Patent Grant
7520278
The present invention relates to the delivery of dry powder substances, such as dose-regulated pharmaceutical products, as inhalant aerosols.
Dry powder inhalers (DPI's) represent a promising alternative to pressurized pMDI (pressurized meted dose inhaler) devices for delivering drug aerosols without using CFC propellants. See generally, Crowder et al., 2001: an Odyssey in Inhaler Formulation and Design, Pharmaceutical Technology, pp. 99-113, July 2001; and Peart et al., New Developments in Dry Powder Inhaler Technology, American Pharmaceutical Review, Vol. 4, n. 3, pp. 37-45 (2001). Typically, the DPIs are configured to deliver a powdered drug or drug mixture that includes an excipient and/or other ingredients. Conventionally, many DPIs have operated passively, relying on the inspiratory effort of the patient to dispense the drug provided by the powder. Unfortunately, this passive operation can lead to poor dosing uniformity since inspiratory capabilities can vary from patient to patient (and sometimes even use-to-use by the same patient, particularly if the patient is undergoing an asthmatic attack or respiratory-type ailment which tends to close the airway).
Generally described, known single and multiple dose dry powder DPI devices use: (a) individual pre-measured doses, such as capsules containing the drug, which can be inserted into the device prior to dispensing; or (b) bulk powder reservoirs which are configured to administer successive quantities of the drug to the patient via a dispensing chamber which dispenses the proper dose. See generally Prime et al., Review of Dry Powder Inhalers, 26 Adv. Drug Delivery Rev., pp. 51-58 (1997); and Hickey et al., A new millennium for inhaler technology, 21 Pharm. Tech., n. 6, pp. 116-125 (1997).
In operation, DPI devices desire to administer a uniform aerosol dispersion amount in a desired physical form (such as a particulate size) of the dry powder into a patient's airway and direct it to a desired deposit site. If the patient is unable to provide sufficient respiratory effort, the extent of drug penetration, especially to the lower portion of the airway, may be impeded. This may result in premature deposit of the powder in the patient's mouth or throat.
A number of obstacles can undesirably impact the performance of the DPI. For example, the small size of the inhalable particles in the dry powder drug mixture can subject them to forces of agglomeration and/or cohesion (i.e., certain types of dry powders are susceptible to agglomeration, which is typically caused by particles of the drug adhering together), which can result in poor flow and non-uniform dispersion. In addition, as noted above, many dry powder formulations employ larger excipient particles to promote flow properties of the drug. However, separation of the drug from the excipient, as well as the presence of agglomeration, can require additional inspiratory effort, which, again, can impact the stable dispersion of the powder within the air stream of the patient. Unstable dispersions may inhibit the drug from reaching its preferred deposit/destination site and can prematurely deposit undue amounts of the drug elsewhere.
Further, many dry powder inhalers can retain a significant amount of the drug within the device, which can be especially problematic over time. Typically, this problem requires that the device be disassembled and cleansed to assure that it is in proper working order. In addition, the hygroscopic nature of many of these dry powder drugs may also require that the device be cleansed (and dried) at periodic intervals.
Some inhalation devices have attempted to resolve problems attendant with conventional passive inhalers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,523 proposes a dry powder inhalation device which has a deagglormeration/aerosolization plunger rod or biased hammer and solenoid, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,264 proposes the use of a battery-powered solenoid buzzer to vibrate the capsule to effectuate the release of the powder contained therein. These devices propose to facilitate the release of the dry powder by the use of energy input independent of patient respiratory effort. U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,663 to Eisele et al. proposes a dry powder inhaler delivery system with a rotatable carrier disk having a blister shell sealed by a shear layer that uses an actuator that tears away the shear layer to release the powder drug contents. The device also includes a hanging mouthpiece cover that is attached to a bottom portion of the inhaler. U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,502 to Piper proposes a powder inhaler using patient inspiratory efforts for generating a respirable aerosol and also includes a rotatable cartridge holding the depressed wells or blisters defining the medicament holding receptacles. A spring-loaded carriage compresses the blister against conduits with sharp edges that puncture the blister to release the medication that is then entrained in air drawn in from the air inlet conduit so that aerosolized medication is emitted from the aerosol outlet conduit. The contents of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference as if stated in full herein.
More recently, Hickey et al. in U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/188,543 and corresponding international PCT patent publication WO 01/68169A1 have proposed a DPI system to actively facilitate the dispersion and release of dry powder drug formulations during inhalation using piezoelectric polymer film elements which may promote or increase the quantity of fine particle fraction particles dispersed or emitted from the device over conventional DPI systems: the contents of these documents are hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein.
Notwithstanding the above, there remains a need to provide easily used, cost effective, and reliable dry powder inhalers.
