WO2020113255A1

WO2020113255A1 - Disposable cardboard spacer

Info

Publication number: WO2020113255A1
Application number: PCT/AU2018/000248
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel Lim
Original assignee: Livingstone International Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-06
Filing date: 2018-12-06
Publication date: 2020-06-11

Abstract

A spacer that is disposable, collapsible and constructed from cardboard which is for use with standard asthma inhalers. The spacer has a clear plastic window for viewing the inside of the spacer. The cardboard construction is unitary. It has both curved sections and perforated edges for improved assembly /disassembly. The device has a port for insertion of a standard asthma inhaler and vents for the patient to inhale through.

Description

Disposable Cardboard Spacer

Contents of Report

This application contains external figures and appendices that supplement the information disclosed within. The following attachments are necessary components of this application:

* Application Description, and Claims (this document)

® Figures 1-6, of which includes diagrams and images of the spacer (attached)

® Appendix 1, of which entails the research and testing which verify the claims made regarding the spacer and this report (attached)

Brief Description of Invention

Technical Problem

This unique invention deals with the patients suffering from asthma, allergies and hay fever, providing a more effective method for administering medication. Many traditional asthma spacers are heavy and bulky to carry around, are difficult to use, can be costly and are often not disposable or suitable for single-patient use.

Solution to the Problem

To combat the issue of asthma spacers being bulky and difficult to administer, this invention will enable both patients and medical staff to conveniently and immediately administer medication during asthma attacks, due to its ease of assembly, its lightweight design and its clear-viewing window.

This invention is highly useful for patients who have difficulties in administering the correct dosage of medication and for those who need a lightweight, on-the-go spacer. Through an independent test conducted by the Aerosol Research Group Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia (appendix 1), this cardboard spacer is clinically proven and tested to deliver a highly effective and accurate dosage of medication. This simple tool will help to reduce wastage and reduces the risk of a patient administering a poor or inaccurate dosage. This spacer is also highly portable due to its compact design.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

Users utilising this invention will be able to easily carry their spacer everywhere that they need it, as it flattens entirely and is lightweight and compact. Due to its construction as being made out of cardboard, the spacer itself is made from sustainable materials and is recyclable, rendering this invention as an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional plastic spacers.

This invention is compatible with most brands and standard sizes of asthma medications and inhaler devices. This invention is also economical and is less expensive than traditional plastic spacers as it is constructed from cardboard and is individually packaged which means that this is a hygienic option for both patients and medical staff needing to administer the medication, as it is single-use; users are able to write patient or user's name and details on the spacer, to avoid cross-contamination. The dual-valve holding chamber is used for effective administration of aerosol medication and its clear-view window is beneficial for monitoring delivery of the medication by both the patient and the medical staff administering the dosage. This invention has been proven to be the leading medicine delivery system for disposable cardboard spacers in Australia, as per testing which concluded that the total amount of drug emitted from this invention was significantly higher than that emitted from brand X. This testing means that this invention delivers a higher amount of drug particles into the lungs, making this invention extremely effective in the delivery of asthma medication to the patient.

How to use the invention:

Figure 1 details four steps on how to deploy and store the cardboard spacer. Step 1 shows the spacer in its stored, or flattened version, prior to use. The cardboard spacer comes in a transparent plastic bag with an outer label detailing the specifications of the spacer, in its form as shown in step 1. The cardboard spacer is deployed by squeezing both sides of the packaging, which causes the flattened cardboard to pop up into its assembled state. Step 2 details how to utilise the spacer, wherein the patient's asthma inhaler cap top is removed, inserted into the top hole of the cardboard spacer (as indicated by the pointed arrow in step 2), and held adjacent to the cardboard spacer once inserted. Step 3 shows the cardboard spacer held at a horizontal angle, with the patient's inhaler inserted; as the patient presses down on the inhaler, medication passes through the spacer and into the patient's mouth, for 5-10 seconds at a time (as per step 3's instructions). Step 4 depicts how to disassemble the inhaler, which is done so by removing the inhaler from the top hole, replacing the cap top of the patient's inhaler, and disassembling the cardboard spacer simply by pressing down on the centre of the spacer, which then flattens the spacer. The flattened cardboard spacer can then be disposed of, or compactly stored for future use.

Figure 2 shows a diagram of the bag that the cardboard spacer is enclosed within. The bag is transparent and the logo on the exterior of the bag has a white background and contains the essential details of the cardboard spacer's features and what the product inside is. The bag also contains user-friendly instructions on how to assemble and disassemble the spacer.

