Merck Patent Gesellschaft MIT Beschrankter Haftung

Cambridge Consultants Limited

Lipha Sa

David Peter Griffin

Stephen William Eason

Clive Patrick Ashley Catterall

A method of producing a container (,) having a plurality of apertures (eg,) each containing a respective dose of powdered material, such as a medicament, involves placing an empty container in a position in which its apertures communicate with a reservoir (,) of powdered material. The material is then passed, for example by the flow of gas, from the reservoir into the apertures to fill the latter, and the container is then separated from the reservoir and the apertures are optionally sealed with sheet material (,). Since the apertures are filled, their volume determines the amount of each dose which therefore does not have to be measured prior to introduction into the apertures. The container may comprise a rigid or flexible plate and in latter case can be subsequently rolled into the form of a cylinder for use in an inhaler. Apparatus for performing the method, and an inhaler for use with a cylindrical container, are also shown.

Containers of particulate material

Filling containers with particulate material

A multi-compartment container (12) is charged with a plurality of doses of powdered medicament so that the volume of each dose is less than that of the respective compartments in which it is contained. A respective protuberance (for example 92) is inserted into each respective compartment, which is then filled with medicament (91) and the protuberance is then removed. The container may take the form of an apertured plate, in which case the filling step can be achieved by placing the container (12) on a porous bed (22) and in communication with a reservoir (80) of particulate material, and then passing gas through the reservoir, the apertures in the container (12) and the bed (22). There is also shown apparatus for performing the method, the apparatus comprising a reservoir (80) for the particulate material and conduit means (81, 92, 94) for relaying particulate material from the reservoir to the compartments, the conduit means including protuberances which are insertable into the compartments to reduce the available volume of the latter. The size of the doses can be controlled by appropriate selection of protuberance dimensions, and a plate-type container, when filled by the method, can be relatively easily sealed by, for example, the application of laminated foil.

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

David Peter Griffin