Patent ID: 7992803

Claim:
A nebulizer for delivering a mist of liquid, comprising: a housing; a reservoir disposed internally to the housing for containing a liquid to be nebulized by the nebulizer; a nebulizer tube having: a gas channel, the channel including a first end for receiving compressed gas and a second end for expelling compressed gas, the gas channel extending along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end of the nebulizer tube, and a liquid feed channel having a first end in fluid communication with the reservoir for receiving the liquid from the reservoir and having a second end disposed proximate the second gas channel end; and an impactor disposed proximate the second end of the nebulizer tube, the impactor having an impaction surface disposed at an inclined, non-orthogonal angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the nebulizer tube, whereby expulsion of compressed gas from the second end of the gas channel onto the impactor creates a siphon in the liquid feed channel to draw liquid into the feed channel and to expel the liquid and compressed gas from the second end of the nebulizer tube to nebulize the expelled liquid when the expelled liquid strikes the impactor, and wherein the second end of the liquid feed channel comprises an annular passageway disposed about the second gas channel end, whereby the expulsion of gas from the second end of the gas channel onto the impactor creates a siphon in the liquid feed channel to draw liquid into the feed channel and to expel the liquid from the second end of the feed channel.