Device and method for creating spherical particles of uniform size

• US 20010010338A1
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Published: 08/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universidad de Sevilla
• Original Assignee: Universidad de Sevilla
• Inventors: Ganan-Calvo, Alfonso
• Granted Patent: US 6,464,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/001 Particle size control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/002 by flow deviation causing inertial separation of transported particles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0065 Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/025 Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/064 Powder
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/232 using flow-mixing means for introducing the gases, e.g. baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/30 Injector mixers mixing by creating vortex flow B01F25/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/3011 using a sheathing stream of a fluid surrounding a central stream of a different fluid, e.g. for reducing the cross-section of the central stream or to produce droplets from the central stream
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00378 Piezoelectric or ink jet dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/02 designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, or having an outlet of particular shapeB05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0475 with means for deflecting the peripheral gas flow towards the central liquid flow B05B7/0458 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/061 with several liquid outlets discharging one or several liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/065 an inner gas outlet being surrounded by an annular adjacent liquid outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/066 with an inner liquid outlet surrounded by at least one annular gas outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0884 the outlet orifices for jets constituted by a liquid or a mixture containing a liquid being aligned
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 43/04 Injectors peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 67/10 Injectors peculiar thereto, e.g. valve less type
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/047 : injectors with air chambers, e.g. communicating with atmosphere for aerating the nozzles F02M69/325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/08 : characterised by the fuel being carried by compressed air into main stream of combustion-air
• CPC Class Codes: F23D 11/106 : medium and fuel meeting at the burner outlet
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1409 : Handling samples, e.g. injecting samples
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1406 : Control of droplet point
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/1409 : Control of supply of sheaths fluid, e.g. sample injection control
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/01 : Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/773 : Nanoparticle, i.e. structure having three dimensions of 100 nm or less
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/888 : Shaping or removal of materials, e.g. etching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/89 : Deposition of materials, e.g. coating, cvd, or ald
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/896 : Chemical synthesis, e.g. chemical bonding or breaking

Abstract

Spherical particles having a size on the order of 0.1 to 100 microns in size are created by systems and devices of several types. The device includes a source of a stream of gas which is forced through a liquid held under pressure in a pressure chamber with an exit opening therein. The stream of gas surrounded by the liquid in the pressure chamber flows out of an exit orifice of the chamber into a liquid thereby creating a monodispersion of bubbles with substantially uniform diameter. The bubbles are small in size and produced with a relatively small amount of energy relative to comparable systems. Small particles of liquid may also be produced. Applications of the technology range from oxygenating sewage with monodispersions of bubbles to inhalation therapy with monodisperse aerosol dispersions of pharmaceutically active drugs.

Claims

1. A monodispersion of bubbles of a gas in a first liquid, the bubbles characterized by having the same diameter with a deviation in diameter from one particle to another in a range of from about ±

3% to about ±

30%.

2. The monodispersion of bubbles as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein the deviation in diameter from one bubble to another is in a range of from about ±

3% to ±

10%.

3. The monodispersion of bubbles of

claim 1

, wherein the monodispersion comprises more than one thousand bubbles.

4. The monodispersion of bubbles of

claim 1

, wherein the bubbles have a diameter in a range of from about 0.1 micron to about 100 microns.

5. The monodispersion of

claim 1

, wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of air and oxygen and the liquid is aqueous.

6. The monodispersion of

claim 1

, wherein the gas is contaminated with a toxin which toxin is soluble in the liquid.

7. The monodispersion of

claim 6

wherein the liquid is aqueous.

8. The monodispersion of

claim 7

, wherein the aqueous liquid is sewage.

9. The monodispersion of

claim 1

, wherein the bubbles are created by a flow stream of gas from a source through a second liquid in a pressure chamber wherein the second liquid is forced out of an exit orifice of the pressure chamber while surrounding and focusing the flow stream of gas into the first liquid where the focused flow stream of gas breaks up to form the bubbles.

10. The monodispersion of

claim 9

, wherein the first and second fluids are aqueous.

11. A method of diffusing molecules of a gas into a liquid, comprising the steps of:

forcing a gas from a source opening into a first liquid in a manner so as to create a flow stream of the gas through the first liquid wherein the gas is comprised of molecules to be diffused into a second liquid;

moving the first liquid, in a pressure chamber surrounding the source opening, out of an exit orifice in the pressure chamber wherein the flow stream of the gas flows out the exit orifice into the second liquid wherein the flow stream breaks up forming bubbles of the gas in the second liquid; and

allowing molecules in the gas bubbles to diffuse into the second liquid.

12. The method of

claim 11

, wherein the bubbles have a size in a range of from about 0.1 micron to about 100 microns.

13. The method of

claim 11

, wherein the bubbles are characterized by having substantially the same diameter with a deviation in diameter from one particle to another in a range of from about ±

3% to about ±

30%.

14. The method of

claim 11

, wherein the bubbles are emitted at regularly spaced intervals from the exit orifice of the pressure chamber.

15. The method of

claim 14

, wherein the bubbles have a diameter in a range of from about 1 micron to about 20 microns and are comprised of a gas selected from the group consisting of air and oxygen.

16. A device for creating aerosolized particles, comprising:

a first means for providing a first fluid comprising a first fluid entrance port and a first fluid exit port;

a pressure chamber for providing a pressurized fluid to an area surrounding the first fluid exit port, the pressure chamber comprising a second fluid entrance port and a second fluid exit port;

wherein the first means for providing the first fluid is a feeding needle having a cylindrical channel therein whereby the first fluid entrance port and first fluid exit port are each circular; and

wherein the feeding needle exit port has a diameter in the range of from about 0.002 to about 2 mm, and the pressure chamber exit port has a diameter in the range of about 0.002 mm to about 2 mm.

17. The device of

claim 16

, wherein the feeding needle exit port has a diameter in the range of from about 0.01 mm to about 0.4 mm and the pressure chamber exit port has a diameter in the range of about 0.01 mm to about 0.25 mm.

18. The device of

claim 16

, having inserted therein a first fluid having a dynamic viscosity in the range of from about 10⁻

4 to about 1 kg/m/sec.

19. The device of

claim 16

, wherein the liquid has a viscosity in a range of from about 0.3×

10<sup>−

3</sup> to about 5×

10<sup>−

2</sup> kg/m/sec; and

wherein the liquid is forced through the channel at a rate in a range of about 0.01 nl/sec to about 100 μ

l/sec and further wherein the gas is forced through the opening of the pressure chamber at a rate in the range of from about 50 m/sec to about 2000 m/sec.

20. The device of

claim 16

, wherein the liquid is forced through the channel at a rate in a range of about 1 nl/sec to about 10 μ

l/sec and further wherein the gas is forced through the opening of the pressure chamber at a rate in the range of from about 100 to 500 m/sec.