Single-dose powder inhalator and method for the production thereof

1. A single-dose powder inhaler comprising:

an inhaler housing comprised of a housing part ( 1 ), in which a medicament chamber ( 11 ) having a dose of a pulverulent medicament is formed, and further comprised of a flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) without depressions and projections, wherein the inhaler housing has an outlet opening ( 13 ′) and an outlet duct ( 13 ) which extends from the medicament chamber ( 11 ) to the outlet opening ( 13 ′), wherein

the housing part ( 1 ) has a flat, planar face facing the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ), wherein the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) and the flat, planar face are joined to each other to form the inhaler housing, wherein

the outlet duct ( 13 ) is a depression formed in the housing part ( 1 ) relative to a plane of the flat, planar face and extending away from the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) and the medicament chamber ( 11 ) consists of a depression exclusively formed in the housing part ( 1 ) relative to the plane of the flat planar face and extending away from the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ),

and wherein the housing part ( 1 ) comprises

an air inlet opening ( 12 ′) on a side of the medicament chamber ( 11 ) remote from the outlet opening ( 13 ′), and

an inlet duct ( 12 ), formed as a depression in the housing part ( 1 ) relative to the plane of the flat, planar face and extending away from the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ), wherein the inlet duct ( 12 ) extends from the air inlet opening ( 12 ′) toward the medicament chamber ( 11 ), wherein the outlet duct ( 13 ), the medicament chamber ( 11 ), and the inlet duct ( 12 ) define an axis, wherein air-guiding, turbulence-inducing and/or deflecting structures ( 15 , 16 , 17 ) are formed in the air inlet duct ( 12 ), in the medicament chamber ( 11 ) and in the outlet duct ( 13 ), and

the inlet duct ( 12 ) narrows from the air inlet opening ( 12 ′) toward the medicament chamber ( 11 ) in two directions perpendicular to said axis and the outlet duct ( 13 ) widens from the medicament chamber ( 11 ) in the direction of the outlet opening ( 13 ′) in two directions perpendicular to said axis;

wherein a closure tab ( 30 ) closes off the medicament chamber ( 11 ) relative to a space in the housing part ( 1 ), wherein the space is arranged between the medicament chamber ( 11 ) and the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) and connects the air inlet duct ( 12 ) and the outlet duct ( 13 ) to each other.

2. The single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the housing part ( 1 ) is an injection-molded plastics part or is shaped or thermoformed from a pharmaceutically compliant plastic film, wherein the flat, planar covering element ( 2 )

is formed in an extensive and planar manner and bounds the inlet duct ( 12 ) and the outlet duct ( 13 ),

and consists of a plastic film, aluminum foil or composite film,

and/or

at least one of the housing part ( 1 ) and the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) is transparent.

3. The single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the outlet opening ( 13 ′) is formed as a mouthpipe or is connected to a nose nozzle ( 14 ),

and/or

a cross section of the air inlet duct ( 12 ) at the medicament chamber ( 11 ) is smaller than a cross section of the outlet duct ( 13 ) at the medicament chamber ( 11 ).

4. The single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the closure tab ( 30 ) that closes off the medicament chamber ( 11 ) is a part of a film element ( 3 ).

5. The single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 4 , wherein

the film element ( 3 ) has at least one pull-off tab ( 32 ) which is arranged opposite the closure tab ( 30 ) that closes off the medicament chamber ( 11 ) and extends out of the air inlet opening or outlet opening ( 12 ′, 13 ′) of the air inlet duct or outlet duct ( 12 , 13 ).

6. The single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the housing part ( 1 ) and the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) are comprised of a plastic that

is biodegradable, and/or

contains a marker.

7. The single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the housing part ( 1 ) and the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) are comprised of a plastic that is an antiseptic and/or antimicrobial plastic,

or

at least the air inlet duct ( 12 ), the medicament chamber ( 11 ) and the outlet duct ( 13 ) are provided with an antiseptic and/or antimicrobial coating.

