Flexible pumping chamber

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of inhalation devices for liquids. In particular, the invention relates to a pumping chamber for such an inhalation device. A pumping unit for an inhalation device for medically active liquids for generation of an aerosol comprises a tubular member (1), a check valve (2), and a counter piece, said counter piece being configured to receive at least a downstream segment of said tubular member (1) and having an interior volume, wherein upstream of said tubular member (1), a reservoir (4) can be fluidically connected with said tubular member (1), and downstream of said counter piece, a nozzle unit (6) can be fluidically connected with said counter piece, and wherein the tubular member (1) comprises an upstream section, a downstream section, and the check valve (2) which is positioned between the upstream section and the downstream section, such that a pumping chamber with a pumping chamber volume is defined which comprises the volume of the downstream section of the tubular member (1) and said interior volume of the counter piece, and wherein tubular member (1) and the counter piece can move relatively to one another, such that the pumping chamber volume is variable. The tubular member (1) comprises at least two mechanically distinct parts (1A, 1B), wherein a first part (1A) provides said upstream section, and a second part (1B) provides said downstream section, and the first part (1A) and the second part (1B) are connected to each other such as to form an interface section (1C) serving as a valve chamber (2B) for the valve (2).

Claims

1. Pumping unit for an inhalation device for medically active liquids for generation of an aerosol, wherein the pumping unit comprises a tubular member, a check valve, and a counter piece, said counter piece being configured to receive at least a downstream segment of said tubular member and having an interior volume, wherein upstream of said tubular member, a reservoir is directly or indirectly fluidically connected with said tubular member, and downstream of said counter piece, a nozzle unit is directly or indirectly fluidically connected with said counter piece, and wherein the tubular member comprises an upstream section, a downstream section, and the check valve which is positioned between the upstream section and the downstream section, such that a pumping chamber with a pumping chamber volume is defined which comprises the volume of the downstream section of the tubular member and optionally said interior volume of the counter piece, and wherein tubular member and the counter piece move relatively to one another, such that the pumping chamber volume is variable, characterized in that the tubular member comprises at least two mechanically distinct parts, wherein a first part provides said upstream section, and a second part provides said downstream section, and wherein the first part and the second part are connected to each other such as to form an interface section serving as a valve chamber for the valve, wherein the counter piece comprises a riser pipe which extends towards the second part of the tubular member and which is at least partially insertable into the second part of the tubular member; and wherein the riser pipe extends through a furthest downstream end of the second part of the tubular member.

2. Pumping unit according to claim 1, wherein the outside diameter of the first and the second part is substantially identical.

3. Pumping unit according to claim 1, wherein the outside diameters of the first and the second part differ from one another.

4. Pumping unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second part are made of different materials.

5. Pumping unit according to claim 1, wherein to the first part of the tubular member, more than one reservoir is directly or indirectly fluidically connected.

6. Inhalation device for medically active liquids for generation of an aerosol, comprising a pumping unit according to claim 1.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of some components of an inhalation device.

(2) FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a tube according to the invention in a cross sectional view.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a detail of the view of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

(5) In FIG. 1, a schematic cut view of an inhalation device is shown. The figure shows the general arrangement of a pumping unit in an inhalation device, but without showing all features of the invention.

(6) The inhalation device comprises a housing, inside this housing a reservoir 4 for storing a liquid F, and a pumping unit with a pumping chamber for generation of a pressure inside said pumping chamber. The pumping chamber is fluidically connected with the reservoir 4 via a tubular member 1. The device further comprises a riser pipe 5 which can be received with at least one reservoir-facing, interior end 5A in said pumping chamber, and a nozzle 6 which is connected liquid-tight to an exterior end 5B of the riser pipe 5. The pumping chamber volume (interior volume of the pumping chamber) is changeable by means of linear relative motion of the riser pipe 5 to the tubular member 1. Further, at an downstream end of tubular member 1, a valve 2 is present in order to keep liquid F from flowing contrary to the desired flow direction, i.e. towards nozzle 6. Another, optional valve 8 is located at the upstream end of riser pipe 5 in order to keep liquid from flowing back from nozzle 6 into the pumping chamber.

