PULMONARY DEVICE, METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING A PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT TO AN INDIVIDUAL

Abstract

A pulmonary delivery system includes an elongated body having an openable and closeable portion thereof for receiving an insertable and replaceable container such as a cartridge of pure medical product disposed in a saline solution. The medical product may be epinephrine, insulin or nicotine disposed in a saline solution. The system also incorporates a penetrating element that is disposed in the cylinder to pierce the cartridge and release the nicotine solution into the cylinder and into or on a micron mesh grid. A flow of air created by inhaling through a mouthpiece draws air into an individual's lungs from an entrainment port and onto a grid for atomizing a mist of micron droplets through the grid. It is recognized that the air from the entrainment port further dilutes the concentration of the medical product. The grid is connected to a source of electrical power to vibrate the mesh grid.

Claims

1. A pulmonary delivery system for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into and through an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream, said system comprising: an elongated tubular body including an openable and closeable portion thereof for receiving a container of relatively pure medical product disposed in a saline solution, a penetrating element disposed in said elongated body for opening said container and releasing said medical product/saline solution into an airstream; an atomizer or nebulizer for producing a mist of micron droplets from said medical product/saline solution and wherein said atomizer or nebulizer includes a vibratable micron mesh grid with a metal plate selected from the group consisting of platinum and palladium and having thousands of precision holes therein; an entrainment port and a mouthpiece for drawing a breath of air from said entrainment port through said cylinder through said vibratable micron mesh grid and into an individual's lungs; and, a source of electricity vibrating said micron mesh grid to produce micron droplets of said medical product/saline solution and wherein the airflow includes micron droplets is provided by the inhalation of an inhaled breath through said mouthpiece.

2. The pulmonary delivery system for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into and through an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream according to claim 1, wherein said medical product is relatively pure nicotine and an individual's intake of breath is the sole power for drawing particles into and through the individual's lungs and into their bloodstream.

3. The pulmonary delivery system for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into and through an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream according to claim 1, in which said source of electricity is two 1.5 V batteries.

4. The pulmonary delivery system for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into and through an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream according to claim 1, in which said source of electricity is two rechargeable nickel cadmium AA batteries in series.

5. The pulmonary delivery system for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into and through an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream according to claim 1, in which said vibrating micron mesh includes a platinum surface.

6. The pulmonary delivery system for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into and through an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream according to claim 5, in which said vibrating micron mesh includes a palladium surface.

7. The pulmonary delivery system for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into and through an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream according to claim 1, in which an electrical circuit connects said metal plate in said micron mesh grid to said source of electrical energy and includes two metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) for energizing the vibration of said metal plate.

8. The pulmonary delivery system for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into and through an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream according to claim 1, which includes a red and green light to indicate if the vibration of said micron mesh grid is off or on.

9. An inhaler for limiting an amount of an initial inspiration and to prevent a second or subsequent inspiration for a preselected time following an initial or previous inspiration, said inhaler comprising: a cartridge containing a limited supply of a liquid pharmaceutical product or modification thereof; means for producing a mist from said pharmaceutical product or modification thereof and wherein said means and a vibratable micron mesh grid and wherein said vibratable micron mesh includes 4,800 precision holes therein and wherein said micron mesh grid produces an average particle size of about two microns; a source of electric energy and circuit for vibrating said micron mesh or grid and a mouthpiece for an individual to inhale through to draw particles into and through said individual's lungs and into their bloodstream.

10. The inhaler for limiting an amount of an initial inspiration and to prevent a second or subsequent inspiration for a preselected time following an initial or previous inspiration according to claim 11, in which said source of electric energy is a battery.

11. The inhaler for limiting an amount of an initial inspiration and to prevent a second or subsequent inspiration for a preselected time following an initial or previous inspiration according to claim 11, in which said source of electric energy is two 1.5 volt alkaline AA batteries in series.

