NEBULIZER HAVING A HIGH EFFICIENCY IMPACTOR

• US 20090272376A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stevens Medical, LLC
• Original Assignee: Stevens Medical, LLC
• Inventors: O'Mara, Kerry D., Mahoney, Derek J., Muttathil, George V., Stevens, Albert F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,992,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.180
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/002 by flow deviation causing inertial separation of transported particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/02 operated by air or other gas pressure applied to the liquid or other product to be sprayed or atomised sprayers for horticulture A01G, A01H; killing insects A01M; air humidifying by nozzles F24F6/14, F24F6/18; cooling by spraying F28B, F28C
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/262 with fixed deflectors
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0012 Apparatus for achieving spraying before discharge from the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/065 an inner gas outlet being surrounded by an annular adjacent liquid outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0869 the liquid or other fluent material being sucked or aspirated from an outlet orifice by another fluid, e.g. a gas, coming from another outlet orifice

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a nebulizer, and more particularly but not exclusively to a compact nebulizer that may include an angled impactor and/or siphon tube integrated into the impactor to increase the nebulizer efficiency.

Claims

1. A nebulizer for delivering a mist of liquid, comprising:

a housing;

a reservoir disposed internally to the housing for containing a liquid to be nebulized by the nebulizer;

a nebulizer tube having;

a gas channel, the channel including a first end for receiving compressed gas and a second end for expelling compressed gas, the gas channel extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end of the nebulizer tube, and

a liquid feed channel having a first end in fluid communication with the reservoir for receiving the liquid from the reservoir and having a second end disposed proximate the second gas channel end; and

an impactor disposed proximate the second end of the nebulizer tube, the impactor having an impaction surface disposed at an inclined, non-orthogonal angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the nebulizer tube,

whereby expulsion of compressed gas from the second end of the gas channel onto the impactor creates a siphon in the liquid feed channel to draw liquid into the feed channel and to expel the liquid and compressed gas from the second end of the nebulizer tube to nebulize the expelled liquid when the expelled liquid strikes the impactor.

2. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impaction surface is disposed at an angle to direct airflow in a downward direction towards the reservoir.

3. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impaction surface is disposed at an angle of approximately 81 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the nebulizer tube.

4. The nebulizer according to claim 1, comprising a tortuous passageway disposed within the housing between the second end of the gas channel and an exit port of the nebulizer for directing the flow of nebulized mist therethrough to the exit port.

5. The nebulizer according to claim 4, wherein the tortuous passageway is configured to remove nebulized particles larger than a selected therapeutic size from the flow of nebulized mist.

6. The nebulizer according to claim 4, wherein the tortuous passageway comprises a first section for directing the flow of nebulized liquid away from the second end of the gas channel and back towards the inlet port of the housing.

7. The nebulizer according to claim 6, wherein the tortuous passageway comprises a second section for directing the flow of nebulized liquid to the exit port of the nebulizer.

8. The nebulizer according to claim 4, wherein the tortuous passageway comprises a first section for directing the flow of nebulized liquid downward away from the second end of the gas channel towards the reservoir.

9. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impactor has a roughened impaction surface.

10. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an upper portion that includes a hinged lid disposed above the reservoir that may be opened to provide access to the reservoir.

11. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impactor is monolithic to the lid.

12. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the second end of the liquid feed channel comprises an annular passageway disposed about the second gas channel end, whereby the expulsion of gas from the second end of the gas channel onto the impactor creates a siphon in the liquid feed channel to draw liquid into the feed channel and to expel the liquid from the second end of the feed channel.

13. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the gas channel tapers in diameter from a relatively larger diameter at the first end of the gas channel to a relatively smaller diameter proximate the second gas channel end.

14. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the nebulizer tube is a monolithic part of the housing.

15. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impactor comprises a mesa.

16. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impactor comprises a mesa with an annular channel disposed in the mesa.

17. The nebulizer according to claim 16, wherein the annular channel is dimensioned to provide a fundamental resonant frequency tuned to generate particles of a preferred size.

18. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impactor comprises a concave curved surface.

19. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impactor comprises a cusped shaped.

20. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impactor is disposed sufficiently close to the second end of the gas channel to assist in siphoning the liquid into the feed channel.

21. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the impactor is disposed sufficiently close to the second end of the gas channel to assist in nebulizing the liquid expelled from the second end of the gas channel.

22. The nebulizer according to claim 21, wherein the impactor is disposed 15 to 30 thousandths of an inch away from the second end of the gas channel.

23. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a flow directing wall oriented in the housing to direct nebulized liquid towards an exit port of the nebulizer.

24. The nebulizer according to claim 23, wherein the flow directing wall includes a tapered portion pointing in a downstream direction towards the exit port of the nebulizer.

25. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the nebulizer tube comprises an air baffle disposed between the first and second ends of the liquid feed channel to deter liquid being blown away from the first end of the liquid feed channel by the air flow from the second end of the gas channel.

26. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises a sloping wall to direct the liquid towards the first end of the liquid feed channel to enhance full consumption of the liquid.

27. The nebulizer according to claim 26, wherein the reservoir is substantially V-shaped.

28. The nebulizer according to claim 26, wherein the sloping wall is oriented so that liquid is collected at the location of the first end of the liquid feed channel even when the nebulizer is tilted at a significant angle.

