INTRANASAL ADMINISTRATION
A nosepiece for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the nosepiece comprising a body part which comprises a base portion which defines a flow passage therethrough, and a projection at a distal end of the base portion which at least in part provides a tip of the nosepiece and confers a rigidity in the sagittal direction, which enables the tip to open fleshy tissue at an upper region of the nasal valve and thereby expand an open area of the nasal valve, and a flexibility in a lateral direction, orthogonal to the sagittal plane, which facilitates insertion of the tip into the nasal valve.
1 - 42 . (canceled)
43 . A method of delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, comprising:
causing a nosepiece of a delivery device to be fitted in a nostril of the subject, the nosepiece including a base portion, defining a flow passage therethrough, and a projection, extending from a distal end of the base portion, the projection providing rigidity along a sagittal direction of the nosepiece and adjacent a tip of the nosepiece and providing flexibility along a lateral direction of the nosepiece, orthogonal to the sagittal direction, and adjacent the tip of the nosepiece;
wherein the projection extends substantially parallel along and offset relative to a longitudinal axis of the nosepiece;
wherein the projection comprises a relatively flat shape having a length in the sagittal direction greater than a length in the lateral direction; and
causing the tip of the nosepiece to engage fleshy tissue at an upper region of a nasal valve of the subject to thereby expand an open area of the nasal valve.
44 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the base portion of the nosepiece defines a substantially annular surface at a distal end thereof, wherein the surface of the base portion is inclined from the projection in a proximal direction, wherein the base portion is shorter at a side thereof opposite the projection.
45 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the sagittal direction is at least 1.5 times greater than a mean length of the projection in the lateral direction.
46 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the sagittal direction is at least 1.7 times greater than a mean length of the projection in the lateral direction.
47 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the sagittal direction is at least 1.9 times greater than a mean length of the projection in the lateral direction.
48 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the sagittal direction is at least 2 times greater than a mean length of the projection in the lateral direction.
49 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the sagittal direction is less than 3 mm.
50 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the sagittal direction is less than 2.5 mm.
51 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the sagittal direction is greater than 1.5 mm.
52 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the lateral direction is less than 1.5 mm.
53 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the lateral direction is less than 1.25 mm.
54 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the lateral direction is greater than 0.5 mm.
55 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the length of the projection in the lateral direction is greater than 0.75 mm.
56 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the projection has a main body section and a tip section, wherein the tip section has a length in the sagittal direction shorter than a length in the sagittal direction of the main body section.
57 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the projection defines a step at an inner edge thereof.
58 . The method of claim 43 , wherein the projection has a tapering lateral cross-section along a longitudinal direction thereof, wherein the length of the projection in the lateral direction gets smaller toward the distal end of the projection.