Embodiments of the present invention provide improved dry powder inhaler configurations. The dry powder inhalers may be particularly suitable for use with active piezoelectric polymer-driven dispersion or delivery means. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to dry powder inhaler configurations and associated receptacle or blister packages as well as methods for dispensing dry powder substances and/or methods for fabricating blister packages.
In certain embodiments, the dry powder inhaler can be pre-packaged with an integrated predetermined quantity of individually dispensable doses that is disposable after a desired dispensing period, such as 30, 60, or 90 days. This can limit the amount of patient or user interchange with the dry powder inhaler, thereby removing the requirement that the DPI be disassembled to insert additional doses into the unit (and may also promote a more hygienic product). In other embodiments, the DPI can be configured to allow replaceable dry powder packages to be inserted/removed from the device at desired intervals.
In particular embodiments, whether the inhaler is disposable at each refill interval or refillable and reusable, the dry powder package therein can include a thin layer of piezoelectric polymer material that is in communication with each of a plurality of selectively excitable receptacle regions. In operation, the piezoelectric polymer material layer is rapidly flexed back and forth to deform a selected receptacle(s) region, thereby actively facilitating the dispersal of the dry powder drug into the inhalation delivery path.
The active piezoelectric regions can be formed as an elongated resonant chamber to cause the dry powder substance to contact the floor and/or ceiling of the resonant chamber repeatedly. This can increase the transfer of energy from the actively flexing piezoelectric polymer resonant chamber to the dry powder substance, promoting longer contact times therewith as the dry powder substance travels the length of the resonant chamber and exits the patient inhalation port.
The increased active dispersal can promote resonance of the dry powder substance and allow improved blends, such as increased concentrations and/or reduced total quantities of substances relative excipient, over conventional dry powder pharmaceutical substances.
Certain embodiments of the present invention are directed to multi-dose dry powder packages for holding inhalant formulated dry powder substances. The packages comprise: (a) a platform body comprising a plurality of sealed blisters thereon and at least one thin piezoelectric polymer material layer forming at least a portion of each of the sealed blisters, wherein the sealed blisters comprise a respective at least one of a plurality of spatially separated discrete elongate dry powder channels having an associated length, width and height; and (b) a conductive material attached to selected portions of the piezoelectric polymer material to, in operation, define active energy-releasing vibratory channels, and wherein, in operation, the elongate channels can be selectively activated to vibrate upon exposure to an electrical input.
Other embodiments of the invention are directed to dry powder inhalers. The inhalers include: (a) an elongate body having opposing first and second outer primary surfaces with a cavity therebetween and having opposing top and bottom end portions; (b) a multi-dose sealed blister package holding a plurality of discrete meted doses of a dry powder inhalable product located in the cavity of the elongate body; (c) an inhalation port formed in the bottom end portion of the elongate body, the inhalation port configured to be in fluid communication with at least one of the discrete meted doses during use; and (d) a cover member that is pivotably attached to the elongate body so that it remains attached to the body during normal operational periods of use and moves to a first closed position to overlie the inhalation port at the bottom end portion of the body during periods of non-use and moves to a second open position away from the inhalation port during periods of use to allow a user to access the inhalation port.
The cover member may have a length that is greater than a major portion of the length of the elongated body and a width is less than the width of the elongate body. In certain embodiments, the cover member has two opposing first and second end portions, the first end portion being pivotably attached to the upper portion of the elongated body with the cover having a major portion with a substantially planar profile and a downwardly extending arcuately shaped second end portion.
Still other embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods for fabricating a multi-dose disposable dry powder blister package. The method includes: (a) providing a piezoelectric polymer material; (b) concurrently forming a plurality of elongated projections having a width and an associated length into the piezoelectric polymer material; and (c) applying a metallic material to selected regions of at least one primary surface of the piezoelectric polymer material so as to cover at least a portion of each of the plurality of projections.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to methods of administering an inhalable dry powder product to a subject. The method includes: (a) oscillating a piezoelectric polymer material forming at least a portion of a sealed encased elongated channel and having opposing first and second end portions at a selected frequency or frequency range; (b) disrupting the integrity of the seal associated with the elongated channel at a second end portion; (c) directing a dry powder product to flow through the elongated channel to exit at the second end portion so that a major portion of the dry powder substance repeatedly contacts the oscillating piezoelectric material at a plurality of locations along the elongated channel; (f) imparting energy to the dry powder product based on the oscillating and directing steps to cause the dry powder product to vibrate to generate an inhalable aerosol; and (g) releasing the inhalable aerosol to a subject upon inhalation.
Still other embodiments are directed toward methods of administering an inhalable dry powder product to a subject. The methods include: (a) providing an inhaler with a multiple dose blister package comprising piezoelectric polymer material that is associated with a plurality of discrete sealed blisters holding respective dry powder doses; (b) priming a selected portion of the package to vibrate the dry powder in at least one selected sealed blister proximate in time to an intended inhalation delivery thereof; then (c) introducing an opening in the at least one selected blister; (d) vibrating the at least one selected blister by a applying an input signal to the piezoelectric polymer material proximate the selected blister; and (e) releasing the inhalable dry powder to a subject upon inhalation.
