The Teva ProAir albuterol inhaler with dose counter is a medical device used to treat asthma and other respiratory conditions. It delivers a measured dose of albuterol, a bronchodilator, to help alleviate symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath. The built-in dose counter feature provides patients with a visual display of the remaining doses, enabling better medication management and ensuring timely refills. This advancement in inhaler technology promotes patient adherence and empowers individuals to take control of their respiratory health more effectively.
The counter mechanism was very mature by the time I began work on this project. However, making millions of units per year is a complicated endeavor. My role was to monitor and predict DPMU, or Defects per Million Units, across the assembly. In other words, how often could the counting and dosing mechanism fail due to a part issue. With the help of CETOL tolerance analysis software I was able to insert predicted manufacturing data, and later actual manufacturing data, to estimate the number of defects across multiple 64 cavity tools.
Additionally I managed the design changes and release of technical information to supply chain as we collaboratively developed a modified mouthpiece and spray plume to insure adequate delivery of the medication within the lungs.