Figure 3 shows a cross-section image of the cardboard spacer as it is being used by a patient with an asthma inhaler. The inhaler is inserted into the inhaler port (1), and the medication dosage passes through the spacer (2) and through the one-way inhalation valve (3) to the mouthpiece (4), where the patient's mouth is. The patient, or the person administering the medication, is able to see exactly how much is being administered through the clear-viewing window (5).

Figure 4 shows the one-way exhalation valve (1), whereby the patient can safely and hygienically exhale without the risk of cross-contamination.

Figure 5 is a collation of varying angles of the disposable cardboard spacer, both in its assembled form and in its flattened form. The front view of the spacer is shown (1), whereby this is the view of the spacer in its assembled format when viewed from the front. The back view of the spacer is shown (2), whereby this is the view of the spacer in its assembled format when viewed from the back. The inhaler port (3) is shown through an image of the top view of the spacer when assembled, whilst the one-way exhalation valve (4) is shown through an image of the bottom view of the spacer when assembled. A view of the right-hand side (5) of the spacer is shown when it is assembled, whilst a view of the left- hand side (6) of the spacer is also shown when it is assembled. Different angles of the spacer in its assembled format are shown (7). A front view of the spacer (8) is shown of the spacer prior to assembly and in its flattened state, whilst a back view of the spacer (9) is shown prior to its assembly and also in its flattened state.

Figure 6 shows the Asthma Emergency Log that is included in each cardboard spacer pack. This log can be kept onsite alongside the cardboard spacers, and should be used to record incidents when the spacer is used. This is useful for storing patient information, recording accidents onsite, and can also be used as a record for when cardboard spacers are running low and need to be replenished.

Claims

1. A compact, disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer that allows for a measured dosage of asthma medication (not pictured or included in the invention) to be administered to a patient, either by themselves or by a healthcare professional or another individual.

2. According to claim 1, a disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer that comprises a body, a clear-viewing window and a mouthpiece to allow asthma medication to flow through the body and be administered to the patient's mouth.

3. According to claim 1 and 2, a disposable cardboard spacer of which its collapsible properties allow the spacer to be assembled and disassembled quickly and easily, and only includes one (1) component in the bag/box to assemble .

4. According to claim 1 and 2, a disposable cardboard spacer which has a clear-viewing window which allows the medication dosage to be closely monitored by those who are administering it.

5. According to claims 1 through 4, a disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer that enables an accurate and effective delivery of medicine each and every time, as per testing conducted by the University of Western Australia (appendix 1).

6. According to claims 2 and 4, a disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer that comprises a clear-view window that is constructed of a thin sheet of transparent plastic, in which the contents inside can be clearly viewed.

7. A compact, disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer according to claims 1 and 3, is constructed of cardboard that contains perforated edges that allow the spacer to be easily folded away for storage and popped up for use.

8. A compact, disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer according to claims 1 and 3, is constructed of cardboard that contains curved cardboard components that enables the spacer to easily pop up into a shape that is suitable for a standard-sized asthma inhaler to be easily inserted into the inhaler port at the top of the spacer (as shown in figures 3 and 5).

9. According to claims 1 and 7, a compact, disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer is designed and sized to allow for a standard-sized asthma inhaler to comfortably insert inside the inhaler port (figure 3) of the cardboard spacer.

10. A cardboard spacer in which, according to any of the claims, its design enables

metered dosages of medication from the patient's inhaler to comfortably flow through two (2) air vents at the base of the spacer (figure 4), whereby the mouth is attached to the spacer to receive this medication (as shown in step 3 of figure 1).

11. A cardboard spacer in which, according to any of the claims, allows a metered

dosage of medication to be dispensed safely and accurately to an asthma patient.

12. According to all claims, a compact, disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer is environmentally-friendly and recyclable, as it is constructed from sustainable materials.

13. According to claim 5, a disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer that delivers a mean of 28.38 pg of drug medication to the patient, compared to a mean of 22.8 pg from a competitor's cardboard spacer (as per appendix 1).

14. According to claim 5 and 13, a disposable and collapsible cardboard spacer that delivers a higher dosage of medication to the patient compared to competitor products (appendix 1), rendering this spacer as one of the leading cardboard spacers in the Australian market.

15. A card board spacer for asthma medication to be dispensed through, as

demonstrated through any of the figures 1 to 6.