# US 2014/0190472 A1 · Reservoir for nebulizer with a deformable fluid chamber > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190472 A1 - Document ID: US20140190472A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/107,304 - Filed: 2013-12-16 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2008-03-17 - Assignees: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Applicants: Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH - Inventors: Holger Holakovsky; Matthias Hausmann; Guido Schmiedel; Florian Witte; Johannes Geser; Gerald Mathe; Martin Meisenheimer; Antonino Lanci; Elmar Mock; Martin Sigrist - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190472A1 ## CPC - A61M 11/02: operated by air {or other gas} pressure applied to the liquid {or other product} to be sprayed or atomised {(sprayers for horticulture A01G, A01H; killing insects A01M; air humidifying by nozzles F24F6/14, F24F6/18; cooling by spraying F28B, F28C)} - A61M 11/007: {Syringe-type or piston-type sprayers or atomisers} - A61M 11/08: Pocket atomisers of the injector type {(aerosol cans A61M15/009)} - A61M 15/0021: {Mouthpieces therefor} - A61M 15/0035: {Piercing means} - B05B 11/0044: {compensating underpressure by ingress of atmospheric air into the container, i.e. with venting means (venting means for deformable containers B05B11/047)} - B05B 11/00446: {the means being located at the bottom of the container or of an enclosure surrounding the container} - B05B 11/026: {Membranes separating the content remaining in the container from the atmospheric air to compensate underpressure inside the container} - B05B 11/1091: {being first hold in a loaded state by locking means or the like, then released (B05B11/1092 takes precedence)} - A61M 15/0065: {Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices (A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52)} - A61M 2202/0468: non-physiological - A61M 2205/123: with incorporated reservoirs - B05B 11/0038: {Inner container disposed in an outer shell or outer casing} - B05B 11/1061: {Pump priming means} - 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 reservoir for a nebulizer, and a nebulizer with a reservoir in which, to avoid undesirable rises in pressure, a fluid chamber of the reservoir is pre-collapsed and filled with an initial amount of fluid which is less than the maximum volume of the fluid chamber. Preferably, before being filled, the fluid chamber is compressed and/or expanded by means of gas to a defined volume which is less than the maximum volume of the fluid chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Reservoir for a nebulizer, comprising a fluid-containing chamber, wherein the fluid-containing chamber is at least one of deformed, folded, creased, and rolled so as to be at least partially compressed or pre-collapsed; wherein a maximum volume of the fluid-containing chamber is greater than the quantity of fluid with which the chamber is initially filled; and wherein the fluid-containing chamber is expandable beyond its at least partially compressed or pre-collapsed size with the quantity of fluid with which the chamber is initially filled. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein that the fluid-containing chamber is adapted to collapse as fluid is removed from the container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein the fluid-containing chamber is at least partially at least one of deformable, compressible and collapsible. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein the fluid-containing chamber is at least partially formed of a material that is at least one of flexible and deformable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein the fluid-containing chamber is at least partially formed of a bag or tube. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein the fluid-containing chamber is at least substantially free of residual gas and gas bubbles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises a rigid longitudinal or cylindrical casing which surrounds the fluid-containing chamber, wherein the reservoir comprises a closure associated with the fluid-containing chamber and arranged at one end of the casing, and wherein the outer casing has an engagement opening at a side for mechanically collapsing or compressing the fluid-containing chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) Reservoir according to claim 7, wherein the initial fill quantity is less than 95% of the maximum volume of the fluid-containing chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises a rigid longitudinal or cylindrical casing which surrounds the fluid-containing chamber, wherein the reservoir comprises a closure associated with the fluid-containing chamber and arranged at one end of the casing, and wherein the outer casing has an engagement opening at the other end for mechanically collapsing or compressing the fluid-containing chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein that the reservoir has a rigid outer casing which surrounds the fluid-containing chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein that the reservoir has a closure associated with the fluid-containing chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) Reservoir according to claim 10, wherein the reservoir has a rigid outer casing which surrounds the fluid-containing chamber, and wherein a closure is connected to the outer casing, and wherein the outer casing has an engagement opening for mechanically collapsing or compressing the fluid-containing chamber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein that the reservoir is associated with a releasable or separable device for pre-collapsing the fluid-containing chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) Reservoir according to claim 12, wherein the reservoir is accommodated in a packaging such that, when the reservoir is taken out of the packaging, the device is detached from the reservoir. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) Reservoir according to claim 12, wherein the device is adapted to pre-collapse or deform the chamber by mechanical action. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) Reservoir according to claim 12, wherein that the device comprises at least one abutment element that acts on the fluid-containing chamber to pre-collapse it. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) Reservoir according to claim 12, wherein the device is axially engageable with the reservoir. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) Reservoir according to claim 12, wherein the device is radially or laterally engageable with the reservoir. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) Reservoir according to claim 1, wherein the fluid contained in the reservoir is a medicament formulation. ### Claim 20 Nebulizer for a fluid, comprising: an atomizer body, and a reservoir with a fluid-containing chamber with at least one of the following features removable disposed in said atomizer body: the fluid-containing chamber is at least one of deformed, folded, creased, and rolled so as to be at least partially compressed or pre-collapsed; a maximum volume of the fluid-containing chamber is greater than the quantity of fluid with which the chamber is initially filled.