the above types of inhaler, it is known to allow the airstream passing through the inhaler to adopt a vortical configuration which results in the pierced capsule or the separated capsule cap and body portions tumbling in the airstream.
It is a disadvantage of virtually all of the known inhalers that not all of the medicament is withdrawn from the capsule or the separated capsule cap and body portions, and this is frequently because the capsule portions or the capsule as a whole can become lodged in the inhaler in a position where either the extraction effect of the inhalation air is unable to operate effectively or the capsule or capsule cap and body portions can become prevented from tumbling freely by a mechanical constraint.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inhaler in which the disadvantages mentioned above are eliminated.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided an inhaler which comprises a chamber defined by (a) first and second generally parallel spaced opposed walls defining a median plane of said chamber mid-way therebetween, and between which parallel spaced walls the capsule can fit with its longitudinal axis generally parallel to said first and second walls but in any angular orientation, and (b) at least one peripheral wall; an exhaust nozzle through which air can be exhausted from said chamber by inhalation; at least one air inlet arranged in relation to the exhaust nozzle to generate in the chamber during inhalation an airflow rotating about an axis generally perpendicular to said first and second walls; and holding means in the inhaler in association with means operable from outside the closed chamber for opening a capsule while held in the holding means with the longitudinal axis of the capsule perpendicular to said axis, wherein the holding means are effective to hold a capsule having a length greater than the minimum spacing between first and second walls and less than the minimum cross-sectional dimension of said chamber when viewed parallel to said axis of rotation and is configured to hold a capsule with its axis of symmetry substantially coincident with the median plane of said chamber, and to hold a capsule having a diameter less than said minimum spacing between the first and second walls.
A second aspect of the present invention provides an inhaler which comprises a chamber defined by (a) first and second generally parallel spaced opposed walls between which the capsule can fit with its longitudinal axis generally parallel to said first and second walls but in any angular orientation, and (b) at least one further wall; an exhaust nozzle through which air can be exhausted from said chamber by inhalation; at least one air inlet arranged in relation to the exhaust nozzle to generate in the chamber during inhalation an airflow rotating about an axis generally perpendicular to said first and second walls; and a recess in the inhaler in association with means for opening a capsule while held in the recess with the longitudinal axis of the capsule perpendicular to said axis, wherein the opening means are effective to open a capsule having a length greater than the minimum spacing between said first and second walls and less than the minimum cross-sectional dimension of said chamber when viewed parallel to said axis of rotation, and to open a capsule having a diameter less than said minimum spacing between the first
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Calvert John R.
Cook Robert S.
Hobbs Michael A.
Leighton Ann-Marie
Simpkin Gordon T.
Asher Kimberly L.
Oehler Ross J.
Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Ltd.
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