Surface acoustic wave atomizer with fluid direction and migration prevention
AssigneeTrudell Medical International
InventorsHeather Young, Nicholas Baxter, Andrew Dittmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surface acoustic wave (SAW) atomizer system for use in providing a nebulized medicament to a patient is described. The system may include a SAW atomization engine with an atomization region on a substrate that is separated from the interdigitated transducers (IDTs) on the substrate by a fluid barrier that seals off liquid fed into the atomization region from the adjacent IDTs and electrical contacts driving the IDTs.
Claims16
A surface acoustic wave atomizer system for use in atomizing a medicament for patient delivery, the surface acoustic wave atomizer system comprising:
- an atomizer engine comprising:
- a piezoelectric substrate;
- at least one set of interdigitated transducers (IDTs) positioned on a first side of the piezoelectric substrate;
- an atomization region positioned on the first side of the piezoelectric substrate adjacent to the at least one set of IDTs;
- a top plate positioned over the first side of the piezoelectric substrate and enclosing a portion of the piezoelectric substrate other than the atomization region, such that the at least one set of IDTs are enclosed under the top plate, the top plate comprising a rigid material and being spaced from the first side of the piezoelectric substrate to define an air gap above the IDTs;
- and
- a fluid barrier surrounding the atomization region on the piezoelectric substrate and forming a seal against the piezoelectric substrate and the top plate, wherein the fluid barrier is positioned to prevent liquid in the atomization region from coming into contact with the IDTs on the first side of the piezoelectric substrate;
- wherein the fluid barrier comprises an elastomer having a Shore A durometer between 30 and 70, and is comprised of a material having an acoustic impedance that is highly mismatched to both the piezoelectric substrate and to the top plate, an acoustic mismatch between the fluid barrier and each of the piezoelectric substrate and the top plate being greater than 50%.
A surface acoustic wave atomizer system for atomizing a liquid medicament for patient delivery, the surface acoustic wave atomizer system comprising:
- a piezoelectric substrate having a side with at least one interdigitated transducer and an atomization region separate from the at least one interdigitated transducer;
- a top plate spaced away from the side of the piezoelectric substrate and enclosing the side of the piezoelectric substrate other than the atomization region, wherein the piezoelectric substrate is captured between the top plate and a base;
- a fluid barrier attached to the top plate and surrounding the atomization region on the piezoelectric substrate, the fluid barrier defining an atomization path from the atomization region through the top plate and separating the at least one interdigitated transducer from the atomization region;
- a fluid supply channel extending through a wall of the fluid barrier from a first fluid channel opening in a portion of the fluid barrier outside of the top plate to a fluid orifice in the fluid barrier oriented toward the atomizing region and between an outside of the top plate and the side of the piezoelectric substrate;
- and
- wherein the fluid barrier is formed of a material having an acoustic impedance that is highly mismatched with both the piezoelectric substrate and the top plate, an acoustic mismatch between the fluid barrier and each of the piezoelectric substrate and the top plate being greater than 50%, and having an acoustic impedance that is highly acoustically matched to the liquid medicament.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.