Powder delivery devices
View Patent ↗A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising: a substance supply unit for supplying a dose of substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the substance supply unit including an inlet and an outlet; a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the substance supply unit; and a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the substance supply unit and through which the subject in use exhales such as to entrain substance from the container chamber and deliver the same through the nosepiece, and at least one temperature modifier for reducing a temperature of the exhaled air flow such as to reduce the absolute humidity thereof.
1. A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
a substance supply unit for supplying a dose of substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the substance supply unit including an inlet and an outlet;
a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the substance supply unit; and
a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the substance supply unit and through which the subject in use exhales such as to entrain substance from the substance supply unit and deliver the same through the nosepiece, and at least one temperature modifier for reducing a temperature of the exhaled air flow such as to reduce the absolute humidity thereof.
2. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier comprises at least one elongate channel.
3. The delivery device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier comprises a plurality of elongate channels.
4. A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
a substance supply unit for supplying a dose of substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the substance supply unit including an inlet and an outlet;
a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the substance supply unit; and
a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the substance supply unit and through which the subject in use exhales such as to entrain substance from the substance supply unit and deliver the same through the nosepiece, a plurality of temperature modifiers for reducing a temperature of the exhaled air flow such as to reduce the absolute humidity thereof and which can be fluidly connected successively to the mouthpiece, and a switching mechanism which allows for one of the temperature modifiers to be fluidly connected to the mouthpiece.
5. The delivery device of claim 4 , wherein, when the one of the temperature modifiers is fluidly connected to the mouthpiece, the at least one other temperature modifier is vented to atmosphere.
6. The delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the switching mechanism comprises a rotatable member to which the temperature modifiers are disposed, whereby rotation of the switching mechanism provides for the one of the temperature modifiers to be in fluid communication with the mouthpiece.
7. The delivery device claim 1 , wherein the substance supply unit comprises a container chamber for receiving a substance-containing container which contains a dose of substance.
8. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the container chamber is substantially cylindrical in shape.
9. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the container chamber is substantially spherical in shape.
10. A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
a substance supply unit operable to supply a dose of substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, wherein the substance supply unit comprises a container chamber which includes an inlet and an outlet and contains a substance-containing container which contains a dose of substance;
a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the substance supply unit; and
a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the substance supply unit and through which the subject in use exhales such as to entrain substance from the substance supply unit and deliver the same through the nosepiece;
wherein the container chamber containing the substance-containing container, and the nosepiece comprise a unitary, replaceable component which is replaced with each operation of the substance supply unit.
11. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the substance supply unit comprises a rupturing mechanism for rupturing the container as contained in the container chamber.
12. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the container is formed of a material which exhibits insufficient tackiness in the presence of moisture such as not to adhere to an inner surface of the container chamber during emptying of the container.
13. The delivery device of claim 12 , wherein the container is formed of a material which exhibits insufficient tackiness in the presence of moisture in the exhalation air flow for a period of up to about 5 s following exhalation.
14. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the container is formed substantially of a cellulose derivative.
15. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the container is formed substantially of gelatine.
16. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the container is formed of a plastics material.
17. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the container includes a coating of a material which exhibits insufficient tackiness in the presence of moisture such as not to adhere to an inner surface of the container chamber during emptying of the container.
18. The delivery device of claim 17 , wherein the coating is formed of a material which exhibits insufficient tackiness in the presence of moisture in the exhalation air flow for a period of up to about 5 s following exhalation.
19. The delivery device of claim 17 , wherein the coating comprises substantially one of parylene, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropylcellulose, methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, acrylic acid polymer, methacrylic acid polymer, ethyl acrylic acid polymer, cellulose acetate phthalate, polyvinyl acetate phthalate, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate and hydroxyl methylcellulose acetate succinate, or any combination of layers thereof.
20. The delivery device of claim 17 , wherein the container comprises a body of gelatine.
21. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the container comprises a capsule.
22. The delivery device of claim 21 , wherein the capsule is substantially cylindrical in shape.
23. The delivery device of claim 21 , wherein the capsule is substantially spherical in shape.
24. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured to reduce the temperature of the exhaled air flow by more than about 5° C.
25. A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
a substance supply unit for supplying a dose of substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the substance supply unit including an inlet and an outlet;
a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the substance supply unit; and
a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the substance supply unit and through which the subject in use exhales such as to entrain substance from the substance supply unit and deliver the same through the nosepiece, and at least one temperature modifier for reducing a temperature of the exhaled air flow such as to reduce the absolute humidity thereof, wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured to allow a flow therethrough at a flow rate of at least about 10 l/min at a pressure of less than about 2 kPa.
26. A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
a substance supply unit for supplying a dose of substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the substance supply unit including an inlet and an outlet;
a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the substance supply unit; and
a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the substance supply unit and through which the subject in use exhales such as to entrain substance from the substance supply unit and deliver the same through the nosepiece, and at least one temperature modifier for reducing a temperature of the exhaled air flow such as to reduce the absolute humidity thereof;
wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured such as to provide a pressure drop of not more than about 0.5 kPa to the exhaled air flow.
27. A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
a substance supply unit for supplying a dose of substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the substance supply unit including an inlet and an outlet;
a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the substance supply unit; and
a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the substance supply unit and through which the subject in use exhales such as to entrain substance from the substance supply unit and deliver the same through the nosepiece, and at least one temperature modifier for reducing a temperature of the exhaled air flow such as to reduce the absolute humidity thereof, wherein the at least one temperature modifier comprises a thermoelectric device.
28. The delivery device of claim 12 , wherein the container is formed of a material which exhibits insufficient tackiness in the presence of moisture in the exhalation air flow for a period of up to about 2 s following exhalation.
29. The delivery device of claim 12 , wherein the container is formed of a material which exhibits insufficient tackiness in the presence of moisture in the exhalation air flow for a period of up to about 1 s following exhalation.
30. The delivery device of claim 7 , wherein the container is formed substantially of one of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropylcellulose, methylcellulose, ethylcellulose and carboxymethylcellulose.
31. The delivery device of claim 17 , wherein the coating is formed of a material which exhibits insufficient tackiness in the presence of moisture in the exhalation air flow for a period of up to about 2 s following exhalation.
32. The delivery device of claim 17 , wherein the coating is formed of a material which exhibits insufficient tackiness in the presence of moisture in the exhalation air flow for a period of up to about 1 s following exhalation.
33. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured to reduce the temperature of the exhaled air flow by at least about 12° C.
34. The delivery device of claim 25 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured to allow a flow therethrough at a pressure of less than about 1 kPa.
35. The delivery device of claim 25 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured to allow a flow therethrough at a flow rate of at least about 20 l/min.
36. The delivery device of claim 25 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured to allow a flow therethrough at a flow rate of at least about 30 l/min.
37. The delivery device of claim 25 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured to allow a flow therethrough at a flow rate of at least about 40 l/min.
38. The delivery device of claim 25 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured to allow a flow therethrough at a flow rate of at least about 50 l/min.
39. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured such as to provide a pressure drop of not more than about 0.25 kPa to the exhaled air flow.
40. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured such as to provide a pressure drop of not more than about 0.10 kPa to the exhaled air flow.
41. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured such as to provide a pressure drop of not more than about 0.05 kPa to the exhaled air flow.
42. The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one temperature modifier is configured such as to provide a pressure drop of not more than about 0.25 kPa to the exhaled air flow.