摘要 |
<p>This invention is a nebulizer (100) for producing a fine aerosol of droplets of a predetermined range of sizes, including an antechamber (11) with a gas inlet (21), arranged for receiving a pressurized gas flow thereby, and for containing a pressurized gas therein; a vortex chamber (10) arranged to receive a pressurized gas flow from the antechamber and configured to produce a vortex-like flow of the pressurized gas; a mixing chamber (12) for receiving the vortex-like flow from the vortex chamber; a preliminary aerosol generator having a predetermined fluid capacity and operative to produce, from a preselected fluid provided thereto, a coarse aerosol of droplets of a predetermined range of sizes, to provide the coarse aerosol to the mixing chamber to combine it with the vortex-like flow of the pressurized gas therein thereby to provide a mixed flow; a processing chamber (9) for receiving the mixed flow from the mixing chamber and further configured to change the flow characteristics thereof in a predetermined manner, thereby providing a fine aerosol having a droplet size distribution containing a substantially greater number of smaller-sized droplets than that of the coarse aerosol; and a delivery tube (5) for conveying the fine aerosol from the processing chamber out of the nebulizer.</p> |