Aeorosolization apparatus with air inlet shield

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.

A handheld aerosolization apparatus comprising:

• a housing defining a chamber having a plurality of air inlets, the chamber being formed by a housing and an endpiece, the housing comprising at least two air inlets, the inlets configured and dimensioned to produce a swirling airflow, the endpiece comprising a perforated member and an aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation outlet, the endpiece and housing being removable connectable;
• a puncturing mechanism disposed within the housing for creating one or more openings in the capsule;
• a shield which covers a portion of but not all of said air inlets;
• and
• an endpiece removably associated with the housing, the endpiece sized and shaped to be received in a user's mouth or nose so that the user may inhale through the endpiece to aerosolize the pharmaceutical formulation and to inhale aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation that has exited the receptacle capsule, wherein the energy for aerosolization is supplied solely by the user.

A method of aerosolizing a pharmaceutical formulation, the method comprising:

• providing a capsule containing an aerosolizable pharmaceutical formulation;
• placing the capsule in a chamber formed by a housing and an endpiece, the housing comprising at least two air inlets, the inlets configured and dimensioned to produce a swirling airflow, the endpiece comprising a perforated member and an aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation outlet, the endpiece and the housing being removably connectable;
• shielding at least one but not all of the air inlets from being blocked by a user grasping the chamber;
• advancing a puncturing means into the chamber and puncturing the capsule therein;
• aerosolizing the pharmaceutical formulation by flowing air through the chamber;
• and
• administering the aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation to the respiratory tract of a user during the user's inhalation.