INHALATION METHOD WITH CONTROLLED CYCLIC ACTIVATION

Abstract

A method for performing an inhalation using a nebulizer includes filling a reservoir with a medication fluid or connecting a medication container to a designated connecting piece: connecting a nebulizer unit to a control unit and a mouthpiece, at least temporarily activating the nebulizer unit; atomizing the medication fluid into a fine particulate aerosol which is emitted into an aerosol chamber formed by the nebulizer unit and the mouthpiece during activation of the nebulizer unit; performing the inhalation, with a user enclosing the mouthpiece with the lips and during inhalation, drawing air from outside into the aerosol chamber, where the air mixes with the aerosol, and then passes further through the mouthpiece as an air stream and into the respiratory tract and, possibly into the user's lung; measuring a pressure within the aerosol chamber and/or a flow rate through the aerosol chamber or the mouthpiece using the control unit; activating the nebulizer unit with each breath on occurrence of at least one activation criterion detected using the control unit; and deactivating the nebulizer unit with fulfilment of at least one stop criterion, wherein from a degree of fulfilment of the at least one activation and/or stop criterion, a weighted average value is formed and the inhalation is started when the weighted average value exceeds a threshold value.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A method for performing an inhalation using a nebulizer, comprising: filling a reservoir with a medication fluid or connecting a medication container to a designated connecting piece; connecting a nebulizer unit to a control unit and a mouthpiece, at least temporarily activating the nebulizer unit; atomizing the medication fluid into a fine particulate aerosol which is emitted into an aerosol chamber formed by the nebulizer unit and the mouthpiece during activation of the nebulizer unit; performing the inhalation, with a user enclosing the mouthpiece with the lips and during inhalation, drawing air from outside into the aerosol chamber, where the air mixes with the aerosol, and then passes further through the mouthpiece as an air stream and into the respiratory tract and, possibly into the user's lung; measuring a pressure within the aerosol chamber and/or a flow rate through the aerosol chamber or the mouthpiece using the control unit; activating the nebulizer unit with each breath on occurrence of at least one activation criterion detected using the control unit; and deactivating the nebulizer unit with fulfilment of at least one stop criterion, wherein from a degree of fulfilment of the at least one activation and/or stop criterion, a weighted average value is formed and the inhalation is started when the weighted average value exceeds a threshold value.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein an atomization rate is controlled depending on the difference between the pressure and/or the flow rate and a threshold value for the pressure and/or the flow rate.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising calculating a total flow rate including integrating the measured flow rate over time using the control unit.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising calculating a target attainment probability for each breath of a user using the control unit.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one stop criterion comprises one or more of: an expiration of a time span; the pressure exceeding a threshold pressure; the flow rate falling below a threshold flow rate; the flow rate reaching a preset total flow rate; and calculating a target attainment probability for a breath of the user using the control unit that falls below a precalculated target attainment probability.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein weighting factors used in calculating the weighted average value are adapted in the course of the inhalation.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein, stop criteria specified at the start of inhalation, in particular the expiry of a time span, are more strongly weighted and this weighting is changed in the course of inhalation in favour of user-modified stop criteria, in particular reaching a total flow rate or falling below a target attainment probability.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein: measuring the pressure comprises measuring the pressure using a pressure sensor of the nebulizer; and measuring the flow rate comprises measuring the flow rate using a flow rate sensor of the nebulizer.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein measuring the flow rate comprises at least one of: measuring a dynamic pressure in the mouthpiece or an air channel leading to the mouthpiece; measuring a temperature of a reference resistor exposed to the air stream; and measuring a rotational speed of an impeller driven by the air stream.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one stop criterion includes a threshold value of a total flow rate that is adapted in the course of inhalation to total flow rate values corresponding to actual respiration volumes of the user.

