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Publication Number
US-11738103-B1
Publication Date
2023-08-29
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a device for nebulizing a liquid composition and to methods for disinfecting an internal channel of the nebulizer device. The device includes a channel connecting a liquid composition inlet, a mesh and a liquid composition outlet. The mesh divides the channel into an input channel portion and into an output channel portion. The channel is at least partially optically transparent to bacterial disinfecting electromagnetic radiation. The device includes a first emitter configured to illuminate the input portion of the channel with the bacterial disinfecting electromagnetic radiation and a second emitter configured to illuminate the output portion of the channel with the bacterial disinfecting electromagnetic radiation.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a nebulizer device for nebulizing a liquid composition, where a channel connects a liquid composition inlet and a liquid composition outlet and a mesh is configured to be vibrated by a mesh actuator for nebulizing the liquid composition. The mesh divides the channel into an input portion of the channel and an output portion of the channel, and the channel is defined at least in part by a first material that is at least partially optically transparent to disinfecting electromagnetic radiation.
The device includes a first emitter and a second emitter configured to emit disinfecting electromagnetic radiation. The first emitter is arranged at a first side of the mesh and illuminates the input portion of the channel, and the second emitter is arranged at a second side of the mesh opposite the first side and illuminates the output portion of the channel. This arrangement presents disinfecting electromagnetic radiation to both portions divided by the vibrating mesh.
The nebulizer device is powered by a rechargeable battery and includes electronic circuitry configured to activate the first and second emitters during charging of the rechargeable battery. A corresponding method is disclosed for disinfecting the channel, where illuminating the input portion and illuminating the output portion are performed with the first emitter and the second emitter respectively, and charging the battery triggers the illuminating by the first and second emitters.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover two inventive features: a nebulizer device with a mesh-divided channel and opposite-side disinfecting emitters, and a method for disinfecting the channel by illuminating both portions, with activation during charging of a rechargeable battery.
Mesh-divided, optically transparent nebulizer channel with opposite-side emitters
A nebulizer device comprising a channel with a liquid composition inlet and a liquid composition outlet, a mesh configured to be vibrated by a mesh actuator for nebulizing the liquid composition, the mesh dividing the channel into an input portion and an output portion, the channel being defined at least in part by a first material that is at least partially optically transparent to disinfecting electromagnetic radiation, and first and second emitters configured to emit disinfecting electromagnetic radiation, with the first emitter arranged at a first side of the mesh to illuminate the input portion and the second emitter arranged at a second side opposite the first side to illuminate the output portion.
Charging-triggered activation of input/output disinfecting emitters
The nebulizer device is powered by a rechargeable battery and includes electronic circuitry configured to activate the first and second emitters during charging of the rechargeable battery.
Illuminating input and output portions to disinfect the nebulizer channel
A method for disinfecting the channel of a nebulizer device comprising a channel with a liquid composition inlet and a liquid composition outlet, a mesh configured to be vibrated by a mesh actuator for nebulizing the liquid composition, the mesh dividing the channel into an input portion and an output portion, the channel being defined at least in part by a first material that is at least partially optically transparent to disinfecting electromagnetic radiation, and first and second emitters arranged on opposite sides of the mesh to illuminate the input portion and the output portion respectively; the method comprising illuminating the input portion from the first emitter and illuminating the output portion from the second emitter.
Battery charging triggers disinfecting illumination by both emitters
Charging a battery of the nebulizer device triggers the illuminating by the first and second emitters.
The claims cover a nebulizer channel divided by a vibratable mesh into input and output portions, with the channel at least partially optically transparent to disinfecting electromagnetic radiation and first and second emitters on opposite sides illuminating the corresponding portions; the claims also cover activation or illumination during charging of a rechargeable battery.
Stated Advantages
Presents disinfecting electromagnetic radiation to both the input portion and the output portion of the channel divided by the mesh.
Automatically activates the first and second emitters during charging of the rechargeable battery.
Documented Applications
Disinfecting the channel of a nebulizer device for nebulizing a liquid composition by illuminating the input portion and the output portion of the channel.
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