Nebulizing Device Aperture Plate Laser Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing method for manufacturing aperture plates for nebulizing devices in inhalators is inefficient, leading to inconsistent aperture geometry, requiring costly and time-consuming finishing steps, and lacks effective in-process monitoring, affecting aerosol characteristics and reproducibility.
Innovation Solution
A nebulizing device with an aperture plate made from a single layer of unitary material featuring recesses and apertures formed using laser drilling or milling, allowing for in-process inspection and improved reproducibility without the need for destructive testing, using an ultra-short-pulse laser to minimize burr formation and enhance precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If short-pulse laser drilling is used to form apertures, then apertures can be created in the aperture plate, but burrs are formed around the opening requiring finishing steps like electro-polishing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the laser pulse duration parameter from short-pulse (nanosecond) to ultra-short-pulse (picosecond or femtosecond), which fundamentally alters the material interaction mechanism. This parameter change eliminates burr formation while maintaining aperture formation capability, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by forming recesses in the aperture plate before drilling the apertures. This preliminary recess formation creates a buffer zone that prevents burrs from affecting the final aperture opening geometry, allowing burr-tolerant drilling while maintaining precision
2Object-generated harmful factors
If electro-polishing is used as a finishing step, then burrs are removed, but the opening diameter and other aperture parameters become difficult to control and may vary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent accepts the presence of burrs as a temporary condition and uses a disposable recess structure to contain them, rather than attempting to eliminate burrs through costly and imprecise finishing steps. The recess acts as a sacrificial element that protects the critical aperture geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful burrs from the critical aperture opening region by providing a separate recess space where burrs can form without affecting the aperture parameters. This spatial separation resolves the contradiction between burr removal and parameter control
3Productivity
If light transmission inspection is used for in-process monitoring, then some information about aperture characteristics can be obtained, but no specific conclusions can be drawn about the geometry of individual laser drilling stages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aperture formation process into distinct stages (recess formation and aperture drilling) that can be independently monitored. The recess structure creates distinct optical paths and light transmission characteristics for each stage, enabling precise measurement of individual stage geometries while maintaining 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 solution enables precise control over aperture geometry, improving the reproducibility of aerosol characteristics, increasing the Total Output Rate, and reducing manufacturing costs by allowing in-process monitoring and eliminating the need for finishing steps like electro-polishing.
Implementation Method 1
forming a plurality of recesses in the single layer and forming a plurality of apertures in the bottoms of the recesses, in particular by means of laser drilling or milling
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a nebulizing device (2) for an inhalator (100). The nebulizing device (2) comprises an aperture plate (6) having a fluid side (7) to which a fluid (110) is to be supplied and a nebulizing side (9) at which the fluid is to be nebulized, wherein the aperture plate (6) comprises a single layer (5) of unitary material, a plurality of recesses (10) being formed in the single layer (5), the recesses (10) each having an opening (11) facing the fluid side (7) and a bottom (12) facing the nebulizing side (9), a plurality of the apertures (20) being formed in the bottom (12) of each of the recesses (20).