초록 ▼

A capsule for a powder has a body which is provided with an internal chamber to hold the powder and first and second openings to an exterior environment. The body is adapted to be displaced from a filling state, in which the first and second openings are placed in fluid communication with one anothe

A capsule for a powder has a body which is provided with an internal chamber to hold the powder and first and second openings to an exterior environment. The body is adapted to be displaced from a filling state, in which the first and second openings are placed in fluid communication with one another through the internal chamber thereby enabling an airflow to be created through the body from the second opening to the first opening which is able to entrain powder in the exterior environment into the internal chamber for filling thereof, to a sealing state in which the internal chamber is sealed from the exterior environment so as to retain the powder held therein.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A capsule for a powder, said capsule having a body which is provided with an internal chamber to hold the powder and first and second openings to an exterior environment, said second opening and said internal chamber having a common major dimension, the body adapted to be displaced from a filling

1. A capsule for a powder, said capsule having a body which is provided with an internal chamber to hold the powder and first and second openings to an exterior environment, said second opening and said internal chamber having a common major dimension, the body adapted to be displaced from a filling state, in which the first and second openings are placed in fluid communication with one another through the internal chamber thereby enabling creation of an airflow through the body from the second opening to the first opening which is able to entrain powder in the exterior environment into the internal chamber for filling thereof with the powder, to a sealing state in which the internal chamber is sealed from the exterior environment so as to retain the powder held therein, in which the body has first and second parts which are moved relative to one another to bring the body to its filling and sealing states, wherein in the sealing state the first part is disposed in a first position relative to the second part in which it sealingly closes the first and second openings, and wherein in the filling state the first part is disposed in a second position relative to the second part in which it opens the first and second openings. 2. The capsule of claim 1 in which the filling and sealing states are, respectively, expanded and contracted states of the body. 3. The capsule of claim 1 wherein in the filling state of the body the first opening is partially obstructed to an extent which permits airflow therethrough, but which becomes occluded with powder entrained in the airflow. 4. The capsule of claim 1 in which the body is assembled in both the filling and sealing states. 5. The capsule of claim 4 wherein in the filling and sealing states the first part is mounted to the second part. 6. The capsule of claim 1, wherein in the filling state of the body, the first opening is partially obstructed to an extent which permits airflow therethrough, but which becomes occluded with powder entrained in the airflow, and in which the first part partially obstructs the first opening in the filling state. 7. The capsule of claim 6 in which the first part is partially plugged in the first opening in the filling state. 8. The capsule of claim 7 in which the first part has a plug section which is located in the first opening in the filling state, the plug section having an outer surface which, in the filling state, is at least in part spaced from an inner surface of the first opening. 9. The capsule of claim 8 in which the outer surface has first and second outer surface portions, wherein in the filling state the first outer surface portion is spaced from the inner surface of the first opening and the second outer surface portion abuts the inner surface of the first opening. 10. The capsule of claim 9 in which the first outer surface portion corresponds to one or more channels in the outer surface of the plug section. 11. The capsule of claim 8 in which the plug section is a first plug section and the first part has a second plug section which sealingly plugs the first opening in the sealing state. 12. The capsule of claim 11 in which the body is moved from the filling state to the sealing state by movement of the first part in a first direction relative to the second part, the first plug section being disposed, in use, on the first part in the first direction relative to the second plug section. 13. The capsule of claim 11 in which the first and second plug sections are contiguously arranged. 14. The capsule of claim 1 in which the first part sealingly plugs the second opening in the sealing state. 15. The capsule of claim 1 in which the first opening is formed in the second part. 16. The capsule of claim 15 in which the second part is a sleeve part with an internal passageway which connects the first and second openings. 17. The capsule of claim 16 in which the first opening is formed by a restriction in the passageway. 18. The capsule of claim 17 in which the restriction is formed by an inwardly directed shoulder in the passageway. 19. The capsule of claim 16 in which the second opening is formed at an end of the internal passageway. 20. The capsule of claim 16 in which the first part is slidably mounted in the passageway and the internal chamber is defined between the inner surface of the passageway and the outer surface of the first part. 21. The capsule of claim 1 in which the second opening is formed in the second part. 22. The capsule of claim 1 in which the first part is mounted in the second part for sliding movement relative thereto. 23. The capsule of claim 1 in which the internal chamber is defined between the first and second parts. 24. The capsule of claim 1 wherein in the filling state the first part extends through the second opening to leave a gap therebetween for ingress of the entrained powder into the internal chamber and wherein in the sealing state the first part is moved into sealing relation in the second opening. 25. The capsule of claim 24 in which the first part has a cap section which, in the filling state, is spaced exteriorly of the second opening, but which in the sealing state is sealingly seated in the second opening. 26. The capsule of claim 25 in which the first part has a plug section which is located in the first opening in the filling state, the plug section having an outer surface which, in the filling state, is at least in part spaced from an inner surface of the first opening, and in which the first part has a shank section connecting the cap section to the plug section. 27. The capsule of claim 1 in which the first and second parts are further movable relative to one another to bring the body from the sealing state to a discharging state in which an airflow is able to be produced through the body from the first opening to the second opening to entrain the powder in the internal chamber into the exterior environment. 28. The capsule of claim 27 in which the first part has a plug section which is located in the first opening in the filling state, the plug section having an outer surface which, in the filling state, is at least in part spaced from an inner surface of the first opening, wherein the first part has a section with a transverse dimension which is less than the corresponding dimension of the plug section, the section being located with respect to the plug section such that in the discharging state it is brought into registration with the first opening. 29. The capsule of claim 1 comprising a pharmaceutical powder in the internal chamber. 30. The capsule of claim 29 having a unit dose of the pharmaceutical powder in the internal chamber. 31. An inhalation device comprising one or more capsules according to claim 30. 32. The capsule of claim 1 in which the internal chamber is the sole internal chamber. 33. The capsule of claim 1 in which the first opening is partially obstructed by a series of longitudinal grooves or flutes sized such that powder particles are occluded therein. 34. The capsule of claim 33 in which the longitudinal grooves or flutes have a depth in the range of substantially 0.005 mm to 0.01 mm. 35. The capsule of claim 34 in which the longitudinal grooves or flutes have a depth of substantially 0.07 mm.