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Title: Nebulizer device

Abstract

The present invention constitutes a portable nebulizer capable of producing a finely divided aerosol having uniformly sized droplets. The nebulizer includes a source of fluid such as a capillary tube coupled to a fluid reservoir to which a high voltage is applied in order to generate the aerosol by electrical atomization. The nebulizer further includes a piezoelectric crystal and a mechanism for deforming the crystal so as to generate the required voltage. The nebulizer further includes a means for mechanical positive displacement fluid control for controlling the amount of fluid atomized. By using electrical atomization to generate the aerosol and by piezoelectrically generating the voltage required for atomization, a nebulizer is provided which may be of small size so as to be suitable for hand-held operations, yet is capable of producing measured amounts of finely divided aerosols which are substantially monodispersed.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Richland, WA
  2. Cary, NC
  3. Gahanna, OH
  4. Benton City, WA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
870392
Patent Number(s):
5511726
Assignee:
Battelle Memorial Institute (Richland, WA)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B05 - SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL B05B - SPRAYING APPARATUS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
nebulizer; device; constitutes; portable; capable; producing; finely; divided; aerosol; uniformly; sized; droplets; source; fluid; capillary; tube; coupled; reservoir; voltage; applied; generate; electrical; atomization; piezoelectric; crystal; mechanism; deforming; required; means; mechanical; positive; displacement; control; controlling; amount; atomized; piezoelectrically; generating; provided; size; suitable; hand-held; operations; measured; amounts; aerosols; substantially; monodispersed; positive displacement; capillary tube; finely divided; piezoelectric crystal; required voltage; sized droplets; voltage required; tube coupled; uniformly sized; fluid reservoir; measured amount; nebulizer device; fluid control; divided aerosol; /239/

Citation Formats

Greenspan, Bernard J, Moss, Owen R, Schleiffer, Keith E, and Eick, James L. Nebulizer device. United States: N. p., 1996. Web.
Greenspan, Bernard J, Moss, Owen R, Schleiffer, Keith E, & Eick, James L. Nebulizer device. United States.
Greenspan, Bernard J, Moss, Owen R, Schleiffer, Keith E, and Eick, James L. Mon . "Nebulizer device". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/870392.
@article{osti_870392,
title = {Nebulizer device},
author = {Greenspan, Bernard J and Moss, Owen R and Schleiffer, Keith E and Eick, James L},
abstractNote = {The present invention constitutes a portable nebulizer capable of producing a finely divided aerosol having uniformly sized droplets. The nebulizer includes a source of fluid such as a capillary tube coupled to a fluid reservoir to which a high voltage is applied in order to generate the aerosol by electrical atomization. The nebulizer further includes a piezoelectric crystal and a mechanism for deforming the crystal so as to generate the required voltage. The nebulizer further includes a means for mechanical positive displacement fluid control for controlling the amount of fluid atomized. By using electrical atomization to generate the aerosol and by piezoelectrically generating the voltage required for atomization, a nebulizer is provided which may be of small size so as to be suitable for hand-held operations, yet is capable of producing measured amounts of finely divided aerosols which are substantially monodispersed.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1996},
month = {1}
}