Medical nebulizer for fast drug delivery

Abstract

A nebulizer is provided to atomize a liquid medication for rapid delivery of an aerosol spray to a user via inhalation. The nebulizer includes a jar having a compressed gas passage. A jet cooperates with the jar and has a jet orifice through which the liquid medication and the compressed gas are discharged to form an aerosol flow. The cap is connected to the jar to define an inner chamber. The cap includes an entrainment port for ambient room air, and a chimney in fluid communication with the entrainment port and the inner chamber. A deflector base having an impingement member is located adjacent to the entrainment chimney and is spaced below an opening thereof by a predetermined distance to provide a flow of the ambient room air to be entrained in the aerosol flow in order to enhance nebulization speed while maintaining a desired aerosol particle size.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nebulizer configured to atomize a liquid medication for inhalation by a user, the nebulizer comprising:
 a jar defining a reservoir configured to hold the liquid medication, the jar defining a compressed gas passage configured to receive a flow of compressed gas;   the compressed gas passage terminating in a jet orifice defined by the jar through which the liquid medication and the compressed gas are discharged through to form an aerosol flow having the liquid medication entrained in the compressed gas;   a cap connected to the jar to define an inner chamber inside the nebulizer, the cap comprising:
 an entrainment port configured to provide an inlet for a flow of ambient room air; 
 an entrainment chimney having a first opening in fluid communication with the entrainment port and a second opening in fluid communication with the inner chamber, the entrainment port and entrainment chimney together defining an entrainment pathway for the ambient room air; 
 a deflector base spaced below the second opening of the entrainment chimney by a predetermined distance to define at least one entrainment vent configured to provide a flow of the ambient room air into the inner chamber for enhancing nebulization speed of the nebulizer, such that the at least one entrainment vent is configured to rapidly entrain the ambient room air into the aerosol flow to form an ambient air-entrained aerosol spray for inhalation by the user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one entrainment vent has a height greater than 0 inches and less than or equal to about 0.45 inches. 
     
     
         3 . The nebulizer of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one entrainment vent has a height about 0.12 inches. 
     
     
         4 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of support fins connecting the deflector base to the entrainment chimney. 
     
     
         5 . The nebulizer of  claim 4 , wherein each of the at least one entrainment vent is provided between adjacent support fins. 
     
     
         6 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the cap further comprises an impingement member extending from the deflector base and configured to further atomize particles in the aerosol flow and to prevent exhalation from the user from driving liquid medication out of the nebulizer through the entrainment pathway and out of the entrainment port. 
     
     
         7 . The nebulizer of  claim 6 , wherein the impingement member includes a hemispherical surface. 
     
     
         8 . The nebulizer of  claim 6 , wherein a center of the impingement member is aligned with an axis of the jet orifice. 
     
     
         9 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein a flow axis of the entrainment port is substantially perpendicular to a flow axis of the entrainment chimney. 
     
     
         10 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the entrainment port is further configured to provide an inhalation pathway. 
     
     
         11 . The nebulizer of  claim 10 , wherein the entrainment port is further configured to provide an exhalation pathway. 
     
     
         12 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the cap further comprises an aerosol flow outlet port for outputting the aerosol flow to the user, the aerosol flow outlet port configured to connect to a user interface. 
     
     
         13 . The nebulizer of  claim 12 , wherein the aerosol flow outlet port is configured to detachably connect to the user interface. 
     
     
         14 . The nebulizer of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface is a mouthpiece or a breathing mask. 
     
     
         15 . The nebulizer of  claim 12 , wherein the aerosol flow outlet port further includes a saliva catch configured to capture saliva from the mouth of the user during inhalation and exhalation. 
     
     
         16 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the cap is detachably connected to the jar. 
     
     
         17 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the deflector base comprises a disk. 
     
     
         18 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the entrainment port is configured to connect to a PEEP valve or a filter. 
     
     
         19 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the entrainment chimney includes a longitudinal axis aligned with a longitudinal axis of the jet orifice. 
     
     
         20 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the entrainment chimney is generally tubular. 
     
     
         21 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein particles in the aerosol flow have an aerodynamic diameter between 1 and 5 micrometers for targeted lower airway deposition. 
     
     
         22 . The nebulizer of  claim 1 , wherein the nebulizer is configured to continuously nebulize the liquid medication during inhalation and exhalation of the user.