INHALER ARTICLE WITH FOLDED DISTAL END

Abstract

An inhaler article (150) includes a body extending along a longitudinal axis from a mouthpiece end (154) to a distal end (156), a capsule cavity (155) defined within the body and a capsule disposed within the capsule cavity. The capsule cavity is bounded downstream by a filter element and bounded upstream and distally by a deformable element (158) the deformable element deforms to expose an open distal end and allow the inhaler article to receive swirling or rotational inhalation airflow during consumption.

Claims

1. An inhaler article for use in an inhaler system for providing a dry powder to the lungs of a user, the inhaler article comprising: a body extending along a longitudinal axis from a mouthpiece end to a distal end; a capsule cavity defined within the body and bounded downstream by a filter element and bounded upstream and distally by a deformable element, the deformable element deforms by folding backs onto itself to define an open aperture and to form an open distal end and allow the inhaler article to receive swirling or rotational inhalation airflow during consumption through the open distal end; and a capsule disposed within the capsule cavity and containing dry powder.

2. The inhaler article of claim 1, wherein the deformable element is folded at the distal end of the body.

3. The inhaler article of claim 2, wherein the deformable element is fan folded at the distal end of the body.

4. The inhaler article of claim 1, wherein folded sections of the deformable element fold back onto itself to define an open aperture to receive swirling or rotating inhalation airflow.

5. The inhaler article of claim 1, wherein the upstream boundary of the capsule cavity is defined by the deformable element forming a closed end of the inhaler article.

6. The inhaler article of claim 1, wherein the upstream boundary of the capsule cavity is defined by the deformable element forming an open end of the inhaler article.

7. The inhaler article of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the deformable element is formed of paper.

8. The inhaler article of claim 1, wherein the deformable element defines at least a portion of a longitudinal sidewall of the capsule cavity.

9. The inhaler article of claim 1, wherein the deformable element defines a majority of the capsule cavity.

10. The inhaler article of claim 1, further comprising a wrapping layer circumscribing the filter element and the deformable element.

11. The inhaler article of claim 10, wherein the wrapping layer joins the filter element and the deformable element.

12. The inhaler article of claim 10, wherein the deformable element extends beyond the wrapping layer.

13. The inhaler article of claim 12, wherein the deformable element extends beyond the wrapping layer in a range from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm.

14. The inhaler of claim 1, wherein the capsule contains pharmaceutically active particles.

15. An inhaler system comprising: the inhaler article according to claim 1; and a holder for the inhaler article the holder is configured to provide swirling or rotational inhalation airflow to the inhaler article.

16. An inhaler system according to claim 15, wherein the holder comprises a sleeve configured to retain the inhaler article within the housing cavity, the sleeve comprising a sleeve cavity and being movable within the housing cavity along the longitudinal axis of the housing, wherein the sleeve comprises a first open end and a second opposing end, wherein the second opposing end of the sleeve is configured to allow air to enter the sleeve cavity; and the second opposing end of the sleeve comprises a sleeve tubular element extending into the sleeve cavity, the sleeve tubular element is configured to extend through the deformable element of the inhaler article and secure the inhaler article within the sleeve.

17. The inhaler system according to claim 16, wherein the sleeve tubular element forms the upstream boundary of the capsule cavity.

18. The inhaler system according to claim 16, wherein the sleeve tubular element folds the deformable element back onto itself to define the open aperture.

19. The inhaler system according to claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the deformable element is formed of paper

20. The inhaler system according to claim 18, wherein the open aperture is configured to receive the swirling airflow from the sleeve tubular element.

Description

[0147] The invention will now be further described with reference to the figures in which:

[0148] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative inhaler article;

[0149] FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of an illustrative inhaler article with an intact deformable element;

[0150] FIG. 2B is a front perspective view of an illustrative inhaler article with an opened deformable element;

[0151] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an illustrative inhaler system;

[0152] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative inhaler system of FIG. 3;

[0153] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative sleeve; and

[0154] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the illustrative inhaler article of FIG. 1 received in the sleeve illustrated in FIG. 5;

[0155] The schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation. The drawings depict one or more aspects described in this disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawing fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

[0156] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative inhaler article 150. The inhaler article 150 includes a body 151 extending along a longitudinal axis of the inhaler article from a mouthpiece end 154 to a distal end 156, a capsule cavity 155 and a capsule 160 retained within the capsule cavity 155. The capsule cavity 155 is defined within the body 151 and bounded downstream by a filter element 157 and bounded upstream by deformable element 158. The deformable element defines a closed boundary bounding the capsule cavity 155.

[0157] The deformable element 158 defines the capsule cavity. In one embodiment the deformable element 158 is formed of paper having a thickness of about 125 micrometres and a basis weight of about 100 grams per square meter. The illustrated deformable element 158 has a total later length of about 25 mm and extends beyond the body 151 about 3 mm. The illustrated deformable element 158 has an inner diameter of about 6.6 mm. The illustrated inhaler article 150 has a filter element later length of about 20 mm and the wrapper or body has a lateral length of about 42 mm.

[0158] In this example, the body 151 is a paper wrapper that joins the deformable element 158, and filter element 157 in serial abutting axial alignment. The total length of the illustrative inhaler article 150 is about 45 mm with an outer uniform diameter of about 7.2 mm.

[0159] FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of the illustrative inhaler article 150 with an intact deformable element 158. The intact deformable element 158 forms a folded distal end 156 of the inhaler article 150. The folded distal end 156 may be referred to as a “fan fold”. The deformable element 158 is folded back onto itself forming overlapping pie shaped sections sealing or closing the upstream end of the capsule cavity 155.

