AEROSOL GENERATOR

• US 20170043106A1
• Filed: 03/23/2016
• Published: 02/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stamford Devices Limited
• Original Assignee: Stamford Devices Limited
• Inventors: Hyland, Kieran, Coye, Colga, KEATING, Fran
• Application Number:
  US15/110,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20170043106A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0085 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/147 the respiratory gas not passing through the liquid container
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0653 Details
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 17/0676 Feeding means

Abstract

A liquid reservoir (100) of a nebulizer has a funnel portion (102) with ribs (103, 104) extending downwardly along a side wall towards a reservoir outlet (105). The ribs (103, 104) prevent the formation of air bubbles between the aperture plate and medication as any trapped air will be expelled along the geometry formed by the rib or groove and reservoir wall. Bubble formation is therefore prevented with only modification of the wall internal surface configuration of the reservoir.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A nebulizer reservoir comprising a wall and a liquid outlet for engagement with a vibrating membrane assembly having a vibrating membrane, wherein the reservoir wall has an internal surface with at least one vertex for preventing formation of bubbles near the outlet.

22. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 21 wherein the reservoir comprises a funnel-shaped portion having said outlet for delivering liquid onto the vibrating membrane.

23. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 22, wherein at least one vertex is elongate, and extends along the reservoir wall towards the outlet.

24. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 21 wherein the reservoir forms only a single chamber leading to the outlet.

25. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 21, wherein the reservoir wall surface forms at least one bubble-prevention feature, the at least one vertex being a corner of said feature.

26. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 25, wherein said feature or features include at least one rib protruding into the reservoir, and having a corner forming said vertex.

27. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 21, wherein the reservoir wall surface forms at least one groove or recess, the vertices being corners of said groove or recess.

28. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 21, wherein there is a plurality of vertices and said vertices are arranged around the reservoir at different circumferential positions.

29. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 28, wherein there are two diametrically opposed vertices.

30. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 21, wherein the reservoir has a use orientation, and said vertex is located at a position where it is lowermost for said orientation.

31. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 30, wherein the reservoir extends at an acute angle to the outlet, in which an outlet central axis and a reservoir central axis are at said acute angle.

32. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 31, wherein at least one vertex extends at or adjacent to a plane formed by said axes.

33. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 32, wherein there are at least two vertices including two opposed vertices substantially in said plane.

34. A nebulizer reservoir as claimed in claim 21, wherein there are four vertices or sets of vertices equally spaced at relative angles of approximately 90°

.