CN113117193B

CN113117193B - Inhalation device

Info

Publication number: CN113117193B
Application number: CN202110425876.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 任瑞贤
Original assignee: Suzhou Singmed Medical Device Science And Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Suzhou Singmed Medical Device Science And Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2021-04-20
Filing date: 2021-04-20
Publication date: 2024-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 2041-04-20
Also published as: CN113117193A; CN117839005A

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an inhalation device, and relates to the technical field of medical appliances. The inhalation device comprises a housing, a receiving compartment and a spacer. The housing includes a passage for inhalation of the powder. The receiving compartment is disposed within the housing and includes an opening for communicating with the passageway, the opening being maintained in alignment with the passageway. The spacer is configured to be movable relative to the pod between a first position in which the first portion of the spacer is positioned between the opening and the passageway to close the opening of the pod from communication with the passageway and a second position in which the spacer exposes the opening of the pod to communicate the opening with the passageway.

Description

Inhalation device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of medical appliances. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an inhalation device.

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic bronchitis or emphysema with airflow obstruction characteristics, and can further develop into common chronic diseases such as pulmonary heart disease and respiratory failure. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with abnormal inflammatory responses caused by noxious gases and noxious particles, with high disability and mortality rates, and a global incidence of 9% -10% over 40 years of age.

At present, pulmonary inhalation and nasal inhalation are effective therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and have the characteristics of targeting, high efficiency, quick acting, small toxic and side effects and the like. In addition, pulmonary or nasal inhalation is often used in the treatment of respiratory diseases such as influenza, asthma, and the like. In the medical field, inhalation devices for delivering pharmaceutical compounds are commonly used for pulmonary or nasal inhalation administration to a user. Inhalation devices for delivering pharmaceutical compounds contain pharmaceutical compounds, and a user draws the pharmaceutical compound into the airway using an inhalation flow of air to cause the pharmaceutical compound to act on the airway and the lungs.

The existing inhalation device has a simple structure, but the problems of unstable powder delivery amount, easiness in powder residue, poor sealing performance (for example, the powder is easy to be damp in a humid environment), insufficiently humanized design, complex assembly process and the like are generally existed. Wherein, the unstable powder delivery amount and the easy residue of the powder can lead to insufficient administration amount, thereby the powder can not achieve the expected curative effect. In addition, powder residue in the inhalation device may cause pollution to the inhalation device, thereby causing a certain harm to the user.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved inhalation device.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, the present disclosure provides an inhalation device to achieve simple, reliable, safe, stable and effective administration while simplifying manufacturing and assembly processes and reducing manufacturing and assembly costs.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided an inhalation device comprising: a housing including a passage for inhalation of powder; a receiving compartment disposed within the housing and including an opening for communicating with the channel, the opening being maintained in alignment with the channel; and a spacer configured to be movable relative to the containment compartment between a first position in which a first portion of the spacer is located between the opening and the channel to close the opening of the containment compartment from communication with the channel, and a second position in which the spacer exposes the opening of the containment compartment to communicate the opening with the channel.

In the present disclosure, the inhalation device comprises only the housing, the spacer and the accommodation compartment, the opening of the accommodation compartment is always aligned with the passage, and the sealing of the opening and the communication of the opening with the passage can be achieved by simply moving the spacer. This may simplify, on the one hand, the handling of the inhalation device, the manufacturing and assembly process and reduce the manufacturing and assembly costs, and on the other hand, by maintaining the alignment of the opening with the channel, the stability of the position of the containment compartment may be increased in order to facilitate powder delivery, increasing the powder delivery stability, thus achieving a stable, reliable, safe and efficient administration. In addition, the containment compartment is closed by the spacer, which also increases the tightness of the containment compartment, thereby achieving safe and effective administration.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings that are required in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly described below, and it is apparent that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings may be obtained from the structures shown in these drawings without inventive effort to those of ordinary skill in the art.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively illustrate schematic views of an inhalation device in different states according to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

figure 2 shows an exploded view of the inhalation device of figure 1;

figure 3A shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device of figure 1A;

figure 3B shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device of figure 1B;

fig. 4 shows a schematic view of the containment pod of fig. 2;

figure 5A shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the inhalation device of figure 1A;

fig. 5B shows a partial enlarged view of the area a in fig. 5A;

figure 6A shows another longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device in figure 1B;

FIG. 6B shows a partial enlarged view of region B in FIG. 6A;

figure 7 shows a top view of the inhalation device of figure 1A;

FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of the spacer of FIG. 2;

fig. 9 shows a partial enlarged view of the region c in fig. 3A;

fig. 10 shows a schematic view of an inhalation device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

figure 11A shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device of figure 10 with the spacer in the first position;

figure 11B shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device of figure 10 with the spacer extracted;

figure 12 shows an exploded view of the inhalation device of figure 10;

FIG. 13 shows a schematic view of the containment pod of FIG. 12;

figure 14 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the inhalation device of figure 10;

figure 15 shows a top view of the inhalation device of figure 10;

FIG. 16 shows a schematic view of the housing of FIG. 12;

figure 17A shows another longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device of figure 10 with the spacer in the first position;

FIG. 17B shows an enlarged view of region d of FIG. 17A;

figure 18A shows another longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device in figure 10 with the spacer extracted;

fig. 18B shows an enlarged view of the region e in fig. 18A;

FIG. 19 shows a schematic view of the spacer of FIG. 12;

figure 20A shows a further longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device of figure 10;

Fig. 20B shows an enlarged view of a region f in fig. 20A; and

figure 21 shows a schematic view of the inhalation device in figure 10 in another state.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals have been used to designate the same or similar features.

The achievement of the objects, functional features and advantages of the present disclosure will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in conjunction with the embodiments.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without inventive effort, based on the embodiments in this disclosure are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure.

It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, rear, etc.) in the embodiments of the present disclosure are merely used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement conditions, etc. between the components in a particular posture (as shown in the drawings), and if the particular posture is changed, the directional indicators are changed accordingly.

In the present disclosure, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "connected," "fixed," and the like are to be construed broadly and may be, for example, mechanically or electrically connected; either directly or indirectly, through intermediaries, or both, may be in communication with each other or in interaction with each other, unless expressly defined otherwise. The specific meaning of the terms in this disclosure will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art as the case may be.