[0160] FIG. 2B is a front perspective view of the illustrative inhaler article with an opened deformable element 158. The folded sections of the deformable element 158 may be breached or opened to expose the capsule cavity 155. The folded sections of the deformable element 158 may fold back onto itself to define an open aperture for receiving swirling or rotating inhalation airflow.

[0161] The holder, described below, may be configured to breach or open the deformable element 158 upon being received into the holder.

[0162] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an illustrative inhaler system 100. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative inhaler system 100 of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative sleeve 120 of the inhaler system 100.

[0163] The inhaler system 100 includes an inhaler article 150 and a separate holder 110. The inhaler article 150 may be received within the holder 110 to activate or pierce a capsule 160 disposed within the inhaler article 150. The inhaler article 150 remains in the holder 110 during use by the consumer. The holder 110 is configured to induce swirling inhalation airflow entering the received inhaler article 150. The holder 110 is configured to breach or open the deformable element 158 of the inhaler article 150.

[0164] The inhaler system 100 includes the inhaler article 150 and the holder 110. The inhaler article 150 includes the body 151 that extends along an inhaler longitudinal axis LA. The holder 110 includes a movable sleeve 120 that retains the inhaler article 150 received in the sleeve cavity 122.

[0165] The holder 110 for the inhaler article 150 includes a housing 111 comprising a housing cavity 112 for receiving the inhaler article 150 and the sleeve 120 configured to retain the inhaler article 150 within the housing cavity 112. The sleeve 120 defines a sleeve cavity 122 and is movable within the housing cavity 112 along the longitudinal axis LA of the housing 111. The sleeve 120 comprises a first open end 124 and a second opposing end 126. The second opposing end 126 of the sleeve 120 is configured to allow air to enter the sleeve cavity 122. The second opposing end 126 of the sleeve 120 is configured to induce a swirl on the air entering the sleeve cavity 122.

[0166] The holder 110 may include a piercing element 101 fixed to and extending from a housing inner surface 109. The piercing element 101 may be configured to extend through the second opposing end 126 of the sleeve 120 and into the sleeve cavity 122 along a longitudinal axis of the housing 111. The holder 110 may include a spring element 102 configured to bias the sleeve 120 away from the piercing element 101.

[0167] The sleeve 120 may include an elongated slot extending along a longitudinal length of the sleeve 120. The housing 111 may further comprises a pin 127 extending from an inner surface 109 of the housing cavity 112. The pin 127 may be configured to mate with the elongated slot.

[0168] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative sleeve 120. The second opposing end 126 of the sleeve 120 comprises a sleeve tubular element 130 defining a central passage 132, an end surface 136 and an open end 134. The central passage 132 in fluid communication with the sleeve cavity 122. The sleeve tubular element 130 open end 132 may extend into the sleeve cavity 122. The sleeve tubular element 130 includes at least one air inlet 138 allowing air to enter into the central passage 132. The at least one air inlet 138 extends in a direction that is tangential to the central passage 132.

[0169] The distal end 156 of the inhaler article 150 may slide onto the sleeve tubular element 130 as illustrated in FIG. 6. The sleeve tubular element 130 open end 134 changes the deformable element 158 from a closed configuration to an open configuration allowing swirling or rotating inhalation air to flow directly into the inhaler article 150 capsule cavity 155.

[0170] Upon insertion of the inhaler article 150 into the holder 110, the sleeve tubular element 130 open end 134 deforms and urges through the deformable element 158 so that the sleeve tubular element 130 extends into the received inhaler article 150 tubular element 153. The deformable element 158 may be biased towards the longitudinal axis of the inhaler article in the open configuration so that the inhaler article 150 grips onto the holder, thus holding the inhaler article 150 in place in the holder 110.

[0171] Inhalation air inlets 138 enter the sleeve tubular element 130 at a tangent to the central passage 132 and form swirling inhalation airflow to the capsule cavity 155 of a received inhaler article 150. The swirling inhalation airflow flows along the capsule cavity 155 of a received to induce capsule rotation and release particles into the inhalation airflow.

[0172] The sleeve tubular element 130 may extend into the sleeve cavity 122 and forms an annular recess 131 with the sleeve cavity 122 configured to receive a distal end 156 of an inhaler article 150. The projection formed by the sleeve tubular element 130 slides into the inhaler article 150 capsule cavity 155. The sleeve tubular element 130 is configured here to extend into a distal end 156 of an inhaler article 150 received within the sleeve cavity 122.

[0173] The sleeve tubular element 130 may extend into the sleeve cavity 122 about 5 mm and have an outer diameter of about 6.5 mm and an inner diameter of about 4 mm. The central capsule cavity 155 of a received inhaler article 150 may have an inner diameter of about 6.6 mm to provide an interference fit with the sleeve tubular element 130 and annular recess 131.

[0174] The sleeve 120 defines a first air inlet zone 170 comprising at least one air aperture 129 through the sleeve 120. The first air inlet zone 170 proximate to the first open end 124 of the sleeve 120. The first air inlet zone 170 is configured to allow air to flow to an airflow channel formed between the sleeve 120 and the housing 111. The sleeve comprises a second air inlet zone 180 in downstream from the first air inlet zone 170. The second air inlet zone 180 comprising the second opposing end 126 of the sleeve 120 configured to allow air to enter the sleeve cavity 122. The second air inlet zone 180 comprising at least one air aperture or air inlet 138 through the sleeve 120 and into the sleeve tubular element 130 having a central passage 132.

[0175] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative inhaler article 150 of received in the sleeve 120 illustrated in FIG. 5. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the capsule cavity 155 of the inhaler article 150 aligns and mates with and extends into the central passage 132 of the sleeve tubular element 130. The sleeve tubular element 130 forms the upstream end of the capsule cavity 155. The deformable element 158 is opened up back on to the capsule cavity 155 sidewall and providing an interference fit within the annular recess 131.