IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,793,945
Granted Patent B2
US 11,793,945 · App. 17/846,902 · Granted Oct 24, 2023

Droplet delivery device with push ejection

Inventors: Charles Eric Hunter (Boone, NC); Michael Scoggin (Boone, NC); Jeffrey Miller (Boone, NC); Jose Salazar (Boone, NC); Brian Beach (Boone, NC); Caley Modlin (Boone, NC); Matthew Culpepper (Boone, NC); Jianqiang Li (Shenzhen, CN); Chengjie Li (Shenzhen, CN); Shi Bo Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Chao-Ping Lee (Kaohsiung, TW); Gregory Rapp (Boone, NC); Judson Sidney Clements (Boone, NC)
Assignee: Pneuma Respiratory, Inc.
A61M11/003A61M11/005A61M15/0001A61M15/002A61M15/0085A61M2206/11
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,793,945
App. No.
17/846,902
Granted
Oct 24, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A droplet delivery device includes a housing with a mouthpiece port or outlet from a nasal device for releasing fluid droplets, a fluid reservoir, and an ejector bracket having a membrane positioned between a mesh with a plurality of openings and a vibrating member that is coupled to an electronic transducer, such as an ultrasonic transducer. The transducer vibrates the vibrating member which causes the membrane to push fluid supplied by the reservoir through the mesh to generate droplets in an ejected stream released through the outlet.

Claims (36)

1. A droplet delivery device comprising:

a container assembly with a mouthpiece port;

a reservoir disposed within or in fluid communication with the container assembly and configured to supply a volume of fluid;

an ejector bracket in fluid communication with the reservoir, the ejector bracket including a mesh with a membrane operably coupled to a vibrating member that is coupled to an electronic transducer with the membrane between the vibrating member and the mesh, wherein the reservoir includes a self-sealing mating mechanism configured to couple to a fluid release mating mechanism of the ejector bracket, and wherein the mesh includes a plurality of openings formed through the mesh's thickness, and wherein the transducer is coupled to a power source and is operable to oscillate the vibrating member and the membrane and generate an ejected stream of droplets through the mesh; and

an ejection channel within the container assembly configured to direct the ejected stream of droplets from the mesh to an outlet.

2. A droplet delivery device comprising:

a container assembly with a mouthpiece port;

a reservoir disposed within or in fluid communication with the container assembly and configured to supply a volume of fluid;

an ejector bracket in fluid communication with the reservoir, the ejector bracket including a mesh with a membrane operably coupled to a vibrating member that is coupled to an electronic transducer with the membrane between the vibrating member and the mesh, wherein the membrane includes a slanted upper surface configured to contact the fluid supplied from the reservoir, and wherein the mesh includes a plurality of openings formed through the mesh's thickness, and wherein the transducer is coupled to a power source and is operable to oscillate the vibrating member and the membrane and generate an ejected stream of droplets through the mesh; and

an ejection channel within the container assembly configured to direct the ejected stream of droplets from the mesh to an outlet.

3. A droplet delivery device comprising:

a container assembly with a mouthpiece port;

a reservoir disposed within or in fluid communication with the container assembly and configured to supply a volume of fluid;

an ejector bracket in fluid communication with the reservoir, the ejector bracket including a mesh with a membrane operably coupled to a vibrating member that is coupled to an electronic transducer with the membrane between the vibrating member and the mesh, wherein the vibrating member includes a ring-shaped beveled tip, and wherein the mesh includes a plurality of openings formed through the mesh's thickness, and wherein the transducer is coupled to a power source and is operable to oscillate the vibrating member and the membrane and generate an ejected stream of droplets through the mesh; and

an ejection channel within the container assembly configured to direct the ejected stream of droplets from the mesh to an outlet.

