Patent ID: 8869794

Claim:
An aerosolization apparatus comprising: a housing defining a chamber having one or more air inlets, the chamber being sized to receive a capsule which contains an aerosolizable pharmaceutical formulation; a puncturing mechanism within the housing and comprising a puncture member that may be urged into said capsule, wherein the puncture member comprises a round wire comprising a tip comprising a forward end shaped to form a cutting edge that is effective in cutting the wall of the capsule to create an opening into the capsule, the tip further comprising a trailing end which comprises an angled planar portion that is insertable into the opening created by the cutting edge and having a length sufficient that the rearward end of the angled planar portion of the trailing end remains outside of the capsule, and thereby does not cut a wall thereof when the puncture member is urged fully into said capsule; and an end section associated with the housing, the end section sized and shaped to be received in a user's mouth or nose so that the user may inhale through the end section to inhale aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation that has exited the capsule through the opening created in the capsule.