Patent ID: 7987845

Claim:
A dry powder inhaler, comprising: a first generally planar spiral travel path in an inhaler body, wherein the first spiral travel path has a plurality of adjacent curvilinear channels forming lanes with respective laterally spaced apart upstanding sidewalls, including an inner lane and an outer lane; and a plurality of discrete microcartridges with substantially rigid bodies disposed in the first travel path, the microcartridges each having a bottom, a top and an outer wall extending therebetween enclosing a sealed cavity, each cavity comprising a pre-metered amount of dry powder, the microcartridges being configured to slidably advance along the first travel path toward an inhalation chamber that merges into an inhalation output port, wherein, in operation, at least one microcartridge is held in the inhalation chamber to release the dry powder therein during inhalation, wherein the microcartridges are oriented in the channels so that their outer walls reside proximate respective laterally spaced apart channel sidewalls and the bottom faces a floor of the channel, and wherein outer walls of neighboring microcartridge bodies are in abutting contact as they slidably advance to the inhalation chamber.