Apparatus and method for generating fine particle aerosols with heliox
Inventors
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-11524126-B2
Publication Date
2022-12-13
Expiration Date
Abstract
An aerosol generating system for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol from a liquid solution or liquid suspension, having: a liquid aerosol generating nozzle having a nozzle input end designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension, and having a nozzle heliox supply designed to receive nozzle heliox, the liquid aerosol generating nozzle further having a nozzle output end for outputting a liquid aerosol suspended in the nozzle heliox; and a cylindrical evaporation chamber having a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end that is connected to the nozzle output end and connected to a dilution heliox supply for receiving both the liquid aerosol suspended in the nozzle heliox and for receiving the dilution heliox, and the cylindrical evaporation chamber having a cylindrical evaporation chamber output end outputting a first intermediate dry powder aerosol at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow of a specific concentration.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an aerosol generating system for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol from a liquid solution or liquid suspension. The system includes a liquid aerosol generating nozzle that receives the liquid solution or liquid suspension and is supplied with a first heliox volume flow to output a liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow. The nozzle output end is connected to a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end to deliver the suspended liquid aerosol into the chamber.
The cylindrical evaporation chamber receives the liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow and is supplied with a second heliox volume flow for diluting the liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow. The cylindrical evaporation chamber output end outputs a dry powder aerosol as a dry powder aerosol volume flow having a dry powder aerosol particle concentration, including respirable fine dry powder particles that allow respirable particles containing a medically active agent and are suspended in heliox.
In the specification, concentration is performed using at least one of: a cylindrical linear single-slit virtual impactor with sculptured channels and/or a plenum, a cylindrical radial multi-slit concentrator, or a two-stage combination of radial then linear slit concentrators. The document highlights improved heat/mass transfer and faster evaporation, reduced wall losses/pressure differential, and the ability to generate smaller particle sizes and higher-concentration aerosols, while maintaining surfactant surface tension.
The disclosed system and method support processing liquid formulations into respirable dry powder aerosols with specified particle characteristics, together with throughput and medication delivery rate constraints. Documented examples report heliox-generated aerosols with MMAD below 3 μm across tested aerosolization rates and high output efficiencies, and they describe the use of surfactant-containing formulations for pulmonary surfactant replacement and for delivery of other medications and biologics by respirable aerosol.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover an aerosol generating system and a method, centered on heliox-assisted nozzle atomization and dilution/evaporation in a cylindrical evaporation chamber to produce a respirable dry powder aerosol, with further independent quantitative constraints on dry powder aerosol volume flow. Across these independent claims, the core inventive concepts are the nozzle using a first heliox supply, the cylindrical evaporation chamber using a second heliox supply to dilute the suspended liquid aerosol, and the outputting of a dry powder aerosol with respirable fine particles suspended in heliox.
Heliox-supplied liquid aerosol generating nozzle and cylindrical evaporation chamber
A liquid aerosol generating nozzle outputs a liquid aerosol suspended in a first heliox volume flow, and a cylindrical evaporation chamber receives the suspended liquid aerosol and a second heliox volume flow for diluting the suspended liquid aerosol to output a dry powder aerosol as a dry powder aerosol volume flow having a dry powder aerosol particle concentration.
Dry powder aerosol volume flow range
The dry powder aerosol volume flow is between 80 and 200 I/min.
Heliox-assisted method for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol
Feeding a liquid solution or liquid suspension and a first heliox volume flow into a liquid aerosol generating nozzle; outputting from the nozzle a liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow into a cylindrical evaporation chamber; feeding a second heliox volume flow into the cylindrical evaporation chamber for diluting the liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow; and outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber a dry powder aerosol having fine dry powder particles that allow respirable particles containing a medically active agent and are suspended in heliox.
Overall claim coverage emphasizes generating a respirable dry powder aerosol from a liquid solution or suspension using a heliox-supplied liquid aerosol generating nozzle followed by dilution in a cylindrical evaporation chamber using a second heliox volume flow, producing respirable fine particles suspended in heliox as a dry powder aerosol volume flow with a dry powder aerosol particle concentration.
Stated Advantages
Improved heat/mass transfer and faster evaporation.
Reduced wall losses and pressure differential.
Ability to generate smaller aerosols and higher-concentration aerosols.
Higher payload delivery rates.
Ability to maintain surfactant surface tension after processing.
Documented Applications
Surfactant replacement for ARDS and NRDS using respirable aerosol delivery.
Delivery of other medications and biologics by respirable aerosol.
Interested in licensing this patent?