Nebulizer, a control unit for controlling the same, a nebulizing element and a method of operating a nebulizer

Abstract

There is provided a control unit for controlling the operation of a nebulizer, the nebulizer comprising a reservoir chamber for storing a liquid to be nebulised, an actuator, and a nebulizing element comprising a plurality of nozzles arranged to nebulize the liquid upon operation of the actuator; wherein the control unit is configured to obtain an indication of the size of the nozzles in the nebulizing element; and control the operation of the actuator based on the obtained indication to provide nebulised liquid at a required output rate and/or with droplets of a required size.

1 . A nebulizing element for use in a nebulizer, the nebulizing element comprising:
 a plate comprising a plurality of nozzles; and   an indication of the size of the nozzles in the plate.   
     
     
         2 . A nebulizing element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nebulizing element further comprises an electronically-readable tag, the indication of the size of the nozzles in the plate being stored in the electronically-readable tag. 
     
     
         3 . A nebulizer, comprising:
 a reservoir chamber for storing a liquid to be nebulised;   an actuator that is configured to vibrate in order to nebulize the liquid stored in the reservoir chamber; and   a control unit as claimed in  claim 1 .   
     
     
         4 . A nebulizer as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a nebulizing element as claimed in  claim 1  positioned in the reservoir chamber.   
     
     
         5 . A method of operating a nebulizer, the nebulizer comprising a reservoir chamber for storing a liquid to be nebulised, an actuator, and a nebulizing element comprising a plurality of nozzles arranged to nebulize the liquid upon operation of the actuator; the method comprising:
 obtaining an indication of the size of the nozzles in the nebulizing element; and   controlling the operation of the actuator based on the obtained indication to provide nebulised liquid at a required output rate and/or with droplets of a required size.   
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the step of controlling the operation of the actuator comprises operating the actuator in a pulsed mode of operation in which the actuator is periodically operated at a frequency f for a number of cycles followed by a period of rest and wherein the step of controlling the operation of the actuator comprises operating the actuator at a first number of cycles when the nozzles are a first size and operating the actuator at a second number of cycles when the nozzles are a second size, the second number of cycles being higher than the first number of cycles and the second size being less than the first size. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the step of controlling the operation of the actuator comprises adjusting or setting one or more operating parameters of the nebulizer based on the obtained indication to provide the nebulised liquid at the required output rate and/or with the required droplet size, the one or more operating parameters being selected from:
 (i) the peak voltage of a control signal for the actuator;   (ii) the length of an active portion and/or a rest portion of a periodic control signal for the actuator, the active portion of the control signal causing the actuator to operate to nebulize liquid;   (iii) the frequency of a control signal for the actuator; and/or   (iv) the distance between the actuator and the nebulizing element.   
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the step of obtaining an indication comprises reading data stored in an electronically-readable tag associated with the nebulizing element, the data comprising the indication of the size of the nozzles in the nebulizing element. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the step of controlling the operation of the actuator comprises using the obtained indication and a look-up table of nozzle sizes and values for at least one operating parameter for the actuator to determine the value for the at least one operating parameter to use to operate the actuator to provide the nebulised liquid at the required output rate and/or with the required droplet size. 
     
     
         10 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program code embodied therein, the computer program code comprising code that, when executed by a computer or processor, is configured to cause the computer or processor to perform the steps in the method according to  claim 5 .