US company Aktiv-Dry has introduced the Puffhaler, a dry powder inhaler (DPI) for adults and children, with the help of RPC Formatec's manufacturing expertise.
Aktiv-Dry specialises in providing dry powder processing solutions for the vaccine, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
The Puffhaler DPI utilises gas expansion through a special pressure release valve to break up particles into a suitable size for pulmonary delivery.
The powder is dispersed out of a blister into a 200cc reservoir by simply squeezing a bulb until the valve pops open. The aerosol reservoir, with attached mask for children and mouthpiece for adults, is then removed from the rest of the device and provided to the patient.
RPC Formatec is manufacturing the disperser for the Puffhaler, comprising the body unit (where the blister containing the powder is placed) and the mouthpiece. The body unit is in injection-moulded PP, while the mouthpiece is made from HDPE.
The company has also been involved in the development of the spacer to produce a design that is suitable for large scale manufacturing while ensuring a high standard of performance. It is currently being evaluated whether RPC Formatec will complete thermoforming of the co-extruded PE spacer in addition to the other components.
Spacer samples have been produced for lab and clinical testing in close cooperation with an external equipment supplier. It is hoped that these trials will confirm the suitability of the Puffhaler for the vaccination needs of the developing world.
