Inhalation apparatus

• US 8,225,781 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ooida, Junichi, Shinjo, Katsuhiko, Hatanaka, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/872,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.24, 128/201.13, 128/203.12, 128/203.15, 128/205.12, 12820525-20529, 128/206.17, 128/206.22, 261/DIG.65
• US Class Current: 128/200.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/001 Particle size control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/005 using ultrasonics spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/041 using heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/02 with activated or ionised fluids, e.g. electrohydrodynamic [EHD] or electrostatic devices; Ozone-inhalators with radioactive tagged particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0018 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7536 allowing gas passage, but preventing liquid passage, e.g. liquophobic, hydrophobic, water-repellent membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated

Abstract

In order to control the amount of evaporation of discharged agent droplets and so that a user can inhale agent droplets having a constant diameter regardless of use environment, an inhalation apparatus includes an airflow path communicating with a suction port through which the user inhales an agent, an agent discharging portion configured to discharge an agent supplied to the airflow path, and a humidifier located outside the airflow path and configured to humidify an airflow in the airflow path generated by an inhalation of the user.

Claims

1. An inhalation apparatus comprising:

an airflow path communicating with a suction port through which a user inhales an agent;

an agent discharger configured to discharge an agent supplied to said airflow path;

a humidifier located outside said airflow path and configured to humidify an airflow in said airflow path generated by an inhalation by the user;

a humidification port; and

a film, placed at the humidification port, that transmits vapor but does not transmit water.

2. The inhalation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said humidifier is located upstream of said agent discharger in said airflow path.

3. The inhalation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of a part of said airflow path where said humidifier is located is larger than the cross-sectional area of a part of said airflow path where said agent discharger is located.

4. The inhalation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said humidifier is detachable from said airflow path.

5. The inhalation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said humidifier is detachable together with a part of said airflow path.

6. The inhalation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said humidifier includes a humidifying liquid discharger configured to discharge humidifying liquid into said airflow path and a discharge control unit configured to control said humidifying liquid discharger.

7. The inhalation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the diameter of a discharge port of said humidifying liquid discharger is smaller than the diameter of a discharge port of said agent discharger.

8. The inhalation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said agent discharger discharges the agent after the airflow humidified by said humidifying liquid discharger reaches the position of said agent discharger in said airflow path, and said agent discharger stops discharging the agent while the humidified airflow exists at the position of said agent discharger in said airflow path.

9. The inhalation apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a mechanism configured to change the distance between said humidifying liquid discharger and said agent discharger.

10. The inhalation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said agent discharger and said humidifying liquid discharger are placed in the same discharge unit.