CPC A61M 15/0008 (2014.02) [A61M 15/0001 (2014.02); A61M 15/0086 (2013.01); A61M 15/0091 (2013.01); A61M 16/14 (2013.01); G01N 15/06 (2013.01); A61M 2202/064 (2013.01); G01N 2015/0046 (2013.01); G01N 2015/0693 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
1. A method of manufacturing a dry powder inhaler, the inhaler being operable to discharge a dose of medicament in a form of a dry powder plume, the method comprising:
providing a first dry powder inhaler in accordance with a first design, the first dry powder inhaler containing a dry powder formulation, and the first design intended to achieve a desired set of plume geometric and/or dynamic characteristics;
testing the first dry powder inhaler via a testing method comprising:
actuating the first dry powder inhaler to discharge a dose of the dry powder formulation in the form of a discharged dry powder plume,
illuminating the plume with a source of electromagnetic radiation;
capturing one or more images of a pattern of radiation reflected or diffracted by an electromagnetically illuminated plume, and
processing the images to determine a processed set of plume geometric and/or dynamic characteristics of the discharged dry powder plume, the processed set of plume geometric and/or dynamic characteristics being different than the desired set of plume geometric and/or dynamic characteristics; and
based on the processed set of plume geometrical and/or dynamic characteristics of the discharged dry powder plume, modifying the first design of the first dry powder inhaler to generate a second design of a second dry powder inhaler having the desired set of plume geometric and/or dynamic characteristics.
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