Claims for Patent: 9,358,338

Summary for Patent: 9,358,338

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 R. (Oxford, GB), Price; Philip T. (Oxford, GB)
Assignee:	Powder Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Hong Kong, HK)
Application Number:	14/698,598
Patent Claims:	1. An article for use in manufacturing particle cassettes, the article comprising: a single piece of first membrane film capable of being ruptured by gas under pressure; a single piece of second membrane film capable of being ruptured by gas under pressure; a plurality of first cassette parts laterally offset from one another and attached to the first membrane film; a plurality of second cassette parts laterally offset from one another wherein each of the plurality of second cassette parts is attached to the second membrane film via a sealing face, wherein the plurality of first cassette parts are joined to the plurality of second cassette parts with the second membrane film interposed in between the plurality of first cassette parts and the plurality of second cassette parts, and wherein the plurality of first cassette parts and the plurality of second cassette parts form a gas flow passage. 2. The article of claim 1 wherein the plurality of first cassette parts 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 cassette parts are arranged on the single piece of first membrane film in a substantially linear formation. 4. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first cassette parts are arranged on the single piece of first membrane film in a substantially circular formation. 5. The article of claim 1, wherein the single piece of first membrane film is attached to each of the plurality of first cassette parts by a heat bonding method. 6. The article of claim 1, wherein the gas flow passage has a dose of particles therein. 7. The article of claim 1, wherein the gas flow passage is closed by the first membrane film and the 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 1, wherein the plurality of second cassette parts are arranged on the same side of the second membrane film. 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, the method comprising: passing a single piece of first membrane film through a roller; and attaching a plurality of first cassette parts to the single piece of first membrane film by bringing together a first platen carrying the plurality of first cassette parts and a second platen, wherein the plurality of first cassette parts are laterally offset from one another, and wherein each of the plurality of first cassette parts defines a gas flow passage closed off at one end by the single piece of first membrane film. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of first cassette parts 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 gas flow passage. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: closing the gas flow passage with a second membrane film so that the dose of particles is confined to a chamber between the first membrane film and the second membrane film, and wherein the second membrane film is a single piece of film closing each of the plurality of gas flow passages, and further comprising rolling up the first and/or second membrane film to provide a roll of particle cassettes, and further comprising scoring the first and/or second membrane film to allow easy detachment of one or more particle cassettes from the first and/or second membrane film, and further comprising cutting the first membrane film around the perimeter of each gas flow passage. 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: conveying the first membrane film with the plurality of first cassette parts retaining the dose of particles to a cassette assembling station; pressing a plurality of second cassette parts onto the plurality of first cassette parts at the cassette assembling station, wherein the plurality of second cassette parts is attached to a single piece of second membrane film, and wherein each of the plurality of second cassette parts defines an additional part of the gas flow passage and the gas flow passage is closed off at another end by the single piece of second membrane film. 15. The article of claim 1 wherein the sealing face of each of the plurality of second cassette parts is an annular surface configured to deform when in contact with another sealing face of the first cassette part and wherein the sealing face of the first cassette part is tapered. 16. The article of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of second cassette parts has a filleted edge at a section of each of the plurality of second cassette parts that attaches to the second membrane film. 17. The method of claim 10, further comprising heating the second platen to head bond the plurality of first cassette parts to the single piece of first membrane film. 18. The method of claim 10, further comprising sterilizing the plurality of first cassette parts.