These and other objects and/or aspects of the present invention are explained in detail in the specification set forth below.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying figures, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, certain layers, components or features may be exaggerated for clarity, and broken lines illustrate optional features or operations unless specified otherwise. In addition, the sequence of operations (or steps) is not limited to the order presented in the claims unless specifically indicated otherwise. Where used, the terms “attached”, “connected”, “contacting”, and the like, can mean either directly or indirectly, unless stated otherwise.
In the description of the present invention that follows, certain terms are employed to refer to the positional relationship of certain structures relative to other structures. As used herein, the term “front” or “forward” and derivatives thereof refer to the general or primary direction that the dry powder travels as it is dispensed to a patient from a dry powder inhaler; this term is intended to be synonymous with the term “downstream,” which is often used in manufacturing or material flow environments to indicate that certain material traveling or being acted upon is farther along in that process than other material. Conversely, the terms “rearward” and “upstream” and derivatives thereof refer to the directions opposite, respectively, the forward and downstream directions. The term “blister” means a dry powder receptacle that can hold a (typically meted) quantity of a dry powder product. The blister may be configured with an elongated channel or cavity as will be described further below, or configured in other suitable geometries. In operation, the blisters are opened (slit, punctured or otherwise parted) before the dry powder dose is released by the inhaler in the aerosolized inhalant form.
The devices and methods of the present invention may be particularly suitable to dispense dry powder substances to in vivo subjects, including animal and, typically, human subjects. The dry powder substance may include one or more active pharmaceutical constituents as well as biocompatible additives that form the desired formulation or blend. As used herein, the term “dry powder” is used interchangeably with “dry powder formulation” and means the dry powder can comprise one or a plurality of constituents or ingredients with one or a plurality of (average) particulate size ranges. The term “low-density” dry powder means dry powders having a density of about 0.8 g/cm3 or less. In particular embodiments, the low-density powder may have a density of about 0.5 g/cm3 or less. The dry powder may be a dry powder with cohesive or agglomeration tendencies.
In any event, individual dispensable quantities of dry powder formulations can be a single ingredient or a plurality of ingredients, whether active or inactive. The inactive ingredients can include additives added to enhance flowability or to facilitate aeorolization delivery to the desired systemic target. The dry powder drug formulations can include active particulate sizes that vary. The device may be particularly suitable for dry powder formulations having particulates which are in the range of between about 0.5-50 μm, typically in the range of between about 0.5 μm-20.0 μm, and more typically in the range of between about 0.5 μm-8.0 μm. The dry powder formulation can also include flow-enhancing ingredients, which typically have particulate sizes that may be larger than the active ingredient particulate sizes. In certain embodiments, the flow-enhancing ingredients can include excipients having particulate sizes on the order of about 50-100 μm. Examples of excipients include lactose and trehalose. Other types of excipients can also be employed, such as, but not limited to, sugars which are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) as cryoprotectants (e.g., mannitol) or as solubility enhancers (e.g., cyclodextrine) or other generally recognized as safe (“GRAS”) excipients.
Examples of diseases, conditions or disorders that may be treated with the inventive devices and methods include, but are not limited to, asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), viral or bacterial infections, influenza, allergies, and other respiratory ailments as well as diabetes and other related insulin resistance disorders. The dry powder inhalant administration may be used to deliver locally acting agents such as antimicrobials, protease inhibitors, and nucleic acids/oligionucleotides as well as systemic agents such as peptides like leuprolide and proteins such as insulin. For example, inhaler-based delivery of antimicrobial agents such as antitubercular compounds, proteins such as insulin for diabetes therapy or other insulin-resistance related disorders, peptides such as leuprolide acetate for treatment of prostate cancer and/or endometriosis and nucleic acids or ogligonucleotides for cystic fibrosis gene therapy may be performed See e.g. Wolff et al., Generation of Aerosolized Drugs, J. Aerosol. Med. pp. 89-106 (1994). See also U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20010053761, entitled Method for Administering ASPB28-Human Insulin and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20010007853, entitled Method for Administering Monomeric Insulin Analogs, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein.
