Claims for Patent: 8,950,397

Summary for Patent: 8,950,397

Title:	Unit dose cartridge and dry powder inhaler
Abstract:	A dry powder inhaler having improved aerodynamic properties for diluting, dispersing, and metering drug particles for increasing the efficiency of pulmonary drug delivery to a patient is described. The inhaler comprises, in general, a housing having an air intake, an air flow-control/check-valve, a mixing section and a mouthpiece. A cartridge loaded with a single dose of medicament can be installed in the mixing section.
Inventor(s):	Steiner; Solomon S. (Mount Kisco, NY), Poole; Trent A. (South Amherst, MA), Fog; Per B. (Bedford Hills, NY), Pohl; Roderike (Sherman, CT), Crick; Michael (Middlebury, CT), Feldstein; Robert (Yonkers, NY)
Assignee:	MannKind Corporation (Valencia, CA)
Application Number:	13/490,292
Patent Claims:	1. A mouthpiece for a dry power inhaler comprising: a swivel joint attachment to the dry powder inhaler; and a transport conduit with an expansion wall having a divergence angle of less than about 8 degrees configured to create a horizontal discharge path with an aspect ratio of about a 3:1, wherein the dry powder inhaler includes a housing for a medicament cartridge and wherein the mouthpiece rests on top of the medicament cartridge when a user inhales. 2. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the 3:1 aspect ratio mirrors an aspect ratio of a human throat. 3. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the divergence angle is about 3 degrees. 4. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to diverge an air stream of particles to slow down the particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use. 5. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to converge an air stream of particles to collimate the particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use. 6. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to converge an air stream of particles to aim the particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use. 7. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the transport conduit is configured to direct an air stream of particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use to the oropharyngeal cavity of a user. 8. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the swivel joint moves the mouthpiece from a cartridge installation position to an inhalation position. 9. The mouthpiece of claim 8, wherein the cartridge installation position places the mouthpiece perpendicular to the dry powder inhaler. 10. The mouthpiece of claim 8, wherein the inhalation position places the mouthpiece parallel to the dry powder inhaler. 11. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the swivel joint moves the mouthpiece from a cartridge installation position to a storage position. 12. The mouthpiece of claim 11, wherein the storage position places the mouthpiece parallel to the dry powder inhaler. 13. The mouthpiece of claim 10, wherein movement from the cartridge installation position to the inhalation position is configured to open a cartridge for medicament inhalation. 14. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the medicament cartridge includes a drug powder. 15. A mouthpiece for a dry power inhaler comprising: a swivel joint attachment to the dry powder inhaler; and a transport conduit with an expansion wall having a divergence angle of less than about 8 degrees configured to create a horizontal discharge path with an aspect ratio of about a 3:1, wherein the swivel joint moves the mouthpiece from a cartridge installation position to an inhalation position. 16. The mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein the 3:1 aspect ratio mirrors an aspect ratio of a human throat. 17. The mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein the divergence angle is about 3 degrees. 18. The mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to diverge an air stream of particles to slow down the particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use. 19. The mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to converge an air stream of particles to collimate the particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use. 20. The mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to converge an air stream of particles to aim the particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use. 21. The mouthpiece of claim 15 wherein the transport conduit is configured to direct an air stream of particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use to the oropharyngeal cavity of a user. 22. The mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein the dry powder inhaler includes a housing for a medicament cartridge. 23. The mouthpiece of claim 22, wherein the mouthpiece rests on top of the medicament cartridge when a user inhales. 24. The mouthpiece of claim 23, wherein the cartridge installation position places the mouthpiece perpendicular to the dry powder inhaler. 25. The mouthpiece of claim 23, wherein the inhalation position places the mouthpiece parallel to the dry powder inhaler. 26. The mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein the swivel joint moves the mouthpiece from a cartridge installation position to a storage position. 27. The mouthpiece of claim 26, wherein the storage position places the mouthpiece parallel to the dry powder inhaler. 28. The mouthpiece of claim 23, wherein movement from the cartridge installation position to the inhalation position is configured to open a cartridge for medicament inhalation. 29. The mouthpiece of claim 15, wherein the medicament cartridge includes a drug powder. 30. A mouthpiece for a dry power inhaler comprising: a swivel joint attachment to the dry powder inhaler; and a transport conduit with an expansion wall having a divergence angle of less than about 8 degrees configured to create a horizontal discharge path with an aspect ratio of about a 3:1, wherein the swivel joint moves the mouthpiece from a cartridge installation position to a storage position. 31. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the 3:1 aspect ratio mirrors an aspect ratio of a human throat. 32. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the divergence angle is about 3 degrees. 33. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to diverge an air stream of particles to slow down the particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use. 34. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to converge an air stream of particles to collimate the particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use. 35. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the mouthpiece is configured to converge an air stream of particles to aim the particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use. 36. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the transport conduit is configured to direct an air stream of particles when the dry powder inhaler is in use to the oropharyngeal cavity of a user. 37. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the dry powder inhaler includes a housing for a medicament cartridge. 38. The mouthpiece of claim 37, wherein the mouthpiece rests on top of the medicament cartridge when a user inhales. 39. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the swivel joint moves the mouthpiece from a cartridge installation position to an inhalation position. 40. The mouthpiece of claim 39, wherein the cartridge installation position places the mouthpiece perpendicular to the dry powder inhaler. 41. The mouthpiece of claim 39, wherein the inhalation position places the mouthpiece parallel to the dry powder inhaler. 42. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the storage position places the mouthpiece parallel to the dry powder inhaler. 43. The mouthpiece of claim 39, wherein movement from the cartridge installation position to the inhalation position is configured to open a cartridge for medicament inhalation. 44. The mouthpiece of claim 30, wherein the medicament cartridge includes a drug powder.