Claims for Patent: 9,604,018

Summary for Patent: 9,604,018

Title:	Aerosol therapy device
Abstract:	The disclosure relates to an aerosol therapy device including: a housing; an aerosol generator, which is arranged in the housing; an air inlet, which is formed in the housing upstream of the aerosol generator; and an air outlet, which is formed in the housing downstream of the aerosol generator to administer the aerosol produced, wherein an air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet can be generated by a negative pressure at the air outlet, wherein the air flow flows around the aerosol generator, wherein a truncated-cone-shaped flow channel, the central axis of which extends in a curved manner, is arranged between the aerosol generator and the air outlet.
Inventor(s):	Gallem; Thomas (Munich, DE), Hetzer; Uwe (Munich, DE), Loenner; Mihaela (Poing, DE)
Assignee:	PARI Pharma GmbH (Starnberg, DE)
Application Number:	13/133,517
Patent Claims:	1. An aerosol therapy device comprising: a housing; an aerosol generator comprising a vibratable membrane having a plurality of openings through which a substance can be nebulized, the aerosol generator being arranged in the housing; an air inlet formed in the housing upstream of the aerosol generator; and an air outlet formed in the housing downstream of the aerosol generator to administer the generated aerosol, with a flow of air from the air inlet to the air outlet, which bypasses the aerosol generator, being generable owing to a negative pressure at the air outlet, wherein a tapered flow channel is disposed between the aerosol generator and the air outlet, wherein the tapered flow channel has a first cross-sectional area at the aerosol generator and a second cross-sectional area, smaller than the first cross-sectional area, at the air outlet, wherein the cross-sectional area of the tapered flow channel continuously decreases from the first cross-sectional area to the second cross-sectional area, wherein the tapered flow channel has a curved central axis, and wherein the tapered flow channel forms a mixing chamber for the aerosol generator in a region of the first-cross sectional area of the tapered flow channel into which mixing chamber the aerosol generator emits the aerosol so that the air flow from the air inlet to the air outlet entrains the aerosol in the air flow to the air outlet and wherein the membrane is held in a frame by spokes defining a clearance between the spokes and between the membrane and an inner circumferential surface of the frame, forming a passage for the air flow bypassing the aerosol generator, wherein the clearance between the membrane and the frame is directly at an outer circumferential edge of the membrane, and wherein the clearance is formed, with the exception of the spokes, along the entire circumference of the membrane between the membrane and the radially inner circumferential surface of the frame. 2. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the central axis is curved with a radius of curvature in the range of between 40 and 60 mm. 3. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator comprises a vibratable membrane having a plurality of openings through which a substance can be nebulised, and the membrane lies in a plane that forms an angle of between 65.degree. and 85.degree., with a plane in which an air outlet opening (cross-sectional area) of the air outlet lies. 4. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator comprises a vibratable membrane having a plurality of openings through which a substance can be nebulised, and the membrane lies in a plane that extends parallel to the first cross-sectional area of the tapered flow channel. 5. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 4, wherein the tapered flow channel substantially directly adjoins the membrane. 6. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a diameter of the first cross-sectional area to a diameter of an upper surface of the tapered flow channel or of the diameter of the first cross-sectional area of the tapered flow channel to a diameter of a the second cross-sectional area of the air outlet is between 1.5 and 3.0. 7. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein a valve arrangement is disposed between the air inlet and the aerosol generator, which only allows a flow of air from the air inlet towards the air outlet, and wherein an expansion chamber is formed between the valve arrangement and the aerosol generator. 8. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the volume of an expansion chamber lies in a range of between 8 and 18 ml. 9. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein a mouthpiece having an elliptical cross-section attaches to the tapered flow channel, and at least one non-return valve is arranged in a region of a tapering from a circular cross-section of an upper surface of the tapered flow channel to the elliptical cross-section of the mouthpiece, said non-return valve only allowing a flow of air out of the housing from the air outlet via the non-return valve. 10. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the tapered flow channel has a volume of 30 to 50 ml. 11. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein a flow sensor is arranged in a region of the air outlet, which detects the airflow at the air outlet, further comprising a control that is designed to control the aerosol generator based on the detected airflow. 12. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 11, wherein the sensor detects the flow rate at the air outlet and the control is designed such that it terminates aerosol generation by the aerosol generator upon reaching a maximum flow rate. 13. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein irrespective of a breathing manoeuvre, an emitted aerosol or active substance amount lies in the range of 60% to 99% of the filling amount during continuous aerosol generation. 14. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the central axis is curved with a radius of curvature in the range of between 45 and 55 mm. 15. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the central axis is curved with a radius of curvature in the range of between 48 and 52 mm. 16. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 3, wherein the membrane lies in a plane that forms an angle of between 70.degree. and 80.degree. with a plane in which an air outlet opening (cross-sectional area) of the air outlet lies. 17. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 3, wherein the membrane lies in a plane that forms an angle of between 73.degree. and 77.degree. with a plane in which an air outlet opening (cross-sectional area) of the air outlet lies. 18. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a diameter of the first cross-sectional area to a diameter of an upper surface of the tapered flow channel or of the diameter of the first cross-sectional area of the tapered flow channel to a diameter of the second cross-sectional area of the air outlet is between 1.80 and 2.50. 19. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a diameter of the first cross-sectional area to a diameter of an upper surface of the tapered flow channel or of the diameter of the first cross-sectional area of the tapered flow channel to a diameter of the second cross-sectional area of the air outlet is between 1.95 and 2.15. 20. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the volume of an expansion chamber lies in a range of between 10 and 16 ml. 21. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the volume of an expansion chamber lies in a range of between 12 and 14 ml. 22. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the tapered flow channel has a volume of 35 to 45 ml. 23. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the tapered flow channel has a volume of 38 to 42 ml. 24. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein irrespective of a breathing maneuver, an emitted aerosol or active substance amount lies in the range of 70% to 85% of the filling amount. 25. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the generated aerosol comprises an anticholinergic agent, glucocorticoids, beta agonists, long-acting beta 2 sympathicomimetics, antibiotics, mucolytic agents, immunomodulators, mast cell stabilisers, and/or proteins. 26. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the generated aerosol comprises glycopyrronium, budesonide, formoterol, arformoterol, amikacin, arbekacin, tobramycin, glutathione, dornase alpha, P2Y2-agonists, interferon (alpha, beta, gamma), interleukin, cromoglycate and/or lung surfactant proteins. 27. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, further comprising an ampoule, wherein the ampoule comprises an anticholinergic agent, glucocorticoids, beta agonists, long-acting beta 2 sympathicomimetics, antibiotics, mucolytic agents, immunomodulators, mast cell stabilisers, and/or proteins. 28. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, further comprising an ampoule, wherein the ampoule comprises glycopyrronium, budesonide, formoterol, arformoterol, amikacin, arbekacin, tobramycin, glutathione, dornase alpha, P2Y2-agonists, interferon (alpha, beta, gamma), interleukin, cromoglycate and/or lung surfactant proteins. 29. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 13, wherein the emitted aerosol comprises glycopyrronium, budesonide, formoterol, arformoterol, amikacin, arbekacin, tobramycin, glutathione, dornase alpha, P2Y2-agonists, interferon (alpha, beta, gamma), interleukin, cromoglycate and/or lung surfactant proteins. 30. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 24, wherein the emitted aerosol comprises glycopyrronium, budesonide, formoterol, arformoterol, amikacin, arbekacin, tobramycin, glutathione, dornase alpha, P2Y2-agonists, interferon (alpha, beta, gamma), interleukin, cromoglycate and/or lung surfactant proteins. 31. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the continuously tapered flow channel is free of air flow obstructions between the aerosol generator and the air outlet. 32. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a shoulder on which the aerosol generator is placed and a sealing member having at least one surrounding resilient sealing lip facing the aerosol generator, wherein the aerosol generator is pressed against the sealing lip via the shoulder upon assembly of the housing, whereby the sealing lip completely surrounds a region of the membrane having the openings. 33. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 1, wherein the frame is coated with a soft resilient material. 34. An aerosol therapy device according to claim 33, wherein the coating of the frame is realized by way of direct insert molding in a two-component plastic injection molding process.