Patent ID: 7237697

Claim:
Apparatus for atomizing a liquid product using pressure of a gaseous propellant, wherein the liquid product is atomized within a capillary tube, the apparatus allowing a total flow rate of 0.5 g/s to 0.01 g/s through a single capillary tube, comprising: at least one valve for operating the apparatus, said valve comprising a valve body, a valve spring and a valve gasket sealingly cooperating with the valve body, at least one capillary tube having an exit port at one end thereof in an axial direction for discharge of atomized liquid product and gaseous propellant, and an entry port into the capillary tube for entry of the liquid product and the propellant in admixture at the opposite end thereof, said capillary tube having a sufficient internal diameter and length between the exit port and the entry port to allow atomization of the liquid product by the propellant, and at least one afferent pathway for delivery of the liquid product and the propellant in admixture to said entry port, wherein the afferent pathway comprises at least one of: an afferent tubing for the liquid product and the propellant in admixture from a supply of liquid product and propellant to an internal cavity formed between the afferent tubing and said capillary tube, and said afferent tubing for the liquid product or the liquid product and the propellant in admixture from a supply of liquid product or the supply of the liquid product and propellant in admixture to said internal cavity formed between the afferent tubing and said capillary tube, and at least another afferent tubing for gaseous propellant from a supply of gaseous propellant to said internal cavity, wherein said valve body, valve spring and valve gasket of said valve for operating apparatus are positioned within said internal cavity of said afferent pathway with the valve gasket positioned at said entry port of said capillary tube, and wherein said internal cavity has an internal cavity volume of below 50 mm 3 .