WO2016142527A1 - A device for atomising a liquid - Google Patents

A device for atomising a liquid Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2016142527A1
WO2016142527A1 PCT/EP2016/055321 EP2016055321W WO2016142527A1 WO 2016142527 A1 WO2016142527 A1 WO 2016142527A1 EP 2016055321 W EP2016055321 W EP 2016055321W WO 2016142527 A1 WO2016142527 A1 WO 2016142527A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cylinder
nozzle
liquid
reservoir
gas
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/EP2016/055321
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Philip CANNER
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Linde GmbH
Original Assignee
Linde GmbH
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Linde GmbH filed Critical Linde GmbH
Publication of WO2016142527A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016142527A1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M11/00—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes
    • A61M11/006—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes operated by applying mechanical pressure to the liquid to be sprayed or atomised
    • A61M11/007—Syringe-type or piston-type sprayers or atomisers
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M11/00—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes
    • A61M11/06—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes of the injector type
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M35/00—Devices for applying media, e.g. remedies, on the human body
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
    • B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
    • B05B11/06—Gas or vapour producing the flow, e.g. from a compressible bulb or air pump
    • B05B11/061—Gas or vapour producing the flow, e.g. from a compressible bulb or air pump characterised by the means producing the gas or vapour pressure
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B9/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour
    • B05B9/03—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material
    • B05B9/04—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material with pressurised or compressible container; with pump
    • B05B9/047—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material with pressurised or compressible container; with pump supply being effected by follower in container, e.g. membrane or floating piston, or by deformation of container
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B9/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour
    • B05B9/03—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material
    • B05B9/04—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material with pressurised or compressible container; with pump
    • B05B9/08—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type
    • B05B9/0805—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type comprising a pressurised or compressible container for liquid or other fluent material
    • B05B9/0833—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type comprising a pressurised or compressible container for liquid or other fluent material comprising a compressed gas container, e.g. a nitrogen cartridge
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B9/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour
    • B05B9/03—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material
    • B05B9/04—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material with pressurised or compressible container; with pump
    • B05B9/08—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type
    • B05B9/0805—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type comprising a pressurised or compressible container for liquid or other fluent material
    • B05B9/0838—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type comprising a pressurised or compressible container for liquid or other fluent material supply being effected by follower in container, e.g. membrane or floating piston, or by deformation of container
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D83/00—Containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents
    • B65D83/14—Containers for dispensing liquid or semi-liquid contents by internal gaseous pressure, i.e. aerosol containers comprising propellant
    • B65D83/44—Valves specially adapted for the discharge of contents; Regulating devices
    • B65D83/52—Metering valves; Metering devices
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M11/00—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes
    • A61M11/001—Particle size control
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M15/00—Inhalators
    • A61M15/0028—Inhalators using prepacked dosages, one for each application, e.g. capsules to be perforated or broken-up
    • A61M15/003—Inhalators using prepacked dosages, one for each application, e.g. capsules to be perforated or broken-up using capsules, e.g. to be perforated or broken-up
    • A61M15/0033—Details of the piercing or cutting means
    • A61M15/0035—Piercing means
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M15/00—Inhalators
    • A61M15/0028—Inhalators using prepacked dosages, one for each application, e.g. capsules to be perforated or broken-up
    • A61M15/003—Inhalators using prepacked dosages, one for each application, e.g. capsules to be perforated or broken-up using capsules, e.g. to be perforated or broken-up
    • A61M15/0033—Details of the piercing or cutting means
    • A61M15/0041—Details of the piercing or cutting means with movable piercing or cutting means
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2202/00—Special media to be introduced, removed or treated
    • A61M2202/02—Gases
    • A61M2202/0208—Oxygen
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2202/00—Special media to be introduced, removed or treated
    • A61M2202/02—Gases
    • A61M2202/0225—Carbon oxides, e.g. Carbon dioxide
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2202/00—Special media to be introduced, removed or treated
    • A61M2202/02—Gases
    • A61M2202/025—Helium
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2202/00—Special media to be introduced, removed or treated
    • A61M2202/04—Liquids
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
    • A61M2205/27—General characteristics of the apparatus preventing use
    • A61M2205/273—General characteristics of the apparatus preventing use preventing reuse, e.g. of disposables
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
    • A61M2205/82—Internal energy supply devices
    • A61M2205/8218—Gas operated
    • A61M2205/8225—Gas operated using incorporated gas cartridges for the driving gas
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M2206/00—Characteristics of a physical parameter; associated device therefor
    • A61M2206/10—Flow characteristics
    • A61M2206/16—Rotating swirling helical flow, e.g. by tangential inflows
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M35/00—Devices for applying media, e.g. remedies, on the human body
    • A61M35/003—Portable hand-held applicators having means for dispensing or spreading integral media
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
    • B05B1/34—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl
    • B05B1/3405—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl
    • B05B1/341—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a device for atomising a liquid.
