A dry powder inhaler includes a powder storage element configured to hold a powdered medicament and an inlet channel receives, powdered medicament from the powder storage element that is entrained in an airflow. The inlet channel has a first diameter and defines an opening. The inhaler includes a dispersion chamber that receives the airflow and the powdered medicament from the opening. The dispersion chamber has a second diameter. The inhaler includes an actuator housed within the dispersion chamber. The actuator oscillates within the dispersion chamber when exposed to the airflow to deaggregate the powdered medicament entrained by the airflow passing through the dispersion chamber. A ratio between the first diameter and the second diameter is between about 0.40 and 0.60 such that an audible sound is produced as the actuator oscillates. The inhaler includes an outlet channel through which the airflow and powdered medicament exit the inhaler.

The present invention provides for the integration of drug dispersion methods into a drug or medicine delivery system. The drug dispersion methods used include shear (e.g., air across a drug, with or without a gas assist), capillary flow or a venturi effect, mechanical means such as spinning, vibration, or impaction, and turbulence (e.g., using mesh screens, or restrictions in the air path). These methods of drug dispersion allow for all of the drug in the system to be released, allowing control of the dosage size. These methods also provide for drug metering, fluidization, entrainment, deaggragation and deagglomeration. The present invention also provides for the integration of a drug sealing system into the device. The drug sealing system provides a way of blocking the migration of drug from one area of the package to another. The drug seal system can also provide a method of tightly containing the drug until the package is opened, of directing airflow through the package and of managing and containing the drug during the package/device manufacturing process.

A droplet delivery device includes a housing with a mouthpiece port or outlet from a nasal device for releasing fluid droplets, a fluid reservoir, and an ejector bracket having a membrane positioned between a mesh with a plurality of openings and a vibrating member that is coupled to an electronic transducer, such as an ultrasonic transducer. The transducer vibrates the vibrating member which causes the membrane to push fluid supplied by the reservoir through the mesh to generate droplets in an ejected stream released through the outlet.

An aerosol generator for an aerosol dispenser is presented where, the aerosol generator has a housing having an inlet part comprising a liquid inlet configured to guide a liquid jet (L) into the housing and an air inlet configured to guide an air flow into the housing. The housing further having an outlet part having an aerosol outlet configured to guide an aerosol (C) of liquid mixed with air out of the housing. The air inlet is configured such that at least part of the air flow entering the housing through the air inlet is obstructed at a distance from the liquid jet (L) entering the housing through the liquid inlet, thereby creating a source of turbulence in the housing to interact with droplets of the liquid jet (L) to prevent coalescence of the droplets.

An inhaler article includes a body extending along a longitudinal axis from a mouthpiece end to a distal end, a capsule cavity defined within the body and a tubular element extending from the distal end towards the capsule cavity. The tubular element defines a central passage extending from the distal end towards the capsule cavity. The tubular element includes at least one air inlet allowing air to enter into the central passage. The at least one air inlet extends in a direction that is tangential to the central passage.

Nasal cannulas are described herein. The nasal cannula (110) includes a cannula housing (112), a reservoir (160), a nebulizer channel (154), and a gas channel (120). The cannula housing includes at least one nasal extension (116) extending from the cannula housing, wherein the at least one nasal extension is configured to be disposed within a patient's nares. The reservoir includes a reservoir volume configured to dispense a medicament. The nebulizer channel is in fluid communication with the reservoir volume and the at least one nasal extension. The gas channel is configured to direct a gas flow toward the at least one nasal extension through the nebulizer channel, drawing a portion of the medicament from the reservoir through the nebulizer channel with the gas flow toward the at least one nasal extension.

The present invention provides a particulate delivery device with an automatic activation mechanism that pierces or cuts a composition capsule when a cap is removed. The cap cannot be replaced once the device is activated for use. The device allows for gas flow through the device from a gas inlet to a gas outlet through a composition receptacle and dispersion chamber to deliver particulate to the airway of a subject.

A refill assembly configured to be removably coupled to a reusable assembly of a medicinal inhaler is disclosed and includes a patient port, a canister actuable by the reusable assembly to deliver a dose of medicament to the patient port, and a sleeve which is selectively actuable by a user independently of the reusable assembly so as to act on the canister to deliver a dose of medicament. The refill assembly further includes an override element which engages the sleeve, the override element being moveable from a first position in which the sleeve is retained in a first position by the override element and a second position in which the sleeve is permitted to move to a second position upon depression of the sleeve by a user to cause a dose of medicament to be delivered to the patient port.

Liquid drug cartridges and an associated inhaler are used to deliver one more separate doses of an aerosolized liquid drug. A cartridge includes a container for storing the liquid drug, an end cap having an ejection opening, a filter element, and a piston that is repositionable relative to the container to selectively eject a volume of liquid drug from the ejection opening. The filter element filters the liquid drug prior to ejection from the ejection opening. The liquid drug cartridge can be coupled with an inhaler that includes an aerosol generator. The aerosol generator includes a vibratable membrane onto which the liquid drug is ejected. The liquid drug is aerosolized by the vibration of the membrane for inhalation by a user.

An electronic smoking article includes an outer tube extending in a longitudinal direction, an inner tube within the outer tube and including a pair of opposing slots, a liquid supply comprising a liquid material, a coil heater, a wick and a mouth end insert. The coil heater is located in the inner tube. The coil heater is formed of an iron-free, nickel-chromium alloy and has substantially uniformly spaced windings. The wick is surrounded by the coil heater such that the wick delivers liquid material to the coil heater and the coil heater heats the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the liquid material and form an aerosol in the inner tube.