In this disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing parameters of parts, technical effects, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about" or "approximately". Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that each numerical parameter should be construed in light of the number of significant digits and conventional rounding techniques, or in a manner well understood by those skilled in the art, depending upon the desired properties and effects sought to be obtained by the present disclosure.

In this disclosure, the terminology used in the description of the various examples is for the purpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the elements may be one or more if the number of the elements is not specifically limited. Furthermore, the term "and/or" as used in this disclosure encompasses any and all possible combinations of the listed items.

Currently, inhalation devices available on the market can be divided into three general categories, including reservoir type powder inhalers, multi-dose type powder inhalers, and single-dose type powder inhalers. Wherein the reservoir type powder inhaler comprises a reservoir for storing powder and a quantifiable member that separates a quantity of powder from the reservoir upon each actuation, the powder being inhaled into a user's body through an inhalation channel. Such powder inhalers have disadvantages of unstable powder delivery amount, poor sealing property, easy powder residue, and the like. The multi-dose powder inhaler comprises a plurality of blisters for storing powder and a blister strip in which the blisters are arranged, which pierce one blister at each actuation, the powder in the blister being inhaled into the user's body through an inhalation channel. Such powder inhalers have the disadvantages of poor reproducibility (differences in the delivery of the powder in different blisters to the user), susceptibility to powder residue, etc. The powder of the single dose powder inhaler is stored in individual capsules, and the user needs to put the capsules into the capsule chamber of the powder inhaler at the time of use, and push a button to pierce the capsules so that the powder is inhaled into the user's body through the inhalation channel. Such powder inhalers have disadvantages of poor reliability (e.g., the piercing member may be separated from the button member), difficulty in cleaning, complicated operation, complicated assembly process, high manufacturing cost, high reject ratio, and the like.

In the prior art there is a dry powder inhaler with a powder compartment comprising an inhaler body and a plurality of powder compartments. Wherein the plurality of powder compartments are movable relative to the inhaler body, the plurality of powder compartments being offset relative to the inhalation passage of the inhaler body in an unused state, and in a use state the user can move the plurality of powder compartments such that the opening of one of the powder compartments is in aligned communication with the inhalation passage of the inhaler body to facilitate inhalation of powder within the powder compartment through the inhalation passage. Such dry powder inhalers require manual pushing of the powder compartment by the user to align the opening of the powder compartment with the inhalation passage, i.e. the user has to be presented with a hand to confirm whether the powder compartment is in aligned communication with the inhalation passage, such that the manual alignment does not guarantee the accuracy of the relative positions of the powder compartment and the inhalation passage. If the powder compartment is not effectively aligned with the inhalation channel, the flow resistance inside the dry powder inhaler will be affected when administering the medicament. The flow resistance characterizes the flow of air within the inhalation device, and can affect the dispersion of the powder, the amount of powder inhaled, the residual amount of powder, etc. by the user when inhaling the powder, thereby affecting the stability, safety, and reliability of administration. In the present disclosure, the inhalation device comprises only the housing, the spacer and the accommodation compartment, the opening of the accommodation compartment is always aligned with the passage, and the sealing of the opening and the communication of the opening with the passage can be achieved by simply moving the spacer. In one aspect, this may simplify operation of the inhalation device, simplify manufacturing and assembly processes, and reduce manufacturing and assembly costs. On the other hand, the opening of the accommodating compartment of the inhalation device disclosed herein is always aligned with the channel of the housing, so that a user does not need to move the accommodating compartment to align the accommodating compartment with the channel when in use, thereby overcoming the problems of unstable positions and difficult alignment of the accommodating compartment and the channel in the prior art. That is, the above structure increases the stability of the position of the accommodation chamber, promotes the delivery of the powder, and increases the powder delivery stability, thereby achieving stable, reliable, safe, and effective administration. In addition, the containment compartment is closed by the spacer, which also increases the tightness of the containment compartment, thereby achieving safe and effective administration.

The inhalation device according to the specific embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively illustrate schematic views of an inhalation device 1000 in different states according to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; figure 2 shows an exploded view of the inhalation device 1000 of figure 1; figure 3A shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device 1000 of figure 1A; figure 3B shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device 1000 of figure 1B. As shown in fig. 1A, 1B and 2, the inhalation device 1000 includes a housing 1, a housing compartment 2 and a spacer 3. As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the housing 1 includes a passage 11 for inhalation of powder. The receiving compartment 2 is arranged within the housing 1 and comprises an opening 21 for communication with the channel 11, the opening 21 being kept aligned with the channel 11. The spacer 3 is configured to be movable relative to the accommodation compartment 2 between a first position and a second position. As shown in fig. 3A, in the first position, the first portion 31 of the spacer 3 is located between the opening 21 and the channel 11 to close the opening 21 of the accommodation chamber 2, so that the opening 21 is not in communication with the channel 11. In the second position, as shown in fig. 3B, the spacer 3 exposes the opening 21 of the accommodation chamber 2, bringing the opening 21 into communication with the passage 11. By the above structural features, not only can the manufacturing and assembly process be simplified and the manufacturing and assembly costs reduced, but also simple, reliable, safe, stable and effective administration can be achieved.

When not in use, when the spacer 3 is in the first position, the spacer 3 closes the opening 21 of the containment compartment 2 such that powder in the opening 21 cannot be inhaled through the channel 11. In use, a user may move the spacer 3 in the first position to the second position relative to the receiving chamber 2, exposing the opening 21 of the receiving chamber 2 such that the opening 21 communicates with the channel 11. At this time, the user may apply suction to the mouthpiece 12 of the housing 1 to cause the powder in the accommodation chamber 2 to pass through the passage 11 into the user's body.

Here, it should be noted that although the cross sections of the opening 21 and the passage 11 shown in fig. 2 are both circular, it should be understood that the cross sections of the opening 21 and the passage 11 may also be provided in an elliptical shape, a square shape, or the like, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some examples, when the cross section of the opening 21 is circular, the diameter of the opening 21 may be set to 4mm to 6mm to form a good air flow inside the inhalation device, increasing the dispersibility of the powder upon inhalation, thereby reducing the powder residue and improving the administration effect. In some examples, the cross-section of the opening 21 may have a different shape than the cross-section of the channel 11. Further, while the longitudinal sections of the opening 21 and the passage 11 shown in fig. 2 are both cylindrical, it is to be understood that the longitudinal sections of the opening 21 and the passage 11 may also be trapezoidal, funnel-shaped, etc. that gradually opens toward the mouthpiece 12, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some examples, the shape of the longitudinal sections of the opening 21 and the channel 11 may be the same or different.

