Dry powder inhalers, related blister package indexing and opening mechanisms, and associated methods of dispensing dry powder substances

A dry powder inhaler with a multi-dose dry powder package for dispensing pharmaceutical grade formulations of inhalable dry powder, comprising:

• an inhaler housing;
• a blister package held in the housing, the blister package comprising a plurality of spaced apart sealed blisters thereon, each blister having a projecting ceiling and a floor defining a blister channel therebetween, the blister channel comprising a dry powder therein;
• a blister indexing mechanism in communication with the blister package to position a blister in a dispensing position;
• a movable blade cartridge mounted in the housing configured to hold a blade at a forward portion thereof;
• and
• an extendable mouthpiece attached to the movable blade cartridge, wherein, in operation, a user extends the mouthpiece outward and then retracts the mouthpiece inward to cause the blister package to advance thereby positioning a blister in the dispensing position in the inhaler, the retraction causing the blade cartridge to move the blade lengthwise across a blister ceiling held in the dispensing position in the inhaler to open the blister held in the dispensing position,
• wherein the blisters have a perimeter shape, and wherein the blade is configured with a center aperture with a perimeter shape and size that substantially corresponds to that of a respective blister so that, when the blade and the blister are in a dispensing position, the blade defines a portion of an inspiratory exit flow path for the dry powder in the opened blister.

A dry powder inhaler with a multi-dose dry powder package for dispensing pharmaceutical grade formulations of inhalable dry powder, comprising:

• an inhaler housing;
• a blister package held in the housing, the blister package comprising a plurality of spaced apart sealed blisters thereon, each blister having a projecting ceiling and a floor defining a blister channel therebetween, the blister channel comprising a dry powder therein;
• a blister indexing mechanism in communication with the blister package to position a blister in a dispensing position;
• a movable blade cartridge mounted in the housing configured to hold a blade at a forward portion thereof;
• an extendable mouthpiece attached to the movable blade cartridge, wherein, in operation, a user extends the mouthpiece outward and then retracts the mouthpiece inward to cause the blister package to advance thereby positioning a blister in the dispensing position in the inhaler, the retraction causing the blade cartridge to move the blade lengthwise across a blister ceiling held in the dispensing position in the inhaler to open the blister held in the dispensing position;
• and
• an input signal generating circuit that is adapted to operatively serially engage each of the blisters, the input signal generating circuit configured to provide the electrical input to selectively flex a portion of a blister held in the dispensing location in the inhaler, responsive to the electrical input,
• wherein the inhaler has an elongate body with a thin profile defining a pocket-sized inhaler that fits into the pocket of a garment worn by a user, wherein the floor of each blister comprises at least one thin piezoelectric polymer material layer with conductive selected portions in electrical communication therewith to define active energy releasing vibratory blister channels, and wherein, in operation, the blisters are adapted to be selectively activated to vibrate upon receipt of an electrical input.

A method of dispensing dry powder from an inhaler, comprising:

• extending a mouthpiece of an inhaler outward to automatically index a blister on a blister package into a dispensing position;
• vibrating the indexed blister;
• and
• retracting the mouthpiece inward to open the indexed blister, wherein the retracting step comprises automatically advancing a cutting blade across a portion of a projecting ceiling of the indexed blister in the inhaler responsive to the retraction.

A method of dispensing dry powder from an inhaler, comprising:

• extending a mouthpiece of an inhaler outward to automatically index a blister on a blister package into a dispensing position;
• vibrating the indexed blister;
• retracting the mouthpiece inward to open the indexed blister;
• and
• moving a cutting blade in concert with the mouthpiece to open a projecting ceiling of the indexed blister responsive to the retracting step;
• wherein the extending step comprises rotating a gear attached to the blister package to index the blister in a dispensing position.

A method of dispensing dry powder from an inhaler, comprising:

• extending a mouthpiece of an inhaler outward to automatically index a blister on a blister package into a dispensing position;
• vibrating the indexed blister;
• and
• retracting the mouthpiece inward to open the indexed blister,
• wherein the retracting step comprises automatically advancing a cutting blade across a portion of a projecting ceiling of the indexed blister in the inhaler responsive to the retraction,
• wherein the cutting blade comprises an aperture, and wherein the inhaler comprises a frame member with a gear and the blister package mounted to the frame member, the frame member having apertures that overlie and generally follow the perimeter shape of the blisters so that the blister projecting ceilings rise through respective frame apertures, the method further comprising aligning the cutting blade aperture to a respective one of the frame apertures over the indexed blister.

A method for opening a sealed blister on a blister package, comprising:

• advancing a plow mechanism across a sealed blister to open a projecting ceiling layer thereof to automatically lift and fold a loose edge portion of the opened ceiling layer, wherein the plow mechanism comprises a slicing blade with an aperture therein positioned at a bottom forwardmost portion thereof, and wherein the slicing step is carried out automatically in response to the advancing step;
• slicing the sealed blister open and then using the plow mechanism to lift and fold the loose edge portion;
• and
• maintaining the plow mechanism in an advanced position so that the slicing blade aperture resides over a perimeter of the opened blister and a portion of the plow resides thereabove to define an enclosed portion of an exit airflow path for powder in the opened blister.