Abstract: A nebulizer has an aerosol generator, a reservoir, and an aerosol outlet. A piezoelectric vibration generator is on a downstream side of a support washer, and power to the piezo is provided by a spring contact assembly. The assembly has upstanding electrical terminals for contact with electrical supply conductors. There are spring terminals extending around a rim of the spring contact assembly to engage an exposed underside of the washer, and a resilient ridge extending in the upstream direction to engage the underside of the piezo, which itself is on the downstream side of the washer.

Abstract: A nebulizer has an aerosol generator mounted in a housing, and has a vibratable aperture plate mounted to an annular support and to which is attached a vibration generator piezo. A downstream annular resilient seal is mounted between the housing and the washer on a side of the aperture plate opposed to the liquid supply reservoir. An upstream resilient seal is in the form of a gasket and is mounted between the washer and the housing reservoir, and has an opening forming part of a throat over the aperture plate. The gasket has a washer-shaped body extending radially from a downstream-extending rim adjacent the aperture plate. There are two upwardly-directed ridges for engagement with a housing surface, and the gasket is configured so that when under axial compression the opening internal surface is tapered inwardly in a flow direction to form a funnel shape.

Abstract: An aperture plate 1 comprises an inlet surface 2 for receiving a liquid to be aerosolised, an outlet surface 3 and a plurality of apertures 4 extending therebetween. The apertures 4 are tapered from an inlet opening 10 at the inlet surface 2 to an outlet or exit opening 12. The aperture plate 1 is convex in the direction of the inlet openings 10 and concave in the direction of the exit openings 12. The aerosol exits on the concave side of the aperture plate. The aperture plate of the invention generates an aerosol plume which converges and is particularly suitable for application to the eye.