Inhaler with acoustic flow monitoring

Abstract

An inhaler or add-on device for an inhaler for dispensing a medicament to be inhaled. The inhaler or add-on device has a housing (H) with an air inlet (A_I), and an air outlet (A_O) for outputting air to be inhaled by a user. The housing (H) defines a flow path (FP) between the air inlet (A_I) and air outlet (A_O), and a passive acoustic element (PAE) is arranged in this flow path (FP) inside the housing (H). The passive acoustic element (PAE) has a structure having one or more structured gaps arranged to be passed by an air flow and it is dimensioned such that air flow passing it will generate sound (S) with pre-determined characteristics depending on the air flow speed. This allows acoustic monitoring of air flow passing the first passive acoustic element (PAE) external to the housing (H) by capturing and processing sound generated.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An inhaler add-on device for add-on to an inhaler for dispensing a medicament to be inhaled, the inhaler add-on device comprising
 a housing comprising an air inlet, and an air outlet, such as comprising a mouthpiece for outputting air to be inhaled by a user, wherein the housing defines a flow path between the air inlet and air outlet, wherein the housing is configured for connection to the inhaler, and   a first passive acoustic element arranged in the flow path inside the housing and dimensioned such that air flow passing the first passive acoustic element will generate sound with pre-determined characteristics depending on flow speed of air passing the first passive acoustic element, so as to allow acoustic monitoring of air flow passing the first passive acoustic element external to the housing,   wherein the first passive acoustic element comprises a structure having one or more gaps arranged to be passed by an air flow, and wherein the one or more gaps are shaped and separated by a distance so as to generate sound depending on air flow speed with pre-determined characteristics comprising at least spectral components.   
     
     
         3 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the housing and the first passive acoustic element is formed as one single polymeric material. 
     
     
         4 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the air inlet or air outlet of the housing is arranged for connection to a separate device, wherein said separate device comprises a compartment comprising a medicament to be inhaled. 
     
     
         5 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is a separate element attached to an inner structure of the housing, thereby allowing the housing and flow path elements to be re-used in several versions, where only the passive acoustic element itself is replaced. 
     
     
         6 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more gaps are 0.5-3 mm wide, the length of the one or more gaps are 2-10 mm, and/or the material thickness around the one or more gaps is 0.5-3 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more gaps have sharp edges, such as edges formed by 90° corners, or at least corners of such as 40°-140°, or such as 70°-110°. 
     
     
         8 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more gaps are rectangular in shape with a length of 2-5 times the width. 
     
     
         9 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 8 , wherein the one or more gaps have two parallel walls and one tapered end. 
     
     
         10 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the inhaler add-on device is formed as one or two rows of substantially rectangular shaped parallel gaps, each having a length of at 2-5 times the width. 
     
     
         11 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first passive acoustic element has surfaces in or adjacent to the one or more gaps which have surface morphology and surface material, which can both be selected depending on the type of gap(s) selected and which specific sound is preferred. 
     
     
         12 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first passive acoustic element has a plurality of sets of gaps separated by difference distances. 
     
     
         13 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is configured to generate sound predominantly within an audible level and in an audible frequency range, thereby allowing the user to hear tones indicative of inhalation air flow speed. 
     
     
         14 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is configured to generate sound predominantly with frequencies above 14 kHz, so as to be generally inaudible, thus allowing the inhaler to be used in public without generating any offensive or disturbing tones. 
     
     
         15 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is configured to generate sound with audible and inaudible spectral components for air flow speeds in the relevant range for inhalation. 
     
     
         16 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first passive acoustic element and the inhaler medicament compartment are arranged in respective parallel flow paths. 
     
     
         17 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 16 , wherein the air inlet is split into two separate openings each guiding air to the respective parallel flow paths, to allow the flow path around the passive acoustic element irrespective of an inhalation flow path. 
     
     
         18 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first passive acoustic element comprises a static structure with no moving parts. 
     
     
         19 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the inhaler add-on device is 3D printed. 
     
     
         20 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is 3D printed with a 3D printed resolution which is better than 200 μm, preferably better than 100 μm. 
     
     
         21 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is a non-vibrating structure configured to generate sound by movement of air passing the passive acoustic element. 
     
     
         22 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gaps are shaped and separated by a distance so as to generate sound depending on flow speed with pre-determined characteristics comprising at least one spectral peak. 
     
     
         23 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein said one or more gaps are straight gaps which are perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a direction of air flow passing the first passive acoustic element. 
     
     
         24 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first passive acoustic element comprises a structure having teeth defining one or more gaps between them, wherein the one or more gaps are a passage through the structure with no material being present in the gap. 
     
     
         25 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is positioned in the flow path downstream of an inhaler medicament compartment configured to provide and inhalable medicament. 
     
     
         26 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is positioned in the flow path upstream of an inhaler medicament compartment configured to provide an inhalable medicament. 
     
     
         27 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein said device is configured to receive exhaled air via the air inlet or the air outlet, so as to generate sound with pre-determined characteristics depending on flow speed of air passing the first passive acoustic element, so as to allow acoustic monitoring of air flow passing the first passive acoustic element external to the housing upon a user exhaling air into the air inlet or air outlet. 
     
     
         28 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is formed as a monolithic part of the housing. 
     
     
         29 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing and the first passive acoustic element is formed as a monolithic element. 
     
     
         30 . The inhaler add-on device according  claim 1 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is arranged in a flow path so as to receive a limited part of an air flow. 
     
     
         31 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is arranged in an air flow path between an opening of the housing and air flow inside the housing. 
     
     
         32 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first passive acoustic element is arranged in a flow path with a direction, which is perpendicular to a flow path direction. 
     
     
         33 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , comprising a first valve configured to block exhaled air flow from passing the first passive acoustic element. 
     
     
         34 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a microphone configured to capture sound from the first acoustic passive element, and further configured to transmit data in response to captured sound using a wired or wireless connection to an external device. 
     
     
         35 . The inhaler add-on device according to  claim 33 , wherein the microphone, and a processor circuit connected thereto are configured to transmit said data, and a battery for powering the processor circuit, are housed in a second housing separate from the first housing, optionally the second housing is configured to attach to the inhaler. 
     
     
         36 . A computer program configured to control a manufacturing system or device comprising at least one computer having a data storage configured to generate an inhaler add-on device according to any  claim 1 . 
     
     
         37 . A system comprising:
 an inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , and   a device configured to capture sound generated by the inhaler add-on device during an inhalation, wherein the device comprises a processor configured to process the captured sound according to a processing algorithm and to generate a measure of air flow through the air outlet of the inhaler in response to the processing algorithm.   
     
     
         38 . A method for measuring inhaled flow in an inhaler add-on device according to  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 capturing sound external to the housing generated by the inhaler add-on device during a user inhaling a medicament through the air outlet of the inhaler add-on device,   processing the captured sound according to a processing algorithm, and   generating a measure of inhaled air flow through the air outlet of the inhaler add-on device in response to the processing algorithm.   
     
     
         39 . A computer executable program code arranged to cause a device to perform the method according to  claim 37 , when executed on a processor.