Aseptic Misting Device With Removable Nozzle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing misting devices, especially the expensive ones, are prone to contamination and require careful cleaning or disposal due to the interaction between the sonic generator and the liquid, leading to uncontrolled dosage and droplet size issues.
Innovation Solution
A handheld misting device design that isolates the sonic generator from the liquid by using a removable nozzle and reservoir system, where the liquid is directed through submillimeter-sized nozzles attached to an elongate sonic horn, preventing contamination and allowing for controlled aerosol generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sonic generator is directly exposed to the liquid reservoir, then the device can generate aerosol mist, but the sonic generator becomes contaminated and requires careful cleaning or disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate components: a reusable sonic generator and a disposable liquid reservoir with nozzle. This segmentation prevents the sonic generator from contacting the liquid, eliminating contamination risks while maintaining ease of operation through simple replacement of the liquid section.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid reservoir and nozzle are extracted as a separate removable component from the sonic generator. This extraction allows the sonic generator to remain isolated from the liquid while still enabling aerosol generation, solving the contradiction between maintaining aseptic integrity and ease of operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If expensive aerosol forming components are used, then controlled dosage and particle size can be achieved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle and liquid reservoir are designed as disposable components that are replaced rather than cleaned. This approach simplifies the overall system by eliminating complex cleaning mechanisms while maintaining precise control over droplet size through the engineered nozzle geometry of the disposable section.
3Productivity
If the liquid touches the ultrasonic horn, then aerosol generation occurs, but contamination and build-up of liquid on the horn occurs
Solution Approach 1:
A removable nozzle component serves as an intermediary between the liquid reservoir and the ultrasonic horn. The nozzle receives liquid from the reservoir and directs it toward the horn without allowing direct contact between the liquid and the horn surface, thus preventing contamination while maintaining aerosol generation productivity.
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 a cost-effective, aseptic misting solution with controlled droplet size and dosage, as the sonic generator remains isolated from the liquid, reducing contamination risks and enabling easy replacement of the liquid section without affecting the horn's integrity.
Implementation Method 1
activating the sonic generator energizes the liquid in the nozzle to generate an aerosol plume
Implementation Method 2
The sonic generator includes a converter and an elongate horn having a proximal end coupled to the converter
Data Source
AI summary
A handheld misting device has a housing having a dispensing window is arranged and configured to contain a sonic generator, a power source coupled to the sonic generator, a plurality of reservoirs, each containing a liquid, and a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle arranged and configured for removable coupling to the sonic generator. Each nozzle is associated with and in liquid communication with a single reservoir. The sonic generator includes a converter and an elongate horn having a proximal end coupled to the converter and a distal end, and the nozzle is removably coupled to the distal end of the horn. Thus, the device delivers the liquid through a delivery opening formed in the nozzle, and activating the sonic generator energizes the liquid in the nozzle to generate an aerosol plume that is delivered through the dispensing window.