8. The single-dose powder inhaler ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the medicament chamber ( 11 ) is subdivided into at least two subchambers ( 11 a ) by at least one partition wall ( 11 b ), or

two or more of said medicament chamber ( 11 ) are formed in the housing part ( 1 ), which are arranged in parallel alongside one another with an air inlet duct ( 12 ) and an outlet duct ( 13 ) or are arranged in series with one another, wherein the air inlet duct ( 12 ) leads to a first one of the two or more medicament chambers ( 11 ) and the outlet duct ( 13 ) extends from a last one of the two or more medicament chambers ( 11 ) and the two or more medicament chambers ( 11 ) are connected to each other by a further duct.

9. The single-dose powder inhaler ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 8 , wherein

the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) comprises a pressure element ( 22 ) provided with at least one piercing element ( 23 ) for each subchamber ( 11 a ) formed in the housing part ( 1 ), or

the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) comprises a resilient pressure element ( 22 ) provided with at least one piercing element ( 23 ) for each medicament chamber ( 11 ) formed in the housing part ( 1 ).

10. A method for producing a single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 1 ,

comprising the steps of

producing the housing part ( 1 ) from plastic by injection-molding or by thermoforming a plastic film,

filling the medicament chamber ( 11 ) with a dose of a pulverulent medicament,

closing the medicament chamber ( 11 ) with a film element ( 3 ) and

cutting out the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) or producing the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) from plastic by injection-molding or by thermoforming a plastic film,

attaching the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) to the housing part ( 1 ), wherein the method is carried out in a single device.

11. A single-dose powder inhaler comprising:

an inhaler housing comprised of a housing part ( 1 ), in which a medicament chamber ( 11 ) having a dose of a pulverulent medicament is formed, and further comprised of a flat, planar covering element ( 2 ), wherein the inhaler housing has an outlet opening ( 13 ′) and an outlet duct ( 13 ) which extends from the medicament chamber ( 11 ) to the outlet opening ( 131 wherein

the housing part ( 1 ) has a flat, planar face facing the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ), wherein the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) and the flat, planar face are joined to each other to form the inhaler housing, wherein

the outlet duct ( 13 ) is a depression formed in the housing part ( 1 ) relative to a plane of the flat, planar face and extending away from the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) and the medicament chamber ( 11 ) consists of a depression exclusively formed in the housing part ( 1 ) relative to the plane of the flat planar face and extending away from the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ),

and wherein the housing part ( 1 ) comprises

an air inlet opening ( 12 ′) on a side of the medicament chamber ( 11 ) remote from the outlet opening ( 13 ′), and

an inlet duct ( 12 ), formed as a depression in the housing part ( 1 ) relative to the plane of the flat, planar face and extending away from the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ), wherein the inlet duct ( 12 ) extends from the air inlet opening ( 12 ′) to the medicament chamber ( 11 ), wherein the outlet duct ( 13 ), the medicament chamber ( 11 ), and the inlet duct ( 12 ) define an axis,

wherein air-guiding, turbulence-inducing and/or deflecting structures ( 15 , 16 , 17 ) are formed in the air inlet duct ( 12 ), in the medicament chamber ( 11 ) and in the outlet duct ( 13 ), and

the inlet duct ( 12 ) narrows from the air inlet opening ( 12 ′) to the medicament chamber ( 11 ) in two directions perpendicular to said axis and the outlet duct ( 13 ) widens from the medicament chamber ( 11 ) in the direction of the outlet opening ( 13 ′) in two directions perpendicular to said axis,

wherein

a first blocking duct ( 18 ) is formed in the housing part ( 1 ) on a first side of the medicament chamber ( 11 ) and a second blocking duct ( 18 ) is formed in the housing part ( 1 ) on a second side of the medicament chamber ( 11 ) at right angles to the air inlet duct ( 12 ) and the outlet duct ( 13 ), respectively, wherein a first correspondingly formed fold ( 21 ) of the covering element ( 2 ) and a second correspondingly formed fold ( 21 ) of the covering element ( 2 ) are received in said first and second blocking ducts ( 18 ), respectively, so as to sealingly close the air inlet duct ( 12 ) and the outlet duct ( 13 ), wherein the powder inhaler has a lifting element enabling the first and second folds ( 21 ) to be lifted out of the first and second blocking ducts ( 18 ), respectively.