12. The inhaler for limiting an amount of an initial inspiration and to prevent a second or subsequent inspiration for a preselected time following an initial or previous inspiration according to claim 1, in which a housing and a cartridge cylinder including a penetrating element for piercing or rupturing said cartridge and releasing said liquid pharmaceutical product or modification thereof into said cylinder and into said vibratable micron mesh grid.

13. The inhaler for limiting an amount of an initial inspiration and to prevent a second or subsequent inspiration for a preselected time following an initial or previous inspiration according to claim 1, in which said cartridge contains between three and five mls of a nicotine saline solution with a greatly reduced concentration of nicotine without any heating.

14. The inhaler for limiting an amount of an initial inspiration and to prevent a second or subsequent inspiration for a preselected time following an initial or previous inspiration according to claim 5, in which said cartridge contains a formulation including nicotine.

15. The inhaler for limiting an amount of an initial inspiration and to prevent a second or subsequent inspiration for a preselected time following an initial or previous inspiration according to claim 1, wherein an individual's intake of breath is the sole power for drawing particles into and through the individual's lungs and into their bloodstream.

16. The inhaler for limiting an amount of an initial inspiration and to prevent a second or subsequent inspiration for a preselected time following an initial or previous inspiration according to claim 12 which includes means for limiting an initial or subsequent inspiration to a duration of about two to four seconds and means for preventing a second and subsequent inhalation for a period of about 15 seconds.

17. The inhaler for limiting an amount of an initial inspiration and to prevent a second or subsequent inspiration for a preselected time following an initial or previous inspiration according to claim 18 which includes a microprocessor for actuating means for preventing an initial or subsequent inspiration in excess of two to four seconds and means for preventing a second or subsequent inspiration for 15 seconds activated by said microprocessor.

18. A pulmonary delivery device for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid nicotine solution into an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream, said device comprising: an atomizer for producing a mist of micron droplets of liquid nicotine solution wherein said atomizer includes a vibratable micron mesh grid with a platinum or palladium surface and with particle sizes of about two microns; said micron mesh grid including one or more tapered passageways extending through said micron mesh grid; an elongated body having an openable and closeable cylinder and a cartridge disposed therein and containing up to five milliliters of nicotine solution and a penetrating element for opening said cartridge and releasing said nicotine solution into and onto said micron mesh grid; a battery, an electrical circuit for vibrating said micron mesh grid; and a mouthpiece for drawing a breath of air through said device and into an individual's lungs and bloodstream.

19. A medical product for reducing and/or eliminating the symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine, said product comprising a mixture of between about 97% and about 99 ¾% of a liquid saline solution and from about ¼% and about 3% of a pharmaceutical grade of nicotine plus an addition of up to about 3% of a flavor.

20. A medical product for reducing and/or eliminating the symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine, said product comprising a mixture of between about 98 ½% saline solution and about 1½% nicotine.

21. A medical product for reducing and/or eliminating the symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine according to claim 19, in which each cartridge includes a cleaning solution.

22. A medical product for reducing and/or eliminating the symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine according to claim 20, in which said cleaning solution amounts to 2% ethyl alcohol and 1% citric acid.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a drug delivery system in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a forward portion of the drug delivery system illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0025] FIG. 3 is a side view of an inner portion of a mouthpiece and drug entrainment port of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0026] FIG. 4 is a schematic side illustration of a portion of a drug delivery system of a further embodiment as shown in FIG. 3; and,

[0027] FIG. 5 is a schematic end view of a drug delivery device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0028] In essence, the present invention relates to a pulmonary delivery system 20 and/or device 20′ for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into an individual's lungs, through the lungs and into the individual's bloodstream. The system 20 and/or device 20′ include a cylinder 21 and a replaceable cartridge 29 containing a mass of about three to five milliliters of liquid medical product therein. The device also includes an atomizer 24 for producing a mist of micron droplets of a liquid medical product wherein the atomizer 24 includes a vibrating micron mesh grid 30 with a platinum or palladium surface for providing a mist with particle sizes of five microns or less and preferably about two microns. Applicant's system includes a cartridge of limited content of three to five mis to avoid a child or pet from swallowing a toxic amount of nicotine.