Further, it should also be noted that the alignment of the opening 21 of the accommodation compartment 2 with the channel 11 of the housing 1 may be perfect (i.e. the axis of the opening 21 is perfectly aligned with the axis of the channel 11) or offset (i.e. the axis of the opening 21 is aligned slightly offset with the axis of the channel 11).

In the present embodiment, the accommodation compartment 2 is configured to remain fixed relative to the housing 1. As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the compartment 2 remains stationary with respect to the housing 1, whether the spacer 3 is in the first or second position. At this time, the closing of the opening 21 and the communication of the opening 21 with the passage 11 can be achieved by only moving the spacer 3. This not only increases the stability of the receiving compartment 2, but also allows for a more accurate alignment of the opening 21 with the channel 11 to facilitate powder delivery and increase the stability of the powder delivery for reliable, safe, stable and efficient administration.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the accommodation compartment 2 in fig. 2. As shown in fig. 4, in order to increase the tightness between the accommodation compartment 2 and the spacer 3, a first rib 22 surrounding the opening 21 may be provided on the surface of the accommodation compartment 2 facing the spacer 3 for abutment against the surface of the spacer 3. The shape of the first rib 22 may be annular, but may be other shapes, such as a straight shape. By providing the first rib 22, the surface contact of the accommodation compartment 2 with the spacer 3 can be converted into a line contact, which on the one hand can promote the sealing of the spacer 3 in the first position against the opening 21 of the accommodation compartment 2 to avoid wetting of the powder, and on the other hand can increase the closure between the spacer 3 in the second position and the opening 21 to promote inhalation of the powder, to avoid leakage of the powder during inhalation, to promote powder delivery, to increase the stability of powder delivery. In some examples, the first rib 22 may be made of a rigid material. Alternatively, the first rib 22 may also be made of an elastic material (e.g., rubber). Ribs made of an elastic material can increase the tightness and closure between the spacer 3 and the opening 21. Alternatively or additionally, a sealing ring may be provided on at least one of the surface of the opening 21 of the accommodation compartment 2 and the surface of the spacer 3 facing the opening 21, thereby further increasing the tightness and closure between the spacer 3 and the opening 21.

Figure 5A is a transverse cross-sectional view of the inhalation device 1000 of figure 1A; fig. 5B is a partial enlarged view of the area a of fig. 5A. In order to maintain a relative fixation between the receiving compartment 2 and the housing 1, a snap-in structure 4 may be provided between the receiving compartment 2 and the housing 1. As shown in fig. 5A and 5B, the snap-in structure 4 may comprise a first protrusion 17 provided on the inner side of the housing 1 and a protrusion 26 provided on the outer side of the accommodation compartment 2 abutting against the first protrusion 17 to limit the relative movement of the accommodation compartment 2 and the housing 1, thereby avoiding movement of the spacer 3 and influencing the alignment between the opening 21 and the channel 11 in case of accident (e.g. drop, etc.). As shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the snap-in structure 4 may further comprise a second protrusion 27 provided on the outer side of the accommodation compartment 2 for abutment against the inner side of the housing 1 to limit the relative movement of the accommodation compartment 2 and the housing 1.

Referring back to fig. 3A and 3B, the housing 1 may further include a first air inlet 13 for introducing air into the interior of the housing 1, and correspondingly, the accommodating compartment 2 may further include a second air inlet 23 for introducing air into the interior of the accommodating compartment 2, the second air inlet 23 being provided on a side of the accommodating compartment 2 opposite to the opening 21. The first air inlet 13 is kept aligned with the second air inlet 23, thereby facilitating the smooth entry of air into the accommodation compartment 2. When the spacer 3 is in the second position, the first air inlet 13 communicates with the second air inlet 23 to allow the user to create an air flow within the inhalation device 1000 when an inhalation force is applied to the mouthpiece 12, thereby allowing the powder to pass smoothly through the passageway 11 to reach the user's body. The first air inlet 13 may be provided as a larger through hole so as to promote the inflow of air into the interior of the housing 1. The second air inlet 23 may be designed as a very narrow slit to prevent powder leakage during powder filling. In some examples, the length of the second air inlet 23 may be set to 1mm to 3mm, preferably 1.9mm to 2.1mm. Alternatively or additionally, the width of the second air inlet 23 may be set to 0.1mm to 0.8mm, preferably 0.2mm to 0.4mm. By setting the size of the specific second air inlet 23, the amount of air flow entering at the time of inhalation of the powder can be controlled to form a good air flow (i.e., to form a certain flow resistance) inside the inhalation device to increase the dispersibility of the powder, thereby reducing the powder residue and improving the administration effect. The cross section of the second air inlet 23 may be provided in a narrow oval shape (as can be clearly seen from fig. 5A), a circular shape, a square shape, or the like. In some examples, the second air inlet 23 may also be designed in the shape of a funnel that flares towards the interior of the accommodation compartment 2, i.e. the walls of the second air inlet 23 start to be parallel and then flares gradually outwards. In some examples, the opening angle of the walls of the second air intake 23 (i.e., the angle formed between the outwardly-opening walls of the second air intake 23 in the longitudinal section) may be set to 40 ° to 180 °, preferably 55 ° to 65 °. The funnel-shaped second air inlet 23 having a specific opening angle not only can better cause powder to clog the funnel, thereby preventing powder from leaking out of the second air inlet 23, but also helps to control the amount of air flow to form a good air flow inside the inhalation device when inhaling the powder, thereby avoiding bad residues of the powder, and improving the administration effect. Further, although only one second air inlet 23 is shown in fig. 3A, it should be understood that the accommodation compartment 2 may also be provided with a plurality of second air inlets 23 (e.g., 2, 3, 4, etc.). Accordingly, the housing 1 may be provided with one first air intake port 13 corresponding to the plurality of second air intake ports 23, or a plurality of first air intake ports 13 corresponding to the plurality of second air intake ports 23 one by one.

To further facilitate the ventilation of the interior of the inhalation device 1000, at least one through-hole 14 may be provided in the side wall of the channel 11 of the housing 1 (as can be clearly seen in fig. 6A) so that when a user inhales the powder in the containing compartment 2, more air will be replenished into the inhalation airflow through the at least one through-hole 14, thereby facilitating the user's inhalation and facilitating the impact or atomisation of the powder.

