Metering system and method for aerosol delivery
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for determining the volume of a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing configured to be in communication with a valve;
a printed circuit board disposed within the housing wherein the printed circuit board defines a first volume and a second volume including a gas region and a fluid region, the printed circuit board comprising;
an acoustic source;
a first microphone disposed within the first volume; and
a second microphone disposed within the second volume; and
a processor configured to calculate a change in volume of the gas region wherein the processor determines an amount of fluid output from the fluid region,wherein the fluid is an aerosolized fluid.
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Abstract
An apparatus for metering the delivery of an aerosol. The apparatus has a variable acoustic source and a microphone, both acoustically coupled to a volume having a fluid region and an air region. The apparatus may also include a processor to determine a volume of the air region based on signals received from the microphone and the variable acoustic source. A fluid valve is coupled to the processor, and is configured to allow an amount of fluid to exit the fluid region associated with the volume of the air region. An atomizer, coupled to the fluid region, is configured to aerosolize at least a portion of the fluid.
50 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining the volume of a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
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a housing configured to be in communication with a valve; a printed circuit board disposed within the housing wherein the printed circuit board defines a first volume and a second volume including a gas region and a fluid region, the printed circuit board comprising; an acoustic source; a first microphone disposed within the first volume; and a second microphone disposed within the second volume; and a processor configured to calculate a change in volume of the gas region wherein the processor determines an amount of fluid output from the fluid region, wherein the fluid is an aerosolized fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for determining the volume of an aerosolized fluid, the apparatus comprising:
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a chamber comprising a gas region and a fluid region; an atomizer in fluid communication with the fluid region of the chamber for aerosolizing fluid delivered from the fluid region; an acoustic source configured to be acoustically coupled to the gas region of the chamber wherein the acoustic source is embedded on a printed circuit board; a microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to the gas region of the chamber; a volume determination system; and at least one processor configured to receive a signal from the volume determination system and further configured to determine a volume of the gas region of the chamber based on the received signal, wherein the at least one processor determines the volume of the gas region before the fluid is aerosolized and the volume of the gas region after the fluid is aerosolized whereby the volume of aerosolized fluid is determined. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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11. An apparatus for determining the volume of an aerosolized fluid, the apparatus comprising:
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a chamber comprising a gas region and a fluid region; an atomizer in fluid communication with the fluid region of the chamber for aerosolizing fluid delivered from the fluid region; an acoustic source configured to be acoustically coupled to the gas region of the chamber; a microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to the gas region of the chamber, wherein the microphone is embedded on a printed circuit board; a volume determination system; and at least one processor configured to receive a signal from the volume determination system and further configured to determine a volume of the gas region of the chamber based on the received signal, wherein the at least one processor determines the volume of the gas region before the fluid is aerosolized and the volume of the gas region after the fluid is aerosolized whereby the volume of aerosolized fluid is determined. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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20. An apparatus for determining the volume of a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
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a housing configured to be in communication with a valve; a printed circuit board disposed within the housing wherein the printed circuit board defines a first volume and a second volume including a gas region and a fluid region, the printed circuit board comprising; an acoustic source; a first microphone disposed within the first volume; and a second microphone disposed within the second volume; and a processor configured to; receive a signal from the first microphone; receive a signal from the second microphone; output a control signal to the valve, the control signal being associated with the received signal from the first microphone and the received signal from the second microphone and wherein the control signal is further associated with a volume of fluid in aerosolized form; and
calculate a change in volume of the gas region wherein the processor determines an amount of fluid output from the fluid region. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification