Medicament Respiratory Delivery Device

Abstract

A medicament respiratory delivery device in one aspect, including a housing formed of opposed thermoformed polymeric sheets bonded together having formed therebetween a chamber having a medicament cartridge encapsulated between the sheets, an inlet aligned with a passage through the cartridge having a pierceable closure and an outlet aligned with the passage outlet having a burstable membrane. The device in one aspect includes a pressure actuator formed as a blister between the sheets and a piercing element having a bow-shaped actuator portion and a shaft which pierces the pierceable closure upon actuation of the pressure actuator, delivering fluid under pressure to the cartridge passage, rupturing the membrane and expressing the medicament.

1 . A medicament respiratory delivery device, comprising: 
 a housing having a chamber therein and a housing inlet and a housing outlet communicating with said chamber;    a cartridge located within said chamber having a passage extending through said cartridge and a medicament in said passage;    a pierceable closure sealing an end of said passage; and    a piercing element movable relative to said housing to pierce said pierceable closure wherein said piercing element has a pointed end movable relative to said chamber to pierce said pierceable closure.    
   
   
       2 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 1  further comprising 
 a pressure actuator in fluid communication with said housing.    
   
   
       3 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 2  wherein said pressure actuator is a flexible collapsible element having an outlet in fluid communication with said housing inlet and at least a portion of said piercing element is located within said flexible collapsible element.  
   
   
       4 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 3  wherein said piercing element includes a shaft including said pointed end and said cartridge includes a portion for receiving said pointed end and at least a portion of said shaft, said portion guiding said pointed end of said piercing element to pierce said pierceable closure upon movement of said shaft.  
   
   
       5 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 4  wherein said piercing element includes a bow-shaped portion located within said pressure actuator connected to said shaft.  
   
   
       6 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 5  wherein said bow-shaped portion of said piercing element includes a concave portion generally conforming to the shape of said pressure actuator having opposed end portions and concave portions integral with said end portions, and said shaft is connected to said convex portions.  
   
   
       7 . A medicament respiratory delivery device, comprising: 
 a housing comprised of opposed thermoformed thermoplastic bonded sheets, said sheets having formed therebetween a chamber, an inlet communicating with said chamber, a collapsible pressure actuator having an outlet communicating with said inlet of said chamber and an outlet communicating with said chamber opposite said inlet of said chamber;    a medicament cartridge in said chamber having a body encapsulated by said sheets, a passage extending through said body, a pierceable closure sealing an end of said passage; and    a piercing element having a piercing end adjacent said pierceable closure movable relative to said body of said cartridge to pierce said pierceable closure upon actuation of said collapsible pressure actuator.    
   
   
       8 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said collapsible pressure actuator is generally spherical and generally symmetrical relative to said outlet of said collapsible pressure actuator.  
   
   
       9 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said piercing element is a least partially located within said collapsible pressure actuator.  
   
   
       10 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said piercing element includes a bow-shaped portion located within said collapsible pressure actuator and a shaft portion connected to said bow-shaped portion having said piercing end, whereby actuation of said collapsible pressure actuator collapses said bow-shaped portion of said piercing element, extending said shaft to pierce said pierceable closure of said cartridge.  
   
   
       11 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said collapsible pressure actuator is bulb-shaped and symmetrical relative to said outlet of said collapsible pressure actuator.  
   
   
       12 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said body of said cartridge includes a portion that receives said piercing end of said piercing element.  
   
   
       13 . The medicament respiratory delivery device as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said body of said cartridge is generally cylindrical and said chamber formed between said opposed thermoformed thermoplastic sheets is generally cylindrical, conforming to the shape of said body of said cartridge.  
   
   
       14 . A medicament respiratory delivery device, comprising: 
 a housing including a chamber therein;    a pierceable closure sealing communication with said chamber;    a means for piercing the pieceable closure; and    a means for actuating the means for piercing the pierceable closure.