US 5,435,282 A · Nebulizer

Abstract

A hand-held inhalation responsive nebuliser by which a nebulised air stream is created for quick and efficient delivery of a fluid medication to the respiratory tract of a patient through the deep lung. The nebuliser includes a normally open electrical switch and a rotatable trigger ring extending laterally across an air flow path through which a supply of non-medicated ambient air is drawn during inhalation by the patient. The ambient air supply drawn through the nebuliser causes the trigger ring to rotate into contact with and close the electrical switch, whereby a piezoelectric disk is energized to vibrate an emitter mesh. A metered volume of fluid medication delivered to the emitter mesh from a pre-filled medication cartridge is accelerated and pulled through the mesh as a fine mist of fluid droplets to form a nebulised medication plume. The nebulised medication plume is mixed in the mouthpiece of the nebuliser with the supply of non-medicated ambient air to create the nebulised air stream.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An inhalation responsive nebuliser surrounded by ambient air and comprising:

a hollow housing having proximal and distal ends and an air flow path extending therebetween;
a mouthpiece attached to the distal end of said housing at which a patient's inhalation draws a supply of the ambient air distally through the air flow path of said housing and into said mouthpiece;
an emitter mesh located within said housing and communicating with said mouthpiece;
cartridge means in which to store a fluid medication, said cartridge means including a piston located at one end thereof;
means to deliver a supply of said fluid medication from said cartridge means to said emitter mesh;
and
electric drive circuit means including electrical switch means, said electrical switch means responsive to the supply of ambient air drawn through the air flow path of said housing for connecting said drive circuit means to said emitter mesh and causing said emitter mesh to vibrate, whereby the fluid medication delivered to said emitter mesh from said cartridge means passes through said mesh as a mist to be mixed with the supply of ambient air in said mouthpiece.

4 more elements

A nebuliser comprising:

a hollow housing having proximal and distal ends and an air flow path extending therebetween;
a mouthpiece attached to the distal end of said housing at which a patient's inhalation draws air distally through the air flow path of said housing and into said mouthpiece;
an emitter mesh located within said housing and communicating with said mouthpiece;
cartridge means in which to store a fluid medication;
and
means to deliver a supply of said fluid medication from said cartridge means to said emitter mesh including fluid valve means located between said emitter mesh and said cartridge means, said fluid valve means having a flexible membrane with at least one fluid orifice formed therethrough that is closed to the delivery of said supply of said fluid medication from said cartridge means to said emitter mesh, said flexible membrane being distended towards said emitter mesh in response to said supply of said fluid medication from said cartridge means to thereby open said fluid orifice to the delivery of said supply of fluid medication from said cartridge means to said emitter mesh.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Nebulizer

Life of this patent

Nebulizer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20