Patent ID: 7942147

Claim:
A device for delivering a drug containing aerosol to a patient by inhalation comprising: (a) a housing comprising an inlet, an outlet; (b) an airway extending from the inlet to the outlet; (c) a subassembly in the airway comprising a substrate having a surface; (d) a composition comprising a drug deposited on the substrate surface; and (e) a heater system for heating an area of the substrate surface; (f) wherein upon inhalation by said patient, cooling air enters the device through said inlet and passes through said airway over the surface of the deposited composition; (g) wherein the airway contains a restricted cross-sectional area along the heated area of the substrate surface configured to increase the speed of the cooling air passing over the surface of the deposited composition such that upon heating of the composition to a vaporization temperature to begin vaporization of the composition the resulting composition vapors are removed from the heated area and cooled below the vaporization temperature by the cooling air without significant decomposition of the vaporized composition; and (h) wherein the restricted cross-sectional area is configured to create an increased velocity and mixing region that has an area that is larger than the heated area of the substrate.