Atomizer for nasal therapy

An apparatus comprising:

• an atomizer comprising a fluid discharge orifice having a distal end being sufficiently small in cross-section as to permit entrance of the discharge orifice into a nostril opening,
• a nasal stopper defining a conic surface for contact with the nostril opening, the conic surface having a conic angle in a range between 20 degrees and 60 degrees;
• the discharge orifice being disposed in a wetted fluid path to conduct fluid from a turbine chamber;
• and
• a stem structured to provide a lumen for communication of treatment fluid to the turbine chamber for discharge of the fluid substantially as a mist from the discharge orifice, the stem extending in a length direction between a proximal end and a distal end, and
• a thread structure carried at the proximal end of the stem configured to couple with a luer-locking portion of a syringe,
• wherein a proximal portion of the nasal stopper comprises a shield shaped as a single straight conical wall configured to resist over-insertion of the distal orifice into the opening, the shield defining the conic surface to further define an open-ended shell structure formed by the straight conical wall and having a proximal end being configured as an open cantilevered free end, and
• wherein the open-ended shell structure formed by the straight conical wall defined by the shield defines an inner volume bounded at one end of the conical wall by an end plane defined by said conical wall at the proximal end of the shield, and the stem is sized in length such that, upon assembly of the apparatus, the thread structure is disposed completely inside the inner volume defined by the straight conical wall of the shield of the nasal stopper.