JP2006280685A - Device for discharging liquid droplets - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for discharging liquid droplets which completes recovery operation of a discharge part by relatively easy operation with a relatively simple mechanism. <P>SOLUTION: A module 101 for discharging liquid droplets has a housing part 201, a discharging part 102, and a protection member 108 for the discharging part 102 and is constituted to mount on a main body of the device with a retaining part 30 for the module 101. The module 101 has a second part 104 which engages a first part 9 on the main body side to supply a liquid to the discharging part 102 from the housing part 201 when mounted on the retaining part 30 and a fourth part 109a which engages a third part 11 on the main body side to separate the protection member 108 after supplying the liquid to the discharging part 102. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid droplet ejection apparatus for ejecting liquids such as drugs, aromas, and nicotine as well as other liquids or liquids, and in particular, liquids such as drugs are discharged as fine droplets and inhaled to a user. It is related with the inhalation device to be made.

Recently, in order to facilitate administration by a user or a patient, there has been a demand for an easy method for dispensing a drug from the lung by discharging the drug as a droplet instead of an injection so that the drug can reliably reach the lung together with inhalation. Therefore, recently, a heater element and a piezoelectric element provided in the discharge head (discharge section) give the discharge energy to the liquid containing the drug, and the physiologically effective drug is properly used in the air flow sucked from the mouthpiece. A method of discharging a predetermined number of small droplets from a discharge orifice has been devised (see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

In addition, as a preparatory work before droplet discharge to perform the recovery function necessary to guarantee stable discharge properties (particle size, amount), there are those that perform suction and wiping of the droplet discharge head face surface is there. Conventionally, such a droplet discharge device has built-in functional means for performing a suction operation or a wiping operation in the main body (see Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4).

Further, in general, as a preparatory work before droplet discharge of the droplet discharge device, the liquid tank cartridge and the discharge portion are combined in the operation of forming a flow path of the discharge liquid from the liquid tank to the droplet discharge portion. Artificial action was required. In addition, as a similar preparatory work, an act of peeling off the protective member attached to the surface of the droplet discharge head face is required (see Patent Document 5).
International Publication WO95 / 01137 International Publication WO02 / 04043 JP 2004-283244 A JP 2004-283245 A JP-A-5-84925

For this reason, in the conventional general droplet discharge device, in addition to the act of peeling off the protective member, in the formation of the liquid flow path from the liquid tank to the droplet discharge portion, the operator's prior operation (liquid tank and discharge It was apt to become troublesome in advance work due to an increase in one (man-made act of uniting the departments).

Conventionally, with respect to suction and wiping of the droplet discharge head face surface, functional means for performing a suction operation and a wiping operation have been incorporated in the droplet discharge apparatus main body, so that the apparatus becomes relatively large and relatively expensive. It was easy to become.

As described above, in the case of an ink jet recording apparatus or the like, which is usually a droplet discharge device, as an operation called a recovery operation before printing, the ink is filled in the discharge head, or the ink pool or dust that blocks the discharge port. The cleaning was performed to remove the ink, and the ejection was started after the normal state where no ejection failure occurred.

This is naturally necessary even in an inhaler using an ink jet system or the like. Certain types of inhalation devices need to ensure that an appropriate amount of a much smaller amount of drug droplets reaches the user's lung than a normal recording device, guaranteeing an ejection performance equivalent to or better than that of a normal recording device. There must be. At the same time, it can be used easily and easily at any time and anywhere in order to be able to be used by users who are able to live the same life as healthy people as long as insulin is administered regularly, such as diabetic patients. It is required to be an inhalation device that can be used. Thus, there is also a demand for a smaller inhaler to improve portability.

In order to improve portability, inhalation devices that discharge protein preparations and other items that require consideration for hygiene in consideration of the occurrence of mold, etc., the used medicine storage or storage unit and the discharge head are exposed to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is considered that it should be used as a disposable. Of course, it is necessary to adopt a configuration in which no medicine remains inside the inhaler. However, in the current state of the inhaler, it is not considered much to realize these things with a relatively simple configuration.

