Abstract: An inhaler has a tubular case defining inside a flow route for medicament. A capsule containing the medicament serving as its source is on the upstream side and a mouthpiece is on the opposite downstream side. A rotor with a convex surface on the upstream side is rotatably placed in the flow route inside the tubular case. A motor rotates the rotor when a patient breathes in the medicament such that a shearing force will operate on the medicament particles and the medicament is separated from lactose.

Abstract: An atomizer includes a piezoelectric element 50 with comb-type electrodes having one electrode and the other electrode formed alternately at one side, a mesh member 40 having many small holes arranged in the proximity of a no-electrode formation plane of piezoelectric element 50, a liquid reagent bottle 20 storing a liquid L, and a solenoid 26 supplying the liquid L of liquid reagent bottle 20 between piezoelectric element 50 and mesh member 40. The vibratory wave of piezoelectric element 50 by an oscillation circuit is a bulk wave that travels within the piezoelectric element, not the surface wave propagating at the surface of the piezoelectric element defined by the comb-type electrode pitch. As a result, an atomizer can be provided improved in atomization efficiency and stabilized in atomization.

Abstract: An ultrasonic atomizer utilizing surface acoustic waves is disclosed. The atomizer comprises an oscillator (11) generating surface acoustic waves, and a porous thin plate (12a) having a number of through holes arranged on n oscillating surface of the oscillator with a small clearance. A liquid (19) in a liquid container (18) is aspirated into the small clearance part between the oscillator and the porous thin plate by vibration by the surface acoustic waves or by capillarity. Vibration of the surface acoustic waves is transmitted to the porous thin plate (12a) through the liquid in the small clearance part, and a small quantity of liquid penetrating into holes of this thin plate is atomized by the vibration and sprayed to the exterior. According to this atomizer, it is possible to perform atomization by employing a battery of small power, and the balance between the supply quantity of the liquid and the atomization quantity can be kept excellent.

Abstract: This ultrasonic atomizer includes an oscillating member, a means for vibrating the oscillating member at a supersonic frequency, a bottle for liquid storage, with an opening, fitted generally above the oscillating member with regard to the preferred orientation of the atomizer during use, and a nozzle fitted into the opening of the bottle, this nozzle having a tip portion protruding outside the bottle in the generally downwards direction and approached closely to the oscillating member. The nozzle is formed with a fine groove for leading liquid in the bottle downwards to the tip portion of the nozzle by capillary action and by gravitational action, and with an aperture for introducing air from the outside into the bottle. Thereby liquid in the bottle may be properly supplied to the oscillating member to be atomized in a controlled fashion, and interruption of liquid supply and also dribbling of liquid are positively prevented. Constructions for the nozzle and for the bottle are also disclosed.

Abstract: This oscillating construction for an ultrasonic atomizing inhaler includes an oscillation element which is excited to vibrate ultrasonically, and this oscillation element has two adjoining regions which have substantially different vibrational characteristics. Liquid supply is made to one of the regions, and the oscillation for atomization takes place in the other region, according to the particular frequency of ultrasonic excitation of the oscillation element which is appropriately chosen. The region to which liquid is supplied has a resonance frequency which is different from that of the region for atomization, and substantially no atomization takes place in the liquid supply region. Therefore, even when the load imposed on the oscillation element by liquid thereon changes, as for example if the amount of the liquid thereon has changed, oscillation of a constant frequency continues in the atomization region, and thereby proper atomization is maintained.