Field of the Invention

This invention pertains in general to the field of medicament inhalers, and more particularly to dry powder inhalers. The inhaler comprises at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, and a reservoir for housing a dry powder drug, the inhaler having an airflow from the at least one air inlet to the at least one outlet during inhalation by a user at said at least one outlet, to deliver said dry powder drug during inhalation by the user.

Background of the Invention

In the pharmaceutical field, with respect to treatment of respiratory and/or other diseases, inhalers have been widely used. Numerous drugs, medications and other substances are inhaled into the lungs for rapid absorption in the blood stream and for local action in the lung with such inhalers.

Inhaled drugs fall into two main categories, in form of liquids, including suspensions, and powders. The choice of category depends on the characteristics of the drugs, medications, etc., to be inhaled.

The most common type of inhaler is the pressurized metered-dose inhaler. In this type of inhaler medication is most commonly stored in solution in a pressurized canister that contains a propellant, although it may also be a suspension. The canister is attached to a plastic, hand-operated actuator. On activation, the metered-dose inhaler releases a fixed dose of medication in aerosol form.

Another kind of inhaler is a nebulizer, which supply medication as an aerosol created from an aqueous formulation.

The kind referred to herein is yet another type, in form of a dry powder inhaler.

A dry powder inhaler releases a pre-metered, capsuled, dose or a device-metered dose of powdered medication that is inhaled through the inhaler. Inhalers with device- metered dose of powdered medication is normally inhalers with medication reservoir, containing powdered medication, from which metered doses are withdrawn through the use of different dose metering arrangements, said doses then being inhaled. Dry powder inhalers need to deliver a particle size that is predominantly below 5 microns, and preferably between 1 micron and 3.3 microns, for maximum

effectiveness. Such small particles are, however, very cohesive due to high surface energy. Agglomeration may be worsened by moisture, and when the medication comprises more than one active substance, since the different active substances may have such properties as to form agglomerations with each other or with pharmaceutical carriers etc. Agglomeration of small particles is a problem which results in the active particles leaving the inhaler as large agglomerates.

EP0237507 discloses one such powder inhaler with a device metered dose, comprising a medicament chamber, a dosing mechanism, and a flow path from an air inlet to an air/medicament outlet. In the flow path deflectors are arranged, to increase deaggregation of medicament. However, this device is limited to medicaments having one active substance or active substances that are compatible with each other during storing. Additionally, medicament will accumulate at the deflectors, decreasing uniformity of dosage.

An additional problem of the prior art inhalers is that they are either suitable for micronized formulations or carrier based formulations - never both or combinations of these.

In view of these drawbacks and limitations of the prior art, what is needed is a dry powder inhaler device in which effective and satisfactory dispersion of the dry powder is obtained, which inhaler can administer medicament comprising substances which are incompatible in mixture, and an inhaler with increased deaggregation and a more uniform dosage, as well as an inhaler which is suitable for both micronized formulations and/or carrier based formulations.

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination and solves at least the above mentioned problems by providing a dry powder inhaler comprising: at least one inlet, at least one outlet, and a dosage communication between said at least one inlet and said at least one outlet; a first medicament reservoir; a dosage mechanism for arranging at least one dose of a medicament from said first medicament reservoir between the inlet and the outlet, such that said at least one dose may be delivered upon inhalation at said outlet, wherein the dosage mechanism comprises a dose disc with at least one opening, wherein the dose disc may be rotated between a dose collecting position, wherein the opening is positioned in the reservoir, and a dose administering position, wherein the opening communicate with said dosage communication; wherein at least one medicament scraper is suspended in the reservoir, such that the scraper bear upon the dose disc.

Further advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the appended and dependent patent claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other aspects, features and advantages of which the invention is capable will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view along a longitudinal axis of an inhaler according to one embodiment in the dose administering position of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective and cross sectional view of an inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective and cross sectional view of an inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention, focusing on arrangement of openings in dose disc;

Fig. 4 is a perspective and cross sectional view of an inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention, focusing on arrangement of openings in dose disc;

Fig. 5 is a perspective and cross sectional view of an inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention, focusing on arrangement of medicament scraper over opening in dose disc;

Fig. 6 is a perspective and cross sectional view of an inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention, focusing on arrangement of medicament scraper and medicament in opening;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view along a longitudinal axis of an inhaler according to an embodiment of the present invention, focusing on arrangement of medicament scraper over opening in dose disc; and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view along a longitudinal axis of an inhaler according to one embodiment, wherein the air and air/medicament flows through this inhaler is disclosed. Description of embodiments The following description focuses on an embodiment of the present invention applicable to a medicament inhaler, and in particular to a dry powder drug inhaler with more than one medicament reservoir, such as two medicament conatiners. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this application but may be applied to many other inhalers having an inlet and an outlet, as well as a medicament reservoir.

Figs. 1 to 7 illustrate a dry powder drug inhaler 100. The dry powder drug inhaler 100 comprises air inlets 101 and an air outlet 102. The outlet 102 is arranged at a first end of the dry powder drug inhaler 100, while the inlets 101 is arranged at a zone in an opposite second end of the dry powder drug inhaler 100. The outlet 102 is arranged centrally, along the longitudinal axis of the dry powder drug inhaler 100. The inlets 101 may be arranged at a radial, in relation to the longitudinal axis of the dry powder drug inhaler 100, periphery of the dry powder inhaler 100, such that the inlets 101 lead inhaled air transversally and radially towards the central portion of the dry powder inhaler 100.

As disclosed in the embodiment according to Fig. 4, which will be further described below, the inlets 101 may however also be positioned with a direction being parallel with the central axis of the dry powder inhaler 100.

The number of inlets and outlets may be different from what is disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4. The number of inlets may for example be adjusted in accordance with needs and specific inhaler design, such that a number of smaller inlets, for reducing pressure fall over the inhaler, are arranged circumferentially of the dry powder inhaler 100. This is not shown. In a corresponding manner the number of air outlets may be adjusted in accordance with needs and specific inhaler design.

The different parts of the dry powder inhaler 100 may be manufactured in a suitable material, such as injection moldable plastics, such as thermoplastics.

The dry powder inhaler 100 comprises three major parts in form of an upper proximal reservoir housing 103, a dose disc 104, and a lower distal twister 105. The reservoir housing 103 and the twister cooperates so as to house the dose disc 104 in between these two. The twister 105 cooperates with the dose disc 104, such that the dose disc 104 may be rotated, via rotation and twisting of the twister 105, between a dose administering position and a dose collecting position. This may be accomplished by interconnecting the dose disc 104 and the twister 105 via interconnecting grooves and ribs, or letting the twister 105 extend longitudinally centrally of the dose disc 104 and connected thereto, such as disclosed for example in Fig. 1. Preferably, the rotation of the dose disc 104 has two end positions, corresponding to the dose administering position and the dose collecting position, in its relation with the reservoir housing 103, in a known manner.

In the dose administering position, the inlets 101 are in fluid communication with a mixing and deaggregation chamber 106 via dosage communications 107. The dosage communications 107 then run through openings 108 in the dose disc 104. Hence, the openings 108, in the dose administering position, is superimposed the

communications 107. When rotating the dose disc 104 into a dose collecting position, the openings 108 are rotated away from fluid communication with the inlets 101 and the chamber 106. Instead, the openings 108 are rotated into medicament reservoirs 109, 110, wherein the openings 108 may collect a medicament housed in the reservoirs 109, 110. The medicament contained in the medicament reservoir 109 may be a medicament different from the medicament contained in the medicament reservoir 110. Due to the two reservoirs 109, 110, the inhaler 100 may deliver two substances in one inhalation, said two substances otherwise being incompatible, meaning that these two substances not would be possible to be comprised in one joint reservoir, such that a dry powder inhaler device 100 in which effective and satisfactory dispersion of the dry powder is obtained, which inhaler 100 can administer medicament comprising substances which can be incompatible in mixture or for other reasons are preferred to have in separate reservoirs.

It is possible to arrange the dose disc 104 and the openings 108 thereof such that when a first set of two openings 108 are superimposed the communications 107, i.e. in a dose administering position, a second set of two openings 108 are positioned in the medicament reservoirs 109, 110, respectively. Additionally, the distribution of the openings 108 on the dose disc 104 is such that the dose disc may be rotated in one direction only, which means that when the second set of two openings 108 are superimposed the communications 107, the first set of openings 108 are positioned in the medicament reservoirs 109, 110, respectively. It is also possible to rotate the dose disc 104 in a first direction to superimpose openings 108 over communications 107 in dose administering position, and then rotate the dose disc 104 in the opposite direction into the dose collecting position, to thereafter again rotate the dose disc in the first direction into the dose administering position. When the dose disc 104 is rotated in a first direction into the dose administering position and the opposite direction into the dose collecting position, the dose disc 104 may have rotational stops in the dose administering position and the dose collecting position, respectively, to ensure good superimposition over communications 107 and positioning in the medicament reservoirs 109, 110, respectively.

