ZYDUS CADILA
Respihaler
Affordable treatment
for the Indian market
A simple, convenient and attractive design with effective inhalation performance. The high unit volume resulted in affordable and accessible asthma treatment across India.
Low cost treatment, effective relief
Zydus Cadila, one of India’s major pharmaceutical and health care companies, required an asthma pump, which could be manufactured at a lower cost but be redesigned for an improved look and feel. The main goal of the project was to create a product that was cost-effective, and that complied with all the necessary standards for inhalers.
Working to achieve the client's exact needs, IDC improved the appearance of the inhaler by redesigning the traditional look, while making it ergonomic and easy to use. An onboard storage compartment was cleverly integrated in order to store the multi-medicinal capsules. The inhaler was also designed to be intuitive and simple for patients to use.
Simple remedies for developing markets
Having worked heavily within the Indian drug delivery market, the team had a solid framework in which to achieve commercial viability and reach as many people as possible looking for affordable and simple treatments.
Choosing a low tech and simple mechanical design was deliberate. Progressing with more sophisticated solutions can create unnecessary challenges during production and effect uptake. Addressing the core problem of accessibility to basic health remedies was the main success criteria of Respihaler.
Our Involvement in the development of Respihaler
- Existing patent and product review
- Regulatory planning & Technical file documentation
- Risk Management including detailed DFMEA
- Mechanical engineering
- Industrial design & CMF
- Prototyping & initial testing
- CFD Flows analysis & simulation
- Full CAD for manufacture
- Tolerance stack analysis
- 2D Engineering drawings
- Patent drawings & application
- Pre-production sample review
- Dose accuracy and force testing
- Design verification protocol development
The value of simulation and inspection
By performing a CFD flows analysis the team was able to find a solution for using capsules as opposed to canisters, which also made the inhaler more cost-effective. Close monitoring of the simulation results lead to design improvements in mouthpiece geometry. This prevented incorrect dosage intake as well as accelerating the medical approval process.
The dependence on human subject testing to quantify drug dissolution can often result in significant changes at points in the project that cause major delays to the production timeline. CFD simulation highlights often preventable issues at a stage where design changes can be incorporated with less disruption.
