TIMING AND VELOCITY CONTROLLED POWDERED PHARMACEUTICAL INHALER.

摘要

A powdered pharmaceutical inhaler (2) includes, broadly, an air pressurization chamber (6), housing a piston and cylinder arrangement for providing a charge of pressurized air to the air pressurization chamber, and an inhalation chamber (4), including a mouthpiece region (16) and a pharmaceutical region (92) containing the pharmaceutical (156). The inhaler is actuated by inhaling on the mouthpiece region which automatically opens a fluid pathway between the air pressurization chamber and the supply of powered pharmaceutical. When this occurs the air rushes from the air pressurization chamber through the powered pharmaceutical, thus entraining the powdered pharmaceutical in an airstream, the entrained pharmaceutical being inhaled into the lungs of the user. The inhaler is thus activated by the inhalation by the user and is provided a pneumatic boost from the pressurized air in the air pressurization chamber. The invention is designed to be used with replaceable pharmaceutical-containing cartridges (12). The cartridges are mounted to the mouthpiece region of the inhalation chamber and contain the powdered pharmaceutical. Thus, after each use the cartridge is disposed of so that all surfaces which may be clogged or otherwise contaminated by the powdered pharmaceutical, saliva and so forth, can be disposed of.