It is also envisioned to provide the inhaler with more than two, such as three, four, five, or six, reservoirs 109, 110, with the same arrangement of inlets, outlets, communications, dose disc, openings etc., within the ambit of the present invention.

It is also envisioned that the inhaler 100 may be provided with a different dosage mechanism than the one disclosed above, such as for example electrical drive of different parts, and using paddles instead of dose disc 4. However, the use of the dose disc 104 and its cooperation with the twister 105 and the reservoirs 109, 110 allows for a very cost effective solution, while simultaneously ensuring a high dose accuracy and the other benefits disclosed herein.

The dosage communications 107 are - in the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 1 - S-shaped. The S-shape is such that that the communications 107 starts at inlets 101 and extend downstream (during inhalation) in a central and transversal direction, where after they bend downwards and distally to extend in a longitudinal and distal direction to - in the dose administering position - pass through the openings 108. In this way, when medicament is positioned in the openings 108, the change of air flow direction will increase the turbulence of the air flow, which will facilitate initial deaggregation of the medicament in the openings 108. This ensures that the all the medicament in the openings 108 will follow the air flow in the communications into the chamber 106, and not partly remain in the openings 108. Downstream (again during inhalation) the openings 108, the communications 107 again bend to be directed into a central and transversal direction, to exit into the chamber 106. Distally below the openings 108, when the communications 107 bend centrally and transversally, ledges 111 are formed. These ledges 111 ensures that medicament intended to be held in the openings 108 until inhalation, which medicament may fall down, still may follow the inhaled air into the chamber 106. This means for example that the reservoirs 109, 110 may comprise a dry powder medicament in form of both a dry powder medicament in form of a micronized formulation or a carrier based formulation, or mixtures thereof. The inhaler 100 may then for example comprise a dry powder medicament in form of a micronized formulation in the first reservoir 109 and a dry powder medicament in form of a carrier based formulation in the second reservoir 110.

The directions of the two communications 107 when entering chamber 106 are arranged such that the air flows, and hence medicament flows during inhalation, when the inhaler 100 is in a dose administering position, intersecting, such as to cross each other or coincide with each other. The flow directions from the communications 107 will coincide with each other when they are arranged on opposing sides of the chamber 106. The flow directions from the communications will cross each other when these directions are angled in relation to each other but when both are directed towards the central longitudinal axis of the inhaler 100. In this way, the medicament in the medicament flows will physically interact to increase deaggregation of the

medicaments, which may increase dose uniformity, since the need for deflectors then is decreased. This feature also adds the possibility to combine or adapt the inhaler 100 for deliverance of micronized formulations and/or carrier based formulation. Of course, it also possible to combine the feature of crossing or coinciding flows from the two communications 107 with deflectors, even though the need thereof is decreased.

Depending on the medicament to be administered, and the formulation thereof, the openings 108 may be more than one opening 108 per communication 107, such as a set of openings 108, as disclosed in Fig. 4. Some medicaments have other aggregation characteristics, making it difficult to retain the medicament as a "plug" in the opening 108. Then, it may be preferable to make several openings 108 with a relatively smaller diameter. Alternatively, this can be to deliver a smaller amount of powder. This feature also adds the possibility to combine or adapt the inhaler 100 for deliverance of micronized formulations and/or carrier based formulation.

During inhalation, the medicament will then follow the air flow through the communications 107, into the chamber 106, wherein the air/medicament streams from the different communications 107 will cross, such that the medicament agglomerates will collide to increase deaggregation, where after a jet stream of finely dispersed medicament and air will continue through an inhalation chimney 112 out of the inhalator 100 through outlet 102, into the lungs of the user. The chimney 112 increases jet formation, allowing for a maintained low aggregation of medicament, hence increasing potential of medicament to reach out far in the lungs of the patient. The chimney is generally tubular, but could optionally be provided with deflectors, to further increase jet creation. Such deflectors could be bumps or spiral-shaped ridges, extending along the length of the chimney from the chamber 106 to the outlet 102. The chimney 112 does not necessarily have to be directed upwardly; it can just as well be directed downwardly or to the sides, whereby the outlet 102 naturally instead also is positioned at the bottom or on the sides, respectively. Additionally, the chimney 112 does not have to be generally tubular, but could be bent or sinus- shaped, depending on where on the inhaler 100 it is preferred to position the outlet 112. For flow

characteristics and dose reliability and maintenance, it is however preferred to have it directed upwardly and generally tubular with optional deflectors. The general shape of the chimney 112 may also be such as to have differences in cross-sectional area, such as cone-shaped. In this way, the flow velocity in the chimney may be regulated, so as to help in deaggregation at chosen parts.

