Apparatus and method for generating and concentrating fine particle aerosols

An aerosol generating system for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol from a liquid solution or liquid suspension at a respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow, comprising:

• a liquid aerosol generating nozzle having a nozzle input end designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension, and having a nozzle gas supply designed to receive nozzle gas, the liquid aerosol generating nozzle further having a nozzle output end for outputting a liquid aerosol suspended in the nozzle gas;
• a cylindrical evaporation chamber having a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end that is connected to the nozzle output end and connected to a dilution gas supply for receiving both the liquid aerosol suspended in the nozzle gas and for receiving the dilution gas, and the cylindrical evaporation chamber having a cylindrical evaporation chamber output end outputting a first intermediate dry powder aerosol at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration;
• and
• a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator having a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end that is connected to the cylindrical evaporation chamber output end, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator comprising a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel converging from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice that is connected to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space connecting both to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port and to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice being connected to a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel outputting the respirable dry powder aerosol at the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow that is lower than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow and at a respirable dry powder aerosol particle concentration that is higher than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration.