THERMAL MODULATION OF AN INHALABLE MEDICAMENT
A thermally modulating inhalable medicament delivery device may deliver an inhalable medicament as an aerosol, vapor, or partial aerosol and partial vapor mixture. The inhalable medicament may be delivered to a target in a subject. Described herein are devices, systems, and methods for delivering an inhalable medicament to a subject.
1 . A delivery device that delivers an inhalable medicament to a subject, comprising:
a housing;
an aspiration tube carried by the housing;
a cartridge containing the inhalable medicament and connectable to the housing such that the inhalable medicament can be selectively communicated as an aerosol to the aspiration tube;
at least one heater adjacent to the aspiration tube; and
a controller that modulates a temperature of the at least one heater, of a location of the aspiration tube adjacent to which the at least one heater is positioned, and of the aerosol of the inhalable medicament traveling through the location of the aspiration tube adjacent to which the at least one heater is positioned to impart the aerosol with a predetermined particle size.
2 . The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heater comprises a plurality of heaters positioned at different locations along a length of the aspiration tube.
3 . The delivery device of claim 2 , wherein the controller modulates a temperature of each heater of the plurality of heaters individually from every other heater of the plurality of heaters.
4 . The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heater is positioned around an entirety of an outer periphery of the location of the aspiration tube.
5 . The delivery device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reservoir tap in communication with the aspiration tube, the reservoir tap including a conduit that selectively communicates with the cartridge to enable selective communication of the aerosol of the inhalable medicament from the cartridge to the aspiration tube.
6 . The delivery device of claim 5 , further comprising:
a tap heater adjacent to the reservoir tap.
7 . The delivery device of claim 6 , wherein a position of the tap heater within the housing is stationary.
8 . The delivery device of claim 6 , wherein the tap heater moves with the reservoir tap.
9 . The delivery device of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the tap heater.
10 . The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined particle size of the aerosol of the inhalable medicament enables the aerosol to reach a predetermined destination within an airway of an individual who uses the delivery device.
11 . The delivery device of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined destination comprises at least one of a mouth, a pharynx, a trachea, and a lung of the individual.
12 . The delivery device of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined destination comprises a particular lobe of a lung of the individual.
13 . The delivery device of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined destination comprises a trachea, a bronchus, a bronchiole, an alveoli, and pulmonary vasculature.
14 . A delivery device that delivers an inhalable medicament to a subject, comprising:
a housing;
an aspiration tube carried by the housing;
a cartridge containing the inhalable medicament and connectable to the housing such that the inhalable medicament can be selectively communicated as an aerosol to the aspiration tube;
a plurality of heaters adjacent to the aspiration tube; and
a controller that separately modulates a temperature of each heater of the plurality of heaters, a location of the aspiration tube adjacent to which each heater of the plurality of heaters is positioned, and of the aerosol of the inhalable medicament traveling through the location of the aspiration tube adjacent to which each heater of the plurality of heaters is positioned to impart the aerosol exiting the aspiration tube with a predetermined particle size that enables the aerosol to reach a predetermined destination within an airway of an individual who uses the delivery device.
15 . The delivery device of claim 14 , wherein each heater of the plurality of heaters is positioned around an entirety of an outer periphery of the aspiration tube.
16 . The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heaters are spaced apart from each other along a length of the aspiration tube.
17 . The delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined particle size is about 0.1 μm to about 15 μm.
18 . A method for modulating a particle size of an inhalable medicament, comprising:
controllably heating an aerosol of the inhalable medicament traveling through an aspiration tube of an inhaled medicament delivery device to a temperature that will reduce the particle size of the inhalable medicament to dimensions upon exiting the aspiration tube that will enable the inhalable medicament to flow to a predetermined location within an airway of an individual.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein controllably heating the aerosol comprises controllably heating the aerosol at a plurality of different locations along a length of the aspiration tube.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein controllably heating the aerosol comprises controllably heating the aerosol to different temperatures at the plurality of different locations along the length of the aspiration tube.