  • Atomised liquids are used for many purposes.
  • One such use is for therapy, for example, by application to the skin or by inhalation.
  • One example is the atomisation of sodium chloride for inhalation to assist with the removal of mucus and debris from the lungs.
  • Another example is atomisation of hyaluronic acid for skin beauty purposes.
  • a device for atomising liquids to form a mist is
  • EP 2626052 consists of a gas cylinder attached at its top end via a manifold to a separate
  • a face mask is attached at an outlet port on the top of the cartridge by which a user inhales the vapour.
  • a housing comprising a reservoir of liquid fluidly connected to a nebulising nozzle, a sealed space containing a cylinder of pressurised actuating gas, and a moveable barrier which separates the reservoir from the sealed space, wherein the device is operable in use to allow the pressurised actuating gas to escape from the cylinder into the sealed space and act on the moveable barrier to force liquid in the reservoir to pass through the nozzle and be emitted as an aerosol.
  • the present invention thus provides a simple device for
  • the moveable barrier may be a piston, or a resiliently deformable membrane.
  • the device may further comprise a piercing element for piercing the cylinder when the device is operated.
  • the piercing element may be connected to the moveable barrier to reduce the number of moving components present during the operation of the device.
  • a portion of the housing is preferably deformable to allow the size of the sealed space to be reduced such to move the cylinder into
  • the gas inside the cylinder is preferably at a pressure of up to 300 Bar.
  • the cylinder can be made very small so as to minimise the overall size of the device.
  • the cylinder preferably has a water capacity less than or equal to 50ml, more preferably less than or equal to 20ml, and more preferably less than or equal to 10ml. In this way, the device contains only a small amount of gas so that the device can only be used once.
  • the nozzle is preferably arranged to generate an aerosol which comprises droplets of a diameter of less than ⁇ .
  • the nozzle is preferably a swirl nozzle.
  • the liquid inside the reservoir may be a saline
  • the device is then useable to assist with the removal of mucus and debris from the lungs.
  • the liquid may instead contain hyaluronic acid so that the device can be used for skin beauty purposes.
  • the pressurised actuating gas may be a non-breathing gas such as carbon dioxide.
  • the pressurised actuating gas may be a breathing gas such as compressed air or helium (a mixture of helium and oxygen) .
  • the device may be provided as a single-use disposable cartridge. It may also be provided as part of an assembly further comprising a base unit comprising an actuating means for operating the device.
  • Figure 1 which shows a cross section view of an atomiser device
  • Figure 2 shows a first side view and a second cross section view of nozzle for use with the atomiser device of Figure 1.
  • an atomiser device 10 which comprises a generally cylindrical housing 12 within which is located a reservoir 16 for liquid, and a cavity 13 for holding a container 14 of pressurised gas.
  • the container 14 is a gas cylinder. Depending on the liquid contained in the reservoir 16, the gas inside the cylinder 14 is pressurised at a pressure of up to a 300 Bar.
