A flap (20) for an inhalation actuated mechanism (18) of a powder inhaler (1) comprises a base member (29), a skirt structure (24) projecting from a surface of the base member (29), and a coupling portion (21) to be coupled to a resilient member (40) of the inhalation actuated mechanism (18).

An inhaler for facilitating inhalation of dry powder includes a body defining an interior space and a mouth piece. At least one annular member is positioned within the interior space and is rotatable with respect to the mouth piece. The at least one annular member includes a plurality of compartments. Each compartment defines a cavity configured to hold dry powder. Each compartment includes at least one flap and an opening configured to release the dry powder when the at least one flap is reconfigured from a closed position to an open position. The at least one flap covers the opening and inhibits the dry powder from being released from the cavity in the closed position.

A dose ring for a dry powder inhaler (DPI) device includes an aluminum foil member covering particulate medication cavities and through holes. The device includes hinged flaps formed by a cut so that one radial side is uncut and forms a hinge. Each flap can cover both a cavity for particulate medication and a through hole located between that cavity and the circular inside edge of the dose ring.

The integration of drug dispersion methods into a drug or medicine delivery system may use 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 integration of a drug sealing system into the device 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.

Dispensers, in particular dispensers for dispensing a dose of a gaseous, gas borne or droplet substance from a substance source and dispensers containing dosage counters are described herein.

Methods of fabricating and operating dry powder inhalers that include dose disks and airway channel disks with sealant layers, the airway channel disks forming radially-extending discrete, typically dose-specific, airway channels serially forming a portion of the inhalation pathway to deliver dry powder to a user using the inhalers.

A counter for a handheld device for dispensing a pharmaceutical substance includes at least one counter wheel having legible characters. The counter wheel is rotatable about a rotational axis, and a drive part having a shaped engagement section rotates the counter wheel. An acting part, displaceable relative to the counter wheel in the direction of extension of the rotational axis against a spring force, is connected to and rotates together with the drive part. A base part which can form a part of the housing and can be inserted into the housing at least partly overlaps the substance container in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the substance container, and has a stationary rotational axis for the counter wheel, the drive part preferably being guided in the rotational axis. The drive part is located on the side of the substance container with respect to the counter wheel.

Provided herein are new devices for indicating the status of events, such as the number of relevant events that are remaining and/or that have already occurred up to the present moment and to related devices, systems, and methods. In some aspects, the event-related indicator devices of the invention are used within larger dispensing devices or systems, e.g., to provide the status of administration of a substance contained therein (e.g., a drug). In an exemplary embodiment, the indicator devices find particular utility within medicament dispensers, such as metered dose inhalers, to provide a visual indication of the status of doses having been or remaining to be administered.

An inhalation counter (350, 450, 550) for an inhalation system (100) is provided. The inhalation system comprises a fluid flow passage (322) and the inhalation counter comprises an escapement wheel (352, 452), a biasing means (354, 454) for incrementing the escapement wheel, a conversion mechanism which, in use, is configured to perform a first action in response to a temporary increase in fluid flow rate through the fluid flow passage, and an anchor (356, 456). The anchor is coupled to the conversion mechanism and configured to interact with the escapement wheel so as to allow the biasing means to increment the escapement wheel in response to the first action of the conversion mechanism. A holder (300) and an inhalation system comprising the inhalation counter are also provided.

A dose counter for counting doses of medicament dispensed by or remaining in a metered-dose inhaler. The dose counter includes a rotatably mounted first gear wheel having ratchet teeth and a display coupled to the first gear wheel, the display having a visible array of dose counting indicia indexable in response to rotary motion of the first gear wheel. The dose counter further includes an actuator mechanism having a first ratchet drive pawl for engaging the ratchet teeth of the first gear wheel in response to the dispensation of a medicament dose, and a second ratchet drive pawl for engaging the ratchet teeth of a gear wheel coupled to the display. In use, a first ratchet tooth of the first gear wheel is rotatably driven by the first pawl and then a second ratchet tooth of the gear wheel coupled to the display is rotatably driven by the second pawl.