Nasal Delivery Devices

Abstract

A nasal delivery device for and method of delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising: a container-receiving unit comprising a container chamber for receiving a substance-containing container which contains substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the container chamber including an inlet and an outlet; a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the container chamber; a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the container chamber and through which the subject in use exhales, such as to entrain substance from the container and deliver the same through the nosepiece; and moisture-mitigation means for mitigating an effect of moisture in an exhaled breath on the entrainment of substance from the container, which means are provided, for example, by providing the container in a replaceable container-containing member, by a pressure-sensitive valve which normally closes the fluid connection between the container chamber and the mouthpiece, and a temperature regulator upstream of the container chamber.

1 . A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
 a container-receiving unit comprising a container chamber for receiving a substance-containing container which contains substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the container chamber including an inlet and an outlet;   a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the container chamber;   a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the container chamber and through which the subject in use exhales, such as to entrain substance from the container and deliver the same through the nosepiece; and   a moisture-reducing element for reducing condensation at or downstream of the container chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the moisture-reducing element comprises an air chamber which fluidly connects the mouthpiece to the inlet of the container chamber, and preferably the air chamber comprises an elongate tubular section. 
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . The delivery device of  claim 2 , wherein the air chamber has a greater volume than the container chamber, and preferably a volume at least twice that of the container chamber. 
   
   
       5 . (canceled) 
   
   
       6 . The delivery device of  claim 2 , wherein the air chamber incorporates a temperature regulator for regulating a temperature of an air flow as exhaled therethrough, and preferably the temperature regulator is operative to cool the exhaled air flow. 
   
   
       7 . (canceled) 
   
   
       8 . The delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the temperature regulator is located at least at an upstream end of the air chamber, and preferably the temperature regulator substantially fills the air chamber. 
   
   
       9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . The delivery device of  claim 6 , wherein the temperature regulator comprises a labyrinthine condenser. 
   
   
       11 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the moisture-reducing element comprises a pressure-sensitive valve in fluid communication with the inlet of the container chamber and being configured such as to close the inlet of the container chamber until a predetermined pressure is developed upstream of the pressure-sensitive valve. 
   
   
       12 . The delivery device of  claim 11 , wherein the pressure-sensitive valve comprises a flap member which is normally biased to a closed, sealing position, and preferably the flap member is hingeable about a pivot and the pressure-sensitive valve includes a resilient element which normally biases the flap member to the closed position. 
   
   
       13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . The delivery device of  claim 11 , wherein the pressure-sensitive valve is located adjacent the inlet to the container chamber. 
   
   
       15 . The delivery device of  claim 11 , wherein the container-receiving unit comprises the pressure-sensitive valve. 
   
   
       16 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the nosepiece unit is removable. 
   
   
       17 . The delivery device of  claim 16 , wherein the nosepiece unit further comprises a container-containing member which contains the container and is in use fitted in the container chamber, and preferably the container-containing member includes a flow passage in which the container is disposed, such as to be rotatable therewithin when an air flow is delivered therethrough. 
   
   
       18 . (canceled) 
   
   
       19 . The delivery device of  claim 17 , wherein the container-containing member includes an inlet aperture in fluid communication with one, upstream end of the flow passage, which inlet aperture provides a flow restriction to an air flow as delivered therethrough, and preferably the inlet aperture provides a seat for a lower end of the container prior to delivery of an air flow through the flow passage. 
   
   
       20 . (canceled) 
   
   
       21 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a replaceable container-containing member which contains the container and is in use fitted in the container chamber, and preferably the container-containing member includes a flow passage in which the container is disposed, such as to be rotatable therewithin when an air flow is delivered therethrough.   
   
   
       22 . (canceled) 
   
   
       23 . The delivery device of  claim 21 , wherein the container-containing member includes an inlet aperture in fluid communication with one, upstream end of the flow passage, which inlet aperture provides a flow restriction to an air flow as delivered therethrough, and preferably the inlet aperture provides a seat for a lower end of the container prior to delivery of an air flow through the flow passage. 
   
   
       24 . (canceled) 
   
   
       25 . The delivery device of  claim 16 , wherein the nosepiece unit is replaceable. 
   
