Abstract: An inhaler for inhalation of a medicament from a pierced capsule has a swirling or emptying chamber where the capsule is emptied by inhalation action of an operator. A rotary magazine for a multi-unit does inhaler which holds a number of capsules containing a medicament in a number of recesses arranged around the periphery of the magazine. The capsules are held in place by pins or plugs at both ends. Either the capsules are pierced before being loaded into the magazine or they are pierced by the pins when they are loaded into the magazine. In either case a seal may be provided around the ends of the capsules near the holes which are plugged to keep them fresh. When a recess is rotated to a particular position within the magazine then it releases its capsule. Contents of a capsule are drawn out during inhalation when the capsule is in the swirling chamber. A motor can be used to operate the magazine.

Abstract: An inhaler for inhaling pulverulent medicament from within a capsule comprises a chamber (24) within which the capsule is free to rotate while having its longitudinal axis in the median plane of the chamber and thus generally parallel to the front and rear walls (30) and (31) of the chamber, by virtue of the fact that the spacing between said front and rear walls is less than the axial length of the capsule but just greater than the diameter of the capsule. The device includes pins (21) serving as opening means to pierce the ends of the capsule while it is seated in a recess (25), whereupon the retraction of the pins (21) allows the capsule to be entrained into swirling airflow in the chamber (24) during inhalation of air through air inlets (26) and out through a mouthpiece nozzle (27).

Abstract: The invention provides a sustained release formulation of ketoprofen comprising granules each of which comprises a core comprising ketoprofen and microcrystalline cellulose and a coating comprising a water-soluble and a water-insoluble cellulose derivative.

Abstract: Glass is heated to a temperature above its strain point and is thermally toughened by chilling with a quiescent gas-filuidized particulate material which has gas-generating properties and a mean particle size in the range 30 .mu.m to 120 .mu.m, a particle size distribution in the range 1.15 to 2.78, a flowability in the range 69.5 to 92, and a thermal capacity per unit volume at minimum fluidization in the range 0.7 to 1.59 MJ/m.sup.3 K.The invention is particularly suitable for thermally toughening glass sheets for vehicle windscreens.

Abstract: The thermal treatment of glass is effected by contacting the glass, when it is hot, with a gas-fluidized mixture of particulate materials, at least one of which is selected to have gas-generating properties when heated by the hot glass. The materials are mixed in selected pre-determined proportions which impart to the mixture a thermal capacity and flowability which are such that a required thermal treatment is achieved.The method is particularly suitable for the thermal toughening of glass sheets for vehicle windscreens.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for treating articles with particulate material, for example for thermally toughening glass sheets. The particulate material consists of or contains permanently magnetized particles and is subjected to an electromagnetic field which travels linearly through the treatment space and is effective to sustain a dispersion of the particulate material in the treatment space. The article is contacted with that dispersion.