Pulmonary aerosol delivery device and method

A pulmonary aerosol delivery device, comprising:

• a housing of such size that the housing can be held in a user's one hand, the housing having an exit opening for directing an aerosol to a user's mouth;
• a containment vessel holding a liquid to be aerosolized;
• an electrohydrodynamic apparatus for aerosolizing the liquid and delivering the aerosolized liquid to the exit opening;
• a power supply for providing sufficient voltage to the electrohydrodynamic apparatus to aerosolize the liquid;
• and
• a dispensing system for delivering the liquid to be aerosolized from the containment vessel to the electrohydrodynamic system, the containment vessel, the electrohydrodynamic apparatus, the power supply, and the dispensing system being enclosed within the housing.

A pulmonary aerosol delivery device, comprising a housing of such size that the housing can be held in a user's one hand, the housing having an exit opening for directing an aerosol to a user's mouth and including therein:

• a dispensing system for containing a liquid to be aerosolized and delivering the aerosolized liquid to an electrohydrodynamic apparatus;
• an electrohydrodynamic apparatus for aerosolizing the liquid and delivering the aerosolized liquid to the exit opening, said electrohydrodynamic device including at least one spray site having a sufficient electric field strength that when a liquid is caused to flow over the spray site, a net electrical charge is imparted to the surface of the flowing liquid, the charge imparted to the liquid surface initially balancing the surface tension of the liquid to cause the liquid to form a cone adjacent to the spray site with the cone tip extending away from the spray site, the charge imparted to the surface eventually overcoming the surface tension of the liquid in the region of the cone tip to generate a thin jet of liquid that breaks into an aerosolized liquid consisting substantially of droplets of respirable size;
• and
• a power supply system for providing sufficient voltage to the electrohydrodynamic apparatus to aerosolize the liquid.

A method of orally administering an aerosolized liquid therapeutic agent, comprising the steps of:

• storing a liquid therapeutic agent in a containment vessel;
• dispensing the liquid from the containment vessel to an electrohydrodynamic apparatus including at least one spray site;
• electrically actuating the electrohydrodynamic apparatus to impart a net electrical charge to the surface of the liquid flowing over a spray site sufficient to cause the liquid to be aerosolized;
• metering a desired amount of liquid to be dispensed from the containment vessel to the electrohydrodynamic apparatus;
• and.
• enclosing the containment vessel and electrohydrodynamic apparatus within a cordless housing of such size that the housing can be held in a user's one hand, the housing including an exit opening for directing the aerosolized liquid to a user's mouth.

A method of orally administering an aerosolized liquid therapeutic agent, comprising the steps of:

• storing a liquid therapeutic agent in a containment vessel;
• metering a desired amount of liquid to be dispensed from the containment vessel to an electrohydrodynamic apparatus including at least one spray site;
• dispensing the liquid from the containment vessel to the electrohydrodynamic apparatus;
• causing the dispensed liquid to flow over at least one spray site;
• electrically actuating the electrohydrodynamic apparatus to impart a net electrical charge to the surface of the liquid flowing over a spray site sufficient to cause the liquid to be aerosolized;
• treating the aerosolized liquid to modify an electrical charge imparted to the aerosolized liquid by the electrohydrodynamic apparatus;
• and
• enclosing the containment vessel and electrohydrodynamic apparatus within a cordless housing of such size that the housing can be held in a user's one hand, the housing including an exit opening for directing the treated aerosolized liquid to a user's mouth.

A pulmonary aerosol delivery device, comprising a housing of such size that the housing can be held in a user's one hand, the housing having an exit opening for directing an aerosol to a user's mouth and including therein:

• a dispensing system for containing a liquid to be aerosolized and delivering the aerosolized liquid to an apparatus for aerosolizing the liquid;
• an apparatus for aerosolizing the liquid and delivering the aerosolized liquid to the exit opening, the apparatus comprising
• a base;
• a plurality of spray sites each having a base end connected to the base and a tip end, an electrohydrodynamic spray being formed from at least one tip end when the liquid is caused to flow over the spray sites and the plurality of spray sites is placed in electrical communication with a power source;
• a plurality of discharge electrodes connected to the base, the plurality of discharge electrodes being spaced further from the base than the tip ends;
• and
• a plurality of reference electrodes connected to the base, the reference electrodes being spaced further from the base than the discharge electrodes;
• and
• a power supply system for providing sufficient voltage to the aerosolizing apparatus to aerosolize the liquid.

An apparatus for aerosolizing a liquid, comprising:

• a base;
• a plurality of spray sites each having a base end connected to the base and a tip end, an aerosolized spray being formed from at least one tip end when a liquid is caused to flow over the spray sites and the plurality of spray sites is placed in electrical communication with a charge source;
• a plurality of discharge electrodes connected to the base, the plurality of discharge electrodes being spaced further from the base than the tip ends;
• and
• a plurality of reference electrodes connected to the base, the reference electrodes being spaced further from the base than the discharge electrodes.

An apparatus for aerosolizing a liquid, comprising:

• a tubular base having a generally circular cross-section;
• a plurality of spray sites each having a base end connected to the base and a tip end extending axially into a first end of the base, an aerosolized spray being formed from at least one tip end when the liquid is caused to flow over the spray sites and the plurality of spray sites is placed in electrical communication with a charge source;
• a plurality of discharge electrodes each connected to the interior of the base at a distance further from the first base end than the spray site tip ends;
• and
• a plurality of reference electrodes each connected to the interior of the base at a distance further from the first base end than the plurality of discharge electrodes.

An apparatus for aerosolizing a liquid, comprising:

• a base plate having upper and lower surfaces each defining a generally circular perimeter;
• a plurality of spray sites arranged in a circular pattern along the perimeter of the lower surface of the base plate, each of the spray sites having a base end mounted to the base plate and a tip end, an aerosolized spray being formed from at least one tip end when a liquid is caused to flow over the spray sites and the plurality of spray sites is placed in electrical communication with a charge source;
• a skirt extending downward from the base plate;
• a dielectric material enclosed by the skirt;
• a plurality of discharge electrodes extending from the skirt at a distance further from the base plate than the spray site tip ends;
• and
• a plurality of reference electrodes each extending from the skirt at a distance further from the base plate than the discharge electrodes.