Aerosol Device Fluid Detection via Vibrator Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol delivery devices lack reliable and efficient methods to detect the presence of fluid or liquid, leading to potential incomplete dosing and inaccurate therapy delivery, especially in inhalation nebulizers where structural details and external factors can affect detection accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An aerosol delivery device equipped with a vibratable membrane, a vibrator, a controller, and a temperature sensor that detects the presence of fluid based on temperature changes, allowing for reliable and efficient detection of fluid presence independently of structural details, ensuring accurate dosing and therapy completion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If temperature-based detection is used to detect fluid presence, then detection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional temperature sensor and control circuitry
Solution Approach 1:
The vibrator serves dual functions: it vibrates the membrane for aerosol generation and simultaneously acts as a heating element whose temperature changes serve as the detection signal. The system uses the vibrator's own thermal response to fluid presence rather than requiring separate detection mechanisms, thereby improving reliability while minimizing additional complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensor and control circuitry integrate multiple functions: monitoring vibrator temperature for fluid detection, controlling vibrator operation, and managing power consumption. This multi-functionality approach consolidates detection and control operations into existing components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high detection reliability
2Reliability
If the vibrator operates continuously to ensure complete dosing, then therapy accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases reducing battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The controller operates the vibrator in periodic cycles rather than continuously, activating it only when fluid is detected and deactivating it when the fluid reservoir is depleted. This periodic operation maintains complete dosing accuracy while dramatically reducing overall power consumption and extending battery life
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control where the temperature sensor continuously monitors vibrator temperature to detect fluid presence, and the controller adjusts vibrator operation based on this feedback. When no fluid is detected (indicated by abnormal temperature rise), the controller automatically deactivates the vibrator, ensuring complete dosing when fluid is present while conserving energy when the reservoir is empty
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides reliable detection of fluid presence, ensuring complete dosing and accurate therapy delivery, while minimizing power consumption and extending battery life by automatically deactivating when no fluid is present, thus enhancing treatment efficiency and patient compliance.
Implementation Method 1
The aerosol generator (20) comprises a membrane (1) and a vibrator (7), in particular a piezoelectric element, which is configured to vibrate the liquid (3) and to aerosolise the liquid (3) by the membrane (1)
Implementation Method 2
a temperature sensor (13) which is configured to detect a temperature of the piezoelectric element (7)
Implementation Method 3
If there is no longer any liquid present, the piezocrystal heats up very quickly
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~7
AI summary
The invention relates to an aerosol delivery device (A) comprising an aerosol generator for generating an aerosol in the aerosol delivery device (A). The aerosol generator comprises a membrane (1) and a vibrator (7) which is configured to vibrate a fluid (3) and to aerosolise the fluid (3) by the membrane (1). The aerosol delivery device (A) further comprises a fluid reservoir (2) for receiving the fluid (3) to be aerosolised, wherein the fluid reservoir (2) is arranged in fluid communication with the membrane (1). Moreover, the aerosol delivery device (A) comprises a controller (10) which is configured to operate the vibrator (7) so as to vibrate the fluid (3), a temperature sensor (13) which is configured to detect a temperature of the vibrator (7) and/or the membrane (1), and a detector (13a) which is configured to detect the presence of fluid (3) in contact with the membrane (1) and/or in the fluid reservoir (2) on the basis of the temperature of the vibrator (7) and/or the membrane (1) detected by the temperature sensor (13). Further, the invention relates to a method of operating such an aerosol delivery device (A).