US 6,148,536 AGranted

Two-fluid nozzle and device employing the same nozzle for freezing and drying liquid containing biological substances

AssigneeNippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

InventorTetsuo Iijima

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Abstract

A two-fluid nozzle for atomizing a liquid by mixing the liquid and a gas at high speed, wherein desired particle size is obtained at a low pressure, and a device employing the same nozzle for freezing and drying a liquid containing a biological substance are disclosed. The two-fluid nozzle which is provided with a first injection hole for injecting the liquid and a second injection hole for injecting the gas, wherein the second injection hole is provided around the outer periphery of the first injection hole; a revolving means (108 or 118) is provided to at least the front portion of the first injection hole for rending the liquid into revolving flow; and a revolving means (117) is provided to at least the front portion of the second injection holes for rending the gas into revolving flow, is suitable for atomization of a liquid containing a biological substance because the atomization at a low pressure is possible through operation of the revolving means for rending the gas and liquid into revolving flows.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A freeze-dryer for a liquid containing a biological substance for freezing and drying a liquid containing a biological substance, provided with:

a biological-substance-containing liquid supply means for supplying the liquid containing the biological substance;
a two-fluid nozzle for atomizing a liquid containing a biological substance by mixing a carrier gas and a liquid containing a biological substance supplied from the biological-substance-containing liquid supply means;
a freeze-drying means for freezing the atomized liquid containing the biological substance;
a nozzle internal cleaning means for cleaning off the liquid containing the biological substance which has become affixed to the inside of the two-fluid nozzle by flushing gas or a cleaning liquid through the two-fluid nozzle;
a container for storing and preserving the frozen liquid containing the biological substance;
and
a drying means for sublimating the moisture inside the container;
wherein, the two-fluid nozzle is provided with a first injection hole for injecting a liquid containing a biological substance and a second injection hole for injecting a carrier gas, the second injection hole is provided about the outer periphery of the first injection hole, and a revolving means is provided to at least the front portion of first and second injection hole for rendering the gas and the liquid into respective revolving flows.

5 more elements

A two-fluid nozzle for atomizing a liquid by mixing the liquid and a gas at high speed, wherein the two-fluid nozzle is provided with:

a first injection hole for injecting the liquid, having a columnar front end, and extending straight along an axial direction of the nozzle to form a straight passage for the liquid;
a second injection hole for injecting the gas around the outer periphery of the first injection hole;
and
revolving means located in at least the front portion of the first and second injection holes for rending the gas and liquid into respective revolving flows, said revolving means at the first injection hole being a spiral groove or spiral fin provided to an inner wall of at least the front portion of the first injection hole, or a cylindrical member having a spiral groove or spiral fin formed in an inner wall of said member and engaging with at least the front portion of the first injection hole.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.