Patent ID: 6748947
Filing Date: 2004-06-15
Classification: A61M,G06M

Abstract:
A de-agglomerator for use with a breath-actuated dry powder inhaler including a dry powder delivery passageway and a dry powder reservoir for exposing a predetermined amount of dry powder to the dry powder delivery passageway, the de-agglomerator comprising:an inner wall defining a swirl chamber extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end; a dry powder supply port in the first end of the swirl chamber for providing fluid communication between a dry powder delivery passageway of an inhaler and the first end of the swirl chamber; at least one inlet port in the inner wall of the swirl chamber adjacent to the first end of the swirl chamber providing fluid communication between a region exterior to the de-agglomerator and the first end of the swirl chamber, wherein the at least one inlet port extends in a direction substantially transverse to the axis, an outlet port providing fluid communication between the second end of the swirl chamber and a region exterior to the de-agglomerator; and vanes non-rotationally fixedly attached to at the first end of the swirl chamber extending at least in part radially outwardly from the axis of the chamber, each of the vanes having an oblique surface facing at least in part in a direction transverse to the axis; whereby a breath induced low pressure at the outlet port causes air flows into the swirl chamber through the dry powder supply port and the inlet port.