Patent ID: 6105929
Filing Date: 2000-08-22
Classification: A61M,F16K

Abstract:
A nebulizer gas supply control valve for controlling the supply of a gas to a nebulizer comprisinga) a housing having a gas delivery tube (102);b) a poppet valve (80) in the gas delivery tube having a valve stem (82) which is biased by a spring (90) to maintain the valve closed;c) a high pressure gas supply inlet (16) for providing relatively high pressure gas to the poppet valve;d) a trigger gas supply inlet (22) to provide relatively low pressure gas to the control valve; ande) a poppet valve opener (42,44), having a diaphragm isolated from the high pressure gas which responds to pressure applied by the trigger gas to move the valve stem of the poppet valve to open the poppet valve whereby the relatively high pressure gas passes through the poppet valve and thereby through the control valve,wherein the poppet valve opener comprises the diaphragm (42), exposed on one face to the trigger gas supply inlet and, on an opposed face, to a closed chamber, which moves in response to applied trigger gas pressure, and a piston (70) unattached to the valve stem (82) and extending in a sealed manner from the closed chamber to move the valve stem whereby the trigger gas moves the diaphragm which in turn moves the piston and the valve stem to open the poppet valve;wherein the poppet valve opener comprises a backup disk (44) which is separate and unattached to the diaphragm, and is located between the diaphragm and the piston, to convey the movement of the diaphragm to the piston.