Furthermore, the channel 11 of the housing 1 may be provided with a smaller orifice 111 on the side opposite the spacer 3, so as to allow a smaller amount of powder to pass through during inhalation of the powder, thereby promoting impact or atomization of the powder. As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the orifice 111 may be designed in the shape of a funnel that flares towards the channel 11, i.e. the walls of the orifice 111 start to be parallel and then flares gradually outwards. In some examples, the opening angle of the walls of the aperture 111 (i.e., the angle formed between the outwardly opening walls of the aperture 111 in longitudinal section) may be set at 70 ° to 120 °, preferably 85 ° to 95 °. The funnel-shaped orifice 111 having a specific opening angle not only allows a smaller amount of powder to be maintained during inhalation of the powder, thereby promoting impact or atomization of the powder, but also helps to form a certain flow resistance in the inhalation device, increases dispersibility of the powder, thereby reducing powder residue and improving administration effects. Alternatively or additionally, the cross-section of the aperture 111 may be designed as elliptical (as can be clearly seen from fig. 7), circular or square, etc. In some examples, the oval aperture 111 may be provided in a length of 2mm to 4mm, preferably 2.8mm to 3.2mm. Alternatively or additionally, the width of the oblong aperture 111 may be set between 0.1mm and 1.5mm, preferably between 0.5mm and 0.7mm. The slit-shaped orifice 111 allows a smaller amount of powder to pass through during inhalation of the powder, thereby promoting impact or atomization of the powder, and allows a certain flow resistance to be formed in the inhalation device when the powder is inhaled, increasing dispersibility of the powder, thereby reducing powder residue and improving administration effects. Although only one orifice 111 is shown in fig. 3A and 3B, it should be understood that the channel 11 may also be provided with a plurality of orifices 111, e.g. 2, 3, 4, etc.

In some examples, by designing one or more of the above-described dimensions (length, width, opening angle, etc.) of the second air inlet 23 and the orifice 111, it is possible to achieve 22 to 28 liters/min at an inhalation pressure of 2KP (kilopascals), 34 to 40 liters/min at an inhalation pressure of 4KP, and 42 to 48 liters/min at an inhalation pressure of 6KP, so that users having different inhalation forces can inhale the powder inside the inhalation device well, to increase the stability of administration of the inhalation device, and to secure the dispersion of specific powder, thereby securing the effect of administration. Wherein the unit "liter per minute" characterizes the volume of airflow through the inhalation device per minute. Inhalation pressure characterizes the amount of inhalation force of a user when using the inhalation device.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic view of the spacer 3 in fig. 2. The spacer 3 is configured to move relative to the accommodation compartment 2 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the opening 21, so that a user can move the spacer 3. It should be understood here that the spacer 3 may also be configured to be movable obliquely upward or obliquely downward with respect to the accommodation compartment 2. Further, as shown in fig. 8, 3A and 3B, the spacer 3 may include a first portion 31 between the channel 11 and the opening 21. A first through hole 311 is provided in the first portion 31, and when the spacer 3 is in the second position, the first through hole 311 is aligned with the opening 21 and the channel 11. The alignment may be complete or may be offset.

Here, it should be noted that although the cross section of the first through hole 311 shown in fig. 8 is circular, it should be understood that the cross section of the first through hole 311 may also be elliptical, square, etc., and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Further, the size of the first through hole 311 may be the same as the size of the opening 21 of the accommodation chamber 2, may be smaller than the opening 21, or may be larger than the opening 21. By providing a relation between the size of the first through hole 311 and the size of the opening 21, a certain flow resistance can be formed inside the inhalation device. Preferably, the size of the first through hole 311 is greater than or equal to the size of the opening 21. In this way, not only the smooth passage of the powder through the first portion 31 of the spacer 3 can be promoted, but also a good air flow can be formed inside the inhalation device at the time of inhalation, and the dispersibility of the powder at the time of inhalation can be increased, thereby reducing the powder residue and improving the administration effect. In some examples, when the cross-section of the first through hole 311 and the opening 21 is circular, the diameter of the first through hole 311 is greater than or equal to the diameter of the opening 21 near the first through hole 311.

As shown in fig. 8, the spacer 3 may further comprise a second portion 32. The second portion 32 is located between the second air inlet 23 of the accommodation compartment 2 and the first air inlet 13 of the housing 1. As shown in fig. 3A, when the spacer 3 is in the first position, the second portion 32 is located between the first air inlet 13 and the second air inlet 23 and closes the second air inlet 23. As shown in fig. 3B, in the second position of the spacer 3, the second portion 32 exposes the second air inlet 23 so that the second air inlet 23 communicates with the first air inlet 13. A second through hole 321 is provided in the second portion 32, and when the spacer 3 is in the second position, the second through hole 321 is aligned with the first air inlet 13 and the second air inlet 23, so that the first air inlet 13 communicates with the second air inlet 23. The alignment may be complete or may be offset.

By means of the first portion 31 arranged between the channel 11 and the opening 21 and the second portion 32 arranged between the first air inlet 13 and the second air inlet 23, sealing of the opening 21 and communication of the opening 21 is achieved by moving the spacer 3, so that the receiving compartment 2 can be kept stationary relative to the housing 1 in order to increase the stability of the receiving compartment 2.

In some embodiments, the opening 21 of the pod 2 may be sealed by providing the dimensional relationship of the spacer 3, pod 2, and housing 1 such that an interference fit between the housing 1 and the pod 2 and spacer 3 results in the spacer 3 being tightly seated against the pod 2. For example, the sum of the height H1 of the containment compartment 2, the height H2 of the first portion 31 of the spacer 3 and the height H3 of the second portion 32 is greater than or equal to the height H4 (shown in FIG. 3A) of the housing 1 for containing the spacer 3 and the cavity 18 (shown in FIG. 2) of the containment compartment 2, i.e. H2+H2+H2.gtoreq.H2, to achieve an interference fit between the housing 1 and the spacer 3 and the containment compartment 2, thereby better sealing the opening of the containment compartment 2.