Typical dose amounts of the unitized dry powder mixture dispersed in the inhaler will vary depending on the patient size, the systemic target, and the particular drug. Conventional exemplary dry powder dose amount for an average adult is about 10-30 mg and for an average adolescent pediatric subject is from about 5-10 mg. Exemplary dry powder drugs include, but are not limited to albuterol, fluticasone, beclamethasone, cromolyn, terbutaline, fenoterol, β-agonists, salmeterol, formoterol, and glucocorticoids. In certain embodiments, the administered bolus or dose can be formulated with an increase in concentration (an increased percentage of active constituents) over conventional blends. Further, the dry powder formulations may be configured as a smaller administerable dose compared to the conventional 10-25 mg doses. For example, each administerable dry powder dose may be on the order of less than about 60-70% of that of conventional doses. In certain particular embodiments, using the active dispersal systems provided by certain embodiments of the DPI configurations of the instant invention, the adult dose may be reduced to under about 15 mg, such as between about 10 μg-10 mg, and more typically between about 50 μg-10 mg. The active constituent(s) concentration may be between about 5-10%. In other embodiments, active constituent concentrations can be in the range of between about 10-20%, 20-25%, or even larger. In particular embodiments, such as for nasal inhalation, target dose amounts may be between about 12-100 μg.
In certain particular embodiments, during dose dispensing, the dry powder in a particular dose receptacle may be formulated as only an active pharmaceutical constituent(s), substantially without additives (such as excipients). As used herein, “substantially without additives” means that the dry powder is in a substantially pure active formulation with only minimal amounts of other non-biopharmacological active ingredients. The term “minimal amounts” means that the non-active ingredients may be present, but are present in greatly reduced amounts, relative to the active ingredient(s), such that they comprise less than about 10%, and preferably less than about 5%, of the dispensed dry powder formulation, and, in certain embodiments, the non-active ingredients are present in only trace amounts.
In certain embodiments, the active elements are integral to/included as part of the disposable drug package, unlike many conventional active dispersion systems, cleansing of the active mechanism portion of the inhaler may not be required.
Referring to
As illustrated, the inhaler 10 can include a pivotably attached cover member 15 that overlies a major portion of the top surface 11. The cover member 15 can pivot about any desired portion of the device. As shown, the cover member 15 includes an end portion with an aperture 15o that may correspond to the size of a window 17. The cover member 15 attaches to the top portion of the elongated body 10b and pivots about an axis that is normal to the window 17.
As shown in
The elongated body 10b can be configured to be pocket-sized (fitting into standard pockets on male and/or female clothing). By using substantially planar primary surfaces 11, 12, and/or a thin profile, the device 10 may be less obtrusively worm (less conspicuous) and/or more conformal to the body and less intrusive in clothing pockets. In certain embodiments, the length of the elongated body is between about 2-5 inches, typically under about 4.25 inches, with the width being about 2-4 inches, typically about 2.5 inches.
Turning to
In certain embodiments, the elongated body 10b may include a recess positioned about the mouthpiece 20 that can be sized to matably receive the cover member 15 therein so that the cover member 15 pops into or nests in and/or locks into the closed position (not shown). Similarly, the pivotal attachment of the cover member 15 can be configured with a ratcheting wheel or gear that biases the cover member 15 into a desired closed and/or open position.
Although shown as positioned to overlie the top surface 11 of the elongated body 10b, the cover member 15 may be configured to extend from the bottom surface 12 upwardly to cover the mouthpiece 20. Similarly, the pivotal attachment can be laterally offset instead of longitudinally offset as shown.
In certain embodiments, the mouthpiece 20 can be removed by disengaging and/or pulling it from its adjacent portion of the inhaler 10 without requiring further disassembly of other components. This can allow the mouthpiece 20 to be cleaned as desired. Typically, the mouthpiece 20 is snapped into and held in position by a friction fit joint. Of course, other connection components and configurations may also be used as is known to those of skill in the art.
In certain embodiments, the elongated channels 101 can be shaped and/or sized to define a resonant chamber or cavity to generate a desired frequency(ies) of oscillation of the piezoelectric polymer material and/or a particular dry powder formulation. That is, each blend or formulation of dry powder may exhibit different flow characteristics that can be accounted for in the geometry design of the elongated channel 101. The height or depth, length, or width of the channel may be adjusted based on the particular drug or dry powder being administered. Advantageously, the inhaler 10 can be configured to dispense a number of different dry powder packages 100, each having the potential of having different drug receptacle or blister configurations. For example, the package 100 may be fabricated with 2-10 different standard lengths and a particular drug or formulation and dose matched to one of the predetermined standard lengths based on the closest match to generate an optimum vibration frequency. In other embodiments, the length of the channel and/or other parameters can be custom designed and defined for each formulation or drug that is to be administered using the inhaler device 10 and the inhaler device 10 can be configured to operate with and/or accommodate each custom package 100.
In certain embodiments, the signal 20s (shown schematically in
In particular embodiments, as schematically shown in
The inhalers 10 include signal generating circuitry 10g therein in communication with the channels 101. The signal generating circuitry 20g may be programmed with a plurality of predetermined different signals 20s, or if the inhaler dispenses only a single dry powder, the signal generator 20 may be programmed with a single signal 20s. Appropriate powder-specific signals can be determined experimentally and/or computationally at an OEM or evaluation site and input into the inhalers (via hardware and/or software components including programmable processors).
