Aerosol generation
A method for aerosolising a liquid comprises the steps of: —providing an aperture plate having at least 100 outlet holes per mm 2 ; delivering liquid to the aperture plate; and vibrating the aperture plate to produce an aerosol. The viscosity of the liquid is in the range of from 1 to 15 cP and the surface tension of the liquid is in the range of from 72 to 0.5 mN/m. The output rate of the generated aerosol is greater than 0.01 mL/min.
1. A method for aerosolising a liquid comprising the steps of:
delivering liquid to an aperture plate including a reservoir layer having one or more apertures and an outlet layer having at least 100 outlet holes per mm 2 wherein the viscosity of the liquid is in a range of from 1 to 15 cP and the surface tension of the liquid is in a range from 72 to 0.5 mN/m; and
vibrating the aperture plate to generate an aerosol wherein an output rate of the generated aerosol is greater than 0.01 mL/min.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fraction of the droplets which are less than 3 microns in size is greater than 75%, greater than 80%, greater than 85%, or greater than 90%.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aperture plate has at least 500 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 1,000 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 1,500 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 2,000 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 2,500 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 3,500 outlet holes per mm 2 , or at least 5,000 outlet holes per mm 2 .
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the volumetric median diameter of the droplets is less than 5 microns, less than 4 microns, less than 3 microns, less than 2.5 microns, less than 2.0 microns, less than 1.5 microns, or less than 1 microns.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the viscosity of the liquid is less than 12 cP, less than 10 cP, less than 7 cP, less than 5 cP, or less than 2 cP.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface tension of the liquid is less than 70 mN/m, less than 65 mN/m, less than 60 mN/m, less than 55 mN/m, less than 50 mN/m, less than 40 mN/m, less than 30 mN/m, less than 25 mN/m, less than 20 mN/m, less than 10 mN/m, or less than 5 mN/m, and greater than 0.5 mN/m.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the output rate of the generated aerosol is greater than 0.05 mL/min, greater than 0.075 mL/min, greater than 0.1 mL/min, greater than 0.2 mL/min, greater than 0.3 mL/min, greater than 0.33 mL/min, greater than 0.5 mL/min, greater than 1.00 mL/min, or greater than 2.00 mL/min.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid contains a medicament.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid contains a surfactant.
10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid contains a pharmaceutical.
11. A method for aerosolising a liquid comprising the steps of:
delivering liquid to a domed aperture plate including a reservoir layer having one or more apertures and an outlet layer having at least 100 outlet holes per mm 2 downstream of the reservoir layer wherein the viscosity of the liquid is in a range from 1 to 15 cP and the surface tension of the liquid is in a range from 72 to 0.5 mN/m; and
vibrating the domed aperture plate to generate an aerosol wherein an output rate of the generated aerosol is greater than 0.01 mL/min.
12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the fraction of the droplets which are less than 3 microns in size is greater than 75%, greater than 80%, greater than 85%, or greater than 90%.
13. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the domed aperture plate has at least 500 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 1,000 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 1,500 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 2,000 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 2,500 outlet holes per mm 2 , at least 3,500 outlet holes per mm 2 , or at least 5,000 outlet holes per mm 2 .
14. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the volumetric median diameter of the droplets is less than 5 microns, less than 4 microns, less than 3 microns, less than 2.5 microns, less than 2.0 microns, less than 1.5 microns, or less than 1 microns.
15. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the viscosity of the liquid is less than 12 cP, less than 10 cP, less than 7 cP, less than 5 cP, or less than 2 cP.
16. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the surface tension of the liquid is less than 70 mN/m, less than 65 mN/m, less than 60 mN/m, less than 55 mN/m, less than 50 mN/m, less than 40 mN/m, less than 30 mN/m, less than 25 mN/m, less than 20 mN/m, less than 10 mN/m, or less than 5 mN/m, and greater than 0.5 mN/m.
17. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the output rate of the generated aerosol is greater than 0.05 mL/min, greater than 0.075 mL/min, greater than 0.1 mL/min, greater than 0.2 mL/min, greater than 0.3 mL/min, greater than 0.33 mL/min, greater than 0.5 mL/min, greater than 1.00 mL/min, or greater than 2.00 mL/min.
18. A method for aerosolising a liquid comprising the steps of:
delivering at least one of a medicament, a surfactant, or a pharmaceutical to a domed aperture plate including a reservoir layer having one or more apertures and an outlet layer having at least 100 outlet holes per mm 2 wherein the viscosity of the medicament, surfactant, or pharmaceutical is in a range from 1 to 15 cP and the surface tension of the medicament, surfactant, or pharmaceutical is in a range from 72 to 0.5 mN/m; and
vibrating the domed aperture plate to generate an aerosol wherein an output rate of the generated aerosol is greater than 0.01 mL/min.
19. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the fraction of the droplets which are less than 3 microns in size is greater than 75%, greater than 80%, greater than 85%, or greater than 90%.
20. A method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the volumetric median diameter of the droplets is less than 5 microns, less than 4 microns, less than 3 microns, less than 2.5 microns, less than 2.0 microns, less than 1.5 microns, or less than 1 microns.