Abstract: A dry powder inhaler which contains a blister pack, such as a blister strip, is provided. The blister pack has a plurality of blisters, and a blister, or group of blisters, provides a dose of powdered medicament for inhalation. The blister pack has non-numerical indicia which encode an individual, unique number that is associated with each dose. The inhaler is adapted for mounting a monitor. The monitor comprises one or more sensors, such as optical sensors, for reading the non-numerical indicia on the blister pack.

Abstract: A dry powder inhaler is provided. The inhaler is adapted for detachably mounting a compliance monitor having a pressure sensor. The inhaler has a housing comprising first and second shell parts, and a mouthpiece which defines an inhalation passage. An external surface of the housing has an orifice. A conduit from the orifice to the inhalation passage is formed by a channel in one of the shell parts and a corresponding channel cover in the other shell part. When the compliance monitor is mounted on the housing, the pressure sensor is adjacent to the orifice and is in fluid communication with the inhalation passage via the conduit.

Abstract: A dry powder inhaler and an adherence and/or compliance monitor for use with the inhaler are provided. The inhaler has a cover which is pivotable relative to its housing in order to expose a mouthpiece. The monitor has one or more sensors. The inhaler and the monitor have formations for mounting the monitor onto the inhaler. The inhaler and monitor are designed so that when the monitor is mounted onto the housing of the inhaler and the cover is opened, the cover at least partially covers and protects the monitor.

Abstract: There is provided an inhaler device comprising a housing, a mouthpiece, a seat for receiving a unit dose blister and a punch for piercing a lid of the unit dose blister. The housing comprises a base and a lid pivotally joined by a hinge, such that the lid is pivotable from a first ‘closed’ position in which it abuts the base to define a cavity, to a second ‘open’ position in which the cavity can be accessed. The seat and the punch are adapted to lie within the cavity when the lid is in the first ‘closed’ position and moving the lid from the ‘open’ position to the ‘closed’ position causes the punch to pierce a lid of a unit dose blister received in the seat. Only the lid of the unit dose blister is pierced.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus for storing a plurality of sheets is disclosed having a storage chamber having a first transverse dimension, a platform located within the storage chamber for storing a plurality of sheets in a substantially vertical stack thereon, a feeder for feeding a top sheet from the stack, and means for moving the platform upwards to hold the stack in operative contact with the feeder, wherein the platform comprises a support portion having a second transverse dimension which is less than the first transverse dimension, for allowing sheets stacked on the platform to droop below the support portion in at least one overhanging region.