The present invention has been made in view of the situation as described above. With a relatively simple configuration, the user can perform the recovery operation of the discharge head relatively easily without touching the discharge head surface. It is another object of the present invention to provide a droplet discharge device such as an inhaler with relatively high discharge reliability, and a droplet discharge module therefor.

In order to achieve the above object, a droplet discharge module of the present invention covers at least a liquid storage portion for storing a liquid, a discharge portion for discharging the liquid as droplets, and a discharge portion of the discharge portion. A droplet discharge module having a protective member, a liquid having a housing, a control unit for controlling droplet discharge provided in the housing, and a holding unit for detachably mounting the droplet discharge module It is configured to be attachable to the droplet discharge device main body, and when the droplet discharge module is attached to the holding portion on the droplet discharge device main body side, the liquid is engaged with the first portion on the droplet discharge device main body side. A protective member that engages with a second portion that allows liquid to be supplied from the storage portion to the discharge portion, and a third portion on the droplet discharge device main body side after the liquid is supplied to the discharge portion Will peel off from the discharge part And having a fourth portion to be.

In order to achieve the above object, a droplet discharge device of the present invention includes a housing, a control unit for controlling droplet discharge provided in the housing, the droplet discharge module, and the droplet discharge module. It has a holding part for attaching detachably.

In order to achieve the above object, a droplet discharge device of the present invention is provided with a housing, a control unit for controlling droplet discharge provided in the housing, and the droplet discharge module detachably attached. It has the holding | maintenance part. This should also be referred to as a droplet discharge device main body that constitutes a droplet discharge device by attaching a droplet discharge module.

According to the configuration of the present invention, the filling means for supplying the liquid from the liquid agent storage or storage unit to the droplet discharge unit, the peeling for peeling the protective member covering the discharge part of the discharge unit from the droplet discharge part The means can subsequently operate. In this way, a protective member is provided in the liquid agent discharge portion, and in one operation process of mounting the droplet discharge module or cartridge to the main body of the discharge device, the liquid is charged into the droplet discharge portion, and the protection member from the discharge portion Since the operation of peeling the liquid (further, the droplet discharge part may be cleaned) is performed subsequently, there is no discharge failure or troublesome user pre-work due to the user touching the discharge part. It is possible to recover the proper discharge state regardless of the ability of the user.

According to the present invention, it is a relatively simple mechanism to complete the recovery operation of the discharge portion by a relatively simple operation of mounting the droplet discharge module whose discharge portion is protected by the protective member on the discharge device main body side. This is possible. In this way, the droplet discharge unit is protected so as not to cause a discharge failure, and the recovery operation at the time of mounting is stabilized.

Hereinafter, in order to clarify the embodiment of the present invention, specific examples will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view for explaining an embodiment of an inhaler according to the present invention. An attachment portion or hole (holding portion) 30 is provided at one end of the upper portion of the main body case 1 so that the medicine ejection cartridge or the module 101 is integrated with the mouthpiece 100, and the opposite surface is an air flow path. It is missing as an air intake. The medicine ejection cartridge 101 may be detachable from the mouthpiece 100 having the mouthpiece 121 and the air intake 120.

A control board (control unit) 2 for controlling the inhaler is provided below the main body case 1. A battery 4 that can be replaced by a lid 3 detachably provided on the main body case 1 is electrically connected to the control board 2 via a contact 5 having a spring property. Further, a negative pressure sensor 6 for detecting a negative pressure due to suction from the suction port 121 is disposed on the control board 2, and the negative pressure sensor 6 is provided on the mouthpiece 100 by the flow path forming member 7. The pressure detection hole 110 is connected to the pressure detection hole 110 when attached.

