JPH049589B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic atomizer, and particularly to an ultrasonic atomizer equipped with a plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

(b) Prior art and its problems In general, in aerosol therapy, the part of the respiratory tract where the atomized liquid tends to deposit depends on the size of the particles, with larger particles depositing in the upper respiratory tract and smaller particles depositing in the upper respiratory tract. It is said to be deposited in the lower respiratory tract (bronchus) and alveoli. Therefore, even if the same aerosol treatment is performed, the affected area may be the nose,
It is desirable to inhale atomized particles with different particle sizes depending on whether the inhaler is in the throat or lungs. And depending on the patient, if the atomized particles can be deposited anywhere, such as just the nose, or the throat, or even the nose and throat, or the throat and lungs, the treatment can be effective and efficient. It's possible and convenient.

However, conventional ultrasonic atomization devices (inhalers)
is equipped with only a single ultrasonic transducer, and the atomized particles are determined by their vibration frequency, making it impossible to provide detailed and effective treatment depending on the patient and area.

(c) Purpose of the Invention The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of conventional ultrasonic atomization devices, to obtain atomized particles having various particle sizes, and to provide a method for selecting the particle size of the atomized particles arbitrarily. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic atomization device that obtains the desired results.

(d) Structure and Effects of the Invention In order to achieve the above objects, the ultrasonic atomization device of the present invention includes an outer tank for storing a medium liquid, and an inner tank for storing a liquid to be atomized, which is housed in the outer tank. A tank, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers each having a different resonance frequency provided at the bottom of the outer tank, a circuit for driving these ultrasonic transducers, and a control circuit for controlling the operation/non-operation of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers. and an operating ultrasonic transducer setting means for selectively inputting a designation, so that only the ultrasonic transducer specified and set by the operating ultrasonic transducer setting means is vibrated.

According to the ultrasonic atomization device of the present invention, it is provided with a plurality of ultrasonic transducers having different resonance frequencies, and the ultrasonic transducer to be vibrated can be arbitrarily selected by the operating ultrasonic transducer setting means. You can vibrate only one ultrasonic vibrator to obtain atomized particles of a single target particle size, or you can vibrate any ultrasonic vibrator in combination to mix particles of different sizes. It is also possible to obtain atomized particles, and the atomized particles can be efficiently deposited only in the necessary areas according to the patient and the symptoms.

(e) Description of Examples The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to Examples.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an ultrasonic inhaler showing one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an outer tank, in which water is placed as a liquid medium for transmitting vibrational energy.

2 is an inner tank, into which water, chemical solution, etc. to be atomized are put. The upper surface of the inner tank 2 is provided with a ventilation port 2a that receives air from a ventilation fan (not shown) and an output port 2b that outputs the atomized liquid. Further, the bottom portion 2c of the inner tank 2, which is made up of a diaphragm, forms a downwardly convex curved surface, so that the atomization effect is performed approximately at the center of the tank.

The bottom part 1a of the outer tank 1 is formed into a mortar shape,
Three holes 1b are provided at the center of the slope, and an ultrasonic transducer unit 3 is disposed in each hole 1b. These ultrasonic transducer units 3
is composed of an ultrasonic transducer 4, a rubber ring 5, a transducer holder 6, and an electrode fitting 7. Each ultrasonic vibrator 4 is arranged on a concentric circle equidistant from the center of the bottom 1a of the outer tank 1, and its vibration surface is parallel to a plane in contact with the curved surface of the bottom 2c of the inner tank 2. It is located.

8 is an electronic circuit section including a drive circuit, a control CPU, a power supply circuit, etc., and the electrode tool 7 of the ultrasonic transducer 4 is connected to the drive circuit of this circuit section 8 by a lead wire.
is connected.

A block diagram of the main parts of the electronic circuit 8 excluding the power supply circuit is shown in FIG. 9a, 9b, 9c are
These are drive circuits for driving the ultrasonic transducers 4a, 4b, and 4c, respectively, and include an oscillation circuit.

The ultrasonic transducers 4a, 4b, and 4c have different resonance frequencies of 0.76 MHz, 1.4 MHz, and 2.8 MHz, respectively.

10a, 10b, 10c are analog switches, and when these analog switches are turned on,
Power supply voltage + to the corresponding drive circuits 9a, 9b, 9c
V is supplied, the drive circuit is activated, and the corresponding ultrasonic transducers 4a, 4b, 4c vibrate.

11 are analog switches 10a, 10b, 10
This is a CPU (microprocessor) that outputs signals Sa, Sb, and Sc for individually turning on c. 12
a, 12b, 12c are ultrasonic transducers 4, respectively.
This is a selection switch (operational ultrasonic transducer setting means) for selectively specifying and vibrating a, 4b, and 4c. The CPU 11 selects these selection switches 12a,
Signal depending on on/off status of 12b, 12c
One of Sa, Sb, and Sc is output, and analog switches 10a, 10b, and 10c are selectively turned on.

13 is a timer which outputs a clock signal T, and the CPU 11 receiving this outputs signals Sa, Sb, Sc.
It is designed to control the pulse width of the

FIG. 3 shows the operation section on the side surface of the case of the ultrasonic inhaler of the above embodiment, 14a, 14b, 14
C is a slide button of the selection switches 12a, 12b, 12c, 15 is a knob of the timer 13, and 16 is a power switch button. 0.76MHz, 1.4MHz,
The 2.8MHz ultrasonic transducers 4a, 4b, and 4c can be arbitrarily selected and vibrated.