  • a nozzle 18 is connected to the housing 12 and is fluidly connected to the liquid contained in the reservoir 16 such to define an outlet for the liquid from the device 10.
  • a closure means (not shown in the Figures), such as a valve or a peelable film, is located between the reservoir 16 and the nozzle 18 to control the flow of liquid through the nozzle 18 when the device is not in use.
  • the size of each of the reservoir 16 and the cavity 13 is controlled by a moveable barrier 20 located in the housing 12.
  • the moveable barrier 20 is a piston which acts as a common wall for both the reservoir 16 and the cavity 13.
  • a first face 22 of the piston is in contact with the liquid from the reservoir 16 whilst a second face 24 of the piston is in fluid communication with the gas contained in the cavity 13.
  • the piston is slideable along the length of the cylindrical housing to vary the size of each of the reservoir 16 and the cavity 13.
  • the second face 24 of the actuating member 20 comprises an element 26 for piercing the cylinder 14 when the device is used.
  • the element 26 is actuated by an opening mechanism not shown in the Figures.
  • the opening mechanism may take the form of anything which can move the piercing element 26 relative to the cylinder 14.
  • the bottom of the housing 12 may be deformable to allow the cylinder 14 to be pushed into engagement with the piercing element 26.
  • the housing 12 may be provided as two parts which can be screwed together to push the cylinder 14 into engagement with the piercing element 26.
  • the opening mechanism is operated so that the piercing element 26 pierces the
  • the nozzle 18 is generally cylindrically shaped and comprises a screw thread 30 on a portion of its outer surface which engages with a corresponding thread (not shown) on the housing 12 so that the nozzle can be
  • the interior of the nozzle 18 defines a channel 32 into which liquid from the reservoir 16 enters (signified by the arrow shown in Figure 2) when the closure means is open. As the liquid flows through the nozzle, the nozzle induces a swirling motion on the liquid to generate an aerosol spray 28 with droplets having a diameter of less than ⁇ .
  • nozzle could be used with the device 10, for instance a nozzle which utilises an impingement pin, or a nozzle involving liquid jet impingement technology (for instance the nozzle used on the Respimat® Soft MistTM Inhaler) .
  • the liquid contained within the reservoir is any liquid which can be atomised. Exemplary liquids which can be used include a solution of sodium chloride for when the device is used assisting with the removal of mucus and debris from the lungs, and hyaluronic acid for use in skin beauty purposes.
  • the device 10 preferably takes the form of a disposable cartridge which comes pre-filled with a liquid in the reservoir 16 and a cylinder 14 of pressurised gas in the cavity 13.
  • the cylinder 14 from the device 10 preferably has a water capacity less than or equal to 50ml, more preferably less than or equal to 20ml, and even more preferably a water capacity less than or equal to 10ml.
  • the cartridge may be supplied together with a base unit comprising an actuating means for operating the opening mechanism of the cartridge.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Hematology (AREA)
  • Anesthesiology (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)

Abstract

A device (10) for atomising a liquid comprising a housing (12) having a reservoir (16) of liquid connected to a nebulising nozzle (18) and a sealed space (13) containing a cylinder (14) of pressurised gas. The housing also has a moveable barrier (20) which separates the reservoir from the sealed space. When operated, the device allows the pressurised gas to escape from the cylinder into the sealed space, and act on the moveable barrier, to force liquid in the reservoir to pass through the nozzle and be emitted as an aerosol.

Description

A DEVICE FOR ATOMISING A LIQUID
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for atomising a liquid.
Atomised liquids are used for many purposes. One such use is for therapy, for example, by application to the skin or by inhalation. One example is the atomisation of sodium chloride for inhalation to assist with the removal of mucus and debris from the lungs. Another example is atomisation of hyaluronic acid for skin beauty purposes. A device for atomising liquids to form a mist is
disclosed in EP 2626052. It consists of a gas cylinder attached at its top end via a manifold to a separate
cartridge containing a liquid to which gas is supplied in order to generate a mist. A face mask is attached at an outlet port on the top of the cartridge by which a user inhales the vapour.
