Patent ID: 7270123

Claim:
A nebulizer system comprising: a source of fluid for nebulization, wherein the source of fluid comprises a vial detachably connectable with the nebulizer; and a nebulizer for nebulizing a fluid from the vial, the nebulizer comprising: a housing having a chamber for holding an aerosol; an air outlet communicating with the chamber for permitting the aerosol to be withdrawn from the chamber; a pressurized gas inlet adjacent a fluid orifice, the pressurized gas inlet in communication with the chamber and the fluid orifice in communication with a fluid channel, wherein the pressurized gas inlet comprises a cone-shaped gas nozzle and a fluid nozzle comprises a coaxially positioned cone-shaped sleeve around the cone-shaped gas nozzle, and wherein a skirt portion extends radially outward from the cone-shaped fluid nozzle and extends substantially to an inner wall of the chamber; a fluid reclamation opening defined by the inner wall of the chamber and an outer edge of the skirt portion; a diverter positioned in the chamber adjacent to the pressurized gas inlet; and a fluid return channel in communication with the fluid reclamation opening and a fluid return opening in the vial, wherein a suction force generated by removal of fluid from the vial into the nebulizer during nebulization assists in recovering condensed fluid on a wall of the chamber; and a needle in communication with the fluid channel and removably positionable in an opening of the vial, the needle having a first cross-sectional shape along a first length such that a fluid return gap is defined between an outside of the needle and an inner diameter of an opening in the vial when the first length is positioned in the opening of the vial.