As disclosed in Figs. 2 to 7, the reservoirs 109, 110 could be provided with medicament scrapers 113. The scrapers 113 are suspended at the bottom of the reservoirs 109, 110, such that they bear upon the dose disc 104. The scrapers will pass over the openings 108 of the dose disc 104, so that excessive medicament is removed from the openings 108, to ensure correct dose volume. Also, the scrapers 113 will aid in compacting medicament in the openings 108, which will improve retention of medicament in openings 108 when the dose disc has been rotated into the dose administering position. Since the scrapers 113 are suspended on the reservoirs 109, 110, they will automatically slide along the upper proximal surface of the dose disc 104, when the dose disc 104 is rotated between the dose administering position and dose collecting position. Preferably, each reservoir 109, 110 have a number of scrapers 113 evenly distributed along the bottom of the reservoirs 109, 110. In this way, the scrapers 113 do not only aid in obtaining correct dose volume and dose compacting, but also aid in distributing medicament at the bottom of the reservoirs 109, 110. The number of scrapers 113 per reservoir 109, 110 could for example be selected in the interval of 1 to 6, such as 2 to 4, such as 3. It is also envisioned that the scrapers 113 are arranged in an uneven distribution in the reservoirs 109, 110, if certain reservoirs are configured such that an uneven distribution of the scrapers 113 will have a beneficial effect on the medicament distribution along the bottom of the reservoirs 109, 110.

As disclosed in Fig. 7, being a close up cross sectional view of a scraper 113, the scraper 113 could comprise a scraper base portion 113a and a scraper tip portion 113b. The scraper base portion 113a is suspended on the reservoirs 109, 110. The scraper tip portion 113b then extends distally from the scraper base portion 113a. To increase efficiency of the scraper 113 with regard to scraping action on the dose disc 104, the base portion 113a could be manufactured of a resilient material. Such a resilient material could for example be a rubber material. The scraper tip portion 113b is however preferably made of a plastic material, such as a thermoplastic material, of the same kind as the rest of the inhaler 100, such as the dose disc 104, to allow for improved force attributing characteristics and improved interaction with the edge of the opening 108. The scraper tip portion 113b may be provided with a slanted tip 113c. The slanted tip 113c further improves interaction with the edge of the opening 108.

During use, the user will then simply rotate the dose disc 104 in one direction into a dose collecting position if the dose disc is in a dose administering position.

Thereafter, the dose disc 104 is rotated preferably into the opposite direction to reach the dose administering position. If the dose disc 104 is already in the dose collecting position, of course the first rotation into the dose collecting position may of course be omitted. During these rotations, the scraper 113 will fill the openings 108 of the dose disc 104 in the reservoirs 109, 110 - the scraper 113 aiding the filling when rotated in both directions. After the dose disc 104 has been rotated into the dose administering position, the openings 108 are filled with medicament - optionally two different medicaments - and in fluid communication with the communications 107. Then the user puts his/her mouth at outlet 102 and inhales. During inhalation air A will enter the inhaler 100 through inlets 101 and flow through communications 107 to carry therewith the medicament(s) M in the openings 108, in accordance with Fig. 8. The

air/medicament flow AM will then enter the chamber 106. In the chamber 106, the air/medicament flows AM from the communications will cross each other, such that deaggregation of the medicaments M will increase. Also, the flow characteristics, such as jet stream formation, will increase. Thereafter, the air/medicament flow AM - now comprising air/medicament flows from both communications 107, will go up through the inhaler chimney 112 and out into the lungs of the user through outlet 102.

Although, the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the accompanying claims.

In the claims, the term "comprises/comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Furthermore, although individually listed, a plurality of means, elements or method steps may be implemented by e.g. a single unit or processor. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms "a", "an", "first", "second" etc do not preclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.