Methods and devices for analyzing rapid powder flow measurement are described in Crowder et al., Signal Processing and Analysis Applied to Powder Behavior in a Rotating Drum, Part. Part. Syst, Charact. 16, 191-196 (1999); Crowder et al, An instrument for rapid powder flow measurement and temporal fractal analysis, Part Syst Charact 16, pp. 32-34, (1999); and Morales-Gamboa, et al., Two dimensional avalanches as stochastic Markov processes, Phys Rev. E, 47 R2229-2232 (1993), the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein. See also, Ditto et al., Experimental control of chaos, Phys. Rev. Lett., 65: 3211-3214 (1990); B. H. Kaye, Characterizing the Flow of Metal and Ceramic Powders Using the Concepts of Fractal Geometry and Chaos Theory to Interpret the Avalanching Behaviour of a Powder, in T. P. Battle, H. Henein (eds.), Processing and Handling of Powders and Dusts, The Materials and Metals Society, 1997; B. H. Kaye, J. Gratton-Liimatainen, and N. Faddis. Studying the Avalanching Behaviour of a Powder in a Rotating Disc., Part. Part. Syst. Charact. 12:232-236 (1995), and Ott et al., Controlling Chaos, Phys. Rev. Lett. 64: 1196-1199 (1990), the contents of each of these articles are also incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein. Using the principals and relationships described in one or more of these articles with signals derived from analyses of mass flow and/or microflow, one can determine custom powder specific signals that may be able to achieve uniformly flowing dry powders.
As shown in
Referring again to
For an index, “n” ranging from 0-15,999, used to generate the digital signal:
n=[0:15999] Equation (1)
xf3=sin(2πn/16000) Equation (2)
xf2=af2 sin (2πn(f2)/16000(f3)) Equation (3)
xf4=af4 sin (2πn(f4)/16000(f3)) Equation (4)
This evaluation can be continued for a desired number of frequencies to render a representation of a sufficient number of frequencies/spanning a sufficient portion of the spectrum. The powder-specific, non-linear signal can be generated by summing the selected individual frequency components.
xsignal=xf3+xf4+xf4 Equation (5)
In certain embodiments, the overall power in the signal, xsignal, can be increased by adding a phase shift to one or more of the summed components. For example, for component xf2, the associated signal contribution can be adjusted by the following equation:
xf2=af2 sin(2πn(f2)/16000(f3)+mπ/nf) Equation (6)
Where “m” is the number at this frequency and nf is the total number of frequencies contained in the signal.
An example of a commercially available rotating drum is the TSI Amherst Aero-Flow™ (TSI Inc. Particle Instruments/Amherst, Amherst, Mass.). This device provides powder flow information by detecting the occurrence of and recording the time between avalanches. The Aero-Flow™ has been utilized to demonstrate correlation between powder flow and tableting performance for like materials. The instrument uses a photocell detector for its avalanche detection mechanism. A light shines through the plexiglas drum and is obscured from the detector to varying degrees by powder contained in the drum. As the drum rotates, the powder heap rises with the rotation and the photocell detector is uncovered. When an avalanche occurs in the powder heap, the light is again blocked by the cascading powder. The change in light intensity striking the photocell is interpreted by the data collection software as the occurrence of an avalanche. In other embodiments, the occurrence of avalanches can be measured using a sensitive microphone/accelerometer that can be mounted on the rotating drum. Avalanches can be detected acoustically from the sound generated by the avalanching powder. This technique can reduce the amount of powder used, typically to milligram quantities, such as about 10 mg. Statistics of the time between avalanches are determined and an avalanche time phase space plot is generated.
A useful method of presenting data to discover the dynamics of a system is the Poincaré phase space plot. This phase space approach is one in which variables sufficient to describe a system are contained in a single vector. The state of the n variables at an instant in time is a point in phase space. Plotting the time evolution of the system in phase space can map its dynamics. As an example, a simple harmonic oscillator can be pictured in phase space by plotting the position versus the velocity, variables that completely describe the system. The phase space plot of the harmonic oscillator is a circle reflecting the periodic, but 90 degrees out of phase, exchange of maximum position and velocity. A damped harmonic oscillator would appear as a simple attractor with the trajectory encircling and eventually collapsing to the origin as the position and velocity reach zero. The correlation dimension provides a measure of the space filling properties of the phase space representation. A hypersphere of dimension D and radius r is centered on each data point. The number of data points falling within that sphere as a function of the radius may be displayed in a log-log plot. The slope of the resulting line may be termed the correlation dimension.