In the present embodiment, the medicine discharge cartridge 101 discharges a medicine tank 201 containing a medicine bag (liquid container) 202 made of a flexible member such as rubber, and medicine supplied from the tank 201 as fine droplets. A discharge head case 103 having a discharge head (discharge unit) 102 is formed. In a certain range, the discharge head case 103 is movable with respect to the chemical tank 201. The surface of the chemical liquid tank 201 on the side of the discharge head 102 is provided with a hole for feeding the drug to the discharge head 102. Before the tank 201 and the discharge head 102 are joined, this hole is formed of a film made of aluminum foil or the like. It is blocked by 203. This is for the following reasons. Since the chemical liquid tank 201 contains a sterilized chemical liquid, it is not preferable to touch the outside air before use, and it is necessary to maintain a completely sealed state. Further, if the chemical liquid leaks to the discharge head 102, the chemical liquid components are deposited, and the discharge nozzle (not shown) of the discharge head 102 is blocked. A structure separated until just before use is desirable. The chemical tank 201 may be configured to be removable from the discharge head case 103 or may be integrated.

In the case of the present embodiment, the ejection head 102 is of the type used for thermal ink jet printers and includes one or more ejection nozzles (not shown). Then, an absorbent material 107 such as a felt material is disposed so as to be in contact with the ejection head surface, and the absorbent material 107 is bonded onto the ejection head protective sheet (protective member) 108 (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2 which is a perspective view of the medicine discharge cartridge portion, the end of the discharge head protection sheet 108 (the front end with the mouthpiece portion 121 side as the rear) is a winding shaft having pinions 109a at both ends. 109. The winding shaft 109 is movably attached in the pair of guide grooves 111.

The main body case 1 is provided with a contact probe 10. The contact probe 10 is a contact part for transmitting an ejection current to the ejection head 102 and is electrically connected to the control board 2 by a flexible board (not shown). Depending on the form inside the main body, it may be a non-flexible printed board or a TAB-type board. The contact probe 10 is electrically connected to a connection substrate (second portion) 104 disposed on the medicine ejection cartridge 101 when the medicine ejection cartridge 101 is mounted.

The operation and operation of the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 3, the user inserts the mouthpiece 100 integrated with the medicine ejection cartridge 101 into the main body case 1. At this time, the connection substrate 104 (second portion) on the mouthpiece 100 side integrated with the medicine cartridge 101 is pressed by a spring 8 having a force for deforming the medicine bag 202 (first plate 9). The discharge head case 103 that is movable with respect to the chemical liquid tank 201 is pushed toward the chemical liquid tank 201 by the spring force of the spring 8. As a result, the film 203 provided on the chemical solution bag 202 is pierced by the chemical solution introduction tube 105 that is formed integrally with the discharge head case 103 and has a sharp tip, and a chemical solution flow path from the chemical solution bag 202 to the discharge nozzle 102 is formed. Connected. Subsequently, the chemical liquid bag 202 is pressurized by the protrusion 106 formed integrally with the discharge head case 103, and the chemical liquid flows into the discharge head 102 through the chemical liquid introduction pipe 105, and discharge nozzles (not shown). Filled to the extent that it overflows. The chemical liquid bag 202 may be pressurized first, and then the chemical liquid flow path between the chemical liquid bag 202 and the discharge nozzle 102 may be performed. Here, the chemical liquid overflowing from the discharge nozzle 102 is absorbed by an absorbent material (cleaning member) 107 provided on the surface of the discharge nozzle.

Subsequently, when the mouthpiece 100 integrated with the medicine ejection cartridge 101 is further pushed into the mounting hole 30 of the main body case 1, the pinions 109a (fourth portions) disposed at both ends of the take-up shaft 109 are moved to the main body case 1. Engagement with the rack 11 (third portion) arranged inside the case 1 begins. As a result, the take-up shaft 109 provided in the discharge head case 103 moves relatively rearward (to the left in FIG. 4) along the guide groove 111 that can move in parallel with the surface of the discharge head 102, and the guide groove Stop at the rear end of 111. At this time, the take-up shaft 109 integrated with the pinion 109a tries to move forward (rightward in FIG. 4) while rotating clockwise in FIG. 4, but the discharge head protective sheet 108 is made of an adhesive material. Since it is bonded to the surface other than the portion, it is pulled rearward by the adhesive force, so that it moves relatively rearward along the guide groove 111 (which moves forward). At the same time, the discharge head protection sheet 108 that pulls the winding shaft 109 rearward is wound around the winding shaft 109 that is rotated by the engagement between the pinion 109a and the rack 11 in a tensioned state. As the take-up shaft 109 rotates, the discharge head protective sheet 108 and the chemical liquid absorbent 107 are taken up, and the discharge head surface is exposed to the suction flow path of the mouthpiece 100. At the same time, the ejection head surface is refreshed to enter an ejection standby state where ejection failure is unlikely to occur. That is, the recovery of the ejection head 102 is completed. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the state where the state of being wound on the winding shaft 109 is fixed by a lock mechanism (not shown) (a mechanism for locking the mounting of the medicine cartridge 101 integrated with the mouthpiece 100) and the exterior. FIG. 5 is a perspective view with the case 1 and the like removed.

