An Overview of Recently Published Patents on Pulmonary Drug Delivery Devices

The pulmonary drug delivery system is a minimally invasive method of administering drugs with systemic and localised activity. Since 4000 BC, inhalation therapy has been known to the Indians. The most effective and suitable pulmonary drug delivery methods have been used for controlling diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), TB(Tuberculosis), lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension. Examples of pulmonary medication delivery devices- Metered dose inhalers (MDIs), nebulizers, and dry powder inhalers (DPIs) in the latest patent 2022 that have undergone numerous advancements over the years have been focused on in this article. Some promising patented design advancements of nebulizers are humidifier breathing circuits to control liquid contamination, technologically advanced nebulizers to increase pressure detection and nebulizer disinfection system to decrease or eliminate contagions in expelled air are highlighted in this article. Some noticed formulation-related advancements for inhalational dry powder patented in the year 2022, are mentioned in this article. Development of heat-stable dry powder to solve instability of inhaled protein and peptide powder at high temperatures. The inability of dry powder inhaler devices to administer low doses is solved by designing an affordable and side effects-free inhaler. pMDI manufacturing process is simplified by manufacturing tablets to be administered in pMDI. An aid is developed to lessen the activation force and keep the dose count within budget. The patented advancement in the pulmonary drug delivery system can help in the improvement of patient compliance and drug delivery efficacy.