The spacer 3 may further comprise a third portion 33 connecting the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 for abutting against the outer surface of the receiving compartment 2 when the spacer 3 is in the second position, thereby ensuring alignment of the first through hole 311 with the opening 21 and the channel 11 and alignment of the second through hole 321 with the first air inlet 13 and the second air inlet 23 in the second position. In addition, the third portion 33 also facilitates the user to press the spacer 3, thereby simplifying the operation of the inhalation device 1000.

In use, a user aligns the first through hole 311 with the opening 21 and the channel 11, and the second through hole 321 with the first air inlet 13 and the second air inlet 23 by pressing the spacer 3 along the movement direction D (as shown in fig. 3A and 3B) of the spacer 3. At this time, the opening 21 communicates with the passage 11, and the first air inlet 13 communicates with the second air inlet 23, so that the user can inhale the powder in the opening 21 of the accommodation chamber 2 into the body through the passage 11 through the mouthpiece 12.

Here, it should be noted that the first through hole 311 and the second through hole 321 shown in fig. 8 are provided near the force application sides of the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 of the spacer 3, respectively. This allows the spacer 3 to be moved from the first position to the second position by pressing, facilitating the application of force to the inhalation device 1000 by the user. It will be appreciated that the first through hole 311 and/or the second through hole 321 may also be located away from the force application side of the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 of the spacer 3 such that a user may move the spacer 3 from the first position to the second position by applying a pulling force.

Here, it should also be noted that the second portion 32 of the spacer 3 may be omitted in some embodiments. At this time, the second air inlet 23 may be closed by the inner side surface of the housing 1. In addition, when the spacer 3 includes the first portion 31 and the second portion 32, the third portion 33 of the spacer 3 may also be omitted. At this time, the opening 21 may be made to communicate with the passage 11 by moving the first portion 31 and the second portion 32, respectively.

Further, it should also be noted that the first through hole 311 of the first portion 31 may be omitted. At this time, the opening 21 of the accommodation chamber 2 may be exposed by pulling out the first portion 31 of the spacer 3. Likewise, the second through hole 321 of the second portion 32 may be omitted, also by pulling out the second portion 32 of the spacer 3 so that the first air inlet 13 communicates with the second air inlet 23.

With continued reference to fig. 8, in order to increase the closure between the channel 11 and the spacer 3, at least one second rib 34 may be provided on the surface of the spacer 3 facing the inner side of the housing 1 for abutment against the inner side of the housing 1. The shape of the second rib 22 may be annular, but may be other shapes, such as linear. The annular second rib 34 may be disposed around the first through hole 311, and the linear second rib 34 may be disposed along the edge of the first portion 31 of the spacer 3. By providing the second ribs 34, the surface contact of the channel 11 with the spacer 3 can be converted into a line contact, and the closure between the spacer 3 in the second position and the channel 11 of the housing 1 can be increased, thereby facilitating the inhalation of the powder and avoiding leakage of the powder during inhalation. In some examples, the second rib 34 may be made of a rigid material. Alternatively, the second rib 34 may also be made of an elastic material (e.g., rubber). Ribs made of an elastic material may increase the closure between the spacer 3 and the channel 11 in the second position. Alternatively or additionally, a sealing ring may be provided on at least one of the surface of the first portion 31 facing the channel 11 and the corresponding inner side of the housing 1, thereby further increasing the closure between the spacer 3 and the channel 11.

Fig. 9 shows a partial enlarged view of the region c in fig. 3A. As shown in fig. 9, 3A and 3B, in order to prevent the spacer 3 from moving in an unexpected situation, thus leading to failure of the device, at least one first recess 35 may be provided on the spacer 3, at least one first protrusion 15 cooperating with the first recess 35 may be provided on the inner side of the housing 1, and the first protrusion 15 may be received in the corresponding first recess 35 when the spacer 3 is in the first position, and the first protrusion 15 may be arranged outside the first recess 35 when the spacer 3 is in the second position. In some examples, when the spacer 3 is in the first position, the first protrusion 15 and the first groove 35 are engaged with each other, at which time the engagement relationship of the first protrusion 15 and the first groove 35 may be set such that there is a gap between the top surface of the first protrusion 15 and the bottom surface of the first groove 35 to reduce the friction between the top surface of the first protrusion 15 and the bottom surface of the first groove 35, thereby reducing the pressing force to the spacer 3 when the inhalation device is actuated. As shown in fig. 3A, when the first grooves 35 are provided on the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 of the spacer 3, respectively, the first protrusions 15 are provided on the inner side surface of the housing 1 opposite to the first portion 31 and the inner side surface opposite to the second portion 32, respectively. At this time, the vertical distance W1 of the top surfaces of the two first protrusions 15 is greater than the vertical distance W2 of the bottom surfaces of the two first grooves 35. Here, it should be noted that although 2 first grooves 35 are shown in fig. 3A to be provided on the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 of the spacer 3, respectively, it should be understood that 1, 3, or 4, etc. first grooves 35 may be provided on the first portion 31 of the spacer 3, or on the second portion 32 of the spacer 3, or on both, respectively, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the first protrusions 15 (e.g., 1, 3, 4, etc.) corresponding to the number of the first grooves 35 may be provided in one-to-one correspondence with the first grooves 35. Furthermore, a plurality of first projections 15 may be provided side by side and received in one of the elongated first grooves 35. Alternatively or additionally, as shown in fig. 2, an elongated first protrusion 15 may also be provided, received in an elongated first recess 35. In addition or alternatively, the first projections 15 can also be provided on the spacer 3, and correspondingly the first recesses 35 can also be provided on the inner side of the housing 1 or on the outer surface of the receiving compartment 2.

When the first groove 35 is disposed near the force application side of the spacer 3, the first side 151 of the first protrusion 15 opposite to the accommodation chamber 2 is disposed perpendicular to the moving direction D of the spacer 3, so that the first protrusion 15 can block the spacer 3 by the straight engagement surface, thereby preventing the spacer 3 from moving toward the non-pressing direction (i.e., the opposite direction of the moving direction D) to cause failure. Accordingly, the second side 152 of the first protrusion 15 opposite to the first side 151 is provided to be inclined toward the moving direction D of the spacer 3, that is, the height of the second side 152 of the first protrusion 15 gradually increases along the moving direction D. Accordingly, the shape of the first recess 35 matches that of the first protrusion 15. This facilitates on the one hand the pressing of the spacer 3 towards the accommodation compartment 2 (i.e. in the direction of movement D) and on the other hand prevents the triggering of the inhalation device 1000 in case of an accident (e.g. in case of a fall, transportation, etc.), resulting in a failure of the inhalation device 1000.

Fig. 10 shows a schematic view of an inhalation device 2000 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; fig. 11A shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device 2000 of fig. 10, wherein the spacer 3a is in the first position; fig. 11B shows a longitudinal section through the inhalation device 2000 of fig. 10, wherein the spacer 3a has been pulled out. As shown in fig. 10 to 12, the inhalation device 2000 comprises a housing 1a, a housing compartment 2a, and a spacer 3a; figure 12 shows an exploded view of the inhalation device 1000 of figure 10. Therein, as in the embodiment of fig. 1A, the housing 1A also comprises a channel 11A for inhalation of powder. The accommodation chamber 2a is provided in the housing 1a and includes an opening 21a for communication with the passage 11a, the opening 21a being maintained in alignment with the passage 11a. The spacer 3a is configured to be movable between a first position and a second position with respect to the accommodation compartment 2 a. As shown in fig. 11A, when the spacer 3a is in the first position, the first portion 31A of the spacer 3a is located between the opening 21A and the passage 11A to close the opening 21A of the accommodation chamber 2a so that the opening 21A is not communicated with the passage 11A. As shown in fig. 11B, in the second position of the spacer 3a, the spacer 3a exposes the opening 21a of the accommodation chamber 2a, causing the opening 21a to communicate with the passage 11a. By the above structural features, not only can the manufacturing and assembly process be simplified and the manufacturing and assembly costs reduced, but also simple, reliable, safe, stable and effective administration can be achieved.

Here, it should be noted that the cross section of the opening 21a of the accommodation compartment 2a may be designed to be circular (as shown in fig. 12). Alternatively, the cross section of the opening 21a may also be provided in an elliptical shape, a square shape, or the like. Further, the longitudinal section of the opening 21A of the accommodation chamber 2a may be designed to be cylindrical (as shown in fig. 11A and 11B), trapezoidal, funnel-shaped, or the like. The longitudinal section of the passage 11a of the housing 1a may be a trapezoid that gradually opens toward the mouthpiece 12 a. Alternatively, the longitudinal section of the channel 11a may be designed as a cylinder, funnel, etc. The cross-section of the channel 11a of the housing 1a may be designed as circular (as shown in fig. 12), oval, square, etc. It should be noted here that the cross-sectional shapes of the passage 11a and the opening 21a may be the same or different. Likewise, the longitudinal cross-sectional shapes of the passage 11a and the opening 21a may be the same or different.

Further, it should also be noted that the alignment of the opening 21a of the accommodation compartment 2a with the passage 11a of the housing 1a may be either perfect alignment (i.e. the axis of the opening 21a is perfectly aligned with the axis of the passage 11 a) or offset alignment (i.e. the axis of the opening 21a is aligned slightly offset with the axis of the passage 11 a).

With continued reference to fig. 11A and 11B, the accommodation compartment 2a further includes a second air inlet 23a for introducing air into the interior of the accommodation compartment 2a, the second air inlet 23a being provided on the opposite side of the accommodation compartment 2a from the opening 21A. The second air inlet 23a may be designed as a very narrow slit to prevent powder leakage during powder filling. The cross section of the second air inlet 23a may be provided in a narrow elliptical shape, a circular shape, a square shape, or the like. As shown in fig. 11A and 11B, the second air inlet 23a may also be designed in a funnel shape that flares toward the inside of the accommodation chamber 2a, i.e., the walls of the second air inlet 23a start to be parallel and then flares gradually outward. The funnel-shaped second air inlet 23a may cause powder to clog the funnel, thereby preventing the powder from leaking out of the second air inlet 23 a. Further, although only one second air inlet 23a is shown in fig. 11A and 11B, it should be understood that the accommodation compartment 2a may also be provided with a plurality of second air inlets 23a (e.g., 2, 3, 4, etc.).

Fig. 13 shows a schematic view of the accommodation compartment 2a in fig. 12. In order to increase the tightness between the accommodation compartment 2a and the spacer 3a, a first rib 22a surrounding the opening 21a may be provided on the surface of the accommodation compartment 2a facing the spacer 3a for abutment against the surface of the spacer 3 a. The shape of the first rib 22a may be annular, but may be other shapes, such as a straight shape. By providing the first rib 22a, the surface contact of the accommodation compartment 2a with the spacer 3a can be converted into a line contact, on the one hand, the sealing of the spacer 3a in the first position against the opening 21a of the accommodation compartment 2a can be facilitated to avoid wetting of the powder, and on the other hand, the sealing between the opening 21a and the channel 11a can be increased to facilitate inhalation of the powder, to avoid leakage of the powder during inhalation, to facilitate powder delivery, to increase the powder delivery stability. In some examples, the first rib 22a may be made of a rigid material. Alternatively, the first rib 22a may also be made of an elastic material (e.g., rubber). Ribs made of an elastic material can increase the tightness between the spacer 3a and the opening 21a in the first position and the tightness between the opening 21a and the channel 11 a. Alternatively or additionally, a sealing ring may be provided on the surface of the accommodation compartment 2a facing the spacer 3a, thereby further increasing the tightness between the spacer 3a and the opening 21a and the tightness between the opening 21a and the channel 11 a.

Figure 14 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the inhalation device 2000 in figure 10. As shown in fig. 14, in order to keep the accommodation chamber 2a and the housing 1a relatively fixed in the radial direction, a snap-in structure 4a may be provided between the accommodation chamber 2a and the housing 1 a. As shown in fig. 14, the snap structure 4a may be at least one pair of projections that abut each other provided on the outer side surface of the accommodation chamber 2a and the inner side surface of the housing 1a, respectively. The third projection 26a on the housing compartment 2a abuts against the fourth projection 17a of the housing 1a along the movement direction E to avoid that the spacer 3a moves the housing compartment 2a during pulling along the movement direction E, thereby affecting the alignment between the opening 21a and the channel 11 a. The third convex portion 26a may be an elongated convex portion extending in the height direction of the accommodation chamber 2a, and the fourth convex portion 17a may be a plurality of shorter convex portions arranged in a straight line (as can be clearly seen from fig. 16 and 20A). Alternatively, the third convex portion 26a may be a plurality of shorter convex portions arranged in a straight line, and the fourth convex portion 17a may be one longer convex portion. And it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Further, a plurality of third protrusions 26a may be provided on opposite outer sides of the accommodation chamber 2a, and correspondingly, a plurality of fourth protrusions 17a corresponding to the plurality of third protrusions 26a may be provided on the inner side of the housing 1 a. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Figure 15 shows a top view of the inhalation device 2000 in figure 10. As shown in fig. 15, the channel 11a of the housing 1a may be provided with a smaller orifice 111a on the side opposite the spacer 3a to allow a smaller amount of powder to pass through during inhalation of the powder, thereby promoting impact or atomization of the powder. The features of the orifice 111a are the same as those of the orifice 111 in the inhalation device of fig. 1 and will not be described again here. Also, in the present embodiment, in order to further promote the ventilation inside the inhalation device 2000, at least one through hole may be provided on the side wall of the enclosure passage 11a of the housing 1a so that when the user inhales the powder in the accommodation chamber 2a, more air will be replenished into the inhalation airflow through the at least one through hole, thereby facilitating the user's inhalation and promoting the impact or atomization of the powder.

