Surgery – Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-16
2003-10-28
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
C128S200160, C128S202210, C128S203210, C141S002000, C141S329000, C141S330000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637430
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENTS REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the field of respiratory or inhalation therapy and, more particularly, to a respiratory delivery system which includes a portable inhaler and a recharging unit which may be used to recharge both the power and medicament supply of the portable inhaler.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many types of medicaments are delivered by inhalation for treating/addressing various types of conditions. Three general types of inhalers may be used for this type of “respiratory therapy.” Metered dose inhalers (“MDIs”) are relatively small, portable units which have a medicament disposed within a container of a pressurized gas or propellant (e.g. mixture of medicament and propellant). The patient typically pushes down on this container to direct a “burst” of a mixture of propellant and medicament into the patient's mouth during an inhalation, the propelling “burst” being provided by the pressure within the container. A fixed number of doses are available in a given MDI. When all of the medicament has been dispensed from the container, typically the MDI or at least the container of medicament/propellant is discarded.
Another categorical type of inhaler is a nebulizer. These types of inhalers are not as portable as an MDI, and are more commonly used in a clinic or hospital setting. Generally, a nebulizer houses an appropriate medicament in liquid form. Gas from an external source is directed through an appropriate line under pressure and into the nebulizer to aerosolize the medicament for transport to,the patient for delivery by inhalation. At the end of the treatment or upon the consumption of all of the liquid medicament in the nebulizer, and typically after a sterilization procedure, additional liquid medicament may be poured into the nebulizer for subsequent treatments.
The third general type of inhaler has a degree of portability which is similar to that of the MDI, but which uses sources other than an external supply of pressurized gas to generate droplets of the desired medicament. Some inhalers of this type use a small “on-board” source of pressurized gas to aerosolize a liquid medicament. Other inhalers use piezoelectric crystals and the like to aerosolize a liquid medicament in some manner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,841 to Voges, entitled “Dispenser,” discloses another inhaler of this general categorical type, but which uses a “droplet on demand” ejection device to generate droplets of medicament in a desired manner (e.g., a piezoelectric device of the kind used in ink jet printing or a thermal “bubble jet” device of the kind used in inkjet printing). The cartridge of medicament in the inhaler from U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,841 may be replaced after its medicament has been consumed or spent.
What are more typically viewed as non-medical devices have also been available for some time to deliver nicotine. Typically these devices at least attempt to simulate the appearance of a cigarette and provide a certain amount of nicotine. Known devices of this type are either designed to be disposable or to allow replacement of the nicotine cartridges/containers used thereby.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is embodied in a respiratory delivery system which has “recharge” capabilities. In this regard, the subject respiratory delivery system generally includes typically one or more portable inhalers and a recharging unit. Having multiple portable inhalers allows one portable inhaler to be undergoing a recharge via the recharging unit while at least one other portable inhaler is available for use. Components of the portable inhaler include an inhaler housing, a container with an appropriate flowable substance disposed therein (e.g., a medicament in liquid and/or powder in a suspension), and an inhaler outlet of some sort. Flowable substance from the container is directed through the inhaler outlet for discharge into the mouth or nose of an individual who is using the portable inhaler. The inhaler outlet need not be in constant fluid communication with the flowable substance container. Typically the inhaler outlet will be in the form of some type of a mouthpiece or the like for oral delivery, or a nose piece for nasal delivery, of the flowable substance from the portable inhaler to the individual which is using the portable inhaler (e.g., in the form of the “tip” of a cigarette).
The recharging unit includes an inhaler docking station and a flowable substance recharging system. The flowable substance recharging system of the recharging unit includes a flowable substance recharging reservoir and a flowable substance recharging fixture which interfaces with the flowable substance container of the portable inhaler when the portable inhaler is disposed at the docking station of the recharging unit. Flowable substance from the flowable substance recharging system thereby may be directed from the flowable substance recharging reservoir of the recharging unit, through the flowable substance recharging fixture of the recharging unit, and into the flowable substance container of the portable inhaler when the portable inhaler is “docked” at the recharging unit.
Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in the present invention as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. With regard to the portable inhaler, its inhaler housing may be configured to a least generally approximate a configuration and size of a cigarette. Another way of characterizing the inhaler housing is as a cylinder having a length of approximately 85 mm and a diameter of approximately 10 mm.
The inhaler housing may include at least one inhaler inlet through which air may be drawn into the inhaler housing. One way of characterizing this inhaler inlet(s) is relative to the position of the inhaler outlet of the portable inhaler. Consider the case where the inhaler housing has first and second ends (e.g., the above-noted cylindrical configuration). The inhaler outlet may be disposed at and/or define the second end of the inhaler housing, and each inhaler inlet may be disposed closer to the second end of the inhaler housing than its first end. In one embodiment, the first end of the inhaler housing, or that end of the inhaler housing which is opposite that which includes the inhaler outlet, may be closed. Therefore, the inhaler inlet(s) may be disposed on a sidewall of the inhaler housing of sorts versus on one of its ends.
A plurality of inhaler inlets may be utilized for the portable inhaler, and these inhaler inlets may be disposed about the inhaler housing in at least substantially equally, radially spaced relation. Consider the case where the inhaler housing is in the form of a cylinder as noted above. Each adjacent pair of inhaler inlets may be separated by an equal angular spacing which would be measured relative to a central, longitudinal axis about which this cylinder is formed. The noted plurality of inhaler inlets may also take the form of air intake slots. Each of these air intake slots may have a longitudinal extent which is at least generally parallel with a longitudinal extent of the inhaler housing.
The flowable substance container of the portable inhaler may be sized so as to hold no more than about 50 doses. A “dose” for purposes of the present invention is an amount of the flowable substance which is provided to an individual using the portable inhaler during one inhalation. This emphasizes the desirability of having flowable substance recharging capabilities for the respiratory delivery system via the recharging unit. In this regard, the flowable substance recharging reservoir of the recharging unit may be sized to hold multiple refill doses of the flowable substance in accordance with the definition presented above (e.g., so as to be available for “refilling” the portable inhaler(s) o
Hanisch Wolfgang H.
Reinhold Olaf
Voges Robert M.
Lo Weilun
Marsh & Fischmann & Breyfogle LLP
Patel Mital
Ponwell Enterprises Limited
LandOfFree
Respiratory delivery system with power/medicament recharge... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Respiratory delivery system with power/medicament recharge..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Respiratory delivery system with power/medicament recharge... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3152182