NEBULIZER

• US 20130291859A1
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stamford Devices Limited
• Original Assignee: Stamford Devices Limited
• Inventors: Hyland, Kieran, Casey, Michael, Grehan, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 10,029,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/00 Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes in general B05B; aerosol containers B65D83/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 Lighting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/70 with testing or calibration facilities
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/00 Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0646 Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto

Abstract

A nebulizer (1) comprises a controller (2) linked at its output to a vibrating mesh nebulizer head (3), and at its input to a USB cable 5 and plug (4) for connection to a host system. The link between the plug (4) and the controller (2) is a USB cable (5) with power and data channels. The controller (2) comprises a boost circuit (10), a micro-controller (11), and a drive circuit (12). The latter provides power and control signals via a cable (6) and plug (7) to the head (3). These signals provide power and control for a vibrating membrane receiving a liquid to be aerosolised.

The controller (2) has a housing (25) with LED status lamps (30), and an ON/OFF button (32). The controller (2) can be controlled via a host, either locally or remotely.

Claims

1. A nebulizer comprising a nebulizer head for generating an aerosol, a controller for delivering power and control signals to the head, and a standard universal bus for delivering power and control signals to the controller,

wherein the standard universal bus comprises a universal plug and a universal cable extending from said plug to the controller,

wherein the controller is linked by a cable and a plug to the head;

and

wherein the controller comprises a voltage boost circuit linked at its input with the universal bus, a processor, and a drive circuit for delivering power to the nebulizer head under control of the processor.

2. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the universal bus is a USB bus, and wherein total power requirement of the controller and of the nebulizer head falls within the power specification of the standard USB protocol.

3. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the universal bus is a USB bus, and wherein total power requirement of the controller and of the nebulizer head falls within the power specification of the standard USB protocol;

and wherein the controller provides to the nebulizer head no more than 500 mA at nominal 5V.

4. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive circuit is adapted to generate a waveform in the range of 120 kHz and 150 kHz.

5. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1 wherein the boost circuit is adapted to generate a voltage supply for the processor and the drive circuit.

6. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boost circuit is adapted to generate a voltage supply for the processor and the drive circuit;

and wherein the voltage level is 12V.

7. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to upload the following information to a host via the universal bus:

power consumption, and/or

wet/dry state of the nebulizer head, and/or

nebulizer disconnect status, and/or

cable disconnect status, and/or

error or fault states, and/or

nebulization duration and time of nebulization.

8. The nebulizer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to receive the following signals from a host via the universal bus and to use them to generate nebulizer head drive signals:

nebulization start/stop, and/or

nebulization time, and/or

nebulization flow rate, and/or

nebulization pulse rate, and/or

inspiratory/expiratory signal to enable phased nebulization

9. A nebulizer system comprising:

a nebulizer comprising;

a nebulizer head for generating an aerosol, a controller for delivering power and control signals to the head, and a standard universal bus for delivering power and control signals to the controller,

wherein the standard universal bus comprises a universal plug and a universal cable extending from said plug to the controller,

wherein the controller is linked by a cable and a plug to the head; and

wherein the controller comprises a voltage boost circuit linked at its input with the universal bus, a processor, and a drive circuit for delivering power to the nebulizer head under control of the processor; and

a host system adapted to provide control signals to the controller via said bus.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the host system is adapted to provide the control signals according to a patient dosing regime.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the host system includes a component adapted to communicate with a remote server for download of control instructions and/or upload of nebulizer data.

12. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the host system includes a portable device such as a smartphone or tablet computer.