Inhaler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9555200-B2
Application number	US-201214005015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2012
Priority date	Mar 15, 2011
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to an inhaler ( 1 ) comprising a capsule housing ( 2 ) for containing a medicament capsule ( 4 ). The inhaler includes an airflow path ( 6 ) through which air flows during an airflow event from at least one air inlet ( 8 ) to an outlet ( 10 ), the airflow path passing through the capsule housing. There is a first sensor ( 16 ), a processor ( 18 ) and a power source ( 20 ) for powering the processor. The capsule housing is defined by at least one wall ( 22 ) and configured such that when a capsule is located in the capsule housing and sufficient air flows along the airflow path through the capsule housing, the capsule moves within the capsule housing. The first sensor is arranged on the inhaler so that it is able to detect the movement of the capsule within the capsule housing and generate a first signal indicative of said movement. The processor receives the first signal from the first sensor and uses said first signal to determine whether the first signal is indicative of the presence, or absence, of a capsule in the capsule housing during an airflow event and generate a capsule signal indicative thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inhaler comprising:
a medicament capsule housing for containing a medicament capsule,
an airflow path through which air flows during an airflow event from at least one air inlet to an outlet, the airflow path passing through the capsule housing,
a first sensor comprising a microphone or piezo element for detecting impact,
a processor, and
a power source for powering the processor,
the medicament capsule housing being defined by at least one wall and configured such that when the medicament capsule is located in the medicament capsule housing and air flows along the airflow path through the medicament capsule housing, the medicament capsule moves within the medicament capsule housing wherein said movement comprises impacting said at least one wall, the first sensor is being arranged on the inhaler so that it is able to detect the impact of the medicament capsule against said wall of the medicament capsule housing and generate a first signal indicative of said movement, the processor receiving the first signal from the first sensor and analyzes said first signal using a peak-detection algorithm which determines whether the calculated peak frequency is within predetermined limits to determine whether the first signal is indicative of the a presence, or absence, of the medicament capsule in the medicament capsule housing during as the airflow event and to generate a signal indicative of medicament capsule presence,
the inhaler further comprising memory for storing the signal indicative of medicament capsule presence or absence, and an output from which the medicament capsule presence or absence signal or the contents of the memory can be accessed, and at least one actuator which can be actuated by a user to cause an opening element to open the medicament capsule within the inhaler, the inhaler further including an actuator sensor for sensing actuation of the actuator and generating an actuation signal, the processor being arranged to receive the actuation signal.

2. An inhaler comprising:
a medicament capsule housing for containing a medicament capsule,
an airflow path through which air flows during an airflow event from at least one air inlet to an outlet, the airflow path passing through the medicament capsule housing,
a first sensor comprising an impact sensor,
a processor, and
a power source for powering the processor,
the medicament capsule housing being defined by at least one wall and configured such that when the medicament capsule is located in the medicament capsule housing and air flows along the airflow path through the medicament capsule housing, the medicament capsule moves within the medicament capsule housing wherein said movement comprises impacting said at least one wall, the first sensor being arranged on the inhaler so that it is able to detect the impact of the medicament capsule against said wall of the medicament capsule housing and generate a first signal indicative of said movement, the processor receiving the first signal from the first sensor and analyzing the impact signal from the sensor using a frequency-domain discriminator algorithm to determine if a ratio of signal strength between two different predetermined frequency ranges is within predetermined limits in order to generate a signal indicative of medicament capsule presence.

3. An inhaler, comprising:
a medicament capsule housing for containing a medicament capsule,
an airflow path through which air flows during an airflow event from at least one air inlet to an outlet, the airflow path passing through the medicament capsule housing,
a first sensor comprising an impact sensor,
a processor, and
a power source for powering the processor,
the medicament capsule housing being defined by at least one wall and configured such that when the medicament capsule is located in the capsule housing and air flows along the airflow path through the medicament capsule housing, the medicament capsule moves within the medicament capsule housing wherein said movement comprises impacting said at least one wall, the first sensor being arranged on the inhaler so that it is able to detect the impact of the medicament capsule against said wall of the medicament capsule housing and generate a first signal indicative of said movement, the processor receiving the first signal from the first sensor and analyzing the impact signal from the first sensor using a two variable statistical algorithm which calculates two statistical variables to characterize the first signal and determines if the calculated statistical variables fall into a predetermined domain on a scatter plot of one variable against the other in order to produce a signal indicative of medicament capsule presence or absence.

4. The inhaler as claimed in claim 3 , in which the calculated statistical variables are kurtosis and variance.

5. The inhaler as claimed in claim 3 , in which the calculated statistical variables comprise variance, and a peak-to-mean ratio of the square of the impact signal, or a peak-to-mean ratio of the magnitude of the impact signal.

6. The inhaler as claimed in claim 1 , in which the processor analyses the impact signal from the sensor using at least two different algorithms.

7. The inhaler as claimed in claim 3 , in which the first sensor comprises a microphone or a piezo element.

8. The inhaler as claimed in claim 1 , in which the medicament capsule housing includes a portion which is substantially cylindrical in shape with a diameter longer than a medicament capsule to be contained therein and a height greater than a diameter of the medicament capsule, but less than a length of the medicament capsule and wherein the airflow path is arranged to make the medicament capsule spin within the medicament capsule housing.

9. The inhaler as claimed in claim 3 , in which the inhaler includes at least one actuator which can be actuated by a user to cause an opening element to open the medicament capsule within the inhaler, the inhaler further including an actuator sensor for sensing actuation of the actuator and generating an actuation signal, the processor being arranged to receive the actuation signal.

10. The inhaler as claimed in claim 9 , in which the processor is arranged to generate a dose signal indicative of whether the user has followed a correct use sequence for the inhaler, the processor generating the dose signal based upon the medicament capsule presence signal and the actuation signal, the order in which those signals were generated and a time between signals.

Assignees

• Hosemann Michael
• Phillips Desmond
• Ramble David
• Reynolds Sean
• Vernon-Harcourt Edward
• Novartis Ag

Inventors

• Hosemann Michael
• Phillips Desmond
• Ramble David
• Reynolds Sean
• Vernon-Harcourt Edward

Classifications

• A61M2205/3592

  using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission · CPC title

• A61M2202/064

  Powder · CPC title

• A61M15/0028 Primary

  using prepacked dosages, one for each application, e.g. capsules to be perforated or broken-up · CPC title

• A61M2205/52

  with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient · CPC title

• A61M2205/3306

  Optical measuring means · CPC title