A Medical Device Daily

PARI Respiratory Equipment (Midlothian, Virginia) said it was granted a U.S. Patent for its Vortex Holding Chamber, a non-electrostatic, holding chamber with a one piece, dual-valve system that optimizes patient inhalation and exhalation for more efficient medication delivery with a metered dose inhaler (MDI).

"While metered dose inhalers offer a quick burst of medication, there are a number of problems delivering an effective dose to patients. These include medication waste due to high-speed delivery to the back of the throat and loss of medication due to improper use. The Vortex Holding Chamber does a wonderful job of addressing these issues, in particular for young patients and for any person who has difficulty using an inhaler, by allowing patients to breathe normally while using the one piece, dual-valve system to direct medication flow and a patient's exhalation breaths," said Michael Welch, MD, co-director of the Allergy and Asthma Medical Group and Research Center (San Diego), and clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

"Innovations like the Vortex Holding Chamber truly enhance respiratory care by making therapies easier for patients. We are very pleased that the Vortex Holding Chamber has been granted this U.S. patent, because the Vortex Holding Chamber ensures patients do not have to worry about coordinating their breaths when using a MDI to get an effective treatment. This enhances drug delivery, minimizes drug delivered to the throat, and allows low resistance inhalation and exhalation with the device," said Geoff Hunziker, president of PARI.

The Vortex Holding Chamber has a number of unique features, according to the company. When a patient inhales, the Vortex Holding Chamber directs airflow through a medication holding chamber and into the patient. During exhalation, airflow is directed out of the device while reducing medication loss. Because it is metal, the Vortex Holding Chamber's non-electrostatic walls do not attract medication as plastic devices do, thereby reducing medication loss in the holding chamber. It also features a cyclonic, inspiratory flow pattern that further enhances aerosol delivery. Patients can breathe normally while the Vortex Holding Chamber's one piece, dual-valve system enhances medication delivery and reduce drug waste.

In other patent activity, Revolutions Medical (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina) said it continues to increase its investment in building a strong IP portfolio. Several more patent applications are being processed building off of the licensed Breast Biopsy System IP patent application, the company said. Many of the claims in those applications are intended to provide for strong protection in the area of machine independent breast stabilization. This unique breast stabilization aspect is not only critical to the Breast Biopsy System performance and cost effective advantages but serve as the foundation for future products involving "ground-breaking" image fusion of X-ray and MRI breast images, Revolutions said.