Patent ID: 6871647

Claim:
An inhaler for delivering metered doses of powdered medicament, the inhaler comprising a plurality of compartments spaced in an array and containing a metered dose of the medicament, a lever to displace the compartments one by one into line with an inhalation aperture of a mouthpiece, wherein the plurality of compartments include inner and outer edges, wherein the plurality of compartments are closed by a sealing layer secured to the compartments, and wherein the inhaler further includes a mechanism adapted to lift first and second spaced portions of the sealing layer off the inner and outer edges of at least one compartment of the plurality of compartments while leaving an intermediate portion of the sealing layer, between the first and second portions, secured to the at least one compartment to open an air passageway defined by the at least one compartment and the intermediate portion of the sealing layer secured to the at least one compartment so that, in use, on inhalation through the mouthpiece, air flows in the air flow passageway in contact with the intermediate portion and picks up and entrains the powder in the at least one compartment to be drawn with the air out of the inhaler through the mouthpiece.