OBJECTIVE: To prepare Dry powder inhaler of curcumin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (Cur-SLN-DPI). METHODS: With the particle size, polydispersity coefficient, encapsulation efficiency and drug deposition rate as the indexes, the Cur-SLN drying methods (spray drying and freeze drying) were screened. Based on the optimized drying method, with the drug deposition rate, emptying rate, the angle of repose, moisture-absorption weight gain rate and content uniformity as the indexes, single factor observation was made on the formulation of Cur-SLN-DPI (lactose-dry powder ratio, the filling amount of each single-dose capsule), and verification tests were carried out. RESULTS: The rates of effective in vitro deposition of Cur-SLN obtained by spray and freeze drying were 29.98% and 15.69% respectively, and the former was better. The optimized single-dose formulation was as follows as lactose-dry powder (1 ∶ 1) mixture of 50 mg, lactose of 10 mg as the third component, in a No.4 capsule. The average values of all indexes of 3 lots of the prepared dry powder were as follows as particle size of 3.35 μm, 4.57% of moisture, content uniformity represented as 3.65, effective in vitro deposition rate of 28.73%, emptying rate of 95.17%, the angle of repose of 24.03 ° and moisture-absorption weight gain rate of 2.2% (RSD lower than 2%, n=3). CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that Cur-SLN should be prepared by spray drying. The Cur-SLN-DPI prepared according to the optimized formulation conforms to quality standards.