1. An aerosolization apparatus comprising:
a body defining an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and an aerosolization chamber between the inlet opening and the outlet opening,
wherein the aerosolization chamber is adapted to receive an elongated receptacle containing a pharmaceutical formulation and wherein the elongated receptacle rotates end-over-end about an axis substantially orthogonal to an axis passing through the outlet opening when air or gas flows through the body.
2. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an opening mechanism for creating an opening in the receptacle.
3. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the opening mechanism comprises a sharpened tip moveable within the aerosolization chamber.
4. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising the receptacle.
5. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the receptacle comprises a capsule.
6. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the capsule comprises a wall comprising one or more of gelatin, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyethyleneglycol-compound hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxyproplycellulose, and agar.
7. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the receptacle contains a powder pharmaceutical formulation.
8. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the powder pharmaceutical formulation comprises particles having a mass median diameter less than 10 \u03bcm.
9. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the powder pharmaceutical formulation has a moisture content below 5% by weight.
10. An aerosolization apparatus for delivering an aerosolized pharmaceutical formulation to a user’s respiratory tract, the apparatus comprising:
a body defining an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and an aerosolization chamber between the inlet opening and the outlet opening,
wherein the aerosolization chamber is adapted to receive an elongated receptacle containing a pharmaceutical formulation and wherein the elongated receptacle rotates end-over-end about an axis substantially orthogonal to an axis parallel to an inhalation direction when the user inhales to cause air or gas to pass through the body.
11. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the inhalation direction is a direction coincident with an axis passing through a mouthpiece of the apparatus.
12. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising an opening mechanism for creating an opening in the receptacle.
13. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the opening mechanism comprises a sharpened tip moveable within the aerosolization chamber.
14. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising the receptacle.
15. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the receptacle comprises a capsule.
16. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the capsule comprises a wall comprising one or more of gelatin, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyethyleneglycol-compounded hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxyproplycellulose, and agar.
17. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the receptacle contains a powder pharmaceutical formulation.
18. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the powder pharmaceutical formulation comprises particles having a mass median diameter less than 10 \u03bcm.
19. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the powder pharmaceutical formulation has a moisture content below 5% by weight.
20. An aerosolization apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the inlet opening is shaped to cause a swirling air or gas flow through the chamber.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A continuous casting method comprising continuously casting steel in a mold at a casting speed of at least 2.5 mmin and at most 10 mmin to form a slab while oscillating the mold so as to satisfy the relationship
450(SfVc)1000
wherein S is the stroke of mold oscillation in mm (4 mmS15 mm), f is the frequency of mold oscillation in cycles per minute, and Vc is the casting speed in mmin.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mold has a cavity with a thickness of 50-120 mm.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mold has a cavity with a thickness of 70-110 mm.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 including hot rolling the slab after casting to form thin steel sheet without allowing the slab to cool to below its Ac3 point between casting and hot rolling.
5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the casting speed Vc is less than 8.0 mmin.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the following relationship is satisfied.
500(SVc)900