Method and apparatus for optimizing aerosol generation with ultrasonic transducers
OwnerJonathan J. Ricciardi, Carl L. Ricciardi +2inventors
InventorsJonathan J. Ricciardi, Carl L. Ricciardi, Howard J. Swidler, Scott L. Vialpando
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is an apparatus and methods for optimizing the performance and protecting one or more aerosol generating transducers from deterioration while operating in a chemically reactive aqueous solution by utilizing one or more protective barrier techniques to eliminate chemical interaction between the aqueous solution and the transducers. The method of the present invention produces an aerosol producing transducer with the transducer housing and assembly to be constructed in such a way as to assure its efficient and effective long-term and problem free operation in an aqueous solution that is chemically reactive.
Claims18
An apparatus for optimizing aerosol generation, comprising:
- at least one transducer;
- a fluid reservoir containing a liquid, an aerosol is generated from the liquid;
- and
- a protective barrier secured to the at least one transducer, the protective barrier being fabricated from a material which protects the at least one transducer from a chemical interaction with the liquid, the protective barrier is in direct contact with the liquid, wherein the protective barrier has a thickness of between 0.001 inches and 0.125 inches that is approximately n/4 of a wavelength of a wave generated by the at least one transducer at a resonant frequency for the at least one transducer, wherein n is any odd integer, and wherein the at least one transducer is operated at an operational frequency that is different than the resonant frequency to produce the aerosol.
An apparatus for optimizing aerosol generation, comprising:
- at least one transducer including a conductive layer;
- a fluid reservoir containing a liquid, an aerosol is generated from the liquid;
- and
- a protective barrier being bonded to the conductive layer, the protective barrier is in direct contact with the liquid, the protective barrier being fabricated from a material which protects the at least one transducer from at least one of an acid and alkaline, wherein the protective barrier has a thickness that is approximately n/4 of a wavelength of a wave generated by the at least one transducer at a resonant frequency between about 0.025 MHz and about 10 MHz for the at least one transducer, wherein n is any odd integer, and wherein the at least one transducer is operated at an operational frequency that is different than the resonant frequency to produce the aerosol.
An apparatus for optimizing aerosol generation, comprising:
- a) at least one transducer including a conductive layer,
- a fluid reservoir containing a liquid, an aerosol is generated from the liquid;
- and
- b) a protective barrier being bonded to the conductive layer with a bonding substance, said bonding substance is disposed between said transducer and said conductive layer, the protective barrier is in direct contact with the liquid, wherein the protective barrier has a thickness of between 0.001 inches and 0.125 inches that is approximately n/4 of a wavelength of a wave generated by the at least one transducer at a resonant frequency for the at least one transducer, wherein n is any odd integer, and wherein the at least one transducer is operated at an operational frequency that is different than the resonant frequency to produce the aerosol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.