Nebulizer apparatus

• US 9,539,408 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trudell Medical International (Trudell Medical Limited)
• Original Assignee: Trudell Medical International (Trudell Medical Limited)
• Inventors: Pevler, Jennifer
• Primary Examiner(s): Philips, Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leszczak, Victoria
• Application Number:
  US14/067,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20140116427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/02 operated by air or other gas pressure applied to the liquid or other product to be sprayed or atomised sprayers for horticulture A01G, A01H; killing insects A01M; air humidifying by nozzles F24F6/14, F24F6/18; cooling by spraying F28B, F28C
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0063 Compressors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/14 by mixing different fluids, one of them being in a liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/14 Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0012 Apparatus for achieving spraying before discharge from the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2435 the carried liquid and the main stream of atomising fluid being brought together by parallel conduits placed one inside the other

Abstract

A nebulizer includes a housing having a chamber for holding an aerosol, an air outlet communicating with the chamber for permitting the aerosol to be withdrawn from the chamber, and a reservoir for holding a liquid to be aerosolized. The nebulizer also includes a liquid orifice located in the chamber, one or more liquid channels defined between the reservoir and the liquid orifice, the one or more liquid channels having a liquid volume, and a pressurized gas outlet located in the chamber adjacent to the liquid orifice. A baffle is located in the chamber and positioned relative to the pressurized gas outlet and the liquid outlet so as to divert pressurized gas from the pressurized gas outlet and over the liquid orifice. The baffle has a diverter surface area. The liquid volume is at least 80 mm³. The diverter surface area is less than 5.0 mm².

Claims

1. A nebulizer comprising:

a housing having a chamber for holding an aerosol;

an air outlet communicating with the chamber for permitting the aerosol to be withdrawn from the chamber;

a reservoir for holding a liquid to be aerosolized;

a liquid orifice located in the chamber;

one or more liquid channels defined between the reservoir and the liquid orifice, the one or more liquid channels having a liquid volume;

a pressurized gas outlet located in the chamber adjacent to the liquid orifice and positioned to deliver a flow of pressurized gas into the chamber; and

,

a baffle located in the chamber and positioned relative to the pressurized gas outlet and the liquid orifice so as to divert pressurized gas from the pressurized gas outlet and over the liquid orifice, the baffle having a diverter surface area;

wherein the pressurized gas is delivered at a flow rate of 3-5 liters per minute (lpm);

wherein the liquid volume is at least 80 mm³; and

,

wherein the diverter surface area is less than 5.0 mm².

2. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the liquid volume is less than 1000 mm³.

3. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the diverter surface area is greater than 0.75 mm².

4. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the liquid volume is between 250 mm³ and 300 mm³.

5. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the diverter surface area is between 1.5 mm² and 2.0 mm².

6. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the baffle has a disc-shaped diverter surface area.

7. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the baffle is shaped as a rib.

8. The nebulizer of claim 6, wherein the disc-shaped diverter surface area has a diameter between 1.0 mm and 2.5 mm.

9. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the diverter surface area of the baffle is at least 50% of a cross-sectional area of the liquid orifice.

10. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the liquid orifice is positioned at a distal end of a first nozzle extending in to the chamber, and the pressurized gas outlet is positioned at a distal end of a second nozzle extending in to the chamber through the first nozzle.

11. The nebulizer of claim 10, wherein the one or more liquid channels are formed between the first nozzle and the second nozzle.

12. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the baffle is moveable relative to the pressurized gas outlet and the liquid outlet between a nebulizing position and a non-nebulizing position.

13. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein at least one portion of the liquid orifice is moveable between a nebulizing position and a non-nebulizing position.

14. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas is delivered at pressures in the range of 15 to 30 pounds per square inch (psi).

15. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas is delivered by a home care compressor.

16. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas outlet is connectable with a home care compressor.

17. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the nebulizer delivers aerosolized particles less than 4.7 micrometers (μ

m).