Surgery – Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-01
2004-03-02
Lo, Weilun (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
C128S200210, C128S200170, C128S200160, C239S338000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06698421
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for nebulising a liquid, in particular for medical use.
As is well known, nebulising apparatuses are used in particular in the field of aerosol therapy, i.e. the therapeutic treatment of symptomatologies of the upper respiratory tract, such as asthmatic or bronchial symptomatologies. This therapeutic system provides for the generation of aerosol, i.e. a dispersion or nebulisation of particles of appropriate medical fluid whose action is effected by means of inhalation of the medical liquid itself. Such apparatuses are widespread and used mostly in the case of paediatric therapies, and they are provided in different formats able to meet the different requirements of the user. More specifically, nebulising apparatuses can also be produced in pocket formats, so that the user can, at any moment, have the necessary medication available, especially in case of conditions entailing frequent or difficult to predict respiratory crises, such as asthmatic conditions.
Mainly for home use, nebulising apparatuses of the pneumatic type are known, so defined because they comprise a compressor that aspirates air from the environment and sends it to a nebulising bulb containing the medical liquid.
The compressor is generally housed in a rigid container, made for instance of plastic material, which integrates the intakes of the aspiration and delivery conduits coming from the compressor itself. In use, the rigid case containing the compressor bears solidly on a plane whilst the nebulising bulb is placed in proximity to the user's face and is connected to the inlet of the delivery conduit by means of a flexible piping.
The compressor can comprise a head integrating both the intake and the delivery conduit, interfacing directly with the exterior by means of inlets obtained directly on the head itself and destined to adapt to the profile of the rigid containment case.
Such apparatuses present important drawbacks both in regard to the assembly phase and in regard to the employment phase of the apparatus itself.
Both the nebulising bulb and the connecting pipeline, together with any accessories, such as masks or others, are external to the rigid case and need to be housed separately relative to the apparatus or in portions of the case serving as a containment compartment. In either case the bulk of the apparatus, both in use and once stowed, is definitely greater than the dimensions actually required by the compressor and by the connections internal to the rigid case.
Moreover, the excessive bulk and the need for the connecting pipeline between the delivery inlet and the nebulising bulb limit use of the aforesaid apparatus as a substantially fixed station.
The aforementioned drawbacks also manifest themselves in the case of compressors comprising a head integrating both the intake conduit and the delivery conduit, although both structural complexity and dimensions are limited. Such apparatuses, too, are substantially provided exclusively for home use, in consideration of the fact that a connecting pipeline is always necessary between the delivery intake and the nebulising bulb.
Also known are nebulising apparatuses that exploit ultrasound devices with piezoelectric vibration systems, placed in communication with a tank of medical liquid in such a way as to generate vibrations with heavy amplitude within the liquid itself.
When the piezoelectric element is activated, the medical liquid undergoes an upward thrust, assumes a substantially cone-like shape and is nebulised against a deflector. This type of nebulising apparatus can be employed for home use or to obtain a pocket format apparatus.
Such apparatuses, however, have some drawbacks. In the first place, the ultrasound device generates a high dispersion in the dimensions of the nebulised particles of medical liquid, so that particles that are respectively too small and too large relative to optimal dispersion values are obtained. Based on the experience accumulated by the Applicant in the industry, this excessive dispersion generates reductions of the therapeutic effect of the nebulised medical liquid. Moreover, the use of an ultrasound device produces as-yet not fully known effects within the structure of the medical liquid, with consequent possible risks for the user's health.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the aforesaid drawbacks by making available an apparatus for nebulising a liquid, in particular for medical use and of the pneumatic type, which is able to adapt to a wide range of formats and which in particular allows to obtain a compact, pocket format, without accessories or pipelines outside the rigid containment case, in order to be available in each situation of need by the user.
Said aims are fully achieved by the apparatus for nebulising a liquid, in particular for medical use, of the present invention, which is characterised by the content of the claims set out below and in particular in that it comprises a nebulising bulb housed in the box case and presenting an inlet section placed directly in communication with the delivery conduit of the compressor assembly.
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Erezo Darwin P.
Lo Weilun
Medel S.p.A.
Michael Best & Friederich LLP
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