   
       26 . The delivery device of  claim 17 , wherein the container-containing member is replaceable separately of the nosepiece, which is re-usable. 
   
   
       27 . The delivery device of  claim 17 , wherein the container is replaceable and the nosepiece and the container-containing member are re-usable. 
   
   
       28 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a container-opening mechanism which is operative to open a container as received in the container chamber.   
   
   
       29 . The delivery device of  claim 28 , wherein the container-opening mechanism includes at least one piercing element for piercing the container such as to open the same, and preferably a plurality of piercing elements for piercing the container at a plurality of locations spaced along the length thereof. 
   
   
       30 . (canceled) 
   
   
       31 . The delivery device of  claim 29 , wherein the container is only partially filled and the container-opening mechanism includes first and second piercing elements, with one of the piercing elements being configured to pierce the container at a height above a level to which the container is filled and the other of the piercing elements being configured to pierce an upper region of the container. 
   
   
       32 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the container is a capsule. 
   
   
       33 . The delivery device of  claim 1 , wherein the substance comprises a particulate substance, and preferably the particulate substance comprises a powdered substance. 
   
   
       34 . (canceled) 
   
   
       35 . A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
 a container-receiving unit comprising a container chamber for receiving a substance-containing container which contains substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the container chamber including an inlet and an outlet;   a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the container chamber;   a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the container chamber and through which the subject in use exhales, such as to entrain substance from the container and deliver the same through the nosepiece.   
   
   
       36 . The delivery device of  claim 35 , wherein the mouthpiece unit further comprises an air chamber which fluidly connects the mouthpiece to the inlet of the container chamber, and preferably the air chamber comprises an elongate tubular section. 
   
   
       37 . (canceled) 
   
   
       38 . The delivery device of  claim 36 , wherein the air chamber has a greater volume than the container chamber, and preferably a volume at least twice that of the container chamber. 
   
   
       39 . (canceled) 
   
   
       40 . The delivery device of  claim 36 , wherein the air chamber incorporates a temperature regulator for regulating a temperature of an air flow as exhaled therethrough, and preferably the temperature regulator is operative to cool the exhaled air flow. 
   
   
       41 . (canceled) 
   
   
       42 . The delivery device of  claim 40 , wherein the temperature regulator is located at least at an upstream end of the air chamber, and preferably the temperature regulator substantially fills the air chamber. 
   
   
       43 . (canceled) 
   
   
       44 . The delivery device of  claim 40 , wherein the temperature regulator comprises a labyrinthine condenser. 
   
   
       45 . The delivery device of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a pressure-sensitive valve in fluid communication with the inlet of the container chamber and being configured such as to close the inlet of the container chamber until a predetermined pressure is developed upstream of the pressure-sensitive valve.   
   
   
       46 . The delivery device of  claim 45 , wherein the pressure-sensitive valve comprises a flap member which is normally biased to a closed, sealing position, and preferably the flap member is hingeable about a pivot and the pressure-sensitive valve includes a resilient element which normally biases the flap member to the closed position. 
   
   
       47 . (canceled) 
   
   
       48 . The delivery device of  claim 45 , wherein the pressure-sensitive valve is located adjacent the inlet to the container chamber. 
   
   
       49 . The delivery device of  claim 45 , wherein the container-receiving unit comprises the pressure-sensitive valve. 
   
   
       50 . The delivery device of  claim 35 , wherein the nosepiece unit is removable. 
   
   
       51 . The delivery device of  claim 50 , wherein the nosepiece unit further comprises a container-containing member which contains the container and is in use fitted in the container chamber, and preferably the container-containing member includes a flow passage in which the container is disposed, such as to be rotatable therewithin when an air flow is delivered therethrough. 
   
   
       52 . (canceled) 
   
   
       53 . The delivery device of  claim 51 , wherein the container-containing member includes an inlet aperture in fluid communication with one, upstream end of the flow passage, which inlet aperture provides a flow restriction to an air flow as delivered therethrough, and preferably the inlet aperture provides a seat for a lower end of the container prior to delivery of an air flow through the flow passage. 
   
   
       54 . (canceled) 
   
   
       55 . The delivery device of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a replaceable container-containing member which contains the container and is in use fitted in the container chamber, and preferably the container-containing member includes a flow passage in which the container is disposed, such as to be rotatable therewithin when an air flow is delivered therethrough.   
   
