Dual capillary fluid vaporizing device

• US 6,715,487 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Chrysalis Technologies Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Tung Tien, Nichols, Walter A., Cox, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Aaron J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mitchell, Teena
• Application Number:
  US10/430,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20030205228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.14, 128/200.19, 128/200.21, 128/200.22, 128/200.23, 128/201.13, 128/203.16, 128/203.17, 128/203.23, 128/203.24, 128/203.26, 128/203.27, 128/204.17, 239/128, 239/134, 239/135, 219/486, 219/483, 219/497
• US Class Current: 128/203.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/007 Syringe-type or piston-type sprayers or atomisers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/00 Inhalators drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0024 with an on-off output signal, e.g. from a switch

Abstract

A fluid vaporizing device useful for vaporizing fluid into an aerosol and includes first and second capillary tubes connected electrically in series by providing separate electrodes at the inlet ends of each capillary tube, and connecting the outlet ends of the capillary tubes by an electrical connection that connects the outlet ends both electrically and thermally. The capillary tubes are heated by the flow of electricity therethrough, and liquid flowing through the tubes is vaporized. The outlet ends of the capillary tubes are easily maintained at a temperature for optimizing aerosol generation since there is minimal heat loss through the connection connecting the outlet ends.

Claims

1. A dual capillary fluid vaporizing device comprising:

a power source;

a heater arrangement electrically heated by the power source, the heater arrangement comprising first and second capillary tubes, the capillary tubes having inlet ends and the heater arrangement being operable to vaporize fluid in the capillary tubes;

a first electrode supplying electrical current to the first capillary tube such that electrical current passes along at least a portion of the first capillary tube;

an electrical connection connecting the capillary tubes such that the electrical current supplied to the first capillary tube passes along at least a portion of the second capillary tube; and

a second electrode electrically connected to the second capillary tube such that the capillary tubes are electrically connected in series to the power source.

2. The fluid vaporizing device of claim 1, wherein the first and second capillary tubes comprise stainless steel tubes having inner diameters of 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

3. The fluid vaporizing device of claim 1, wherein the first and second capillary tubes are parallel to each other with the outlet ends thereof spaced apart by at least 1 mm.

4. The fluid vaporizing device of claim 1, wherein the fluid vaporizing device comprises an inhaler having a mouthpiece, the capillary tubes having outlets which direct vaporized fluid into the mouthpiece.

5. The fluid vaporizing device of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a battery, the first electrode being electrically connected to one terminal of the battery and the second electrode being connected to the other terminal of the battery.

6. The fluid vaporizing device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises an inhaler having a controller, a valve and a sensor, the sensor detecting a delivery condition corresponding to delivery of a predetermined volume of aerosol, the controller being programmed to open the valve so as to deliver liquid from a fluid source to the inlets of the first and second capillary tubes when the delivery condition is sensed by the sensor and to pass electrical current through the first and second capillary tubes to volatilize liquid therein.

7. The fluid vaporizing device of claim 1, wherein the first and second capillary tubes are of the same material, have the same length and have the same internal diameter.

8. The fluid vaporizing device of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are located at least 5 mm from the electrical connection.

9. The fluid vaporizing device of claim 1, wherein outlet ends of the capillary tubes are exposed to ambient air.

10. The fluid vaporizing device of claim 1, wherein the electrical connection comprises a joint between outer surfaces of the capillary tubes.

11. A method of vaporizing fluid comprising:

supplying fluid to first and second capillary tubes;

heating the first and second capillary tubes by passing electrical current from a power source along the first capillary tube, through an electrical connection interconnecting the first and second capillary tubes, and along the second capillary tube, the electrical current being effective to heat the capillary tubes such that the fluid therein is volatilized and exits the capillary tubes as a vapor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the power source comprises a battery and the electric current is direct current which travels in series from the battery, through the first capillary tube, through the electrical connection, through the second capillary tube, and returns to the battery.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the capillary tubes are of resistance heating material, the fluid being heated as a result of resistance heating the capillary tubes.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the electrical connection is located at outlet ends of the capillary tubes, the outlet ends being heated to substantially the same temperature during heating of the capillary tubes.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the capillary tubes are parallel to each other, are of the same material, have the same length and have the same inner diameters.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the capillary tubes is in fluid communication with a same source of fluid.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the fluid vaporizing device comprises an inhaler having a mouthpiece, the capillary tubes having outlets in the mouthpiece such that the vapor exiting the outlets condenses into an aerosol within the mouthpiece.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the inhaler includes a controller, a valve and a sensor, the method including sensing a delivery condition with the sensor, sending a signal to the controller corresponding to the delivery condition, opening the valve for delivery of a predetermined volume of fluid to the first and second capillary tubes, supplying power to the first and second capillary tubes, and closing the valve after a predetermined volume of fluid has been delivered to the first and second capillary tubes.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second capillary tubes have outlets thereof in close proximity and the vapor exiting the outlets condenses in ambient air.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the fluid contains a solution of medicated material and the vapor exiting the capillary tubes forms an aerosol containing the medicated material.