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US 4,582,654 AGranted
Nebulizer particularly adapted for analytical purposes
AssigneeVarian Associates, Inc.
InventorsJoseph F. Karnicky, Louis T. Zitelli
Life of this patent
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AssigneeVarian Associates, Inc.
InventorsJoseph F. Karnicky, Louis T. Zitelli
Estimating the term…
A nebulizer for analytical purposes includes a needle through which flows a liquid to be nebulized. The liquid flows from the needle onto a diaphragm planar surface that is vibrated in successive pulses. A continuous bridge of the liquid subsists between the liquid and the planar surface when the diaphragm is in the non-vibrating state. The liquid is nebulized to an aerosol when the diaphragm is pulsed. The needle and diaphragm are always spaced from each other. A wick on the planar surface in contact with the film removes excess amounts of the liquid not involved in forming the aerosol. The diaphragm vibration is pulsed by a piezoelectric crystal that responds to an FM wave whose frequency is swept over a band spanning the resonant frequency of the crystal. The crystal is configured as a spherical segment to direct a focused pressure wave on the diaphragm via a liquid medium. The diaphragm has a thickness that is about one-half wave length of the pressure wave supplied to the liquid medium by the crystal, to provide destructive interference of waves reflected from opposite faces of the diaphragm. A carrier gas for the nebulized aerosol is supplied to the diaphragm planar face to form a curtain about the liquid flowing from the needle to the diaphragm. The liquid circulates between the diaphragm and crystal to cool them and enable gases in the liquid to be removed.
Apparatus for supplying a nebulized aerosol and a carrier gas to a chromatography analyzer comprising a nebulizer for a liquid sample, the nebulizer including a needle having an interior bore, means for supplying the liquid to the bore, the needle having an opening through which the supplied liquid in a bore can flow, a diaphragm having a surface facing the needle opening, means for vibrating the diaphragm, and a tube surrounding the needle for supplying the carrier gas in proximity to the face so that it surrounds the needle.
Apparatus for nebulizing a liquid to form an aerosol comprising a needle having an interior bore, means for supplying the liquid to the bore, the needle having an opening through which the supplied liquid in the bore can flow, a diaphragm having a planar surface facing the needle opening, means for activating the diaphragm to cause the planar surface to oscillate at a high frequency, the oscillations being modulated in amplitude at a low frequency, the diaphragm being spaced from the needle opening so that they do not touch but maintain a continuous bridge of the liquid between liquid inside of the bore and the planar surface, the bridge being part of a liquid film on the planar surface when the planar surface is not oscillating, the liquid in the film being at least partially nebulized when the planar surface is oscillating to form an aerosol with a flowing carrier gas, a wick on the planar surface in contact with the film for removing from the film excess amounts of the liquid not involved in forming the aerosol.
Apparatus for nebulizing a liquid to form an aerosol comprising a diaphragm, means for supplying the liquid to a face of the diaphragm, means for vibrating the diaphragm to nebulize liquid supplied to the diaphragm face to an aerosol, and a wick on the diaphragm face for removing from the face excess amounts of the liquid not involved in forming an aerosol.
Apparatus for nebulizing a liquid to form an aerosol comprising:
Apparatus for nebulizing a liquid to form an aerosol comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.