[0029] The vibrating micron mesh grid 30 is essentially conventional and has been used in nebulizers such as an Aerogen® Vibrator, Aerogen® Solo, and Aerogen® Ultra. Those micron mesh grids 30 are incorporated in nebulizers as an aerosol drug delivery system. For contrast, Applicant's invention utilizes a vibrating micron mesh grid 30 for producing particle sizes of about two microns with an aperture plate having about 4,800 precision holes in a grid of about ½ inch diameter. The micron mesh grid 30 vibrates at about 128,000 times per second for an average particle size of about two microns. The aperture plate should have about 4,800 precision formed holes for producing particle sizes of two microns.

[0030] In the present invention, Applicant has combined a vibratable micron mesh grid 30 with an air entrainment port 25 and a posterior entrainment port 27 by a self-inhaled breath through the mouthpiece 26 to draw air into and through an individual's lungs and into their bloodstream. The posterior entrainment port 27 further dilutes the nicotine solution and reduces coughing.

[0031] Applicant's drug delivery system 20 and device 20′ uses a breath to draw air through the air entrainment ports 25 and 27. When air drawn into the anterior entrainment port 25 and through the cylinder and around the nicotine cartridge and into the micro mesh grid and flows into the cylinder 21 and through the device 20′. The cylinder contains a pierced or ruptured cartridge from which the micron droplets are formed by the vibratable micron mesh grid for transmission into the individual's lungs and into their bloodstream. These absorbable micron droplets almost immediately satiate the craving for nicotine without effluent smoke therefore not contaminating the environment. The device 20′ may also include red and green lights that are programmed to indicate when the micron mesh grid is being vibrated.

[0032] It is presently believed that inhaling small concentrations of nicotine delivered directly into the bloodstream will relieve the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and hopefully allow the elimination of smoking. It is presently believed that Applicant's approach relieves the desire for smoking a tobacco product and hopefully does away with the use of tobacco products in the future.

[0033] An important feature or element in a preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a microprocessor 32 that limits the inhalation of an initial and subsequent “puff” (inhaled time) to between two to four seconds. This feature causes a delay of 15 seconds prior to the next puff and should prevent a child from inhaling an excess amount of nicotine. In other words, there is a 15 second delay as a safety step to avoid an excess nicotine delivery.

[0034] Returning to a first embodiment of the invention a pulmonary delivery system for inhaling micron droplets of a liquid medical product into an individual's lungs, and into their bloodstream comprises an atomizer for producing the micron droplets of a liquid medical product wherein the atomizer includes a vibrating micron mesh grid with a platinum or palladium surface for producing a mist with particle sizes of five microns or less. As stated the micron mesh includes a mass of holes of for example 4,800 in a five millimeter diameter vibrating plate. The elongated body includes a penetrating element for rupturing or opening a cartridge and releasing the liquid medical product such as a nicotine/solution into the device. In one embodiment of the invention, a mouthpiece for delivering the medical product to a patient through an anterior air entrainment port around and through the cartridge and into the micron mesh grid.

[0035] Still further, in this embodiment, a source of electrical energy such as two double AA 1.5 volt batteries in series powers the grid whereas the inhalation of the medical product is provided solely by an individual's inhaled breath.

[0036] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a microchip limiting the time of inhalation to between two and four seconds and is programmed that after the initial inhalation there is a 15 second delay before another breath can be taken.

[0037] A fifth embodiment of the invention involves adding a cleaning solution to each cartridge so that the medical product includes about 2% ethyl alcohol and about one percent citric acid for cleaning the grid. In addition, it should be recognized that the size, shapes and number of the holes and/or nozzles may be changed to accommodate different viscosities of solutions.

[0038] It is believed by the Applicant that if equals are substituted for equals (nicotine) and the pattern and concentrations of those addicted it should be helpful for them to quit the tobacco products that they currently use.

[0039] While the invention has been described in connection with its preferred embodiments it should be recognized that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.