Next, the operation of the ultrasonic inhaler according to the above embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In addition,
In FIG. 4, SWa, SWb, SWc select the selection switches 12a, 12b, 12c, ASa, ASb,
ASc is analog switch 11a, 11b, 11c
are shown respectively.

When the power switch button 16 is pressed and the power is turned on with the medium liquid in the outer tank 1 and the liquid to be atomized in the inner tank 2, the operation starts.

Now all selection switches 12a, 12b, 12
c is turned on, the CPU 11 determines in step ST (hereinafter abbreviated as ST) 1 whether the selection switch 12a is turned on or not. Since this determination is YES, in the next step ST2, the CPU 11 determines whether the selection switch 12a is turned on or not. output,
Turn on the analog switch 10a. As a result, the power supply voltage +V is applied to the drive circuit 9a and the drive circuit 9a is energized. Then, the 0.76MHz ultrasonic transducer 4a vibrates. This vibration is transmitted to the chemical liquid in the inner tank 2 through the medium liquid, atomized, and atomized particles having a relatively large diameter are released. Simultaneously with turning on the analog switch 10a in ST2, the timer 13 is activated. Then, the analog switch 10a is turned on and the ultrasonic transducer 4a continues to vibrate until the timer 13 times up (ST3, ST4).

When the timer 13 times up, the analog switch 10a is turned off in ST5. This causes the ultrasonic transducer 4a to stop vibrating. Next, ST6
It is determined whether the selection switch 12b is on or not, but since this determination is also YES, the CPU 11
ST7 outputs signal Sb and analog switch 10
Turn on b. As a result, the drive circuit 9b is energized, and the 1.4MHz ultrasonic transducer 4b is vibrated. Atomization of the chemical solution is also performed by this vibration, and medium-sized atomized particles are sent out. The vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 4b also continues until the timer 13, which is started at the same time as the analog switch 10b is turned on, times up (ST8, ST9).

When the timer 13 times up, the analog switch 10b is turned off in ST10. This causes the ultrasonic transducer 4b to stop vibrating. continue
In ST11, it is determined whether the selection switch 12c is on or not, but since this determination is also YES, the CPU
11 outputs the signal Sc in ST12 and turns on the analog switch 10c. This will now result in 2.8M
Hz ultrasonic transducer 4c is the ultrasonic transducer 4
It vibrates in the same manner as a, 4b, and 4c, atomizing action is performed, and small-diameter atomized particles are sent out. The vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 4c continues until the timer 13 times up (ST13, ST14), at which time the analog switch 10c is turned off (ST15) and the vibration stops. Then other processing (ST16) is performed, returns, and then ST1 again
~The processing of ST16 is performed, and the ultrasonic transducers 4a, 4
The vibrations b and 4c are repeated sequentially at each time set by the timer 13, that is, according to a timetable. Therefore, atomized particles with different particle sizes, large, medium, and small, are sent out sequentially, and if you inhale these atomized particles,
The drug solution can be deposited throughout the respiratory tract.

Among the three ultrasonic transducers 4a, 4b, 4c,
If it is not necessary to vibrate only the ultrasonic vibrator 4c, that is, if it is not necessary to obtain small-diameter atomized particles, the operation can be started by turning on the selection switches 12a and 12b and turning off the selection switch 12c. .

In this case, in the flow diagram of Figure 4,
Since the determination in ST11 is NO, the analog switch 10c is not turned on, and therefore the ultrasonic transducer 4c does not vibrate. Therefore, atomization by the ultrasonic transducers 4a and 4b is repeated alternately.

In addition, another combination, that is, the ultrasonic transducer 4a
4c, 4b, and 4c can be vibrated, and each ultrasonic vibrator 4a, 4b, and 4c can be vibrated individually. The selection is made by turning on the selection switches 12a, 12b, 12c.
This may be done by appropriately combining off-times.

In the above embodiment, the time for turning on each analog switch, that is, the time for which the ultrasonic transducer is vibrated, is the same, but this time is set to a different value in advance for each ultrasonic transducer. You can stay there.

Further, in the ultrasonic inhaler of the above embodiment, the number of ultrasonic vibrators and drive circuits is three, but of course the number is not limited to three, and may be two or four or more. Further, the drive circuit may be partially or entirely used for switching only the ultrasonic transducer depending on the case.

Further, in the ultrasonic inhaler of the above embodiment, each ultrasonic vibrator is made to vibrate sequentially in a time-sharing manner, but it may be made to vibrate simultaneously.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an ultrasonic inhaler showing one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the electronic circuit section of the ultrasonic inhaler, and Fig. 3 is an operating section of the ultrasonic inhaler. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the ultrasonic inhaler. 1: Outer tank, 1a: Bottom of outer tank, 2: Inner tank, 4
a, 4b, 4c: Ultrasonic transducer, 9a, 9b, 9
c: drive circuit, 11: CPU, 12a, 12b,
12c: Selection switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An outer tank for storing a medium liquid, an inner tank stored in the outer tank for storing a liquid to be atomized, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers each having a different resonance frequency provided at the bottom of the outer tank, and these A circuit that drives an ultrasonic transducer and the operation and operation of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.
1. An ultrasonic atomization device comprising an operating ultrasonic transducer setting means for selectively inputting a designation of non-operation, and vibrating only the ultrasonic transducer specified by the operating ultrasonic transducer setting means.