Inhalator, a powder composition and a process for administering the powder composition using inhalators

Abstract

An inhalator including an inhalator body including a powder receiving chamber for receiving a powder, an air-powder mixture reservoir for temporarily storing an air-powder mixture flowing from the powder receiving chamber, and a diluent air passage for introducing a diluent air into the air-powder mixture reservoir. The air-powder mixture is formed within the powder receiving chamber when an air is introduced into the powder receiving chamber. The air-powder mixture within the air-powder mixture reservoir is admixed with a diluent air introduced thereinto through the diluent air passage. The diluted air-powder mixture is discharged from an air-powder mixture outlet into a user's oral or nasal cavity. A powder composition for inhalators includes at least two kinds of fine particles different in particle diameter.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An inhalator for administering an air-powder mixture, comprising: 
 an inhalator body including an air intake path for introducing an air into the inhalator body, and an air-powder mixture outlet for discharging the air-powder mixture from the inhalator body;    a powder receiving chamber adapted to receive a powder, the powder receiving chamber being disposed within the inhalator body and communicated with an outside of the inhalator body through the air intake path;    an air-powder mixture path adapted to transmit the air-powder mixture flowing from the powder receiving chamber to the air-powder mixture outlet;    an air-powder mixture reservoir adapted to temporarily store the air-powder mixture flowing from the powder receiving chamber, the air-powder mixture reservoir being disposed within the air-powder mixture path; and    a diluent air passage adapted to introduce a diluent air into the air-powder mixture reservoir, the diluent air passage communicating the air-powder mixture reservoir with the outside of the inhalator body.    
     
     
         2 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a second diluent air passage adapted to introduce a diluent air into the air-powder mixture path downstream of the air-powder mixture reservoir upon the air-powder mixture flowing from the air-powder mixture reservoir, and a regulator variably controlling an opening area of the second diluent air passage.  
     
     
         3 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a dispersion part adapted to disperse the powder in the air-powder mixture passing through the air-powder mixture path downstream of the air-powder mixture reservoir.  
     
     
         4 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the dispersion part comprises a plurality of dispersion passages branched from the air-powder mixture path downstream of the air-powder mixture reservoir, and a dispersion chamber disposed within the air-powder mixture path downstream of the dispersion passages, each of the dispersion passages having an outlet passage portion that is open into the dispersion chamber and arranged to form a swirl flow of the air-powder mixture.  
     
     
         5 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the dispersion chamber has a generally circular-shaped section and the outlet passage portion of each of the dispersion passages extends in a tangential direction of the dispersion chamber.  
     
     
         6 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air intake path is arranged to allow and block fluid communication between the powder receiving chamber and the outside of the inhalator body.  
     
     
         7 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the air intake path comprises at least two passages having an alignment position where the at least two passages are in alignment with each other and an offset position where the at least two passages are out of alignment with each other.  
     
     
         8 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air-powder mixture path is arranged to allow and block fluid communication between the powder receiving chamber and the air-powder mixture reservoir.  
     
     
         9 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the air-powder mixture path comprises at least two passages disposed between the powder receiving chamber and the air-powder mixture reservoir, the plurality of passages having an alignment position where the at least two passages are aligned with each other and an offset position where the at least two passages are offset from each other.  
     
     
         10 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising a second air-powder mixture adapted to temporarily store the air-powder mixture flowing from the first air-powder mixture reservoir toward the dispersion passages of the dispersion part.  
     
     
         11 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein each of the dispersion passages comprises an inlet open into the second air-powder mixture reservoir.  
     
     
         12 . An inhalator for administering an air-powder mixture, comprising: 
 a casing including an air intake inlet for introducing an air into the casing, and an air-powder mixture outlet for discharging the air-powder mixture from the casing;    powder receiving means for receiving a powder within the casing and permitting the powder to be admixed with the air introduced from the air intake inlet;    air-powder mixture storing means for temporarily storing the air-powder mixture passing through the powder receiving means;    diluent air passage means for permitting a diluent air to flow into the air-powder mixture storing means; and    air-powder mixture path means for permitting the air-powder mixture to flow from the powder receiving means to the air-powder mixture outlet via the air-powder mixture storing means.    
     
     
         13 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising air intake path means for permitting the air to flow from the air intake inlet into the powder receiving means.  
     
     
         14 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the air-powder mixture path means allows and blocks fluid communication between the powder receiving means and the air-powder mixture storing means.  
     
     
         15 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising a second diluent air passage means for permitting a diluent air to flow into the air-powder mixture path means downstream of the air-powder mixture storing means upon the air-powder mixture flowing from the air-powder mixture storing means.  
     
     
         16 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a regulator variably controlling an opening area of the second diluent air passage means.  
     
     
         17 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising dispersion means for preventing the powder in the air-powder mixture from being aggregated together.  
     
     
         18 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the dispersion means comprises passages means for forming a swirl flow of the air-powder mixture and chamber means for receiving the swirl flow of the air-powder mixture.  
     
     
         19 . The inhalator as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the chamber means has a generally circular-shaped section and the passage means extends in a tangential direction of the chamber means.  
     
     
         20 . A powder composition for use with an inhalator, comprising: 
 at least two kinds of fine particles selected from a first kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of not less than 7 μm, a second kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of 5-7 μm, a third kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of 3-5 μm, a fourth kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of 1-3 μm, and a fifth kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of not more than 1 μm.    
     
     
         21 . The powder composition as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the powder composition comprises powder tobacco.  
     
     
         22 . The powder composition as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the powder composition comprises particulate medicament.  
     
     
         23 . A process for administering a powder composition using an inhalator, comprising: 
 preparing the powder composition containing at least two kinds of fine particles selected from a first kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of not less than 7 μm, a second kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of 5-7 μm, a third kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of 3-5 μm, a fourth kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of 1-3 μm, and a fifth kind of fine particles having an aerodynamic mean particle diameter of not more than 1 μm;    supplying the powder composition to the inhalator; and    discharging the powder composition from the inhalator.    
     
     
         24 . The process as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the discharging comprises dispersing the powder composition within the inhalator.  
     
     
         25 . The process as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising capsulating the powder composition.  
     
     
         26 . The process as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the powder composition comprises powder tobacco.  
     
     
         27 . The process as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the powder composition comprises particulate medicament.