Patent ID: 8398001

Claim:
A method for aerosolizing a liquid, the method comprising: providing an aperture plate comprising a plate body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of tapered apertures that taper in a direction from the bottom surface to the top surface, wherein the apertures have an exit angle that is in the range from about 30° to about 60°, and a diameter that is in the range from about 1 micron to about 10 microns at the narrowest portion of the taper; supplying a liquid to the bottom surface of the aperture plate; and vibrating the aperture plate to eject liquid droplets from the top surface, wherein the aperture plate is vibrated with a vibratory element that mechanically transmits vibratory energy to the aperture plate without first passing through a liquid medium in order to cause the aperture plate to vibrate.