Simultaneously with the above operation, connection with the contact probe 10 for transmitting electricity for discharging, and fitting between the negative pressure detection hole 110 provided in the mouthpiece 100 and the flow path forming member 7 connected to the negative pressure sensor 6 are performed. Thus, the mounting of the mouthpiece 100 and the medicine ejection cartridge 101 to the inhaler main body is completed. Here, the user operates an on / off switch (not shown) to start energization of the inhaler main body. Alternatively, it is possible to automatically turn on the power of the apparatus body by detecting the mounting of the mouthpiece 100 or the medicine ejection cartridge 101 or both by a sensor (not shown) provided therein. Further, in the case of the thermal ink jet method, since the resistor is arranged inside the medicine ejection cartridge 101, the magnitude of the resistance value is measured, and if it is an appropriate measurement value region, the medicine ejection cartridge 101 and It is also possible to automatically turn on the inhaler device assuming that the mounting is completed when the mouthpiece 100 is integrated.

If the power of the inhaler is turned on, when the user inhales from the mouthpiece 100, the negative pressure generated by the airflow from the air intake 120 is detected by the negative pressure sensor 6. Based on this detection, if the determination circuit unit provided on the control board 2 determines that the inhalable amount can be discharged, the control unit provided on the control board 2 controls the discharge of the medicine from the discharge head 102 and the discharge. Is done. Thereby, the mixed fluid of the medicine rides on the airflow from the mouthpiece 100 and passes through the mouthpiece 121 of the mouthpiece 100 and is inhaled into the user's body. When the predetermined inhalation is finished, the medicine cartridge 101 integrated with the mouthpiece 100 can be easily taken out by performing a releasing operation of a lock mechanism (not shown).

The mouthpiece 121 of the mouthpiece 100 has an elliptical shape in accordance with the shape of the person's mouth (see FIG. 5). Due to this shape, leakage from the side of the mouth holding the mouthpiece 121 is prevented. Thus, the waste of inhalation is reduced, and the medicine is efficiently inhaled into the body.

The above suction operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the inhalation curve in intake and the period during which droplets are discharged. When the user's inhalation is started and the negative pressure (related to the inhalation speed or flow rate) detected by the negative pressure sensor 6 reaches a dischargeable region, the liquid ejection from the ejection head 102 is performed under the control of the control board 2. At the same time, the vibration of the vibration motor (a vibration motor (not shown) is arranged on the control board 2) is also started to inform the user that the liquid discharge has started. After the discharge of a predetermined amount of the liquid agent from the discharge head 102 is completed, the following is performed so that the last discharged liquid agent reaches the lung. Based on the inhalation speed and the inhalation duration calculated from the negative pressure measurement value of the negative pressure sensor 6, the vibration motor oscillates and is ejected for the pre-inhalation time after the completion of the ejection in order to inhale the pre-inhalation. Encourage the user to inhale the solution completely to the lungs. When the vibration of the vibration motor ends, the user or patient stops inhalation. According to this, the ejection of the liquid agent and the inhalation are interlocked, so that the liquid agent can be surely sent to the lung, and there is no failure such as insufficient inhalation.

