RELIABLE COMPACT INHALATION DEVICE FOR ASTHMA AND CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

Abstract

The invention provides a compact inhalation device (CID) to effectively deliver inhalation mediation to a patient. The CID comprises a mouth piece, a drug chamber and an air flow chamber, wherein the mouth piece, the drug chamber and the air flow chamber are connected to form a cylinder-shaped device, which is similar to a cigarette, and provide at least medication contained in the drug chamber to the patient via the mouth piece. One end of the mouth piece fits a patient's mouth. The other end of the mouth piece is connected to a first end of the drug chamber, and a second end of the drug chamber is connected to a first end of the air flow chamber, wherein the connections between them use a twisted close/open mechanism or a flapped flow close/open mechanism. A second end of the air flow chamber has an opening for ambient air flow.

Claims

1. : A compact inhalation device (CID) comprising: a mouth piece, a drug chamber and an air flow chamber, wherein the mouth piece, the drug chamber and the air flow chamber are connected to form a cylinder-shaped device, which is similar to a cigarette; wherein the mouth piece, the drug chamber and the air flow chamber are coupled to provide at least medication contained in the drug chamber to a patient via the mouth piece; wherein one end of the mouth piece fits a patient's mouth and other end of the mouth piece is connected to a first end of the drug chamber using a twisted close/open mechanism or a flapped flow close/open mechanism; wherein a second end of the drug chamber is connected to the one end of the air flow chamber using the twisted close/open mechanism or the flapped flow close/open mechanism; and other end of the air flow chamber has an opening for flow with ambient air; wherein the twisted close/open mechanism includes two surfaces with at least one opening on each surface, wherein aligning the at least one opening by twisting provides an open flow condition and unaligned to block the at least one opening by twisting provides a close flow condition; and wherein the flapped flow close/open mechanism includes two surfaces with an opening on a first surface of the two surfaces and a flap on a second surface of the two surfaces to close or open a flow through the opening.

2. The compact inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the drug chamber contains the at least medication, which is a dry powder medication to treat Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

3. The compact inhalation device according to claim 2, wherein the drug chamber has a size for a measured amount of the dry powder medication for a dose.

4. The compact inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the compact inhalation device is a cigarette shaped device to use, convenient and even available to use in public places without being noticed by surrounding with compliance rate increased and medication reached to most peripheral parts of the lung more effectively.

5. The compact inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the drug chamber contains at least one small tube for a measured amount of the dry powder medication for a dose or seven small tubes for seven days or seven doses.

6. The compact inhalation device according to claim 5, wherein the twisted close/open mechanism includes two surfaces with seven openings on the each surface for the seven days or the seven doses; and wherein a joint between the two surfaces is marked for a distance to be twisted for each opening of the seven openings.

7. The compact inhalation device according to claim 6, wherein the at least one opening or the seven openings of the each surface of the twisted close/open mechanism have one of a circular, triangle, square or rectangle shape.

8. The compact inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the drug chamber releases medication just prior to inhaling by a patient in a mechanism by twisting at connection with adjacent part or one-way valve to a direction to the patient who start giving suction force.

9. The compact inhalation device according to claim 8, wherein the one-way valve of the drug chamber is closed using a valve stop while the patient is not in use.

10. The compact inhalation device according to claim 1, wherein the CID has an elongated cylindrical body, made with recycled or reusable materials, wherein the recycled or reusable materials comprise one or combination of paper, meshed paper, meshed reinforced paper, thin plastic, hard rubber, aluminum, thin glass or carbon fiber.

