US3580249A - Aerosol nebulizers - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to nebulizers designed to introduce aerosols into the respiratory systems of persons suffering from respiratory ailments.

Description

D United States Patent 1 13,580,249

[72] Inventor Kentaro Takaoka [56] References Cited Avenida Basque de Saude No. 519, Sao UNYTED STATES PATENTS [21] A 1 No g g g g 2,678,044 5/1954 Szekely m1. 128/194 [22] g Se 16 1968 2,869,188 1/1959 Cameto 21/117 p 3,301,255 1/1967 Thompson 128/194 [45] Patented May 25,1971

FOREIGN PATENTS 111,350 12/1939 Austra1ia...... 239/338 [54] AERQSOLNEBPLIQRS 548,068 9/1956 Italy 128/194 lclaunzom 2E5. Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet LS. AssistantExamingr-J, B, Mitchell 33 AttorneyAlbert M. Parker [51] Int. Cl. 1 1 02 [50] Field ofSearch 128/184,

ABSTRACT: This invention relates to nebulizers designed to introduce aerosols into the respiratory systems of persons suffering from respiratory ailments.

Patented May 25, 1971 3,580,249

INVENTOR fiwmpa 72/640441 ATTORNEY AEROSOL NEBULIZERS Such a nebulizer includes a container for holding a liquid medicant and a tubular body member connected to the container. The body member has a venturi tube at one end thereof and has a plurality of vents adjacent to the venturi tube. Oxygen is passed through the venturi tube, which creates a partial vacuum and causes air to be drawn into the injector through the vents and mixed with the oxygen. Oxygen is also supplied to the medicant-holding container and passes through a restrictive orifice and around a baffle member whereby some of the medicant is nebulized and enters the body member. Thus, a mixture of air, oxygen and a medicant is created in the body member. A mouthpiece affixed to the exit end of the body member may be used to convey the mixture of air, oxygen and medicant from the nebulizer into the patients mouth and lungs. If desired, the mouthpiece may be replaced by a mask which is affixed to a patients face so that the air-oxygen-medicant mixture can be inhaled by the patient.

In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a vertical, axial section of a nebulizer embodying the invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view showing a nebulizing tube and a bridge member which assist in nebulizing a medicant.

The nebulizer shown in the drawing comprises a tubular member 10, the outer (left-hand) end of which is designed to be connected to a mouthpiece or a mask (not shown) of known design. A mouthpiece or a mask permits a patient to inhale a nebulized medicant flowing from the tubular member 10.

The inner (right-hand) end of the tubular member is inserted into the left-hand end of a tubular portion of a body member 12. Aventuri tube 14 is secured in the right-hand end of the body member 12, and an annular member 15 having a projectingboss 17 on the outer side thereof abuts theventuri tube 14. Theboss 17 has a plurality of vents 19-19 therethrough to permit air to be drawn into theventuri tube 14.

A T-shaped coupling 21 engages theboss 17 and has acentral bore 22 through most of thehorizontal leg 23 thereof. The lefthand end of thebore 22 connects with a smallerconcentric bore 24 which leads to and is concentric with anorifice 25 in theventuri tube 14. Because of its restricted size, thebore 24 acts as an injector and causes a gas to enter theventuri tube 14.

Anothercentralbore 26 is provided in avertical leg 27 of the coupling 21. Ahose 28 is connected to the outer end of thehorizontal leg 23 of the coupling 21 and anotherhose 30 is connected to the lower end of thevertical leg 27. Oxygen flows through thehose 28 and some of the oxygen passes through thehorizontal bores 22 and 24 into theventuri tube 14. The rest of the oxygen flows through thetube 30 and into the bottom of acontainer 31 which holds a medicant that can be nebulized.

Thecontainer 31 comprises abody member 32 having acircular flange 33 at the bottom thereof. Theflange 33 is threaded and is screwed into a threadedcoupling 34 having anipple 36 which projects downwardly therefrom and is engaged by thehose 30. Preferably thecontainer 31 is made of a transparent material, such as glass or a clear plastic, so that the medicant in the container may be seen.

