Patent ID: 7810743

Claim:
An ultrasonic liquid delivery device comprising: an elongate housing having an internal chamber, an inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the housing whereby liquid enters the internal chamber, and an outlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the housing whereby liquid within the chamber exits the housing; an elongate ultrasonic waveguide disposed at least in part within the internal chamber of the housing to ultrasonically energize liquid within the internal chamber prior to said liquid being exhausted from the housing through the outlet, the ultrasonic waveguide having an agitating member extending outward from the ultrasonic waveguide within the internal chamber of the housing intermediate the inlet and the outlet, the agitating member and the ultrasonic waveguide being constructed and arranged for dynamic motion of the agitating member relative to the ultrasonic waveguide upon ultrasonic vibration of the ultrasonic waveguide, wherein the agitating member and the ultrasonic waveguide are constructed and arranged to amplify the displacement of the agitating member relative to the displacement of the ultrasonic waveguide upon ultrasonic vibration of the ultrasonic waveguide, and wherein the ultrasonic waveguide has a nodal region and an antinodal region, the agitating member extending transversely outward from the ultrasonic waveguide in the antinodal region; and an excitation device operable to ultrasonically excite said ultrasonic waveguide and the agitating member.