Patent ID: 8069851

Claim:
A handheld aerosolization apparatus comprising: a housing having at least two air inlets, the inlets configured and dimensioned to produce a swirling airflow; an endpiece comprising a perforated member and an aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation outlet, the endpiece being connectable to the housing to define a chamber, the chamber being sized to receive a capsule which contains an aerosolizable pharmaceutical formulation, the endpiece further comprising a shield which covers at least one air inlet, wherein the shield comprises at least one covering portion, whereby the covering portion prevents blockage of at least one air inlet by a user grasping the apparatus; and a puncturing mechanism disposed within the housing for creating one or more openings in the capsule, the puncturing mechanism comprising an alignment guide and a puncture member, wherein the alignment guide comprises a surface which advances to contact and align the capsule while the alignment guide and puncture member are advanced into the capsule to create an opening in the capsule, and wherein the surface comprises one or more protrusions for contacting the capsule.