FIG. 8 shows an overall block diagram around the control board 2 of the present apparatus. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 251 denotes a CPU which is an arithmetic processing unit, and has a built-in flash ROM storing a program. An SRAM 252 is a readable / writable memory for temporarily storing data when the program operates. Reference numeral 214 denotes an LED which is a display device for notifying the user of the state of the apparatus to a user, a maintenance worker, and the like. Reference numeral 205 denotes a wireless unit that manages wireless communication for transferring the status and stored contents of the apparatus to the host and receiving data from the host. Reference numeral 206 denotes an antenna for the wireless unit. Reference numeral 208 denotes an amplifier that converts and amplifies the output of the negative pressure sensor 6, and reference numeral 209 denotes an AD converter that converts the analog output of the amplifier 208 into a digital signal. Reference numeral 210 denotes a driver that controls the ejection head 102. Reference numeral 211 denotes an RTC (real time clock) having a calendar / clock function, and reference numeral 212 denotes a backup battery for the RTC 211. Reference numeral 213 denotes a power source for generating various voltages supplied to the electric circuit, and includes a main battery, a charging circuit, a reset circuit, a power switch, and the like.

Reference numeral 217 denotes a control circuit that processes output or input signals for various blocks and is connected to the CPU 251 via a bus. A USB port connected to the CPU 251 is also provided as an external interface.

In the above configuration, after the mouthpiece 100 integrated with the medicine ejection cartridge 101 is attached to the main body case 1, the power switch is operated, whereby the power source 213 outputs a reset signal to the CPU 251. Then, the CPU 251 is initialized by the signal, starts operation by a program stored in the internal flash ROM, and starts operation as a normal operation mode if no special setting is made. When the user inhales, the output of the negative pressure sensor 6 changes, and the change is transmitted to the CPU 251 via the amplifier 208, the AD converter 209, and the control circuit 217. When the inhalation amount exceeds a predetermined threshold, the CPU 251 applies a voltage to the vibration motor to vibrate it, and sends a pulse signal or the like to the head unit 102 via the control circuit 217 and the driver 210. Thereby, the medicine is ejected from the ejection head 102 of the medicine ejection cartridge 101. As described above, even after discharging for a specified time, the vibration motor continues to vibrate for a specified time and prompts the user to inhale during that time.

FIG. 6 shows a modification of the above embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the apparatus with the outer case removed. In this modification, a motor 50 is provided inside the main body case 1, and a pinion 52 is press-fitted into the tip of the motor shaft 51, or a pinion is directly formed on the motor shaft 51. On the other hand, a rack 53 is formed integrally with the mouthpiece 100, and is arranged so as to mesh with the pinion 52 on the main body side when mounted on the main body side. In this configuration, when the mouthpiece 100 integrated with the medicine cartridge 101 is inserted into the main body case 1, first, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the presence or absence of the mouthpiece 100 detects the presence of the mouthpiece 100 and controls the control board. The motor 50 electrically connected to the motor 2 starts driving, and the pinion 52 attached to the motor shaft 51 starts rotating. In this way, an insertion force is generated from the pinion 52 in the rack 53 integrally provided on the side surface of the mouthpiece 100. Other parts are the same as those of the above embodiment. In this way, the device body automatically mounts the mouthpiece 100 integrated with the medicine cartridge 101 while performing the recovery operation only by inserting the tip of the mouthpiece 100 into the mouth of the attachment portion 30 of the main body exterior case 1. Willing to. For the user, the inhaler is easier to operate.

According to the embodiment described above, since the liquid storage or storage unit and the droplet discharge unit are integrated with the mouthpiece, it can be easily attached and detached, and is disposable so that the patient's mental and physical The burden is reduced, and the hygiene is sufficiently considered so that the droplets do not remain in the apparatus main body. In addition, because it achieves the protection of the droplet ejection part to prevent ejection failure and the stabilization of the recovery operation at the time of mounting, it has high ejection reliability and can be inhaled easily and anytime and anywhere Can provide. Further, the droplet discharge module can be easily attached to the inhaler main body without the user touching the surface of the discharge head, and the recovery operation of the discharge head can be performed without contaminating the inside of the apparatus main body or the user's hand.