Atube 38 is secured vertically within thenipple 36 and projects upwardly so that oxygen from thehose 30 can flow therethrough and into thecontainer 31. Abridge 42 is provided at the upper end of thetube 38. The bore of thetube 38 is restricted at its upper end so as to form arestricted orifice 41 which causes an injection action to occur at the upper end of thetube 38. The bridge 42 (FIG. 2) positioned above the open end of thetube 38 acts as a baffle to break up the stream of oxygen emerging from thetube 38 into a plurality of small streams. Due to the injection efi'ect created by the restricted orifice at the end of thetube 38, the oxygen strikes thebridge 42 at a high velocity and the oxygen is dispersed around thebridge 42 in a plurality of streams having whirling patterns. This action causes rapid nebulization of the liquid medicant in thecontainer 31.

Atubular cap 50 having an external dependingrim 51 fits snugly over the top of thecontainer 31. Thecap 50 has a centraltubular member 52 thereon, which projects downwardly into thecontainer 31. It is important that thecoupling 34, the bore at the upper end of thetube 38, thetubular member 52 and the hole 47 at the top of the nebulizer all have the same centerline. This construction permits the nebulized medicant to flow upwardly without impediment and with little deviation from its intended path toward the tubular member 10.

The mixture of oxygen and air emerging from theventuri tube 14 also enters the body member 12 and flows into the connector 10 under pressure. Thus, when the mixture of nebulized medicant and oxygen emerging from thecontainer 31 reaches the connector 10, it is joined by the stream of oxygen and air entering the connector 10 through theventuri tube 14. The nebulized medicant mixed with oxygen passes upwardly under pressure from thecontainer 31 through acoupling member 45 into the body member 12 and then enters the connector 10. The resulting mixture of nebulized medicant, oxygen and air enters the connector 10 under positive pressure and passes under pressure into either a mouthpiece or a mask which a patient uses to inhale the mixture.

An opening 47 is formed in the top of the body member 12 to control the flow of the mixture of medicant, oxygen and air into the mouthpiece, or mask, used to convey the mixture into the patients respiratory system. When the maximum flow of these gases is desired, the patient closes off the opening 47 entirely by placing a finger over the opening. The patient may vary the amount of gaseous material he inhales by removing his finger only partially from the opening 47, or by removing his finger totally therefrom.

I claim:

1. An aerosol nebulizer comprising a tubular body member having one end open, a venturi tube positioned at the opposite end of the tubular member, a closure member having a plurality of openings therein positioned at the outer end of the venturi tube for the aspiration of air, a T-shaped oxygen inlet member mounted adjacent to the outer end of the venturi tube and having intersecting central bores therein forming a T- shaped passage, a tube connected to the end of an arm of a T- shaped member for supplying oxygen thereto, a container depending from the body member for holding a medicant, a tube at the bottom of the container, a second hose connected to the end of the transverse arm of the T-shaped member and to the tube at the bottom of the container for supplying oxygen to the container, a tubular connector joining the container with the body member, a nebulizer tube at the bottom of and extending into the container and having a restricted orifice at its upper end, and a baffle positioned at the upper end of the nebulizing tube for intercepting and breaking up the stream of oxygen emerging from the nebulizing tube.

Claims (1)

1. An aerosol nebulizer comprising a tubular body member having one end open, a venturi tube positioned at the opposite end of the tubular member, a closure member having a plurality of openings therein positioned at the outer end of the venturi tube for the aspiration of air, a T-shaped oxygen inlet member mounted adjacent to the outer end of the venturi tube and having intersecting central bores therein forming a T-shaped passage, a tube connected to the end of an arm of a T-shaped member for supplying oxygen thereto, a container depending from the body member for holding a medicant, a tube at the bottom of the container, a second hose connected to the end of the transverse arm of the T-shaped member and to the tube at the bottom of the container for supplying oxygen to the container, a tubular connector joining the container with the body member, a nebulizer tube at the bottom of and extending into the container and having a restricted orifice at its upper end, and a baffle positioned at the upper end of the nebulizing tube for intercepting and breaking up the stream of oxygen emerging from the nebulizing tube.

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