To determine an appropriate vibration signal, a suitably sized dry powder sample can be disposed in the drum (such as about 60 ml or less of powder as noted above). The drum can be allowed to rotate through a single revolution before data collection begins so that initial conditions over several powders are similar. The drum can be rotated at 0.5 revolutions per minute for 6 minutes. The photocell voltage signal can be sampled at 25 Hz using a PC based data acquisition board (DI-170, Dataq Instruments, Akron Ohio). Time between avalanches and the voltage change upon avalanching can be acquired from the voltage signal. A video camera can be situated perpendicular to the drum can record the powder as it rotates in the drum. A grid can be placed behind the drum, without obscuring the photocell, to facilitate determination of the angle of the powder relative to the horizontal. Upon viewing the video, the base and height of the powder heap can be recorded and the angle can be determined using the trigonometric relation, θ=arctan(height/base). Determinations of the instantaneous powder angle can be performed at 200 millisecond intervals. This rate corresponds to every sixth frame of the video, determined previously by recording the counting of a stopwatch.
Angle data time series can comprise at least about 500 data points or 100 seconds. Computation of a Fourier power spectrum can be performed using the Welch method with a 128 point Kaiser window and zero padding to 1024 data points for the FFT calculation. Other suitable methods can be employed as is known to those of skill in the art.
The avalanche statistics can be presented in terms of the mean and standard deviation of time between avalanches. A phase space plot can be generated by plotting the nth time to avalanche against the (n-1)th time to avalanche. For the angle of repose, phase space plots consist of the instantaneous deviation from the mean angle versus the first time derivative of the angle. The rate of change of the angle at each data point can be approximated from the preceding and subsequent data points using Newton's method.
The uniformity of flow can be discerned by examining the frequency and the amplitude of the oscillations. Certain dry powder signals may exhibit a higher degree of variability in frequency and in amplitude relative to others. By use of the Fourier transform (FT) power spectrum, energy distributions can be obtained. Energy spectrums that are dispersed over a range of frequencies can indicate more irregular flow. The mean time to avalanche can be subtracted from the instantaneous time to avalanche to deconvolute relevant frequency data in angle phase space plots. Identifying the predominant frequencies and selectively combining and/or using those identified frequencies as the basis of the transmitted vibration energy excitation signal may induce resonance in the dry powder during dispensing.
Alternatively, the non-linear signal can be determined experimentally as described in co-assigned, co-pending U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/440,513, the contents of which was incorporated by reference hereinabove. Generally described, a flow channel housing having an angularly adjustable elongate flow channel therein can be used to determine appropriate powder-specific signals. A dry powder of interest (which may be a low density dry powder) can be introduced into the elongate flow channel. The flow channel can be vibrated to thereby vibrate the dry powder to cause the dry powder to fluidly flow out of the channel via an exit port. The flow channel can include a flexible piezoelectric polymer over which the dry powder flows; the piezoelectric polymer can be electrically stimulated to flex upwardly to cause it to vibrate the powder as the powder travels along and through the flow channel. As described above, the vibration can carried out using a non-linear excitation signal having a carrier frequency and a modulation frequency. In certain embodiments, the carrier frequency can be between about 2.5 kHz-50 kHz and modulation frequency may be between about 10-500 Hz. In any event, flow characteristics can be experimentally evaluated, typically over several different input signals at different frequencies, and at least one frequency (and/or angular orientation of the flow path) selected for its ability to generate reproducible fluidic flow of dry powder based on the flow characteristics exhibited during the vibrating step. The orientation of the flow channel can be adjusted so that the flow channel is angularly offset (with the dispensing port located lower than the input port) in the axial direction with respect to the horizontal and vertical axis. In certain embodiments, the flow channel is adjusted to be at different selected angles during the evaluation to consider the impact that the angle may have on the dispensing flow.
In any event, in certain embodiments, the output signals 20s used to activate the piezoelectric channels 101 may be include a plurality, typically at least three, superpositioned modulating frequencies and a selected carrier frequency. The modulating frequencies can be in the range noted herein (typically between about 10-500 Hz), and, in certain embodiments may include at least three, and typically about four superpositioned modulating frequencies in the range of between about 10-100 Hz, and more typically, four superpositioned modulating frequencies in the range of between about 10-15 Hz.
Increased numbers of doses may be held on a single disposable package 100, whether symmetrically aligned or offset one to another on a single primary surface, or formed on opposing primary surfaces (the package can be flipped to access the underside portion of doses). In certain embodiments, about 50-100 discrete doses or more can be held on the package 100 (not shown).
In certain embodiments, each package, or blisters 101 on a particular package 100, may be filled with the same dry powder products, while in other embodiments, each package may be filled with different formulations of dry product (and may have different blister geometry). In certain particular embodiments, the inhaler 10 can be configured so that the packages 100 can provide a combination therapy of two or more different drugs that can be administered concurrently or separately to a subject.
As shown by the two-way arrows in
The package 100 can include a tab loot (shown as a notch or cut-out region along the perimeter of the package) that fits into the housing in a desired location to facilitate proper loading in the housing 12b.
