Claims for Patent: 8,540,665

Summary for Patent: 8,540,665

Title:	Particle cassettes and processes therefor
Abstract:	An article for use in manufacturing particle cassettes comprising one or more single pieces of membrane having a plurality of gas flow passages bonded thereto. The article allows convenient manufacture of particle cassettes. Two such articles may be employed to provide a finished particle cassette and a production line in which a plurality of gas flow passages are conveyed on a single membrane is disclosed.
Inventor(s):	Bates; Nigel Robert (The Oxford Science Park, GB), Price; Philip Thomas (The Oxford Science Park, GB)
Assignee:	Powder Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Hong Kong, HK)
Application Number:	12/612,586
Patent Claims:	1. An article for use in manufacturing particle cassettes for use in a needleless syringe device, the article comprising: a single piece of first membrane film capable of being ruptured by gas under pressure; and a plurality of first gas flow passages laterally offset from one another, wherein each first gas flow passage forms at least a part of a separate particle confinement chamber; wherein each of the first gas flow passages has a first end that is closed by the single piece of first membrane film; and wherein a first gas flow passage has a second end configured to be coupled to a second gas flow passage to create a particle cassette, the second gas flow passage having a second membrane film attached thereto. 2. The article of claim 1 wherein the plurality of first gas flow passages are all arranged on the same side of the single piece of first membrane film. 3. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first gas flow passages are arranged on the single piece of first membrane film in a substantially linear formation. 4. The article of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first gas flow passages are comprised in a separate first cassette part. 5. The article of claim 4, wherein the single piece of first membrane film is attached to each first cassette part by a heat bonding method. 6. The article according of claim 1, wherein each first gas flow passage has a. dose of particles therein. 7. The article of claim wherein each first gas flow passage is closed by a second membrane film to create a chamber for the confinement of particles between the first membrane film and the second membrane film. 8. The article of claim 7, wherein the second membrane film is a single piece of membrane film closing each of the plurality of first gas passages. 9. The article of claim 1, wherein the first and/or second membrane films rupture when a gas pressure differential of 15-60 bar exists thereacross. 10. A method of making an article for use in manufacturing particle cassettes for use in a needleless syringe device, the method comprising: attaching a single piece of first membrane film to a plurality of laterally offset first gas flow passages such that a first end of each of the first gas flow passages is closed by the single piece of membrane film wherein each first gas flow passage forms at least a part of a separate particle confinement chamber, and wherein a first gas flow passage has a second end configured to be coupled to a second gas flow passage to create a particle cassette, the second as flow passage having a second membrane film attached thereto. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of first gas flow passages are arranged on the same side of the single piece of first membrane film. 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising, after the attaching step providing a dose of particles that is retained in each respective first gas flow passage.