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US 9,539,407 B2Granted
Adjustable nebulizer dispenser
AssigneeVyaire Medical Consumables LLC
InventorsChristopher Varga, Thomas Dillingham, Brian Pierro, Khalid Mansour
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nebulizer dispenser has a T-piece, a body sealingly coupled to the T-piece and configured to contain a liquid medication, and a breathing piece sealingly coupled to the T-piece. The dispenser also has a ball-and-socket joint coupled between the T-piece and either the breathing piece or the body. The ball-and-socket joint allows relative rotational motion of the T-piece in a pitch axis, a yaw axis, and a roll axis.
Claims20
A nebulizer dispenser comprising:
- a T-piece;
- a body sealingly coupled to the T-piece, the body configured to contain a liquid medication;
- a breathing piece sealingly coupled to the T-piece;
- and
- a ball-and-socket joint coupled between the T-piece and one of the breathing piece and the body, the ball-and-socket joint configured to allow rotational motion of the T-piece with respect to the one of the breathing piece and the body in a pitch axis, a yaw axis, and a roll axis, wherein the ball-and-socket joint comprises a ball and a socket, the ball having (i) a first circumferential ridge, a second circumferential ridge, and a plurality of ribs transverse to the first and second ridges, the first ridge and the ribs having top surfaces forming a common spherical surface, and (ii) a recessed surface defined by the first and second ridges and the ribs, the recessed surface recessed from the spherical surface, wherein the top surfaces of the first ridge and the ribs are configured to engage an inner surface of the socket so as to form a seal to restrict fluid flow between the ball and the socket, wherein a top surface of the second ridge is raised above the recessed surface and coincident with the spherical surface.
2 more elements
A nebulizer dispenser comprising:
- a T-piece comprising a breathing piece, a ball having (i) a first raised circumferential ridge, a second raised circumferential ridge, and a plurality of raised ribs transverse to the first and second ridges, the first ridge and the ribs have top surfaces forming a common spherical surface, and (ii) a recessed surface defined by the first and second ridges and the ribs, the recessed surface recessed from the spherical surface of the first and second ridges and the ribs, wherein a first flow path passes through a bore of the ball to the breathing piece;
- an intermediate piece comprising:
- a socket configured to mate with the ball of the T-piece and allow rotational motion of the T-piece with respect to the intermediate piece in a pitch axis, a yaw axis, and a roll axis, wherein the top surfaces of the first ridge and the ribs are configured to engage an inner surface of the socket so as to form a seal to restrict fluid flow between the ball and the socket, and wherein a top surface of the second ridge is raised above the recessed surface and coincident with the spherical surface;
- a first slip joint element;
- and
- a second flow path passing from the first slip joint element to the socket;
- and
- a body comprising:
- a second slip joint element configured to sealingly mate with the first slip joint element of the intermediate piece;
- an inlet configured to accept a flow of pressurized gas;
- and
- a nebulizer configured to contain a liquid medication and aerosolize the liquid medication into the accepted flow of pressurized gas and provide the mixture of pressurized gas and aerosolized medication though the second slip joint element, the intermediate piece, and the T-piece to the breathing piece.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.