Patent · US Expired

Unit dose dry powder inhaler

US5645051A · kind A · utility

98Cited by
4References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 21, 1995
Grant dateJul 8, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 21, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61M2202/064
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A dry powder inhaler has a front section holding a unit dose cartridge over a mixing chamber. An impeller is rotatably mounted within the mixing chamber. A rear section of the inhaler includes a motor, a breath actuated switch, and pins for positioning the unit dose cartridge in the front section and driving a plunger through the unit dose cartridge, to deposit a powdered drug into the mixing chamber, as the front and rear sections are brought together. A filter wheel allows air to flow forward from the rear section into the mixing chamber, but substantially prevents stray drug powder from migrating rearwardly to the rear section. The front section is preferably disposable, while the rear section is advantageously reusable.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.