In order to gain wider acceptance, there is a need for a single-use disposable version of such atomisers which are simple to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a housing comprising a reservoir of liquid fluidly connected to a nebulising nozzle, a sealed space containing a cylinder of pressurised actuating gas, and a moveable barrier which separates the reservoir from the sealed space, wherein the device is operable in use to allow the pressurised actuating gas to escape from the cylinder into the sealed space and act on the moveable barrier to force liquid in the reservoir to pass through the nozzle and be emitted as an aerosol. The present invention thus provides a simple device for
dispensing a liquid in aerosol form.
The moveable barrier may be a piston, or a resiliently deformable membrane.
The device may further comprise a piercing element for piercing the cylinder when the device is operated. In this case, the piercing element may be connected to the moveable barrier to reduce the number of moving components present during the operation of the device. A portion of the housing is preferably deformable to allow the size of the sealed space to be reduced such to move the cylinder into
engagement with the piercing element when the device is operated.
The gas inside the cylinder is preferably at a pressure of up to 300 Bar. By containing gases at such high pressure, the cylinder can be made very small so as to minimise the overall size of the device.
The cylinder preferably has a water capacity less than or equal to 50ml, more preferably less than or equal to 20ml, and more preferably less than or equal to 10ml. In this way, the device contains only a small amount of gas so that the device can only be used once. The nozzle is preferably arranged to generate an aerosol which comprises droplets of a diameter of less than ΙΟμιη.
The nozzle is preferably a swirl nozzle.
The liquid inside the reservoir may be a saline
solution, for example a solution of sodium chloride. The device is then useable to assist with the removal of mucus and debris from the lungs. The liquid may instead contain hyaluronic acid so that the device can be used for skin beauty purposes.
The pressurised actuating gas may be a non-breathing gas such as carbon dioxide. Alternatively, the pressurised actuating gas may be a breathing gas such as compressed air or helium (a mixture of helium and oxygen) .
The device may be provided as a single-use disposable cartridge. It may also be provided as part of an assembly further comprising a base unit comprising an actuating means for operating the device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:
Figure 1 which shows a cross section view of an atomiser device; and
Figure 2 shows a first side view and a second cross section view of nozzle for use with the atomiser device of Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
With reference to Figure 1, there is shown an atomiser device 10 which comprises a generally cylindrical housing 12 within which is located a reservoir 16 for liquid, and a cavity 13 for holding a container 14 of pressurised gas.
The container 14 is a gas cylinder. Depending on the liquid contained in the reservoir 16, the gas inside the cylinder 14 is pressurised at a pressure of up to a 300 Bar.
A nozzle 18 is connected to the housing 12 and is fluidly connected to the liquid contained in the reservoir 16 such to define an outlet for the liquid from the device 10. A closure means (not shown in the Figures), such as a valve or a peelable film, is located between the reservoir 16 and the nozzle 18 to control the flow of liquid through the nozzle 18 when the device is not in use. The size of each of the reservoir 16 and the cavity 13 is controlled by a moveable barrier 20 located in the housing 12. As shown in Figure 1, the moveable barrier 20 is a piston which acts as a common wall for both the reservoir 16 and the cavity 13. A first face 22 of the piston is in contact with the liquid from the reservoir 16 whilst a second face 24 of the piston is in fluid communication with the gas contained in the cavity 13. In use, the piston is slideable along the length of the cylindrical housing to vary the size of each of the reservoir 16 and the cavity 13.
The second face 24 of the actuating member 20 comprises an element 26 for piercing the cylinder 14 when the device is used. The element 26 is actuated by an opening mechanism not shown in the Figures. The opening mechanism may take the form of anything which can move the piercing element 26 relative to the cylinder 14. For instance, the bottom of the housing 12 may be deformable to allow the cylinder 14 to be pushed into engagement with the piercing element 26.
Alternatively, the housing 12 may be provided as two parts which can be screwed together to push the cylinder 14 into engagement with the piercing element 26.