(7) Further, a means for the storage of potential energy 7 is provided, which can be manually loaded, wherein the stored energy is releasable to said pumping unit when released by activation of a release means (not shown).

(8) In this embodiment, the tubular member 1 can be regarded as comprising a first part 1A which provides, at its upstream end, the valve chamber for valve 2, and which further comprises a second part 1B, wherein riser pipe 5, serving as a counter piece, is least partially insertable into said second part 1B. In this embodiment, the diameter of first part 1A and second part 1B are not identical. FIG. 1 does not show that the first part 1A and the second part 1B form an interface section serving as a valve chamber for the valve 2.

(9) In FIG. 2, one preferred embodiment of a tubular member according to the invention is shown in a cross sectional view. FIG. 3 shows a more detailed view.

(10) In said embodiment, the tubular member 1 which consists of a first part 1A and a second part 1B has, along its extension, an substantially identical diameter, since D1 is approximately equal to D2. Not shown are the reservoir 4 and the nozzle unit 6 to which the first and the second part can respectively be fluidically connected.

(11) In the depicted embodiment, the first part 1A is configured to be in direct fluidic contact with said reservoir 4. In a not depicted embodiment, the first part 1A is configured to be connected to a further tube or flexible hose, and said further tube or hose can then be in direct or indirect fluidic connection with the reservoir 4. In such an embodiment, the first part 1A servers rather as an adapter part.

(12) In analogy, the same can apply to the second part 1B which can also serve as an adapter part for a further tube for contacting the body of the pumping unit (hatched component in FIG. 1 around riser pipe 5). At the interface section 1C, a check valve 2 is present. In the depicted embodiment, this is a ball valve with a ball 2A located inside a valve chamber 2B.

(13) In the depicted embodiment, the interface section 1C is part of the first part 1A. In a not depicted embodiment, the interface section 1C is part of the second part 1B.

(14) The flow direction of the liquid (not shown) is from the bottom to the top in both FIGS. 2 and 3. Valve 2 which is a check valve ensures that no liquid can flow in the opposite direction.

(15) The part which does not comprise the valve chamber 1C, which is part 1B in the depicted embodiment, has at its upstream end (in the picture, the lower end) a structure 3 for holding back the moveable part (ball 2A) of valve 2. Structure 3 consists of a surface with two through holes, each having an inner diameter which is significantly smaller than the diameter of ball 2A. Thus, ball 2A cannot leave valve chamber 2B in direction of the liquid flow (upwards in the picture). At the same time, liquid can pass ball 2A and flow through said holes. In the opposite direction, the valve seat 2C is present, which also blocks further movement of ball 2A, and which additionally seals against said back flow.

(16) Both parts 1A and 1B can be pressed together in order to provide a sufficiently tight seal. While part 1B should be manufactured with higher precision since it slides into an out of the opening in the body of the pumping unit (not shown), the lower part 1A can be fabricated with less precision. Furthermore, the material of the first part 1A can be of a lower strength than the material of second part 1B since mainly, only part 1B is exposed to high pressures.

(17) In FIG. 4, the top view onto second part 1B is depicted, and the two through holes of structure 3 can be seen from the outside.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(18) 1 tubular member

(19) 1A first part

(20) 1B second part

(21) 1C interface section

(22) 2 valve, check valve

(23) 2A ball, moveable part

(24) 2B valve chamber

(25) 2C valve seat

(26) 3 structure

(27) 4 reservoir

(28) 5 riser pipe

(29) 5A interior end

(30) 5B exterior end

(31) 6 nozzle, nozzle unit

(32) 7 means for the storage of potential energy

(33) 8 valve

(34) D1 diameter of first part

(35) D2 diameter of second part