Vaporization system for delivery in a controlled concentration
AssigneeCase Western Reserve University
InventorJonathan S. Stamler
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Abstract
Devices for delivering a controlled concentration of an agent are provided. The device includes a reservoir for the agent and a flow control portion operably connected to the reservoir. The device also includes a valve for releasing the agent from the flow control portion and a pump for flowing air to mix with the agent released by the valve and for flowing the agent and air mixture out of the device. Methods of delivering a vaporized agent to a subject are also provided. The methods include storing a liquid agent in a reservoir of a device and flowing the agent into a flow control chamber to change the agent to a gas. The methods also include mixing the agent in gas form with air and flowing the agent and air mixture out of the device to be delivered to a subject.
Claims20
An ambulatory device comprising:
- an exterior casing configured to be carried or worn by a user, enclosing;
- a reservoir comprising a storage portion and a dead space portion, wherein the storage portion comprises a liquid phase of a nitrosylating agent and the dead space comprises a vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent;
- a flow control portion operably connected to the reservoir and configured to flow the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent out of the reservoir;
- a temperature control unit configured to control a first temperature in the reservoir and a second temperature in the flow control portion,
- wherein an amount of the liquid nitrosylating agent transformed to the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent is based on the first temperature, and
- wherein a vapor pressure of the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent in the dead space portion and the flow control portion is based on the first temperature and the second temperature, respectively;
- a valve configured to release the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent from the flow control portion;
- and
- a pump configured to mix air with the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent and to flow the mixture of the air and the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent out of the device to the user.
A method of delivering a vaporized nitrosylating agent to a user, the method comprising:
- storing a nitrosylating agent in a reservoir of an ambulatory device comprising a storage portion and a dead space portion, wherein the storage portion comprises a liquid phase of the nitrosylating agent and the dead space comprises a vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent, wherein the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent is flowed out of the reservoir by a flow control portion operably connected to the reservoir;
- controlling, by a temperature controller of the ambulatory device, an amount of the liquid nitrosylating agent transformed to the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent based on a first temperature in the reservoir;
- controlling, by the temperature controller, a vapor pressure of the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent in the dead space portion and the flow control portion based on the first temperature in the reservoir and a second temperature in the flow control portion, respectively;
- releasing, by a valve of the ambulatory device, the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent from the flow control portion;
- mixing the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent with air in the ambulatory device;
- and
- flowing the mixture of the air and the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent out of the ambulatory device to the user, wherein a concentration and flow rate of the mixture of the air and the vapor phase of the nitrosylating agent is controlled by a pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.