# US 11,027,076 B2 · Nebulizer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,076 B2 - Document ID: US11027076B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/019,026 - Filed: 2018-06-26 - Published: 2018-12-20 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-03 - Assignees: Stamford Devices Limited - Applicants: Stamford Devices Limited - Inventors: Michael Casey; Joseph Grehan; Kieran Hyland; John Power - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027076B2 ## CPC - A61M 11/00: Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes (in general B05B; {aerosol containers B65D83/14}) - A61M 11/005: {using ultrasonics (spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06)} - B05B 12/00: Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area - B05B 17/0646: {Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto} - A61M 2205/502: User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards - A61M 2205/52: with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient - A61M 2205/587: Lighting arrangements - A61M 2205/70: with testing or calibration facilities - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) ## Abstract A nebulizer comprises a controller linked at its output to a nebulizer head, and at its input to a USB cable and USB plug for connection to a host system. The link between the USB plug and the controller is a USB cable with power and data channels. The controller comprises a boost circuit, a microcontroller 11, and a drive circuit. The latter provides power and control signals via a cable and proprietary plug to the nebulizer head. These signals provide power and control for a vibrating membrane receiving a liquid to be aerosolised. The controller has a housing with LED status lamps, and an ON/OFF button. The controller can be controlled via a host, either locally or remotely. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating aerosol via a nebulizer head, comprising: delivering power and a plurality of control signals from a host system to a controller via a universal bus cable and a universal bus plug connectable to the host system; generating a plurality of nebulizer head drive signals based on the plurality of control signals via the controller; and delivering the plurality of nebulizer head drive signals to the nebulizer head via a head cable having a proprietary head plug; and generating aerosol via the nebulizer head according to the plurality of nebulizer head drive signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the controller further includes a boost circuit, the method further including: generating a voltage supply for a processor and the drive circuit of the controller via the boost circuit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein a voltage level of the voltage supply is 12V. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of control signals includes at a nebulization flow rate signal, a nebulization pulse rate signal, or an inspiratory/expiratory signal to enable phased nebulization. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nebulizer head drive signals includes a wet/dry state of the nebulizer head, a nebulizer disconnect status, a cable disconnect status, an error or fault status, or a nebulization duration and time of nebulization. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering the plurality of nebulizer head drive signals to the nebulizer head is done via a drive circuit of the controller, and wherein the drive circuit generates a waveform having a frequency range between 120 kHz and 150 kHz. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a total power requirement of the controller and of the nebulizer head falls within a power specification of USB protocol. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further including: delivering to the nebulizer head no more than 500 mA at nominal 5V from the controller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the head cable, controller, and bus cable form an in-line arrangement. ### Claim 10 A method for generating aerosol via a nebulizer head, comprising: delivering power and a control signal from a host system to a controller via a universal bus cable and a universal bus plug extending from a first end of the controller, wherein the control signal includes at least one of a nebulization flow rate signal, a nebulization pulse rate signal, or an inspiratory/expiratory signal to enable phased nebulization; generating a nebulizer head drive signal based on the control signal via the controller; delivering the nebulizer head drive signal and power to the nebulizer head via a head cable having a proprietary head plug extending from a second end of the controller; and generating aerosol via the nebulizer head according to the nebulizer head drive signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the control signal is one of a plurality of control signals, wherein each control signal of the plurality of control signals is a different type of signal than any other control signal of the plurality of control signals. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further including: uploading to the host system via the universal bus cable and universal bus plug the following nebulizer characteristic information previously captured from the nebulizer head: a wet/dry state of the nebulizer head, a nebulizer disconnect status, a cable disconnect status, an error or fault status, or a nebulization duration and time of nebulization. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the generating the nebulizer head drive signal is at least partially based on a patient dosing regime. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further including: downloading control instructions from and/or uploading nebulizer data to a remote server. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the host system includes a smartphone or tablet computer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the host system is one of a plurality of host systems, each host system of the plurality of host systems including varying configurations and/or functions, and wherein the controller is interchangeably coupleable to each of the plurality of host systems via the bus cable and bus plug. ### Claim 17 A method for generating aerosol via a nebulizer head, comprising: delivering power and a plurality of control signals from a host system to a controller via a universal bus cable and a universal bus plug, wherein the plurality of control signals include two or more of a nebulization flow rate signal, a nebulization pulse rate signal, or an inspiratory/expiratory signal to enable phased nebulization; generating a plurality of nebulizer head drive signals based on the plurality of control signals via the controller, wherein the plurality of nebulizer head drive signals includes two or more of a wet/dry state of the nebulizer head, a nebulizer disconnect status, a cable disconnect status, an error or fault status, or a nebulization duration and time of nebulization; delivering the plurality of nebulizer head drive signals to the nebulizer head via a head cable having a proprietary head plug, wherein the host system, universal bus plug, universal bus cable, controller, head cable, proprietary head plug, and nebulizer head form an in-line arrangement; and generating aerosol via the nebulizer head according to the plurality of nebulizer head drive signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the controller is interchangeably coupleable to a plurality of host systems of varying configurations and/or functions via the bus plug and bus cable. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further including: downloading control instructions from and/or uploading nebulizer data to a remote server. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the generating the nebulizer head drive signal is at least partially based on a patient dosing regime.