Bead-containing dry powder inhaler

1. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:

an inlet channel through which air enters the inhaler;

a chamber that receives air from the inlet channel, wherein the chamber has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the inlet channel is generally co-axial with the longitudinal axis;

a single bead-like actuator disposed within the chamber, wherein the bead-like actuator has an outer surface to which a medicament is adhered; and

an outlet channel through which air and the powdered medicament leave the inhaler to be delivered to a patient, wherein the outlet channel is generally co-axial with the longitudinal axis of the chamber;

wherein the geometry of the inhaler is such that a flow profile is generated within the chamber that causes the bead-like actuator to oscillate generally co-axial with the longitudinal axis, thus detaching the medicament from the outer surface of the bead-like actuator to be entrained by the air and delivered to the patient through the outlet channel.

2. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the bead-like actuator comprises expanded polystyrene.

3. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the bead-like actuator comprises polyolefin.

4. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the bead-like actuator has a density between 0.001 and 5.0 g/cm3.

5. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the bead-like actuator has a diameter of at least 500 microns.

6. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the bead-like actuator has a diameter between about 1,000 and 25,000 microns.

7. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1 , wherein a combination of medicaments is adhered to the bead-like actuator.

8. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of chambers disposed on a rotary element for selectively aligning any of the chambers with the outlet channel.

9. The dry powder inhaler of claim 1 , wherein the inhaler includes multiple chambers, and wherein each chamber includes a bead-like actuator with a medicament.

10. The dry powder inhaler of claim 9 , wherein a bead-like actuator in a first chamber has a medicament on it that is different from a medicament on a bead-like actuator in a second chamber.

11. The dry powder inhaler of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the bead-like actuators includes multiple medicaments thereon.

12. A method, comprising:

obtaining a dry power inhaler that includes an inlet channel, a chamber, and an outlet channel, the chamber holding a single bead-like actuator, wherein one or more powdered medicaments are adhered to an outside surface of the bead-like actuator; and

inhaling through the outlet channel, causing air to flow into the inlet channel, through the chamber, and through the outlet chamber, the flowing air also causing the bead-like actuator to oscillate generally along a longitudinal axis extending between the inlet channel and the outlet channel to dislodge powdered medicament from the surface of the bead-like actuator to be entrained in the flowing air and carried through the outlet channel.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

separating or opening portions of the inhaler comprising the chamber and the outlet channel;

loading the bead-like actuator into the chamber; and

re-engaging or closing the two portions of the inhaler.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein a combination of powdered medicaments is adhered to the bead-like actuator.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the dry powder inhaler includes at least two chambers holding at least one bead-like actuator in each chamber, wherein the bead-like actuators each have medicament adhered to them, and wherein the flowing air causes each bead-like actuator to oscillate to dislodge powdered medicament to be inhaled.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the bead-like actuators each have the same powdered medicament adhered thereto.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the bead-like actuator in each chamber have a powdered medicament adhered thereto that are different from each other.

18. A dry powder inhaler, comprising:

an inlet channel through which air enters the inhaler;

a chamber that receives air from the inlet channel, wherein the chamber has a longitudinal axis;

a single bead-like actuator disposed within the chamber, wherein the bead-like actuator has an outer surface to which at least one medicament is adhered; and

an outlet channel through which air and the powdered medicament leave the inhaler to be delivered to a patient, wherein the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber are aligned with the longitudinal axis;

wherein the geometry of the inlet and the chamber, and the mass of the bead-like actuator, are configured such that the bead-like actuator oscillates at a desired frequency and amplitude within the chamber when fluid flows through the chamber in order to detach the medicament from the outer surface of the bead-like actuator to be delivered to the patient through the outlet channel.