11. A compact inhalation device (CID) comprising: a drug chamber and a base body, wherein the base body comprises a mouth piece and an air flow chamber, wherein the drug chamber is insertable into a slot of the base body, and wherein the slot is located between the mouth piece and the air flow chamber; when the drug chamber is inserted into the base body, the CID forms as a cylinder-shaped device, which is similar to a cigarette; wherein the mouth piece, the drug chamber and the air flow chamber are coupled to provide at least medication contained in the drug chamber to a patient via the mouth piece; wherein one end of the mouth piece fits a patient's mouth and other end of the mouth piece is connected to a first end of the drug chamber using a twisted close/open mechanism or a flapped flow close/open mechanism; wherein a second end of the drug chamber is connected to the one end of the air flow chamber using the twisted close/open mechanism or the flapped flow close/open mechanism; and other end of the air flow chamber has an opening for flow with ambient air; wherein the twisted close/open mechanism includes two surfaces with at least one opening on each surface, wherein aligning the at least one opening by twisting provides an open flow condition and unaligned to block the at least one opening by twisting provides a close flow condition; and wherein the flapped flow close/open mechanism includes two surfaces with an opening on a first surface of the two surfaces and a flap on a second surface of the two surfaces to close or open a flow through the opening.

12. A method for a compact inhalation device (CID) to effectively deliver inhalation mediation to a patient, the method comprising: coupling a mouth piece, a drug chamber and an air flow chamber to form a cylinder-shaped device, which is similar to a cigarette; wherein the mouth piece, the drug chamber and the air flow chamber are coupled to provide at least medication contained in the drug chamber to a patient via the mouth piece; wherein one end of the mouth piece fits a patient's mouth and other end of the mouth piece is coupled to a first end of the drug chamber using a twisted close/open mechanism or a flapped flow close/open mechanism; wherein a second end of the drug chamber is coupled to the one end of the air flow chamber using the twisted close/open mechanism or the flapped flow close/open mechanism; and other end of the air flow chamber has an opening for flow with ambient air; wherein the twisted close/open mechanism includes two surfaces with at least one opening on each surface, wherein aligning the at least one opening by twisting provides an open flow condition and unaligned to block the at least one opening by twisting provides a close flow condition; and wherein the flapped flow close/open mechanism includes two surfaces with an opening on a first surface of the two surfaces and a flap on a second surface of the two surfaces to close or open a flow through the opening.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the drug chamber contains the at least medication, which is a dry powder medication to treat Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the drug chamber has a size for a measured amount of the dry powder medication for a dose.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the compact inhalation device is a cigarette shaped device to use, convenient and even available to use in public places without being noticed by surrounding with compliance rate increased and medication reached to most peripheral parts of the lung more effectively.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the drug chamber contains at least one small tube for a measured amount of the dry powder medication for a dose or seven small tubes for seven days or seven doses.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the twisted close/open mechanism includes two surfaces with seven openings on the each surface for the seven days or the seven doses; and wherein a joint between the two surfaces is marked for a distance to be twisted for each opening of the seven openings.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one opening or the seven openings of the each surface of the twisted close/open mechanism have one of a circular, triangle, square or rectangle shape.

19. The method according to claim 12, the method further comprises releasing, by the drug chamber, medication just prior to inhaling by a patient in a mechanism by twisting at connection with adjacent part or one-way valve to a direction to the patient who start giving suction force.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a general layout of the compact inhalation device including a mouth piece, drug chamber and air flow chamber of the present invention.

[0017] FIGS. 2a and 2b are component block and air/drug flow diagrams of the device in normal position and while patient in use position.

[0018] FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c are layouts of a twisted drug chamber close and open mechanism.

[0019] FIGS. 4a and 4b are layouts of a drug chamber valve and air flow chamber valve using a flapper flow close/open mechanism.

[0020] FIGS. 5a and 5b are combined layouts of a drug chamber valve and air flow chamber valve using a twisted close/open mechanism and a flapper flow close/open mechanism.

[0021] FIGS. 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d are layouts of a twisted drug chamber with seven mini tubes close and open mechanism.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a depiction of a medication chamber to insert into a cigarette shaped device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0024] As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art in view of this disclosure, the present invention may be embodied as a device or method to effectively deliver inhalation mediation to a patient. Thus, as described in more detail below, embodiments of the present invention provide for components of the device and specific mechanisms invented to implement the device in the intended purpose.