As shown by the arrow in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
It is noted that, in operation, depending on how the package 100 and release member 299 are oriented in the inhaler 10, the release member 299 may approach the package 100 from the top or side so that it engages the package ceiling 120 proximate the blister 100b (such as shown for the embodiment shown in
In operation, a priming signal can be applied to the blister 100b prior to forming the opening in the blister 100b to vibrate the dry powder held therein to the lowest portion of the elongate flow channel, which can be described as a blister reservoir or basin 101b. The release member 299 can be directed to open the blister 100b during or after application of the priming signal. The priming signal may be the same signal as the active delivery signal 20s or may be a different signal.
The release member 299 may be configured as any suitable device for inserting or forming the opening in the blister 100b. The release member 299 can be configured to pierce, puncture, slice, melt, or otherwise form the opening in the blister. The release member 299 can include a blade, a laser, pressurized fluid, acoustic energy, or other release or separation means. The release member 299 may be spring loaded to automatically actuate upon a user's depression of a dispensing mechanism.
To facilitate dry powder administration through the inhaler port, the active dispensing signal 20s can be applied to the vibrating layer substantially instantaneous (i.e., during) with the introduction of the opening 100r in the blister 100b. In other embodiments, the signal 20s can be applied before the opening 100r is formed (typically within about 50 ms) or shortly after the opening is introduced into the blister (typically within about 50 ms).
In certain embodiments, each blister 100b can have its own operative electrical parameter and associated electrical connections that engage with a central control unit in the inhaler 10 and can be used to verify proper operative alignment. That is, an electronics module with signal generating circuitry 20g can communicate separately with the electrical traces 100t proximate each blister region 101 to sense a desired electrical parameter such as capacitance of the piezoelectric polymer blister. In other embodiments, the sensed parameter can be an open connection in the electrical path indicating improper alignment.
In particular embodiments, such as for rotating mouthpiece configurations, the device can be configured with a plurality of predefined stops (recesses, projections, etc . . . ) that allow the mouthpiece 20 to click into position in a manner that yields an audible or tactile verification by the user at each dispensing blister (not shown).
In certain embodiments, the piezoelectric polymer material, shown generally as element 28 in
In particular embodiments, the piezoelectric polymer material layer 28 is a thin film PVDF. As used herein, the term “thin film” means that the piezoelectric polymer layer 28 is configured as a structurally flexible or pliable layer that can be sized to be about 10-200 μm thick. In certain embodiments, the piezoelectric polymer layer can be sized to be less than about 100 μm thick, and more typically, about 20-60 μm thick.
As noted above, selected regions of the piezoelectric polymer material can be coated or layered with a conductive material to form a desired conductive pattern. The conductive regions (at least portions of the blister regions) of the package 100 define the active regions and can be individually or selectively activated during operation. Laminates of PVDF and another material capable of being formed into and hold a desired blister shape and/or powder channel may be particularly suitable for forming the active blister configurations. Suitable laminates include thin film layers of PVDF united to thin layers of one or more of aluminum, PVC and nylon films. The PVDF may form the bottom, top, or an intermediate layer of the laminated material structure. For intermediate layer configurations, vias and/or edge connections can be used to apply the electric signal to the blister piezoelectric material.
The metal trace patterns can be provided by applying a conductive pattern onto one or more of the outer faces of the piezoelectric substrate layer. For depositing or forming the metal, any metal depositing or layering technique can be employed such as electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, painting, spraying, dipping, or sputtering a conductive material or metallic paint and the like or material over the selected surfaces of the piezoelectric substrate (preferably a PVDF layer as noted above). Of course, alternative metallic circuits, foils, surfaces, or techniques can also be employed, such as attaching a conductive mylar layer or flex circuit over the desired portion of the outer surface of the piezoelectric substrate layer 28. It is preferred that, if flex circuits are used, they are configured or attached to the substrate layer 28 so as to be substantially transparent to the structure of the sensor array to minimize any potential dampening interference with the substrate layer 28. It is also noted that while particular conductive patterns are illustrated in the figures, the present invention is not limited thereto, as alternative conductive patterns may also be used.
Typically, upper and lower surface metal trace patterns are formed on opposing sides of the piezoelectric polymer material but do not connect or contact each other. For example, conductive paint or ink (such as silver or gold) can be applied onto the major surfaces of the package about the elongated channels and associated metal traces such that it does not extend over the perimeter edge portions 28e of the piezoelectric substrate layer 28, thereby keeping the metal trace patterns on the top and bottom surfaces separated with the piezoelectric substrate layer 28 therebetween. This configuration forms the electrical excitation path when connected to a control system to provide the input/excitation signal for creating the electrical field that activates the deformation of the piezoelectric substrate layer 28 during operation. As such, the electrical path for each elongated channel 101 extends via the respective upper and lower transmission lines to the electrical terminations operably connected to the controller. The excitation circuit (signal generating circuitry 20g) configuration can be such that the upper trace operates with a positive polarity while the lower trace has a negative polarity or ground, or vice versa (thereby providing the electric field/voltage differential to excite the piezoelectric substrate in the region of the selected channel 101). Of course, the polarities can also be rapidly reversed during application of the excitation signal (such as + to −, or + to −) depending on the type of excitation signal used, thereby flexing the piezoelectric material in the region of the receptacle portion. For a more complete discussion of the active excitation path or configuration, see U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/188,543 to Hickey et al., incorporated by reference hereinabove.
