Patent ID: 6840239

Claim:
A method of de-aggregating and dispersing into air a dose of finely divided medication powder, releasably retained onto a substrate member, the dose intended for inhalation, comprising the steps of providing a nozzle comprising an inlet and an outlet and positioning a nozzle inlet aperture adjacent to or in contact with the substrate member; applying a suction of air to the nozzle outlet, thus creating a local high velocity air stream flowing into the nozzle inlet aperture and out through the outlet; introducing a relative motion between the nozzle and the substrate member and arranging the relative motion such that the nozzle inlet and the local, high velocity air stream going into the nozzle inlet aperture traverses the dose of finely divided medication powder, thereby producing a powder Air-razor effect in releasing and dispersing the powder dose; de-aggregating particle aggregates within the dose of finely divided medication powder by utilizing the shearing stresses and inertia and turbulence of air in the local, high velocity air stream going into the nozzle inlet aperture, whereby the de-aggregated particles of the dose of finely divided medication powder are gradually dispersed into the air as available powder in the dose is gradually accessed by the air stream at a border of a dose area as the nozzle and dose are moved in relation to each other.