Nebulisation of Liquids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017333644-A1
Application number	US-201515525509-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2015
Priority date	Nov 11, 2014
Publication date	Nov 23, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device is disclosed for the preparation of nebulised droplets, for inhalation. The device has: a surface acoustic wave (SAW) transmission surface; a SAW transducer adapted to generate and propagate SAWs along the SAW transmission surface; and an array of cavities opening at the SAW transmission surface for containing a liquid. In operation, SAWs propagating along the SAW transmission surface interact with the liquid in the cavities to produce nebulised droplets of the liquid. Operation of the device results in a nebulised plume of droplets of average diameter in the range 1-5 μm.

First claim

1 . A device for the preparation of nebulised droplets, the device having:
a surface acoustic wave (SAW) transmission surface; a SAW transducer adapted to generate and propagate SAWs along the SAW transmission surface; and an array of cavities opening at the SAW transmission surface for containing a liquid, wherein, in operation, SAWs propagating along the SAW transmission surface interact with the liquid in the cavities to produce nebulised droplets of the liquid.

2 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the SAW transmission surface is a surface of a superstrate coupled to the SAW transducer.

3 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the cavities have substantially the same shape.

4 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the cavities have substantially different shapes.

5 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the cavities form an array of cavities of substantially random shapes.

6 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the cavities are closed at an end distal from the SAW transmission surface.

7 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the cavities are open at an end distal from the SAW transmission surface.

8 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the cavities have substantially the same dimensions.

9 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the array of cavities is an ordered array.

10 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the array of cavities does not have long range order.

11 . The device according to claim 1 wherein each cavity has an interior surface, said interior surface of the cavities being chemically, physically or electrically modified in order to promote the containment of the liquid in the cavities.

12 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the SAW transmission surface is chemically, physically or electrically modified in order to promote the containment of the liquid in the cavities.

13 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the device includes a plurality of arrays of cavities, operable to contribute to the rate of nebulisation of liquid from the device.

14 . The device according to claim 1 wherein the maximum dimension of the cavities in a direction perpendicular to the depth of the cavities is less than 500 μm.

15 . A method for the preparation of nebulised droplets, including providing a device having a surface acoustic wave (SAW) transmission surface, a SAW transducer adapted to generate and propagate SAWs along the SAW transmission surface, and an array of cavities opening at the SAW transmission surface, the method including the steps:
containing a liquid in the cavities; and causing SAWs to propagate along the SAW transmission surface to interact with the liquid in the cavities to produce nebulised droplets of the liquid.

16 . The method according to claim 15 wherein when the SAW transmission surface is facing upwards, the liquid is contained in the cavities such that the free surface of the liquid is below the level of the SAW transmission surface.

17 . The method according to claim 15 wherein operation of the device results in a nebulised plume of droplets of average diameter in the range 1-5 μm.

18 . The method according to claim 15 wherein operation of the device results in a nebulised plume of droplets with a respirable fraction of at least 80%.

19 . The method according to claim 15 further including the step of supplying liquid for nebulisation.

20 . A method for the preparation of nebulised droplets and their delivery to a subject for therapeutic treatment, including providing a device having a surface acoustic wave (SAW) transmission surface, a SAW transducer adapted to generate and propagate SAWs along the SAW transmission surface, and an array of cavities opening at the SAW transmission surface, the method including the steps:
containing a liquid in the cavities; causing SAWs to propagate along the SAW transmission surface to interact with the liquid in the cavities to produce nebulised droplets of the liquid; and delivery of the nebulised droplets to the subject for therapeutic treatment by inhalation.

21 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Univ Glasgow Court

Inventors

• Reboud Julien
• Wilson Robert
• Cooper Jonathan

Classifications

• A61M2205/0238

  the material being a coating or protective layer · CPC title

• A61M11/005 Primary

  using ultrasonics (spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06) · CPC title

• A61M15/0085

  using ultrasonics (spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06) · CPC title

• A61M2202/0468

  non-physiological · CPC title

• A61M2205/0294

  Piezoelectric materials · CPC title