Abstract:
The invention concerns a nebulizer chamber for aerosol systems, which is made up of an outlet duct ( 21 ) which extends vertically to the top starting from an annular nebulised liquid passage, and an anti-spill system ( 24, 25 ) positioned between the outlet duct and the annular passage to prevent spilling of the medicinal liquid due to tilting or dropping of the chamber. The chamber also has a nebulizer nozzle with a baffle ( 30 ) to deflect the larger nebulised particles.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention concerns in general the medicinal aerosol therapy atomizer equipment, and refers in particular to nebulizer chamber to be used in association with such equipment.  
         PRIOR ART  
         [0002]    Various chamber devices and configurations for aerosol treatment using liquid medication housing nebulizer pisper are already widely known.  
           [0003]    According to the regulations in force in the sector, a nebulizerchamber for the above use must be such as not to permit accidental spilling of the medication liquid in the case of excessive angulations, dropping or turning the chamber itself upside-down.  
           [0004]    A nebulizer chamber in a recent embodiment of an atomizer equipment has been designed with an anti-spill system which complies with the regulations for the sector, but it applies to a chamber with a lateral exit of the atomized liquid, therefore in the presence of a particular, specific configuration of the chamber body.  
           [0005]    However, also well known are those nebulizer chambers whose body has a top vertically oriented outlet of the atomized liquid, that is parallel to the geometric axis of the body itself.  
         OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    One objective of this invention is to equip these nebulizer chambers with vertical exit of atomized liquid with an efficient anti-spill system, also.  
           [0007]    Another objective of the invention is to provide a nebulizer chamber, either with vertical or lateral exits, updated as regards to the pisper to improve its efficiency.  
           [0008]    These objectives and implicit advantages are achieved with a nebulizer chamber according to claim 1 and with the particular characteristics in accordance with the claims (2.7). 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    Greater detail of the invention will become clear from the continuation of this description made with reference to the enclosed indicative and non-limiting drawings, in which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 shows a view in perspective of a chamber with a top exit,  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 shows a vertical cross-section of the chamber in FIG. 1 complete with a anti-spill system and revised pisper;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 shows a component, the one at the top, of the chamber in FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 shows a view from the bottom of the component shown in FIG. 3;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 shows a view in perspective of a chamber with lateral exit;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 shows a vertical cross-section of the chamber in FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of the chamber in FIG. 6 in direction of the arrows A-A;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 shows a view in perspective of the pisper for nebulizer chambers;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIGS. 9, 10 and  11  show, respectively, front, side and top views of pisper in FIG. 8. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    In the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the chamber has a body  10  made up of a bottom element  11  and a top element  12 , which are connected to each other, so as not to be separable, along a joining plane using, for example a threaded, or bayoneted or similar fit  13 .  
         [0020]    The lower element  11  forms a chamber  14  to contain a medicine to be nebulised  15  and having a bottom  14 ′ with a duct  16  for nebulising air input from a compressor—not shown.  
         [0021]    The air conduct  16  has a section  17  which extends from the bottom  14 ′ of the chamber above the level of the medicinal liquid  15  and ends in a conical portion having a top orifice  17 ′. A nebulizer nozzle  18 , also known as a “pisper”, is fitted to the extension of the air duct  16 , the structure of which will be described later. The joining plane of the two components  11 ,  12  is above the pisper.  
         [0022]    The top element  12  defining the body of the chamber  10  has a through conduit  19  extending from the bottom towards the top, and around this, an annular passage  20  closed at the top. The through conduit  19  is open at the bottom towards the nebulizer nozzle  18 , whereas at the top it can be open or tapped to reduce the distance, according to needs. The annular passage  20  is required to make the nebulised liquid to rise up from the nebulizer nozzle  18  and is in communication with a vertical outlet duct  21  of the nebulised liquid at the top of the body  10 . The outlet duct  21  can be connected to a mask or a mouthpiece  22 , as shown in the drawings, or a pediatrics or adults nozzle as required, which if turned can act as a means for blocking the through passage  19 .  
         [0023]    The chamber described above is also equipped with an anti-spill system between the annular passage  20  and the outlet duct  21 . The anti-spill system consists of a dividing baffle  24  which starting from an area of the wall called the outlet duct  21 , from the side of the latter which is furthest from the through passage, extends towards the centre of the passage itself and continues towards the bottom of the annular duct  20  with a section  25  practically parallel to the external surface of the wall of the through passage. The vertical opposite edges of the section  25  of the dividing baffle  24  meet with the external surface of the wall of the through passage  19  as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.  
         [0024]    The dividing baffle  24  and its section  25  extend downwards, into the annular duct forming, on one side, with the adjacent external surfaces of the wall of the through passage  19 , a passage  26  for the nebulised liquid towards the outlet  21  and, on the other side, a barrier which prevents the medicinal liquid from flowing out of said outlet if and when the chamber is tilted or lying flat.  
         [0025]    The nebulizer nozzle or pisper  18  referred to above—FIGS.  8 - 11 —has the shape of a hood  27  which fits complementarily with the part  17  of the air duct  16  extending upwards in the chamber  14  and which forms with said part  17  an annular hollow space  28 . The latter is open at the bottom towards the chamber  14  dipping into the medicine it contains and, at the top, flowing into an injector nozzle  29  placed above and in line with the orifice  17 ′.  
         [0026]    Above the hood  27  there is a deflector plate  30  supported by at least two arms  31  having a centre hole  32  in line with the through passage  19  and placed crosswise in this area there is a flow breaker crosspiece  33  (pisper) above the injector nozzle  29  and possibly equipped with a grip lug  34 .  
         [0027]    The nebulizer nozzle or pisper  18  positioned in this way can be applied both in a chamber with an vertical outlet passage  21  as in FIGS. 1 and 2, and in a chamber with a lateral outlet passage as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 where the same reference numbers have been used to indicate the parts which are the same or equivalent as those described when referring to FIGS.  1 - 4 .  
         [0028]    This other chamber  10 ′ advantageously houses, on a level with its lateral outlet passage  35 , a division  36  for two functions aimed at improving the use of the chamber: a first anti-spill function and a second to prevent the flow of saliva from the passage itself to the chamber containing the medicinal liquid.  
         [0029]    The division  36  consists of a baffle positioned around and parallel to a part of the central duct  19  for air input, between the latter and the external wall of the top element  12 , and it links up to a barrier  38  which projects from the lowest part of the outlet duct  35 .  
         [0030]    The baffle  37  extends downwards into the chamber  20 , its opposite vertical edges fit against the wall of the central passage  19  and form together with the external wall of the top body  12  a pocket  39  to receive and retain the medicinal liquid stopping it from flowing out should the chamber be tilted or lying flat.  
         [0031]    On the other side the barrier  38  blocks the lowest part of the outlet passage of the nebulised liquid preventing the backflow of saliva into the chamber and its unwanted mixing with the medicinal liquid.  
         [0032]    In both cases, the help of the air which arrives from below to the passage  16  and enters the through passage  19  from the top, causes the medicinal liquid to be sucked through the annular hollow passage  28 . The medicine is then made to flow towards the top part pf the nebulizer nozzle to reach the orifices  17 ′,  29  where air and medicine mix nebulising thanks to the obstacle in the form of a crosspiece  33 .  
         [0033]    The nebulised liquid passes radially under the deflector plate  30  from where the finest particles rise in the annular duct  20  and from here to the outlet passage  21  to be used, whereas the larger particles drop and collect in the chamber  14 .