Patent ID: 8464712

Claim:
A medication inhaler comprising: an inhaler body having a medication container chamber for receiving a medication container therein, and at least one air passage connecting the medication container chamber with exterior air, and a mouthpiece axially movable relative to the inhaler body and having a mouthpiece chamber for forming a passage between a patient's respiratory system and a hollow medication delivery needle, the hollow medication delivery needle communicating with the mouthpiece chamber and extending toward the medication container chamber and having at least one air/medication port for passing the exterior air and medication from an interior cavity of the medication container through the needle and to the mouthpiece chamber when the medication container is contained within the medication container chamber, wherein the mouthpiece engages with the inhaler body in a first position in which the needle extends into the medication container chamber short of the medication container, when the medication container is contained within the medication container chamber, in a second position in which the needle axially traverses the medication container so that the at least one air/medication port in the needle communicates with the at least one air passage and the interior cavity of the medication container in the medication container chamber; and the needle includes a hollow tubular body terminating in a puncture point formed by a solid tip leading end of the needle, and when the mouthpiece and the inhaler body are moved from the first position to the second position, the puncture point establishes an initial opening through a wall of the medication container such that material of the opening remains as a flap attached to a wall of the medication container, and the at least one air/medication port is located along the tubular body spaced apart from the solid tip and located in a side wall of the needle so that when the mouthpiece and the inhaler body are moved from the first position to the second position, the at least one air/medication port in the tubular body communicates with both the at least one air passage and the interior cavity of the medication container, the at least one air/medication port is located along the needle such that when the mouthpiece and the inhaler body are in the second position, a first portion of a length of the air/medication ports is located within the medication container and a second portion of the length of the air/medication ports is located outside of the medication container and communicates with the air passage connecting the medication container chamber with the exterior air; and the first portion of the length of the air/medication ports is greater than the second portion of the length of the air/medication ports.