Disclosed is a dry powder inhaler for delivering medicament from at least one blister pack, each blister pack having a plurality of spaced-apart blister pockets containing doses of the medicament. The inhaler comprises: a housing for accommodating unused and used portions of the at least one blister pack together with a dispensing mechanism for simultaneously opening at least two blister pockets at a time; and a manifold component through which air can be drawn in use of the inhaler. The manifold component comprises: first and second air inlet openings for receiving external air a first air outlet opening for providing the external air to a first opened blister pocket and a first medicament inlet opening for receiving air-entrained medicament from the first opened blister pocket, the first air outlet opening and the first medicament inlet opening being arranged side-by-side to enable simultaneous communication with the first opened blister pocket; a second air outlet opening for providing the external air to a second opened blister pocket and a second medicament inlet opening for receiving air-entrained medicament from the second opened blister pocket, the second air outlet opening and the second medicament inlet opening being arranged side-by-side to enable simultaneous communication with the second opened blister pocket; and a medicament outlet opening for delivery of the air-entrained medicament from the first and second opened blister pockets to the user, the first and second medicament inlet openings being fluidly connected to the medicament outlet opening by a medicament delivery conduit formed in the manifold component. The first and second air inlet openings are fluidly connected to the first and second air outlet openings by respective first and second air conduits in the manifold component, wherein the air conduits are separately provided so that the external air from each of the first and second air inlet openings does not mix with the external air from the other of the first and second air inlet openings before reaching the first and second opened blister pockets.

A medicament delivery device for dispensing discrete doses of medicament comprises: first and second medicament carriers each comprising said doses of medicament contained in a plurality of individual compartments spaced along a carrier strip and sealed by a sealing layer; first and second opening mechanisms each arranged to handle a respective one of the first and second medicament carriers and to open each compartment of the respective medicament carrier by separating the sealing layer from the carrier strip as the medicament carrier is advanced through the device; a take-up spool arranged to wind the separated sealing layers thereon such as to maintain the separated sealing layers in tension, each separated sealing layer having a path of travel between a respective one of the first and second opening mechanisms and the take-up spool; and a tension control element in contact with each of the separated sealing layers, wherein at least a part of the tension control element is arranged to be movable by a biasing force, which is exerted on the tension control element by the separated sealing layers as a result of any inequality in the tensions of the separated sealing layers wound by the take-up spool, to alter the length of the path of travel of each separated sealing layer so as to substantially equalise the tensions in the separated sealing layers.

There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a device and a method for controlled extraction of at least one active substance from at least one type of plant matter by application of heat, the device comprising: a heating element adapted to apply heat to an area of the plant matter to extract the substance; and a mechanism adapted for moving the plant matter relative to the heating element. Optionally, the active substance is a restricted substance. There is also provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of monitoring and controlling inhalation of a restricted substance. There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of manufacturing a tape of plant matter comprising an active substance.

A manifold for a medicament delivery device configured to deliver discrete doses of medicament contained in a plurality of individual compartments spaced along a carrier strip and sealed by a sealing layer to form a medicament carrier, the manifold comprising: at least one opening mechanism comprising a release member arranged to engage between the carrier strip and the sealing layer of a medicament carrier so as to separate the sealing layer from the carrier strip and thereby open a compartment of the medicament carrier as it is advanced into an entrainment position; wherein the release member includes a surface configured to cover the opened compartment when in the entrainment position so as substantially to contain the medicament dose of said opened compartment.

A device for releasing discrete doses of medicament carried in a plurality of spaced-apart compartments on a medicament carrier, each compartment being arranged in a carrier strip and sealed by a sealing layer, the device comprising: a release mechanism arranged to engage between the carrier strip and the sealing layer so as to unseal at least a portion of the compartment and expose the medicament dose contained therein, wherein the release mechanism preferably covers said exposed compartment in place of the sealing layer.

The present invention provides an inhaler comprising a housing which contains a blister strip having a plurality of blisters which contain powdered medicament for inhalation, a mouthpiece mounted to the housing through which the medicament is inhaled by a user, an indexing and opening mechanism for indexing the blister strip and for opening the blisters which is operated by an actuator, wherein the blister strip is indexed by forward motion of the actuator from a first position to a second position, such as by opening a cover, and is also indexed in the same direction by reverse motion of the actuator from the second position to the first position, such as by closing the cover.

There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a device and a method for controlled extraction of at least one active substance from at least one type of plant matter by application of heat, the device comprising: a heating element adapted to apply heat to an area of the plant matter to extract the substance; and a mechanism adapted for moving the plant matter relative to the heating element. Optionally, the active substance is a restricted substance. There is also provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of monitoring and controlling inhalation of a restricted substance. There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of manufacturing a tape of plant matter comprising an active substance.

There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a device and a method for controlled extraction of at least one active substance from at least one type of plant matter by application of heat, the device comprising: a heating element adapted to apply heat to an area of the plant matter to extract the substance; and a mechanism adapted for moving the plant matter relative to the heating element. Optionally, the active substance is a restricted substance. There is also provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of monitoring and controlling inhalation of a restricted substance. There is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of manufacturing a tape of plant matter comprising an active substance.

Dry powder inhaler dose counters capable of making a display move swiftly between digits, in contrast to the progressive movement that occurs in simple gearing mechanisms.

A dry powder inhaler (10) having a chamber (26) divided into first and second blister compartments (28, 30) for storing unused and used portions (34, 36) of a blister strip (12) is provided. A moveable dividing wall (32) separates the first and second blister compartments. One or more arcuate supporting surfaces (38, 40, 42) are disposed in either the first and/or the second blister compartments and these surfaces support the used or unused blister strip during successive actuations of the inhaler. Use of the arcuate supporting surfaces facilities compact coils of unused and used portions of blister strip, thereby reducing the size of the chamber required for the inhaler.