[0025] Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates a general layout 100 of the compact inhalation device (CID) including a mouth piece (A), drug chamber (B) and air flow chamber (C), in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The device is implemented with a drug chamber open/close mechanism (AB) between the mouth piece (A) and the drug chamber (B), as well as an air flow chamber open/close mechanism (BC) between the drug chamber (B) and the air flow chamber (C).

[0026] The CID is designed as a tube-shaped device similar to a regular cigarette, for example elongated cylindrical body, made with recycled or reusable materials. The recycled or reusable materials comprise one or combination of paper, meshed paper, meshed reinforced paper, thin plastic, hard rubber, aluminum, thin glass or carbon fiber. The mouth piece, drug chamber and airflow chamber are separable components attachable with an arrangement shown in FIG. 1.

[0027] The mouth piece is a part which one end fits by a patient's mouth when use to suck medication and the other end is connected to the medication chamber. The medication (e.g., the drug powder) will flow into the mouth through the mouth piece when the patient start using it. The medication chamber stores measured amount of medication powder to be used. The medication chamber releases medication just prior to inhaling by a user in a mechanism by twisting at connection with adjacent part or one-way valve to a direction to a patient who start giving suction force. The airflow chamber is a top or far end of the CID allowing air from environment to push medication into the patient's mouth through the medication chamber and the mouthpiece.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 2a and 2b, the figures describe one way valve mechanism for a close and open positions of the joint between the mouth piece and the drug chamber. FIG. 2a shows that the one-way valve is in close or normal position 201 when the one-way valve is closed using a valve stop. Moreover, FIG. 2b depicts a flap of the one-way valve is in open position to allow the flow of the medication and/or air flow from the drug chamber B to the mouth of the user/patient via the mouth piece A.

[0029] FIGS. 3a-3c depict the twisted close/open mechanism appearing at the joint between the mouth piece and the drug chamber. The mouth piece A and the drug chamber B are coupled with a joint or interfaces providing air tight connection but are capable of being twisted. Each interface of the mouth piece and the drug chamber have an opening, which is aligned each other to provide an opened drug chamber position 303 and is unaligned each other to block a flow of the drug form the drug chamber as in the closed drug chamber position 302.

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 4a and 4b, the CID is implemented the flapped flow close/open mechanism both at the connection or interfaces (AB) between the mouth piece A and the drug chamber B, and at the connection or interfaces (BC) between the drug chamber B and the air flow chamber C. The FIG. 4a shows the positions of the one-way valves closing with valve stops for the all valve closed condition and the FIG. 4b shows the positions of the flaps of the one-way valves for in use or open condition.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 5a and 5b, the figures depict mixed or combined use of the twisted close/open mechanism and the flapped flow close/open mechanism in a CID. Either one of the interfaces AB and BC can be implemented with the twisted close/open mechanism or the flapped flow close/open mechanism as a choice of the implementation of the device.

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 6a-6d, the figures show a measured amount of drug in separate tubes for a plurality of doses and open/close mechanisms, which can be implemented to release medication powder of the tubes. The drug chamber contains a small tube for a measured amount of the dry powder medication for a dose, or seven small tubes of the dry powder medication for seven days or seven doses (see FIG. 6a). The openings for the seven small tubes can have the twisted close/open mechanism using a circular, triangle, square or rectangle shape of the opening.

[0033] Additionally, FIG. 7 illustrates an insertable medication chamber for a different implementation of the CID. The insertable medication chamber can be insert into a slot of a base body, which acts the purpose of the mouth piece and the air flow chamber described above. As an advantage, the insertable medication chamber can be replaced after used and the reusable base body may be made in customized design, shape or material.

[0034] Those skilled in the art may appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.