Fig. 16 shows a schematic view of the housing 1a in fig. 12; figure 17A shows another longitudinal cross-section of the inhalation device 2000 in figure 10 with the spacer 3a in the first position; FIG. 17B shows an enlarged view of region d of FIG. 17A; fig. 18A shows another longitudinal cross-section of the inhalation device 2000 in fig. 10, wherein the spacer 3a has been pulled out; fig. 18B shows an enlarged view of the region e in fig. 18A. As shown in fig. 16 to 18B, an elastic member 16 (best seen in fig. 16) may also be provided on the inner side surface of the housing 1 a. When the spacer 3a is in the first position, the elastic member 16 is pressed between the accommodation chamber 2a and the housing 1a (as shown in fig. 17A and 17B). At this time, the opening 21a of the accommodation chamber 2a is closed by the spacer 3a, and the second air inlet 23a of the accommodation chamber 2a is closed by the inner side surface of the housing 1 a. When the spacer 23a is in the second position, the resilient member 16 biases the accommodation compartment 2a against the channel 11a (as shown in fig. 18A and 18B). At this time, the accommodation chamber 2a is spaced apart from the elastic member 16 of the housing 1a by a distance to form a side opening for air to enter the interior of the housing 1a, i.e., the first air inlet 13a. Thereby, the communication between the second air inlet 23a and the first air inlet 13a of the accommodation compartment 2a is formed, so that the user can create an air flow in the inhalation device when applying an inhalation force to the mouthpiece 12a, thereby enabling the powder to pass smoothly through the channel 11a to the user's body.

Fig. 19 is a schematic view of the spacer 3a in fig. 12; figure 20A is a further longitudinal cross-sectional view of the inhalation device of figure 10; fig. 20B is an enlarged view of a region f in fig. 20A. As shown in fig. 19 to 20B, the spacer 3a is configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the opening 21a with respect to the accommodation chamber 2a so as to facilitate the movement of the spacer 3a by the user. It should be understood here that the spacer 3a may also be configured to be movable obliquely upward or obliquely downward with respect to the accommodation compartment 2 a. In order to prevent the spacer 3a from moving in the event of an accident, thus leading to failure of the device, at least one second projection 35a (for example, 1, 2, 3, etc.) may be provided on the spacer 3a, at least one second recess 24 is provided on the outer surface of the housing compartment 2a, which cooperates with the second projection 35a, and the second projection 35a is housed in the corresponding second recess 24 when the spacer 3a is in the first position, and the second projection 35a is arranged outside the second recess 24 when the spacer 3a is in the second position. In some examples, the second protrusions 35a corresponding to the number of the second grooves 24 may be provided such that the second protrusions 35a are in one-to-one correspondence with the second grooves 24. In addition, a plurality of second protrusions 35a may be provided side by side and accommodated in one elongated second groove 35 a. Alternatively or additionally, an elongated second projection 35a may also be provided, which is received in the elongated second recess 24. Alternatively or additionally, the second projection 35a may also be provided on the outer surface of the accommodation compartment 2a or the inner surface of the housing 1a, and correspondingly the second recess 24 may also be provided on the surface of the spacer 3a.

When the second groove 24 is arranged near the force application side of the spacer 3a, the third side surface 241 of the second groove 24, which is opposite to the spacer 3a in the first position, is provided to be inclined toward the moving direction E of the spacer 3a, that is, the depth of the third side surface 241 gradually decreases along the moving direction E. Accordingly, the shape of the second protrusion 35a matches the shape of the second groove 24. This facilitates, on the one hand, the extraction of the spacer 3a from the housing compartment 2a (i.e. in the direction of movement E) and, on the other hand, prevents the triggering of the inhalation device 2000 in case of accident (e.g. in case of a fall, transport, etc.), which leads to a failure of the inhalation device 2000. Further, a fourth side surface 242 of the second groove 24, which is opposite to the third side surface 241, is provided perpendicular to the moving aspect E of the spacer 3a, so that the second groove 24 can block the spacer 3a by the straight engagement surface, thereby preventing the spacer 3a from moving in the non-extraction direction (i.e., the non-moving direction Aa) to cause the suction device 2000 to fail.

The spacer 3a may also include a hand-held portion 32a rotatably coupled to the first portion 31a to facilitate movement of the spacer 3a by a user. When the spacer 3a is in the first position, the first portion 31a of the spacer 3a is located between the opening 21a of the accommodation compartment 2a and the channel 11a of the housing 1a, and the hand-held portion 32a is arranged vertically downward, as shown in fig. 21.

Here, it should be noted that the hand-held portion 32a of the spacer 3a may be omitted in some embodiments. At this time, a convex portion for holding may be provided on the urging side of the first portion 31a of the spacer 3 a.

In the normal state, the spacer 3a is in the first position, between the opening 21a of the accommodation chamber 2a and the passage 11a of the housing 1a, to close the opening 21a, and to cause the elastic member 16 to be pressed between the accommodation chamber 2a and the housing 1 a. In use, the user rotates the vertically downward spacer 3a to a horizontal position (as shown in fig. 21), and then pulls the spacer 3a out from between the opening 21a and the channel 11a along the moving direction E. At this time, the elastic member 16 springs up to bias the accommodation chamber 2a against the passage 11a of the housing 1a, so that the opening 21a communicates with the passage 11 a. At this time, the biased accommodation chamber 2a causes the housing 1a to form a side opening (i.e., the first air inlet 13 a) such that the first air inlet 13a communicates with the second air inlet 23a, thereby allowing a user to inhale powder in the opening 21a of the accommodation chamber 2a into the body through the passage 11a through the mouthpiece 12 a.

Here, it should be noted that part of the components and features in the inhalation devices 1000 and 2000 according to the present disclosure may be omitted, or may be replaced or added to each other equivalently. For example, the spacer 3 of the inhalation device 1000 may replace the spacer 3a of the inhalation device 2000; the spring member 16 in the inhalation device 2000 may be attached to the inhalation device 1000; the catch arrangement 4a on the inhalation device 2000 may be replaced with the catch arrangement 4 on the inhalation device 1000, etc. As another example, the shape and size characteristics of the second air inlet 23, the aperture 111, and the opening 21 in the inhalation device 1000 may be affixed to the second air inlet 23a, the aperture 111a, and the opening 21a, respectively, of the inhalation device 2000; the mating relationship of the first protrusion 15 and the first recess 35 in the inhalation device 1000 may be attached to the mating relationship of the second protrusion 35a and the second recess 24.

The foregoing is merely exemplary embodiments or examples of the present disclosure, and the scope of the disclosure is not limited thereto, but is intended to be covered by the following claims in any way, by utilizing the equivalent structural changes made in the description and drawings of the present disclosure, or by directly/indirectly applying the equivalent structural changes to other related technical fields. Various elements of the embodiments or examples may be omitted or replaced with equivalent elements thereof. Furthermore, the steps may be performed in a different order than described in the present disclosure. Further, various elements of the embodiments or examples may be combined in various ways. It is important that as technology evolves, many of the elements described herein may be replaced by equivalent elements that appear after the disclosure.

Claims

1. An inhalation device comprising:

a housing including a passage for inhalation of powder;

a receiving compartment disposed within the housing and including an opening for communicating with the passageway, the opening being maintained in alignment with the passageway and the receiving compartment for placement of a powder; and

a spacer configured to be movable relative to the containment compartment between a first position in which a first portion of the spacer is located between the opening and the channel to close the opening of the containment compartment from communication with the channel, and a second position in which the spacer exposes the opening of the containment compartment to communicate the opening with the channel,

Wherein the housing further comprises a first air inlet for introducing air into the housing interior, the accommodation compartment further comprises a second air inlet for introducing air into the accommodation compartment interior, and the second air inlet is closed when the spacer is in the first position, and the first air inlet communicates with the second air inlet when the spacer is in the second position.

2. The inhalation device of claim 1, wherein a first through hole is provided in the first portion and is aligned with the opening and the channel when the spacer is in the second position.

3. The inhalation device according to claim 2, wherein a first rib surrounding the first through hole is provided on a surface of the first portion facing the channel for abutment against an inner side face of the housing.

4. The inhalation device of claim 1, wherein the spacer is configured to move relative to the housing in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the opening.

5. The inhalation device of claim 1, wherein the second air inlet is disposed on a side of the containment compartment opposite the opening, and the first air inlet is maintained in alignment with the second air inlet.

6. The inhalation device of claim 5, wherein the spacer further comprises a second portion, in the first position, located between and closing the first air inlet and in the second position, exposing the second air inlet, placing the second air inlet in communication with the first air inlet.

7. The inhalation device of claim 6, wherein the spacer further comprises a third portion connecting the first portion and the second portion for abutting against an outer surface of the containment compartment in the second position.

8. The inhalation device of claim 6, wherein a second through hole is provided in the second portion and is aligned with the first air inlet and the second air inlet when the spacer is in the second position.

9. The inhalation device of claim 6, wherein the containment compartment remains stationary relative to the housing.

10. The inhalation device of claim 1, wherein the spacer further comprises a hand piece rotatably connected to the first portion.

11. The inhalation device of claim 10, wherein a resilient member is provided on an inner side of the housing and is compressed between the compartment and the housing when the spacer is in the first position, the resilient member biasing the compartment against the channel when the spacer is in the second position.

12. The inhalation device of claim 11, wherein an inner side of the housing closes the second air inlet when the spacer is in the first position.

13. An inhalation device according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein at least one first recess is provided on the spacer, at least one first projection is provided on the inner side of the housing which cooperates with the first recess, and the first projection is received within the respective first recess when the spacer is in the first position, and the first projection is disposed outside the first recess when the spacer is in the second position.

14. The inhalation device according to claim 13, wherein a first side face of the first protrusion opposite to the accommodation compartment is provided perpendicularly to a moving direction of the spacer, and a second side face of the first protrusion opposite to the first side face is provided inclined toward the moving direction of the spacer.

15. An inhalation device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein at least one second projection is provided on the spacer and at least one second recess is provided on the outer surface of the compartment which cooperates with the second projection, and wherein the second projection is received within the corresponding second recess when the spacer is in the first position and is disposed outside the second recess when the spacer is in the second position.

16. The inhalation device of claim 15, wherein a third side of the second groove opposite the spacer is disposed to be inclined toward a moving direction of the spacer when the spacer is in the second position, and a fourth side of the second groove opposite the third side is disposed to be perpendicular to the moving direction of the spacer.

17. An inhalation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a second rib surrounding the opening is provided on a surface of the accommodation compartment facing the spacer for abutment against the surface of the spacer.

18. The inhalation device of any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the containment compartment is connected to the housing by a snap-fit arrangement.

19. The inhalation device of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein at an inhalation pressure of 2 kilopascals, the airflow rate within the inhalation device is from 22 to 28 liters per minute, at an inhalation pressure of 4 kilopascals, the airflow rate is from 34 to 40 liters per minute, and at an inhalation pressure of 6 kilopascals, the airflow rate is from 42 to 48 liters per minute.

20. The inhalation device of claim 2, wherein the first through-hole has a size greater than or equal to the size of the opening.

21. The inhalation device according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the sum of the height of the accommodation compartment, the height of the first portion and the height of the second portion is greater than or equal to the height of the housing cavity for accommodating the spacer and the accommodation compartment.

22. The inhalation device of claim 13, wherein a gap exists between a top surface of the first protrusion and a bottom surface of the first recess when the spacer is in the first position.

23. The inhalation device of claim 15, wherein a gap exists between a top surface of the second protrusion and a bottom surface of the second recess when the spacer is in the first position.