In certain embodiments, methods for fabricating a multi-dose disposable dry powder blister package include: (a) providing a thin layer of piezoelectric polymer material; (b) concurrently forming a plurality of elongated projections having a width and an associated length into the piezoelectric polymer material; and (c) applying a metallic material to selected regions of at least one primary surface of the piezoelectric polymer material so as to cover at least a portion of each of the plurality of projections. For mass production applications, the forming step can be carried out by fabricating a shaping, forming, or molding tool that defines the channel geometry for each package. The tool can have raised projections and/or depressed formations. The forming step can be carried out by stamping the piezoelectric polymer material or the laminated material, which comprises the piezoelectric polymer material, onto the tool or the tool onto a layer or layers of piezoelectric polymer materials. Thus, in certain embodiments, the forming step is carried out by pressing the (which may be a laminated configuration) piezoelectric polymer material over a shaping tool having a plurality of raised projections thereon. The conductive material can be applied before or after the channel geometry forming step. The conductive material may be applied by applying a metallic coating onto a molding tool having a plurality of raised projections with a metallic coating and contacting the piezoelectric material with the molding/shaping tool to thereby transfer the metallic coating onto the desired surface (surfaces) of the elongated projections of the piezoelectric polymer material. Other methods of depositing the conductive pattern may be employed as described above.
In operation, generally described, the dry powder inhalers of the present invention have integrated, active energy piezoelectric polymer substrate multi-dose drug packages that generate patient-assisted dispersal systems. The inhalers can be used for nasal and/or oral (mouth) respiratory delivery. The inhalable dry powder dose is packaged in a multi-dose dry powder drug package that includes a piezoelectric polymer substrate (such as PVDF) that flexes to deform rapidly and provide mechanical oscillation in an individually selectable signal path on the package. The signal path directs the signal to the region of the drug receptacle or well to cause the well to oscillate in cooperation with a user's inspiratory effort, and, thus, actively direct the dry powder out of the well and up into the exit flow path. The airflow rate and/or volume of a patient can be measured in situ dynamically during administration and the DPI can include a control system that provides adjustable energy output to the active piezoelectric polymer substrate dispersal element responsive to a user's inspiratory capabilities. In addition, the DPI control system may be a multi-purpose system that can administer a plurality of different types of dry powder substances, or formulations, such as different drugs. As such, the control system may be configured to adjust the energy delivered to the piezoelectric polymer substrate based on the type of substance and/or the flowability of the dry powder substance or drug being administered. The energy may be adjusted in situ based on considering both the user's inspiratory effort and the type of substance being administered. As a result, the powder can be actively dispersed into the exit flow path of the inhaler during the user's inspiratory activity without using pressurized propellants such as CFC's.
In addition, the piezoelectric polymer material may be configured as two piezoelectric polymer film layers separated by an intermediately positioned pliable core, all of which are concurrently deformable to flex by the application of voltage thereacross.
As shown in
While the present invention is illustrated, for example, with reference to the powder-specific signal generator module 450 being an application program in
The I/O data port can be used to transfer information between the data processing system 405 and the inhaler dispensing system 420 or another computer system or a network (e.g., the Internet) or to other devices controlled by the processor. These components may be conventional components such as those used in many conventional data processing systems which may be configured in accordance with the present invention to operate as described herein.
While the present invention is illustrated, for example, with reference to particular divisions of programs, functions and memories, the present invention should not be construed as limited to such logical divisions. Thus, the present invention should not be construed as limited to the configuration of
The flowcharts and block diagrams of certain of the figures herein illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of dry powder-specific dispensing and/or vibratory energy excitation means according to the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flow charts or block diagrams represents a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved.
In certain embodiments, the powder specific vibration energy signals are non-linear and the inhaler can include computer program code that automatically selectively adjusts the output of the vibration energy signal based on the identified dry powder being dispensed. The vibration energy output signals for the dry powders being dispensed can be based on data obtained from a fractal mass flow analysis or other suitable analysis of the dry powder being administered to the user. The inhaler may be particularly suited to dispense low-density dry powder.
The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses, where used, are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/434,009 filed May 8, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,690, and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/379,521, filed May 10, 2002, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/392,671, filed Jun. 27, 2002, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/440,513, filed Jan. 16, 2003, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein.
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| Parent | 10434009 | May 2003 | US |
| Child | 11043363 | US |