12. The single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 11 , wherein

the lifting element

is at least one predetermined and marked pressure, bending or pulling point (D, Z) on the inhaler housing,

or

is a pull tape ( 5 ) which extends through the air inlet duct ( 12 ) and/or the outlet duct ( 13 ) and transversely through the first and second blocking ducts ( 18 ) between the first and second folds ( 21 ) and the housing part ( 1 ), and wherein the pull tape ( 5 ) has a grip portion ( 52 ) at a first end of the pull tape ( 5 ) and wherein a second end ( 50 ) of the pull tape ( 5 ) is anchored to an anchoring structure ( 17 ′) of the inhaler housing,

or

is a structure arranged loosely in the medicament chamber.

13. A method for producing a single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 11 ,

comprising the steps of

producing the housing part ( 1 ) from plastic by injection-molding or by thermoforming a plastic film,

filling the medicament chamber ( 11 ) with a dose of a pulverulent medicament,

closing the medicament chamber ( 11 ) by a fold ( 21 ) of the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ), received in a blocking duct ( 18 ) of the housing part ( 1 ), and

cutting out the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) or producing the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) from plastic by injection-molding or by thermoforming a plastic film,

attaching the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) to the housing part ( 1 ), wherein the method is carried out in a single device.

14. A single-dose powder inhaler comprising:

an inhaler housing comprised of a housing part ( 1 ), in which a medicament chamber ( 11 ) having a dose of a pulverulent medicament is formed, and further comprised of a flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) without depressions and projections, wherein the inhaler housing has an outlet opening ( 13 ′) and an outlet duct ( 13 ) which extends from the medicament chamber ( 11 ) to the outlet opening ( 13 ′), wherein

the housing part ( 1 ) has a flat, planar face facing the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ), wherein the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) and the flat, planar face are joined to each other to form the inhaler housing, wherein

the outlet duct ( 13 ) is a depression formed in the housing part ( 1 ) relative to a plane of the flat, planar face and extending away from the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) and the medicament chamber ( 11 ) consists of a depression exclusively formed in the housing part ( 1 ) relative to the plane of the flat planar face and extending away from the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ),

and wherein the housing part ( 1 ) comprises

an air inlet opening ( 12 ′) on a side of the medicament chamber ( 11 ) remote from the outlet opening ( 13 ′), and

an inlet duct ( 12 ), formed as a depression in the housing part ( 1 ) relative to the plane of the flat, planar face and extending away from the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ), wherein the inlet duct ( 12 ) extends from the air inlet opening ( 12 ′) to the medicament chamber ( 11 ), wherein the outlet duct ( 13 ), the medicament chamber ( 11 ), and the inlet duct ( 12 ) define an axis,

wherein air-guiding, turbulence-inducing and/or deflecting structures ( 15 , 16 , 17 ) are formed in the air inlet duct ( 12 ), in the medicament chamber ( 11 ) and in the outlet duct ( 13 ), and

the inlet duct ( 12 ) narrows from the air inlet opening ( 12 ′) to the medicament chamber ( 11 ) in two directions perpendicular to said axis and the outlet duct ( 13 ) widens from the medicament chamber ( 11 ) in the direction of the outlet opening ( 13 ′) in two directions perpendicular to said axis,

wherein the medicament chamber ( 11 ) is closed by two plug elements ( 4 ) positioned opposite each other in relation to the medicament chamber ( 11 ), wherein each plug element ( 4 ) has a plug portion ( 40 ), which is arranged adjacent to the medicament chamber ( 11 ) in the air inlet duct ( 12 ) or the outlet duct ( 13 ), respectively, to close off a flow cross section of the air inlet duct ( 12 ) or the outlet duct ( 13 ), respectively, wherein each plug element ( 4 ) further comprises a pull-off tab ( 42 ) which extends out of the air inlet opening ( 12 ′) or the outlet opening ( 13 ′), respectively.

15. A method for producing a single-dose powder inhaler as claimed in claim 14 ,

comprising the steps of

producing the housing part ( 1 ) from plastic by injection-molding or by thermoforming a plastic film,

filling the medicament chamber ( 11 ) with a dose of a pulverulent medicament,

closing the medicament chamber ( 11 ) by two plug elements ( 4 ), and

cutting out the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) or producing the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) from plastic by injection-molding or by thermoforming a plastic film,

attaching the flat, planar covering element ( 2 ) to the housing part ( 1 ), wherein the method is carried out in a single device.