Patent ID: 7756404

Claim:
A microstructure apparatus for heating and atomizing a fluid, comprising: an inner body ( 1 ) having an outer surface, an outer tube ( 2 ) concentrically surrounding said inner body ( 1 ) and having an inner surface, a microstructure formed into one of the inner surface of the outer tube ( 2 ) and the outer surface of the inner body ( 1 ) so as to form a microstructure fluid flow passage ( 5 ) in the form of a spiral groove extending between the inner body ( 1 ) and the outer tube ( 2 ), a supply passage ( 4 ) formed at one end in communication with said fluid flow passage ( 5 ) for supplying said fluid to the microstructure fluid flow passage ( 5 ), heating means included in the inner body ( 1 ) for heating the fluid in the spiral fluid flow passage ( 5 ) under pressure, said spiral microstructure forming the fluid passage between the inner body ( 1 ) and the outer tube ( 2 )fully filling the space between the inner body ( 1 ) and the outer tube ( 2 ) and being open at an opposite axial end thereof for discharging the heated pressurized fluid through the open axial end with a spin thereby atomizing the heated fluid for efficient vaporization.