US2603215A

US2603215A - Drug inhalator

Info

Publication number: US2603215A
Application number: US76090A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arnow Peter
Original assignee: American Cyanamid Co
Current assignee: Wyeth Holdings LLC
Priority date: 1949-02-12
Filing date: 1949-02-12
Publication date: 1952-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 1969-07-15

Description

July 15, 1952 p, ARNOW 2,603,215

DRUG INHALATOR Filed Feb. 12, 1949 INVENTOR Pia /P ,4/PN W,

ATTORNEY fiaien'ted July 15, 1 952 UNITED STAT DRUG INHALATOR' ration of Maine Application February 12, 1949, Serial No. 76,090-

4 Claims. 1 'This invention relates to an apparatus, and its method of use, for applying a powdered medicament to various passages of the body, and more particularly to a method whereby a finely pow dered drug, such as penicillin, may be inhaled through either the nose or the mouth and caused to pass into passages of the nose, throat, mouth and lungs.

The therapeutic advantages of the drug penicillin are well known. Certain other antibiotics are being developed for somewhat similar purposes. Among other uses of such drugs is the prevention or alleviation of local infections in the air passages of the head, throat and lungs; and by absorption through these membranes into the blood stream, causing thereby a general therapeutic effect.

In the past, many devices have been manufactured for the purposes of distributing dusts or powdered medicaments in various locations on, in, or about the body.

It is an object of this invention to provide an extremely simple device which is sturdy, dependable, reliable, fool-proof and which will maintain its characteristics fora long period so that if a considerable time should elapse between the original manufacture of the item and its utilization, the therapeutic efficacy of the drug will remain comparatively undiminished. Other advantages of the device will appear to those skilled in the-art from the accompanying description, drawings, and appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the inhalator properly assembled in a moisture-proof tube.

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the details of construction of my device.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the inhalator itself showing the details of the bafiling in the ends of the tube to cause turbulence and to prevent agglomerated particles from being inhaled.

Figure 4 is an end view of a filter tip showing the use of a substantially continuous foil or strip.

Figure 51s a view of a filter tip showing wire mesh screens.

A device constructed in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of my invention comprises a vial II, which may be made of glass, plastic or metal or other material. It is particularly convenient if made of glass or a transparent plastic so that the contents may be more readily observed. In the end of the vial is a closure l2, such as a cork or rubber stopper to give a secure and substantially moisture-proof seal. If cork be used it is usually desirable that it be dipped in paraflin or other wax, which leaves a thin moisture-proof layer l3 deposited thereon. The inhalator itself comprisesa tube [4, preferably of a transparent solid material such as glass, or a transparent plastic. 'If of glass the ends may be fire-polished. This tube may conveniently be of circular crosssection although any cross-section is satisfactory. Spaced from each end of the tube is a diaphragm [5, which may well be of paper, cellophane or metallic foil or other thin, preferably moistureproof, readily puncturable material. These diaphragms may be positioned by an adhesive, retaining rings, or otherwise held in the tube. The membranes may be part of the filter tip assembly It, later described, and held in place thereby. Between the diaphragms is placed the medicament ll. The medicament may be powdered penicillin,'powdered penicillin together with suitable carriers, or other powdered material which it is desired to apply to the interior coating of the body air passages.

In each end of the tube is placed a powder dis persing baffle or filter tip assembly I6 which may consist of a strip of filter paper, accordion pleated and folded back upon itself in such fashion that it may be placed in the end of the tube and retained in position by its natural tendency to spring outwardly. The strip is preferably so folded that it is parallel to the axis of the inhalator at all points, but so that there are a minimum of flat portions of the paper. The filter may consist of a long strip of paper repeatedly folded at random so that it is loosely disarrayed and so that the elements of the paper perpendicular to its long edges are substantially parallel. Preferably there is a slight gap between the diaphragms l5, and the filter tip assembly [6. Other materials may be used for these baflles, such as ordinary paper, if formed so as not to be too tightly bunched; or a metallic foil. Other filter tips may be used, such as a plurality of layers of fine wire or screen, I9, as shown in Figure 5. It is preferable but not necessary that such filter tips be self-retaining because of their natural springy characteristics. A retainer may be used if1 necessary, but renders the inhalator more comp ex.

The inhalator cartridge may be retained in place in its protective vial by a layer of cotton 20, on which is placed an innocuous desiccant 2|. Such materials as silica gel, aluminum oxide and other inert innocuous desiccants are particularly useful in this type of a device because if accidentally consumed they will not be harmful to the NT OFFICE material remains dry and therapeutically effective for a long time.

In use, a needle, such as shown at 18, or other fine sharp instrument is used to pierce the diaphragms thereby admitting air to the medicament in the middle chamber. The vial maybe then placed in the mouth or nostril, and by inhalation, air drawn through the filter tips and the medicament chamber. In passage through the medicament chamber a certain amount of the powder is entrained in the air and inhaled into the body. By tapping the vial, the medicament maybe kept from caking, and caused to be completely. inhaled after several inhalations. The filter tip baiiles, because of their construction, prevent the agglomeration of the powder and cause it to break up into fine sized particles such as are most readily carried into the air passages of the body. The space between the diaphragm and the filter assembly assists in this dispersion.

. If metallic foils or screens are'used, there is less tendency for the powder to remain adherent on such screens than if coarse paper is used. Normally paper is more readily handled and does not entrain sufllcient of the medicament to cause appreciable loss. v

End caps may be used over the vial itself or merely one filter tip may be used with a puncturable membrane at the other end, but for convenience it is desirable that the drug inhalator be non-directional.

Ashaped tip may be used if desired, to permit ease of insertion into the nostrils.

Under some-conditions, the diaphragms may be punctured prior to the time of use but there is less danger of the medicament escaping if the diaphragm is punctured just before administration of the-medicament to the patient.

It will be seen that the present inventionprovides a device of extremely low cost whereby a powder may be stored for inhalation up until the time of use and may be administered to a patient efliciently and simply. Of the complexity of prior art inhalators, none have been available to the American public which were as simple. as efficient and effective as the herein described device.

While the invention has been illustrated in a preferred form, it is to be appreciated that the full scope of this invention is as set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A drug inhalator comprising a tube open at each end, puncturable diaphragms inset from each end thereof iclosing ofi a center section thereof, a powdered medicament in said center section, and at least one powder dispersing baflle between one of said diaphragms and an adjacent open end of said tube.

2. A drug inhalator as set forth in claim 1 in which the baiile comprises a plurality of layers of a mesh screen.

3. A drug inhalator .as set forth in claim 1 in which the heme comprises a strip of material folded in an accordion pleated fashion so that folds thereof ,are in loose disarray so that elements of the strip are essentially parallel to the tube.

4. A drug inhaiator comprising a glass tube open at each end,.moisture-resistant puncturable diaphragms inset fronreach end and closing of! acenter section of saidtube, apowdered medicament-insaidcenter section, and a baffle consisting of a strip of material folded in an accordionpleated fashion so that the folds thereof are in loose disarray but essentially parallel to the walls of the tube, arranged adjacent each of said diaphragms and between each of said diaphragms and-the respective ends of the tube.

PETER, ARNOVV.

REFERENCES .CITED The following references are'oi ;recordin the fil of th s ten UNITED STATES PATENTS