Aerosol created by directed flow of fluids and devices and methods for producing same

Abstract

A method of creating small particles by a technology referred to here as “violent focusing” is disclosed, along with devices for generating such violent focusing. In general, the method comprises the steps of forcing a first fluid out of an exit opening of the feeding channel to create a fluid stream. The exit opening is positioned such that the fluid flowing out of the channel flows toward and out of an exit orifice of a pressure chamber which surrounds the exit opening of the feeding channel, and is filled with an atomizing fluid. An atomizing fluid such as a gas is directed towards the first fluid stream in approximately orthogonal directions and surrounding the circumference of the first fluid stream from all sides. The first fluid flow is broken into particles which have dimensions which are smaller than the dimensions of this fluid stream.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09 / 591,365 filed Jun. 9, 2000 which claims priority to earlier filed provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 138,698 filed Jun. 11, 1999, which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This application generally relates to the creation particles created by the directed flow of fluids. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Devices for creating finely directed streams of fluids and / or creating aerosolized particles of a desired size are used in a wide range of different applications, such as, for example, finely directed streams of ink for ink jet printers, or directed streams of solutions containing biological molecules for the preparation of microarrays. The production of finely dispersed aerosols is also important for (1) aerosolized delivery of drugs to obtain deep even flow of the aerosolized particles into the lungs of patients; (2) aerosol...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] The invention disclosed has the added advantage of ease of manufacture. In addition, the simplicity of the geometry allows very small dimensions, thus allowing further reductions in the particle size by creating an atomizer with reduced dimensions, which exposes a greater interfacial area of the first fluid to the second fluid per unit volume of first fluid. Thus, a distinct advantage of the invention is the simplicity of its geometry, which allows it to be produced in miniature size (e.g. less than one kilogram) inexpensively, as might be required for example, for pulmonary drug delivery applications. Another advantage is the ability to form aerosols of 1-3 micrometers in diameter, as required for efficient delivery of pharmaceuticals to the lungs. Miniature size atomizers can be easily stacked up or combined into a single unit to obtain a desired amount of delivered atomizate in a predetermined amount of time. This is particularly important when the overall size of the unit needs to be small, such as in pulmonary applications in which the object is to obtain a portable device having a small overall size. Another advantage of the geometry disclosed is in its very low deposition of particles on the solid walls of the atomizer.

is the simplicity of its geometry, which allows it to be produced in miniature size (e.g. less than one kilogram) inexpensively, as might be required for example, for pulmonary drug delivery applications. Another advantage is the ability to form aerosols of 1-3 micrometers in diameter, as required for efficient delivery of pharmaceuticals to the lungs. Miniature size atomizers can be easily stacked up or combined into a single unit to obtain a desired amount of delivered atomizate in a predetermined amount of time. This is particularly important when the overall size of the unit needs to be small, such as in pulmonary applications in which the object is to obtain a portable device having a small overall size. Another advantage of the geometry disclosed is in its very low deposition of particles on the solid walls of the atomizer.

Problems solved by technology

Pneumatic atomizers are disadvantageous relative to non-pneumatic forms of atomization in their need of a source of compressed gas, as well as in their generally higher requirements of energy used to atomize a unit mass of liquid.

This higher energy usage is recognized to be associated with the need to compress gas, but is also associated with a general low efficiency of energy transfer.

Another disadvantage associated to pneumatic atomizers is their relatively complex geometry / structure, which makes them more expensive to manufacture.

While this system is simple in design, it requires incurring large energy losses associated with forcing the gas through a porous plug in the region immediately preceding the region of encounter of the gas with the liquid.

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