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Nebulizer

  • US 4,268,460 A
  • Filed: 03/05/1980
  • Issued: 05/19/1981
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1977
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Nebulizer apparatus, connectable with a source of gas and with a liquid source comprising:

  • a first atomizer stage chamber for simultaneously communicating with a source of pressurized gas and with said source of liquid for forming by the Bernoulli effect a first particulate dispersion of said liquid entrained with said gas, the liquid particles of said first particulate dispersion exhibiting an average diameter, D1, and a surface tension, S, and said gas exhibiting a density ρ

    g;

    a containment chamber embodying a second atomizer stage communicating through an input aperture narrower than the chamber with said first atomizer stage and having an input zone for receiving said first particulate dispersion at a stagnation pressure, Po, and including a knife-edge exit orifice having diameter, do, to effect the expulsion through said exit orifice of said first particulate dispersion to impart supersonic velocities to said gas under flow conditions according to the expression;

    
    
    space="preserve" listing-type="equation">o.sub.g u.sub.r.sup.2 ≧

    W.sub.e S/D.sub.I, whereur is the relative velocity between a given said liquid particle and the velocity of said gas, and We is Weber number of value effective to effect a breakdown of said liquid particles to form a second gas entrained particulate dispersion of said liquid having an average particle diameter, DS, less than said diameter, DI ; and

    a flexible tube communicating at one end with a source of gas under relatively low positive pressure, at the other end with a mouthpiece, and between the ends with said exit orifice whereby the second gas entrained particulate dispersion and low positive pressure gas are delivered to the mouthpiece.

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