The means for filling the liquid into the discharge unit is not limited to the above example, and various forms are possible. For example, the inner walls of the part of the chemical solution bag that leads to the discharge unit may be adhered to each other, and when the chemical solution bag is pressed, the adhesion between the inner walls is peeled and the chemical solution bag and the discharge unit are connected. Further, the means for peeling off the protective sheet is not limited to the above example using the engagement between the rack and the pinion, and various forms are possible. For example, the protective sheet with the absorbent material is made of a rigid material and can be slid. When the droplet discharge cartridge is mounted, the body side part hits the end of the protective sheet and the protective sheet is slid to discharge the discharge part. A mode in which the nozzle portion is exposed while being cleaned with an absorbent material is also possible.

Also, a droplet discharge cartridge without a mouthpiece is possible. In this case, the droplet discharge from the discharge unit may be started by the user pressing the discharge switch, and the discharged droplets may be sent directly to the user's mouth. This is also a form that can be used as a general droplet discharge device. At this time, the medicine droplet may be ejected while the user presses the ejection switch with a finger, or the medicine is ejected by a predetermined amount when the user presses the ejection switch with the finger. Good.

The droplet discharge device and the droplet discharge module of the present invention can be used for various purposes in addition to drug inhalation. For example, it can also be used for a general liquid application device, a spray-like discharge device such as a fragrance, an inhalation device of a favorite item such as nicotine, an ink jet recording device and the like. As described above, the droplet discharge device and the droplet discharge module of the present invention can be easily applied to various applications that require reliable and sanitary droplet discharge.

It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the inhaler as an Example of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the droplet discharge cartridge part of FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining the mounting process of the droplet discharge cartridge and mouthpiece of FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the droplet discharge cartridge and the mouthpiece are completely attached to the inhaler of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an exterior case is removed in a state where a droplet discharge cartridge and a mouthpiece are completely attached to the inhaler of FIG. 1. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that the exterior case was removed in the modification of the Example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of inhalation operation | movement of the Example of FIG. It is a block diagram of the Example of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Housing (Body case)
2 Control unit (control board)
9 First part (pressure plate)
11 Third part (rack)
30 Holding part (mounting part)
100 mouthpiece 101 droplet ejection module (medicine ejection cartridge)
102 Discharge part (Discharge head)
104 Second part (connection board)
107 Cleaning member (absorbent)
108 Protective member (Discharge head protective sheet)
109 4th part (winding shaft with pinion)
202 Liquid container (chemical solution bag)

Claims (7)

A droplet discharge module having a liquid storage portion for storing a liquid, a discharge portion for discharging the liquid as droplets, and a protective member covering at least the discharge portion of the discharge portion,
It is configured to be attachable to a discharge device main body having a housing, a control unit for controlling droplet discharge provided in the housing, and a holding unit for detachably mounting the droplet discharge module,
When the droplet discharge module is mounted on the holding unit on the discharge device main body side, the liquid discharge unit is engaged with the first portion on the discharge device main body side so that the liquid is supplied from the liquid storage unit to the discharge unit. And a fourth portion that engages with the third portion on the discharge device main body side to allow the protective member to be peeled off from the discharge portion after the liquid is supplied to the discharge portion. A droplet discharge module characterized by the above. The droplet discharge module according to claim 1, wherein the protection member is provided with a cleaning member for cleaning the discharge portion. The droplet discharge module according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning member is a liquid absorbent material provided between the surface having the discharge portion and the protection member. The fourth portion is a take-up shaft with a pinion that is fixed to an end portion of the protective member and is movably held in parallel with the discharge portion. The droplet discharge module according to claim 1, wherein the droplet discharge module is engaged with the portion at the pinion to wind up the protective member and peel from the discharge portion. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an inhalation flow path for allowing a user to inhale discharged droplets, wherein the inhaler is configured to be used by the user for inhaling droplets from the mouthpiece. A droplet discharge module according to claim 1. A housing;
A control unit for controlling droplet discharge provided in the housing;
A droplet discharge module according to any one of claims 1 to 5;
An ejection apparatus comprising a holding portion for detachably attaching a droplet ejection module. A housing;
A control unit for controlling droplet discharge provided in the housing;
6. A discharge apparatus comprising a holding unit for detachably mounting the droplet discharge module according to claim 1.

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