Device for dispensing medicaments

Claim 1

An inhalation device for administering to a patient medicaments contained in a capsule, said device comprising a chamber arranged to receive a capsule containing a powdered medicament, at least one air inlet aperture leading into said chamber, a nozzle communicating with said chamber through which air can be inhaled therefrom, a magazine attached to said chamber and slidable and rotatable along and about a longitudinal axis in said chamber and having a longitudinal capsule loading receptacle transversely offset from said axis, said receptacle including means such that a capsule inserted therein will have an end portion projecting from said receptacle into said chamber, a knive coupled to and located in said chamber adjacent said receptacle and having a cutting edge movable across a path intercepting the longitudinal axis of said receptacle whereby rotation of said magazine with respect of said chamber will cause said projecting portion of said capsule located in said receptacle to engage said cutting edge of said knife thereby to sever said projecting portion of said capsule from the remainder of said capsule, and capsule ejecting means mounted on and arranged inside said chamber in a position transversely offset from said longitudinal axis in said chamber and means for rotating and sliding magazine whereby it will enter said capsule loading receptacle when such receptacle has first been registered with said ejecting means by appropriate rotation of the magazine with respect to said chamber and then by sliding said magazine with respect to said chamber thereby to eject the remaining part of said capsule from said loading receptacle into said chamber so that the contents of said capsule may be inhaled through said nozzle, and means for preventing the parts of the severed capsule leaving the chamber when the patient inhales through the nozzle.