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A device for inhalation of at least one air stream carrying a dose of medicament powder is provided. The device includes a flow passage passing a powder-containing cavity. A part of said flow passage propagates along a generally flat surface region. The flat surface region includes a cavity opening

A device for inhalation of at least one air stream carrying a dose of medicament powder is provided. The device includes a flow passage passing a powder-containing cavity. A part of said flow passage propagates along a generally flat surface region. The flat surface region includes a cavity opening into said powder-containing cavity. The passing of an air stream along said flat surface region and outside said cavity generates an eddy in the cavity and the generated eddy contributes to deaggregation of the powder in said cavity and emptying of the powder from said cavity. Furthermore, a shear driven cavity principle is used in conjunction with such a device and a method of releasing medicament powder.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An inhalation device for enabling deaggregation of a medicament powder during dispensing of the medicament powder, the device comprising: a cavity containing the medicament powder; anda flow passage including a flat surface region being devoid of a seal component and having an opening into the ca

1. An inhalation device for enabling deaggregation of a medicament powder during dispensing of the medicament powder, the device comprising: a cavity containing the medicament powder; anda flow passage including a flat surface region being devoid of a seal component and having an opening into the cavity, wherein an air stream passing along the flat surface region and outside the cavity will generate an eddy in the cavity, such that the generated eddy contributes to deaggregation of the medicament powder in the cavity and emptying of the medicament powder from the cavity,wherein the cavity has a substantially straight downstream edge that extends generally transverse to the direction of the air stream on the flat surface region and a substantially straight upstream edge that extends generally transverse to the direction of the air stream on the flat surface region, the flow passage about the cavity is substantially free of any protrusion extending into the flow passage about the cavity, and the flow passage has opposing side surfaces extending along sides of the opening, the entire length of the opposing side surfaces extending along the entire length of sides of the opening being arranged in a diverging relationship in the direction of the air stream. 2. The inhalation device of claim 1, wherein the cavity has a cavity length in a direction of flow of the air stream and a cavity width that is transverse to the direction of the air stream, such that the cavity has a substantially quadratic cross-section defined by the cavity length and the cavity width. 3. The inhalation device of claim 1, wherein the cavity has a cavity length in a direction of flow of the air stream and a cavity width that is transverse to the direction of the air stream, such that the cavity has a substantially rectangular cross-section defined by the cavity length and the cavity width. 4. The inhalation device of claim 1, wherein the cavity is part of a cavity structure having a plurality of cavities containing respective doses of medicament powder, the inhalation device further including: a cavity holder for holding the cavity structure, wherein the plurality of cavities are arranged in an annular pattern in the cavity structure. 5. The inhalation device of claim 4, wherein the cavity structure holder forms part of at least one side portion of the flow passage. 6. The inhalation device of claim 1, wherein the flow passage is substantially free of any deaggregation mechanism located downstream of the cavity. 7. An inhalation device for enabling deaggregation of a medicament powder during dispensing of the medicament powder, the device comprising: a cavity containing the medicament powder; anda flow passage including a flat surface region having an opening into the cavity and a flat top surface located opposite the flat surface region and extending from upstream of the opening to downstream of the opening, wherein the flat top surface is substantially free of any protrusion extending into the flow passage and an air stream passing between the flat top surface and the flat surface region and outside the cavity will generate an eddy in the cavity, such that the generated eddy contributes to deaggregation of the medicament powder in the cavity and emptying of the medicament powder from the cavity;wherein the flow passage further includes opposing flat side surfaces extending along sides of the opening, andwherein the opposing flat side surfaces, the flat surface region, and the flat top surface form a rectangular cross-section, and the entire lengths of the opposing flat side surfaces extending along the entire length of sides of the opening are arranged in a diverging relationship in the direction of the air stream. 8. The inhalation device of claim 7, wherein the flat surface region upstream of the opening into the cavity is devoid of a seal component. 9. An inhalation device for enabling deaggregation of a medicament powder during dispensing of the medicament powder, the device comprising: a cavity containing the medicament powder; anda flow passage including a flat surface region having an opening into the cavity, wherein an air stream passing along the flat surface region and outside the cavity will generate an eddy in the cavity, such that the generated eddy contributes to deaggregation of the medicament powder in the cavity and emptying of the medicament powder from the cavity,wherein the cavity has a cavity length in a direction of flow of the air stream and a first cavity width along at least one edge of the cavity transverse to the direction of the air stream, such that the cavity has a substantially quadratic cross-section defined by the cavity length and the first cavity width, and the flow passage has opposing side surfaces extending along sides of the opening, the entire length of the opposing side surfaces extending along the entire length of sides of the opening being arranged in a diverging relationship in the direction of the air stream. 10. The inhalation device of claim 9, wherein the cavity has a cavity depth defined by the distance to the bottom of the cavity, wherein the cavity length is in the range of about 65% to about 135% of the cavity depth. 11. The inhalation device of claim 10, wherein the cavity length is in the range of about 115% to about 135% of the cavity depth. 12. The inhalation device of claim 9, wherein the first cavity width is in the range of about 35% to about 45% of the cavity length. 13. The inhalation device of claim 9, wherein the cavity has inner walls defining corners that extend downward from the top of the cavity to the bottom of the cavity, wherein the downward corners define a sharp angle at which two of the inner walls meet. 14. The inhalation device of claim 13, wherein the sharp corner defines a substantially right angle. 15. The inhalation device of claim 14, wherein the cavity has a first bottom edge defined by a downstream wall of the cavity extending generally transverse to the air stream at the bottom of the cavity and a second bottom edge defined by an upstream wall of the cavity extending generally transverse to the air stream at the bottom of the cavity, wherein the first and second bottom edges have a curved shape. 16. The inhalation device of claim 9, wherein the cavity has a headspace defined by the distance between the top of the cavity and the top of the medicament powder in an initial condition, the headspace being at least about 1 mm. 17. The inhalation device of claim 9, the cavity further including: a downstream wall extending generally transverse to the air stream, wherein the downstream wall is positioned at an inclination angle relative to the direction of flow of the air stream, wherein the angle is greater than zero degrees. 18. The inhalation device of claim 9, wherein the opposing side surfaces are flat. 19. The inhalation device of claim 9, wherein the opposing side surfaces extending along sides of the opening, the flat surface region, and a top surface located opposite the flat surface region form a rectangular cross-section. 20. An inhalation device for enabling deaggregation of a medicament powder during dispensing of the medicament powder, the device comprising: a cavity containing the medicament powder; anda flow passage including a flat surface region having an opening into the cavity, wherein an air stream passing over the flat surface region will generate an eddy in the cavity to contribute to deaggregation of the medicament powder in the cavity,wherein the cavity has a substantially straight downstream edge that extends generally transverse to the direction of the air stream on the flat surface region and a substantially straight upstream edge that extends generally transverse to the direction of the air stream on the flat surface region, and the flow passage about the cavity is substantially free of any protrusion extending into the flow passage; andwherein the flow passage has opposing side surfaces extending along sides of the opening, the entire length of the opposing side surfaces extending along the entire length of sides of the opening being arranged in a diverging relationship in the direction of the air stream. 21. The inhalation device of claim 20, wherein the opposing side surfaces extending along sides of the opening, the flat surface region, and a top surface located opposite the flat surface region form a rectangular cross-section.