Inhaler Vaporiser Substrate with Microchannels and Electrowetting Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vaporiser units for inhalers face issues such as non-separated liquid vaporisation and metering, inconsistent vapor production, risk of local overheating, and variable composition of released active substances due to temperature inconsistencies, leading to unreliable vapor quality and performance.
Innovation Solution
The vaporiser unit incorporates a substrate with resistance heating elements that directly vaporise fluid within microchannels, a flow controller for precise fluid metering, and an electrowetting mechanism to control fluid flow, ensuring consistent vapor composition and reduced sealing issues, with a voltage curve adjusted for optimal vaporisation based on the fluid mixture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a separate resistance heater element is used to vaporise liquid, then vaporisation can be achieved, but the liquid conveyance and vaporisation cannot be controlled separately, leading to inconsistent vapor production
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional modules: a flow controller for liquid conveyance control and a resistance heating element for vaporisation control. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of liquid flow rate and heating power, enabling precise control over vapor production and composition without the trade-offs of integrated systems.
2Quantity of substance
If high heater temperature is used to increase vapor output, then vapor production increases, but local overheating occurs leading to harmful substance formation
Solution Approach 1:
The resistance heating element is designed with non-uniform heating characteristics, creating different temperature zones along the heating path. This allows optimal temperature control in different regions: sufficient heat for complete vaporisation without excessive temperatures that would cause decomposition or harmful substance formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts heating parameters (power, temperature, duration) based on the specific liquid composition and desired vapor output. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves complete vaporisation at controlled temperatures that prevent thermal decomposition and harmful substance formation.
3Ease of operation
If a complex multilayered MEMS structure with capillary microchannels is used, then liquid transport is achieved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The capillary microchannel structure is extracted and integrated directly into the substrate, eliminating the need for separate complex multilayered MEMS assemblies with lids and membranes. This simplification maintains effective liquid transport while reducing device complexity and manufacturing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functions are merged into unified components: the substrate integrates both the capillary microchannel structure for liquid transport and the resistance heating element for vaporisation. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate lids, membranes, and complex assembly steps, reducing both device complexity and manufacturing cost.
4Ease of manufacture
If the heating element is positioned away from the liquid channel, then manufacturing is simplified, but vaporisation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate acts as an intermediary between the resistance heating element and the liquid in the microchannels. The substrate's thermal properties are optimized to efficiently transfer heat from the heating element to the liquid, achieving high vaporisation efficiency while maintaining a manufacturing-friendly design where the heating element can be positioned on the substrate surface.
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
This design enhances vaporiser performance, achieves consistent aerosol quality, reduces manufacturing complexity, and prevents backflow, ensuring precise and reliable vaporisation with desired properties, minimizing the formation of harmful substances and maintaining consistent active substance release.
Implementation Method 1
a resistance heating element for vaporising fluid conveyed through the microchannels
Implementation Method 2
an electrowetting mechanism to control fluid flow
Implementation Method 3
liquid is conveyed, by the action of capillary force, from the fluid reservoir, through the capillary microchannels
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a vaporiser unit for an inhaler, comprising a vaporiser body which consists of an electrically conductive substrate with an inlet side, an outlet side, and a plurality of micro-channels each of which extend through said substrate from the inlet side to the outlet side, and a resistive heating element for vaporising liquid conveyed through said micro-channels. The resistive heating element is formed by the substrate.