4. A droplet delivery device comprising:

a container assembly with a mouthpiece port;

a reservoir disposed within or in fluid communication with the container assembly and configured to supply a volume of fluid;

an ejector bracket in fluid communication with the reservoir, the ejector bracket including a mesh with a membrane operably coupled to a vibrating member that is coupled to an electronic transducer with the membrane between the vibrating member and the mesh, wherein the vibrating member includes a ring-shaped non-beveled tip, and wherein the mesh includes a plurality of openings formed through the mesh's thickness, and wherein the transducer is coupled to a power source and is operable to oscillate the vibrating member and the membrane and generate an ejected stream of droplets through the mesh; and

an ejection channel within the container assembly configured to direct the ejected stream of droplets from the mesh to an outlet.

5. A droplet delivery device comprising:

a container assembly with a mouthpiece port;

a reservoir disposed within or in fluid communication with the container assembly and configured to supply a volume of fluid;

an ejector bracket in fluid communication with the reservoir, the ejector bracket including a mesh with a membrane operably coupled to a vibrating member that is coupled to an electronic transducer with the membrane between the vibrating member and the mesh, wherein the mesh has a bottom surface in a non-parallel configuration with an upper surface of the membrane, and wherein the mesh includes a plurality of openings formed through the mesh's thickness, and wherein the transducer is coupled to a power source and is operable to oscillate the vibrating member and the membrane and generate an ejected stream of droplets through the mesh; and

an ejection channel within the container assembly configured to direct the ejected stream of droplets from the mesh to an outlet.

6. A droplet delivery device comprising:

a container assembly with a mouthpiece port;

a reservoir disposed within or in fluid communication with the container assembly and configured to supply a volume of fluid;

an ejector bracket in fluid communication with the reservoir, the ejector bracket including a mesh with a membrane operably coupled to a vibrating member that is coupled to an electronic transducer with the membrane between the vibrating member and the mesh, wherein the mesh has a bottom surface in a non-parallel configuration with an upper surface of the membrane, and wherein the mesh includes a plurality of openings formed through the mesh's thickness, and wherein the transducer is coupled to a power source and is operable to oscillate the vibrating member and the membrane and generate an ejected stream of droplets through the mesh;

an ejection channel within the container assembly configured to direct the ejected stream of droplets from the mesh to an outlet; and

a central axis of the droplet delivery device passing through the ejection channel and the membrane, and wherein the vibrating member includes a tip coupling to the membrane at a position offset from the central axis.

7. A droplet delivery device comprising:

a container assembly with a mouthpiece port;

a reservoir disposed within or in fluid communication with the container assembly and configured to supply a volume of fluid;

an ejector bracket in fluid communication with the reservoir, the ejector bracket including a mesh with a membrane operably coupled to a vibrating member that is coupled to an electronic transducer with the membrane between the vibrating member and the mesh, wherein an exterior surface of the membrane, opposite an underlying surface of the membrane contacting the vibrating member, includes a hydrophilic coating, and wherein the mesh includes a plurality of openings formed through the mesh's thickness, and wherein the transducer is coupled to a power source and is operable to oscillate the vibrating member and the membrane and generate an ejected stream of droplets through the mesh; and

an ejection channel within the container assembly configured to direct the ejected stream of droplets from the mesh to an outlet.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2023
From: HUNTER, CHARLES ERIC; SCOGGIN, MICHAEL; MILLER, JEFFREY; SALAZAR, JOSE; BEACH, BRIAN; MODLIN, CALEY; CULPEPPER, MATTHEW; LI, JIANQIANG; LI, CHENGJIE; WANG, SHI-BO; LI, CHAO-PING; RAPP, GREGORY
To: PNEUMA RESPIRATORY, INC.
Reel/Frame 063704/0079 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2023
From: CLEMENTS, JUDSON SIDNEY
To: PNEUMA RESPIRATORY, INC.
Reel/Frame 063704/0174 →
Continuity (5)
Provisional Application 63280643 · Nov 18, 2021
Provisional Application 63256546 · Oct 16, 2021
Provisional Application 63256245 · Oct 15, 2021
Provisional Application 63213634 · Jun 22, 2021
Related Publication 20220401661A1 · Dec 22, 2022