   
       56 . (canceled) 
   
   
       57 . The delivery device of  claim 55 , wherein the container-containing member includes an inlet aperture in fluid communication with one, upstream end of the flow passage, which inlet aperture provides a flow restriction to an air flow as delivered therethrough, and preferably the inlet aperture provides a seat for a lower end of the container prior to delivery of an air flow through the flow passage. 
   
   
       58 . (canceled) 
   
   
       59 . The delivery device of  claim 50 , wherein the nosepiece unit is replaceable. 
   
   
       60 . The delivery device of  claim 51 , wherein the container-containing member is replaceable separately of the nosepiece, which is re-usable. 
   
   
       61 . The delivery device of  claim 51 , wherein the container is replaceable and the nosepiece and the container-containing member are re-usable. 
   
   
       62 . The delivery device of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a container-opening mechanism which is operative to open a container as received in the container chamber.   
   
   
       63 . The delivery device of  claim 62 , wherein the container-opening mechanism includes at least one piercing element for piercing the container such as to open the same, and preferably a plurality of piercing elements for piercing the container at a plurality of locations spaced along the length thereof. 
   
   
       64 . (canceled) 
   
   
       65 . The delivery device of  claim 63 , wherein the container is only partially filled and the container-opening mechanism includes first and second piercing elements, with one of the piercing elements being configured to pierce the container at a height above a level to which the container is filled and the other of the piercing elements being configured to pierce an upper region of the container. 
   
   
       66 . The delivery device of  claim 35 , wherein the container is a capsule. 
   
   
       67 . The delivery device of  claim 35 , wherein the substance comprises a particulate substance, and preferably the particulate substance comprises a powdered substance. 
   
   
       68 . (canceled) 
   
   
       69 . A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
 a body member;   a carrier which is supported by the body member and carries a plurality of substance-containing containers;   a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject;   a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece through which the subject in use exhales; and   an actuating mechanism which is operative, in each operation, to open a plurality of the substance-containing containers, and including a valve unit for fluidly connecting the mouthpiece to a respective one of the opened substance-containing containers in successive exhalation cycles.   
   
   
       70 . The delivery device of  claim 69 , wherein the actuating mechanism is operative to open two of the substance-containing containers. 
   
   
       71 . The delivery device of  claim 69 , wherein the nosepiece unit is movably attached to the body member, such as to be movable between an inoperative position and an operative position, in which operative position the nosepiece is in fluid communication with at least one of the substance-containing containers. 
   
   
       72 . The delivery device of  claim 69 , wherein the mouthpiece unit is movably attached to the body member, such as to be movable between an inoperative position and an operative position, in which operative position the mouthpiece is in fluid communication with at least one of the substance-containing containers. 
   
   
       73 . The delivery device of  claim 69 , wherein the nosepiece unit and the mouthpiece unit are provided together in an actuator assembly which is movably attached to the body member. 
   
   
       74 . The delivery device of  claim 69 , wherein the substance-containing containers comprise one of blisters or capsules. 
   
   
       75 . (canceled) 
   
   
       76 . A method of delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
 disposing a substance-containing container which contains substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject in a container chamber, the container chamber including an inlet and an outlet;   fitting a nosepiece in fluid communication with the outlet of the container chamber to a nasal cavity of the subject;   the subject exhaling through a mouthpiece which is in fluid communication with the inlet of the container chamber, such as to deliver an air flow through the container chamber and entrain substance from the container and deliver the same through the nosepiece and into the nasal cavity of the subject; and   drawing moisture from the exhaled air flow upstream of the container chamber, such as to reduce condensation at or downstream of the container chamber.   
   
   
       77 . A method of delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the method comprising the steps of:
 disposing a substance-containing container which contains substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject in a container chamber, the container chamber including an inlet and an outlet;   fitting a nosepiece in fluid communication with the outlet of the container chamber to a nasal cavity of the subject; and   the subject exhaling through a mouthpiece which is in fluid communication with the inlet of the container chamber, such as to deliver an air flow through the container chamber and entrain substance from the container and deliver the same through the nosepiece and into the nasal cavity of the subject.   
   
   
       78 . (canceled)