25. A nebulizer for performing the method according to claim 15, comprising: a nebulizer unit including a medication reservoir; a control unit configured to control the actuation of an aerosol generator enclosed in the nebulizer unit; a mouthpiece for mounting on a connecting piece of the nebulizer unit; and an aerosol chamber, which is delimited at its circumference by the connecting piece and the mouthpiece as well as at its end by the aerosol generator, wherein the nebulizer unit includes an air channel having a first end that is connected to an outlet end of the aerosol generator in the aerosol chamber, and a second end that is connected to the control unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the nebulizer unit, with mounted mouthpiece, of a preferred embodiment of the nebulizer according to the invention with flow channel; and

[0038] FIG. 2 shows exemplary graphs for flow rate and aerosol production in the course of time in the case of inhalation controlled according to the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the nebulizer unit 1 with mounted mouthpiece of an embodiment of a nebulizer with flow channel according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The centerpiece of the nebulizer unit 1 is formed by the aerosol generator 101, which is mechanically retained by the sealing ring 102 and retaining structure 103. At the input end of the aerosol generator 101, the medication reservoir 11, which can be firmly sealed by a cap 13, can be seen, into which the liquid medication is filled. At the outlet end of the aerosol generator 101, there lies the aerosol chamber 120, an essentially cylindrical volume, in which the medication mist collects after atomization, before it is transported away through the mouthpiece 2 with the air stream generated by the user. The mouthpiece 2, for easier cleaning, is designed so as to be removable and in operation is plugged on a connecting piece 12, which is present on the nebulizer unit 1.

[0040] On the underside of the nebulizer unit, the flow channel 104 can be seen, which opens with its front end in the aerosol chamber 102, located in the outlet end of the aerosol generator 101, and with its second end is guided rearward, where it ends in a truncated conical nozzle, which can be connected to the control unit.

[0041] The opening of the flow channel 104 forms the reference point of the pressure measurement. It lies within that portion of the aerosol chamber 120 that is located in the mouthpiece 2, which has the decisive advantage that the measurable total pressure change is higher than that at a measurement point further in the direction of the aerosol generator 101. On one hand the respiratory cycle of the user can thus be more accurately monitored, on the other hand the pressure that is picked up there is also hardly influenced by shocks or general movements of the nebulizer, which advantageously further increases the accuracy.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows two graphs as an example of a time profile of flow rate {dot over (V)} for two inhalation operations (top graph) as well as three different aerosol production rates {dot over (m)}.sub.1, {dot over (m)}.sub.2, {dot over (m)}.sub.3, which are controlled according to embodiments of the present disclosure (lower graph).

[0043] As can be seen, with a first actuation process, dotted curve {dot over (m)}.sub.1, the full aerosol production is triggered as soon as a threshold value {dot over (V)}.sub.1 of the flow is exceeded, and stopped when it falls below a second threshold value {dot over (V)}.sub.2.

[0044] The second aerosol production according to embodiments of the present disclosure, presented as a continuous line {dot over (m)}.sub.2, provides, before the first threshold value {dot over (V)}.sub.1 is reached, an activation with reduced production rate, which then, towards a threshold value {dot over (V)}.sub.3, is increased to a maximum value, before, on falling below this threshold value {dot over (V)}.sub.3, a reduction of the aerosol production starts, and this is eventually completely deactivated when the threshold value {dot over (V)}.sub.2 is reached and fallen below.

[0045] As third, preferred mode of actuation, which is perhaps simplest to realize, dotted curve {dot over (m)}.sub.3, embodiments of the present disclosure provide provides, after triggering on reaching the flow threshold value {dot over (V)}.sub.1 to make the deactivation dependent on the expiry of a time span T.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0046] 1 Nebulizer unit [0047] 11 Medication reservoir [0048] 12 Connecting piece for mouthpiece 2 [0049] 13 Cap [0050] 101 Aerosol generator [0051] 102 Sealing ring [0052] 103 Retaining structure [0053] 104 Flow channel for connection to control unit [0054] 2 Mouthpiece [0055] 21 Aerosol chamber [0056] {dot over (V)} Flow rate [0057] {dot over (V)}.sub.1 First threshold value of the flow rate [0058] {dot over (V)}.sub.2 Second threshold value of the flow rate [0059] {dot over (V)}.sub.3 Third threshold value of the flow rate [0060] {dot over (m)}.sub.1 First aerosol production rate [0061] {dot over (m)}.sub.2 Second aerosol production rate [0062] {dot over (m)}.sub.3 Third aerosol production rate [0063] T Time span

[0064] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.