In use of the device 10, the opening mechanism is operated so that the piercing element 26 pierces the
cylinder 14 to allow gas to escape therefrom. The escaped pressurised gas enters the cavity 13 which generates a force on the second face 24 of the piston 20, which forces the piston 20 to slide inside the housing 12 towards the nozzle 18. Due to the reduction in size of the reservoir, some of the liquid contained in the reservoir 16 forces open, and passes through, the closure means into the nozzle 18 and out of the device 10 as an aerosol spray 28.
An exemplary nozzle 18 for use with the device 10 is shown in Figure 2. The nozzle 18 is generally cylindrically shaped and comprises a screw thread 30 on a portion of its outer surface which engages with a corresponding thread (not shown) on the housing 12 so that the nozzle can be
releasably connected to the housing.
The interior of the nozzle 18 defines a channel 32 into which liquid from the reservoir 16 enters (signified by the arrow shown in Figure 2) when the closure means is open. As the liquid flows through the nozzle, the nozzle induces a swirling motion on the liquid to generate an aerosol spray 28 with droplets having a diameter of less than ΙΟμιη.
It will be appreciated that other types of nozzle could be used with the device 10, for instance a nozzle which utilises an impingement pin, or a nozzle involving liquid jet impingement technology (for instance the nozzle used on the Respimat® Soft Mist™ Inhaler) . The liquid contained within the reservoir is any liquid which can be atomised. Exemplary liquids which can be used include a solution of sodium chloride for when the device is used assisting with the removal of mucus and debris from the lungs, and hyaluronic acid for use in skin beauty purposes.
The device 10 preferably takes the form of a disposable cartridge which comes pre-filled with a liquid in the reservoir 16 and a cylinder 14 of pressurised gas in the cavity 13. The cylinder 14 from the device 10 preferably has a water capacity less than or equal to 50ml, more preferably less than or equal to 20ml, and even more preferably a water capacity less than or equal to 10ml.
The cartridge may be supplied together with a base unit comprising an actuating means for operating the opening mechanism of the cartridge.

Claims

1. A device for atomising a liquid, the device comprising a housing comprising a reservoir of liquid fluidly connected to a nebulising nozzle, a sealed space containing a cylinder of pressurised actuating gas, and a moveable barrier which separates the reservoir from the sealed space, wherein the device is operable in use to allow the pressurised actuating gas to escape from the cylinder into the sealed space and act on the moveable barrier to force liquid in the reservoir to pass through the nozzle and be emitted as an aerosol.
2. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the moveable barrier is a piston.
3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the moveable barrier is a resiliently deformable membrane.
4. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the device further comprises a piercing element for piercing the cylinder when the device is operated.
5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the piercing element is connected to the moveable barrier.
6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the gas inside the cylinder is at a pressure of up to 300 Bar.
7. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the cylinder has a water capacity less than or equal to 50ml.
8. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the cylinder has a water capacity less than or equal to 20ml.
9. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the cylinder has a water capacity less than or equal to 10ml.
10. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the nozzle is arranged to generate an aerosol which comprises droplets of a diameter of less than ΙΟμιη.
11. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the nozzle is a swirl nozzle.
12. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the liquid inside the reservoir is a saline solution.
13. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the pressurised actuating gas is a non-breathing gas.
14. A device according to claims 1-12 wherein the
pressurised actuating gas is a breathing gas.
15. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the device is a single-use disposable cartridge.
16. An assembly comprising the device of any preceding claim and a base unit comprising an actuating means for operating the device.
PCT/EP2016/055321 2015-03-11 2016-03-11 A device for atomising a liquid Ceased WO2016142527A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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GB1504094.2 2015-03-11
GB1504094.2A GB2536259A (en) 2015-03-11 2015-03-11 A device for atomising a liquid

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CN115297855A (en) * 2020-03-19 2022-11-04 索芙特海尔公司 Methods of treating NLRP3-related diseases
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