Breath actuated nebulizer

1 . A breath actuated nebulizer for the administration of inhaled medication to a patient only during the inhalation portion of a breathing cycle, comprising

a. an upper body positionable in a vertical orientation, said upper body defining an output upper chamber airway, with an internal body nested within the upper body, wherein the internal body defines an input upper chamber airway, and having a one-way inhalation valve at the top of the input upper chamber airway;

b. a lower body positionable in a vertical orientation, said lower body having a chamber therein defining a liquid reservoir in which a medicament solution may be contained, wherein said liquid reservoir defines a horizontal axis;

c. a pressurized air inlet port in fluid communication with a gas jet at the interface of the upper body and the lower body wherein the gas jet is aimed in a center of the input upper airway;

d. a liquid channel adjacent to the gas inlet port, wherein the bottom of the liquid channel is in fluid communication with the liquid reservoir and the top of the liquid channel is a liquid orifice adjacent to the gas jet;

e. a baffle moveable between a first position and a second position, said baffle, when in the first position, being a predetermined distance from the gas jet such that a pressure differential is created in the liquid channel that draws the medicament solution through the liquid channel and causes nebulization of the medicament solution by the interaction of the gas jet and liquid orifice;

f. wherein the baffle, when in the second position, being distal from the gas jet so that the pressure differential in the liquid channel is insufficient to draw the medicament solution into the liquid channel, and no nebulization of the medicament solution occurs;

g. wherein the baffle moves in a channel between the first and second positions at a fixed distance relative to the gas jet;

h. wherein the baffle is moved from the second position to the first position in response to the motion of a diaphragm that moves in response to the inhalation by the patient, wherein the diaphragm is in mechanical communication with the baffle and the diaphragm movement during inhalation moves the baffle to the first position, and

i. the diaphragm defaults to the second position when the patient is not inhaling;

j. whereby, the breath actuated nebulizer is operable to cause a medicament solution that has been dispensed into the liquid reservoir to become nebulized and delivered through the output airway of the nebulizer device in response to the application of negative pressure upon the output airway; and

k. wherein the nebulizer further comprises a two-position selector mechanism that locks the diaphragm, with a first selector position in which the diaphragm moves in response to the breathing of the patient, and a second selector position in which the diaphragm is locked, and wherein in the second selector position the baffle is in the first baffle position.

2 . The nebulizer of claim 1 wherein a mouthpiece is connected to the output airway and a one-way exhalation is valve is on the output airway, such that the nebulized medicament solution is transmitted through the mouthpiece during inhalation.

3 . The nebulizer of claim 1 wherein a mouthpiece is connected to the nebulizer output airway and wherein an exhalation filter is in fluid communication with the output airway via a T-connector, and wherein a one-way exhalation filter is interposed between the airway and the exhalation filter.

4 . The nebulizer of claim 3 , wherein the exhalation filter is at a right angle to the output airway, or where the exhalation filter is angled at approximately 70° away from the face of the patient.

5 . The nebulizer of claim 1 wherein an inhalation mask is connected to the nebulizer and the nebulized medicament solution is transmitted through the inhalation mask during inhalation.

6 . The nebulizer of claim 1 wherein an audio signal is produced when the baffle moves from the first position to the second position.

7 . The nebulizer of claim 6 wherein the audio signal is a clicking sound produced by a trigger contacting a part of the side cover.

8 . The nebulizer of claim 1 wherein, during operation of the nebulizer, said gas jet and liquid orifice are on a same horizontal plane.

9 . The nebulizer of claim 1 wherein the liquid orifice comprises one or more holes on top of the liquid channel.

10 . The nebulizer of claim 1 wherein the liquid orifice comprises a concentric tubular opening in a concentric relationship to the gas jet.

11 . The nebulizer of claim 1 wherein the baffle is responsive to inspiratory flow velocity in the range of 0.5 L/min to 15 L/min.

12 . The nebulizer of claim 1 wherein the one-way inhalation valve permits ambient air to enter the nebulizer during inhalation.

13 . The nebulizer of claim 1 further comprising an inhalation mask or mouthpiece in fluid communication with the airway, wherein an exhalation valve is present on the airway.

14 . A method of administering an inhaled medicament to a patient by use of the nebulizer device of claim 1 , said method comprising:

dispensing a medicament solution into the liquid reservoir; and

causing the patient to inhale through the output airway, thereby applying said negative pressure to the output airway and causing nebulized medicament solution to be delivered through the output airway and to the patient.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein a mouthpiece is connected to the output airway and the patient inhales through the mouthpiece.

16 . The method of claim 14 wherein a mask is connected to the output airway and the patient inhales through the mask.