Nasal delivery devices

Abstract

A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject comprises: a housing (15); a nosepiece (17) for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject: a mouthpiece (19) through which the subject in use exhales; and a flexible coupling (20) which couples the mouthpiece to the housing, wherein the flexible coupling provides for asymmetric translation of the mouthpiece relative to the nosepiece.

1 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising:
 a housing;   a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject, the nosepiece having a longitudinal axis;   a mouthpiece through which the subject in use exhales, the mouthpiece including a tubular section and having a longitudinal axis;   a flexible coupling connecting the mouthpiece to the housing, wherein the flexible coupling comprises an annular coupling member which is attached at a first end to the housing and at a second end to the tubular section of the mouthpiece, wherein the annular coupling member includes a hinge section disposed on a first side of the annular coupling member, proximate the nosepiece and generally opposite a second side of the annular coupling member, about which the mouthpiece is hinged to permit the tubular section of the mouthpiece to move towards or away from the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece when biased towards or away from the nosepiece by application of a biasing force, the first side of the annular coupling member being relatively shorter in length than the second side of the annular coupling member and forming an acute angle between the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece and the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece; and   a substance delivery system configured to deliver the substance through the nosepiece during a period of time when the subject exhales through the mouthpiece; wherein a biasing force required to move the tubular section of the mouthpiece towards the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece by biasing the tubular section of the mouthpiece towards the nosepiece is lower than a biasing force required to move the tubular section of the mouthpiece away from the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece by biasing the tubular section of the mouthpiece away from the nosepiece.   
     
     
         40 . The delivery device of  claim 39 , wherein the nosepiece includes an outlet from which substance is in use delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, and a seat against which a nare of a nostril of the subject is in use seated to achieve a sealing fit between the nosepiece and the nasal cavity of the subject. 
     
     
         41 . The delivery device of  claim 39 , wherein the annular coupling member has an arcuate, bowed profile on the second side thereof and is configured to stretch when the tubular section of the mouthpiece is biased towards the nosepiece and compress when the tubular section of the mouthpiece is biased away from the nosepiece. 
     
     
         42 . The delivery device of  claim 39 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece is disposed at an angle of between about 45 and about 55 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     
     
         43 . The delivery device of  claim 42 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece is disposed at an angle of between about 48 and about 52 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     
     
         44 . The delivery device of  claim 42 , wherein the annular coupling member is configured to permit movement of the tubular section of the mouthpiece towards the nosepiece through an angle of between about 7 and about 17 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     
     
         45 . The delivery device of  claim 44 , wherein the annular coupling member is configured to permit movement of the tubular section of the mouthpiece towards the nosepiece through an angle of between about 9 and about 15 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     
     
         46 . The delivery device of  claim 44 , wherein the annular coupling member is configured to permit movement of the tubular section of the mouthpiece towards the nosepiece through an angle of between about 10 and about 14 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     
     
         47 . The delivery device of  claim 42 , wherein the annular coupling member is configured to permit movement of the tubular section of the mouthpiece away from the nosepiece through an angle of between about 4 and about 10 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     
     
         48 . The delivery device of  claim 47 , wherein the annular coupling member is configured to permit movement of the tubular section of the mouthpiece away from the nosepiece through an angle of between about 5 and about 9 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     
     
         49 . The delivery device of  claim 47 , wherein the annular coupling member is configured to permit movement of the tubular section of the mouthpiece away from the nosepiece through an angle of between about 6 and about 8 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the nosepiece. 
     
     
         50 . The delivery device of  claim 39 , wherein the annular coupling member is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). 
     
     
         51 . The delivery device of  claim 50 , wherein the TPE has a durometer of between about 40 and about 60. 
     
     
         52 . The delivery device of  claim 51 , wherein the TPE has a durometer of between about 45 and about 55. 
     
     
         53 . The delivery device of  claim 39 , wherein the substance delivery system is a substance supply unit which is configured to deliver the substance following manual actuation of the substance supply unit. 
     
     
         54 . The delivery device of  claim 39 , wherein the second side of the annular coupling member forms an obtuse angle relative to the housing.