29. The nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises a sidewall having grooves oriented in a direction down the sidewall to direct liquid down the sidewall to the first end of the liquid feed channel.

30. The nebulizer according to claim 1, comprising a gap between the first end of the liquid feed channel and a bottom surface of the reservoir that is sufficiently small to cause liquid to wick into the gap.

31. The nebulizer according to claim 30, wherein the gap that becomes smaller as it approaches the first end of the feed channel to encourage the liquid to flow in the direction of the first end of the feed channel.

32. The nebulizer according to claim 1, comprising an overflow wall disposed between the reservoir and an exit port of the nebulizer to deter liquid spillage through the exit port when the nebulizer is tilted downward towards the exit port.

33. A nebulizer for delivering a mist of liquid, comprising:

a housing;

a reservoir disposed internally to the housing for containing a liquid to be nebulized by the nebulizer;

a gas channel disposed within the housing, the channel including a first end for receiving compressed gas and a second end for expelling compressed gas; and

an impactor disposed proximate the second end of the gas channel, the impactor including a liquid feed channel having a first end in fluid communication with the reservoir for receiving the liquid from the reservoir and having a second end disposed proximate the second gas channel end,

whereby expulsion of compressed gas from the second end of the gas channel onto the impactor creates a siphon in the liquid feed channel to draw liquid into the feed channel and to expel the liquid from the second end of the liquid feed channel to nebulize the expelled liquid.

34. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the impactor has an impaction surface disposed at an inclined, non-orthogonal angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the gas channel.

35. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the impaction surface is disposed at an angle to direct airflow in a downward direction towards the reservoir.

36. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the impaction surface is disposed at an angle of approximately 81 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the gas channel.

37. The nebulizer according to claim 33, comprising a tortuous passageway disposed within the housing between the second end of the gas channel and an exit port of the nebulizer for directing the flow of nebulized mist therethrough to the exit port.

38. The nebulizer according to claim 37, wherein the tortuous passageway is configured to remove nebulized particles larger than a selected therapeutic size from the flow of nebulized mist.

39. The nebulizer according to claim 37, wherein the tortuous passageway comprises a first section for directing the flow of nebulized liquid away from the second end of the gas channel and back towards the inlet port of the housing.

40. The nebulizer according to claim 39, wherein the tortuous passageway comprises a second section for directing the flow of nebulized liquid to the exit port of the nebulizer.

41. The nebulizer according to claim 37, wherein the tortuous passageway comprises a first section for directing the flow of nebulized liquid downward away from the second end of the gas channel towards the reservoir.

42. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the impactor has a roughened impaction surface.

43. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the housing comprises an upper portion that includes a hinged lid disposed above the reservoir that may be opened to provide access to the reservoir.

44. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the second end of the liquid feed channel comprises an annular passageway, whereby the expulsion of gas from the second end of the gas channel onto the impactor creates a siphon in the liquid feed channel to draw liquid into the feed channel and to expel the liquid from the second end of the feed channel.

45. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the gas channel tapers in diameter from a relatively larger diameter at the first end of the gas channel to a relatively smaller diameter proximate the second gas channel end.

46. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the gas channel is a monolithic part of the housing.

47. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the impactor comprises a concave curved surface.

48. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the impactor comprises a cusped shaped.

49. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the impactor is disposed sufficiently close to the second end of the gas channel to assist in siphoning the liquid into the feed channel.

50. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the impactor is disposed sufficiently close to the second end of the gas channel to assist in nebulizing the liquid expelled from the second end of the gas channel.

51. The nebulizer according to claim 50, wherein the impactor is disposed 15 to 30 thousandths of an inch away from the second end of the gas channel.

52. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the housing comprises a flow directing wall oriented in the housing to direct nebulized liquid towards an exit port of the nebulizer.

53. The nebulizer according to claim 52, wherein the flow directing wall includes a tapered portion pointing in a downstream direction towards the exit port of the nebulizer.

54. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the impactor comprises an air baffle disposed between the first and second ends of the liquid feed channel to deter liquid being blown away from the first end of the liquid feed channel by the air flow from the second end of the gas channel.

55. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the reservoir comprises a sloping wall to direct the liquid towards the first end of the liquid feed channel to enhance full consumption of the liquid.

56. The nebulizer according to claim 55, wherein the reservoir is substantially V-shaped.

57. The nebulizer according to claim 55, wherein the sloping wall is oriented so that liquid is collected at the location of the first end of the liquid feed channel even when the nebulizer is tilted at a significant angle.

58. The nebulizer according to claim 33, wherein the reservoir comprises a sidewall having grooves oriented in a direction down the sidewall to direct liquid down the sidewall to the first end of the liquid feed channel.

59. The nebulizer according to claim 33, comprising a gap between the first end of the liquid feed channel and a bottom surface of the reservoir that is sufficiently small to cause liquid to wick into the gap.

60. The nebulizer according to claim 59, wherein the gap that becomes smaller as it approaches the first end of the feed channel to encourage the liquid to flow in the direction of the first end of the feed channel.

61. The nebulizer according to claim 33, comprising an overflow wall disposed between the reservoir and an exit port of the nebulizer to deter liquid spillage through the exit port when the nebulizer is tilted downward towards the exit port.