IP Library Granted Patent US 12691233
Granted Patent B2
US 12691233 · App. 18/381,679 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Nebulizer comprising power supply system

Inventors: Hidetaka Togo (Kyoto, JP); Hiroko Yoshino (Kyoto, JP); Toshifumi Matsumoto (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: OMRON HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
A61M11/005A61M15/0085H02J50/12A61M2205/8243B05B17/0623
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691233
App. No.
18/381,679
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A nebulizer comprising a power supply system of the present invention performs wireless power supply from a power transmission-side circuit to a power reception-side circuit. The power transmission-side circuit transmits a power to the power reception-side circuit at a certain oscillation frequency through a power transmission coil. In the power reception-side circuit, a power reception coil and a load configure a power reception-side resonance circuit to determine a resonance frequency of the power reception-side resonance circuit. When the resonance frequency of the power reception-side resonance circuit changes due to a change in an impedance of a load during power supply, a control unit controls an oscillation frequency to maintain a power transmission efficiency from the power transmission-side circuit to the power reception-side circuit.

Claims (33)

1 . A nebulizer that atomizes and ejects a liquid, the nebulizer comprising:

a main body lower portion; and

a main body upper portion combined with the main body lower portion,

the main body lower portion being mounted with a power supply unit, an oscillation unit that receives a power supply from the power supply unit and generates an oscillation output, and a power transmission-side circuit for transmitting the oscillation output to the main body upper portion,

the main body upper portion being mounted with a power reception-side circuit for receiving the oscillation output, and an atomization portion including an ultrasonic vibrator configured to atomize a supplied liquid using the oscillation output received, and

the nebulizer including a power supply system that performs wireless power supply from the power transmission-side circuit to the power reception-side circuit,

wherein

the power transmission-side circuit includes a power transmission coil and transmits a power to the power reception-side circuit at a certain oscillation frequency through the power transmission coil,

in the power reception-side circuit, a power reception coil and the ultrasonic vibrator as a load including a capacitive reactance configure a power reception-side resonance circuit to determine a resonance frequency of the power reception-side resonance circuit, and

the nebulizer includes a control unit that controls the oscillation frequency so as to maintain a power transmission efficiency from the power transmission-side circuit to the power reception-side circuit when a resonance frequency of the power reception-side resonance circuit changes due to a change in an impedance including the capacitive reactance of the ultrasonic vibrator during power supply.

2 . The nebulizer according to claim 1 , wherein

the control unit

includes a detection unit that detects a voltage value and/or a current value for power transmission in the power transmission-side circuit,

matches the oscillation frequency in the power transmission-side circuit with the resonance frequency of the power reception-side resonance circuit at a start of the power supply,

detects, by the detection unit, a change in an impedance of the power reception-side circuit in accordance with the voltage value and/or the current value in the power transmission-side circuit when the impedance of the power reception-side circuit changes due to the change of the load during the power supply, and

controls the oscillation frequency so as to maintain the power transmission efficiency on a basis of a detection result by the detection unit.

3 . The nebulizer according to claim 1 , wherein

in the power transmission-side circuit, the power transmission coil and a capacitor configure a power transmission-side resonance circuit, and a resonance frequency of the power transmission-side resonance circuit is the oscillation frequency, and

the control unit controls the resonance frequency of the power transmission-side resonance circuit so as to maintain a tuned state between the power transmission-side resonance circuit and the power reception-side resonance circuit when the resonance frequency of the power reception-side resonance circuit changes due to the change in the load during the power supply.

4 . The nebulizer according to claim 3 , wherein

the control unit

includes a detection unit that detects a voltage value and/or a current value for power transmission in the power transmission-side circuit,

matches the resonance frequency in the power transmission-side resonance circuit with an initial value of the resonance frequency of the power reception-side resonance circuit at a start of the power supply to put the power transmission-side resonance circuit and the power reception-side resonance circuit into the tuned state,

detects, by the detection unit, in accordance with the voltage value and/or the current value in the power transmission-side circuit, that an impedance of the power reception-side circuit changes due to the change of the load during the power supply and thus the resonant frequency of the power reception-side resonance circuit shifts from the initial value to an other value, and

controls the resonance frequency of the power transmission-side circuit on a basis of a detection result of the detection unit so that the resonance frequency matches the other value to maintain the tuned state between the power transmission-side resonance circuit and the power reception-side resonance circuit.

5 . The nebulizer according to claim 2 , wherein

the control unit calculates a present oscillation power in the power transmission-side circuit on a basis of the voltage value and the current value detected by the detection unit, and

adjusts the oscillation power so that the oscillation power becomes a predetermined target power value when the impedance of the power reception-side circuit changes due to the change of the load during the power supply and thus the oscillation power deviates from the target power value.

6 . The nebulizer according to claim 2 , wherein

the control unit

determines whether or not an error has occurred in which the voltage value in the power transmission-side circuit exceeds a predetermined specified value, the current value in the power transmission-side circuit falls below a predetermined specified value, and/or an oscillation power that is a product of the voltage value and the current value deviates from a predetermined allowable range, and

outputs and notifies an alarm signal indicating an occurrence of the error when the error continues for a predetermined time.

7 . The nebulizer according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is mounted in the main body lower portion.