Inhalation device, inhalation device set, and nozzle plate therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11065397-B2
Application number	US-201615573647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

An inhalation device including a housing, which encloses a liquid reservoir in which the liquid is stored before discharge, and an applicator head with a nebulization chamber and an applicator piece connected thereto, wherein the applicator piece is designed either as a mouthpiece, to be received in the mouth of a patient, or as an inhalation mask, to sealingly cover the mouth, the nose, or the mouth and the nose. The inhalation device furthermore has a discharge channel which connects the liquid reservoir to the applicator head. The inhalation device includes at the end of the discharge channel a nozzle plate with a large number of nozzle openings which serve to generate an inhalation mist and through which the liquid from the liquid reservoir is conveyed into the nebulization chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inhalation device for inhaling a liquid in nebulized form, comprising:
a housing configured in part as a rotationally symmetrical body with a center axis defining a main axis of extent of the housing, the rotationally symmetrical body enclosing a liquid reservoir in which a liquid is stored in pressurized form by application of a propellant gas or compressed air, or by a pretensioned spring mechanism, before being discharged;
an applicator head comprising:
a nebulization chamber; and
an applicator piece connected to the nebulization chamber, the applicator piece being configured as a mouthpiece to be received in a mouth of a patient, as an inhalation mask to sealingly cover a mouth, a nose or a mouth and nose of a patient, or as an adapter piece for fitting a mouthpiece or an inhalation mask;

a discharge channel connecting the liquid reservoir to the nebulization chamber of the applicator head; and
an outlet valve disposed to open and close the discharge channel, wherein a rotational movement of the housing about the main axis of extent with respect to the applicator piece switches the outlet valve to open the discharge channel and discharge the liquid from the inhalation device while the outlet valve is open, the applicator piece being oriented laterally relative to the main axis of extent of the housing such that the applicator piece allows the patient to generate a force adjacent a mouth area which permits the rotational movement of the housing with respect to the applicator piece.

2. The inhalation device according to claim 1 , further including an air inlet opening into the nebulization chamber, the air inlet and the applicator piece being disposed on opposite sides of the nebulization chamber.

3. The inhalation device according to claim 1 , further including a nozzle plate disposed at a downstream end of the discharge channel, the nozzle plate including a plurality of nozzle openings which generate an inhalation mist, the nozzle openings being disposed to convey the liquid from the liquid reservoir into the nebulization chamber.

4. The inhalation device according to claim 3 , further including a structural unit, the applicator piece and the nozzle plate forming part of the structural unit, the structural unit being configured for detachment from the housing without the use of a tool.

5. The inhalation device according to claim 3 , wherein the nozzle plate includes one of the following:
the nozzle plate is formed in part from silver or from a silver-containing material; or
the nozzle openings have a diameter of between 1 μm and 100 μm; or
the nozzle plate comprises at least nine of the nozzle openings.

6. The inhalation device according to claim 3 , wherein the nozzle plate comprises a main plate constructed of a material that does not contain silver or silver-containing material, and a layer of silver or of silver-containing material is provided on the main plate.

7. An inhalation device set comprising an inhalation device according to claim 3 , the inhalation device set comprising at least two structural units, each structural unit comprising an applicator piece and a nozzle plate.

8. The inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein the applicator piece defines a discharge direction oriented at an angle relative to the main axis of extent, and the angle of the discharge direction is between 10° and 170°.

9. The inhalation device according to claim 1 , further including a spring mechanism configured to bias the outlet valve towards a closed position thereof in which the discharge channel is closed.

10. The inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein the applicator head has a base part connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the housing, and an outlet part rotatable relative to the base part and comprising the nebulization chamber, the base part and the outlet part being guided on one another such that a rotational movement of the outlet part relative to the base part axially displaces the outlet part relative to the base part and axially displaces the outlet valve and switches same to an open position to open the discharge channel.

11. The inhalation device according to claim 1 , further including one of the following:
the discharge channel is provided in part with a material having an antibacterial action; or
the applicator piece is configured as a mouthpiece having an outlet with a width greater than a height, the mouthpiece having a top face with a bearing surface configured for bearing on an upper lip and a bottom face with a bearing surface configured for bearing on a lower lip; or
the applicator piece is configured as an inhalation mask with a circumferential sealing edge configured for bearing on a face of a patient, the sealing edge being dimensioned to enclose the mouth, the nose, or the mouth and the nose; or
the applicator piece is configured as an adapter piece for fitting a mouthpiece or an inhalation mask.

12. The inhalation device according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet valve includes a valve part mounted for movement relative to the housing, the applicator head having a housing portion non-movably connected to the applicator piece and cooperatively engaged with the valve part, and the housing portion and the valve part are configured to transform the rotational movement of the housing into an axial displacement of the outlet valve to switch same and open the discharge channel.

13. The inhalation device according to claim 12 , wherein the valve part is mounted for axial movement relative to the housing and is rotationally fixed relative to the housing, and the rotational movement of the housing relative to the applicator piece and the housing portion moves the valve part axially to cause the axial displacement of the outlet valve.

14. An inhalation device comprising:
a housing including a rotationally symmetrical body defining a center axis, said body including a liquid reservoir storing liquid in a pressurized state prior to discharge of same from said inhalation device;
an applicator head connected to said housing and including a nebulization chamber, said applicator head further including an application component in fluid communication with said nebulization chamber, said application component having a portion configured for directing the liquid to a user's mouth, said housing and said application component being connected to one another for relative rotation with respect to one another about the central axis;
a discharge channel fluidly interconnecting said liquid reservoir and said nebulization chamber; and
an outlet valve switchable between an open position in which said discharge channel is in fluid communication with said liquid reservoir to permit discharge of the liquid therefrom to said nebulization chamber, and a closed position in which said discharge channel is blocked from fluid communication with said liquid reservoir to prevent discharge of the liquid therefrom to said nebulization chamber, wherein rotation of said housing relative to said application component about the center axis switches said outlet valve to the open position and causes discharge of the liquid in said liquid reservoir from said inhalation device while said outlet valve is in the open position, said portion of said application component being oriented eccentrically relative to the center axis of said housing such that said portion of said application component allows the user to generate a force adjacent a mouth area which permits the rotational movement of said housing relative to said application component.

15. The inhalation device according to claim 14

Assignees

• Aptar Radolfzell Gmbh

Inventors

• Nadler Günter

Classifications

• B65D83/20

  Actuator caps · CPC title

• A61M15/0021

  Mouthpieces therefor · CPC title

• A61M11/003 Primary

  by passing the aerosol trough sieves or filters · CPC title

• A61M15/0086

  Inhalation chambers · CPC title

• A61M2210/0618

  Nose · CPC title