초록 ▼

A nebulizer comprises a head detachably coupled to a body. The head comprises the nebulizer, an air channel and a flow sensor. A nebulized liquid is released in an air channel that ends in a mouth piece through which a user inhales and exhales. The inhaling and exhaling causes a flow in the air chan

A nebulizer comprises a head detachably coupled to a body. The head comprises the nebulizer, an air channel and a flow sensor. A nebulized liquid is released in an air channel that ends in a mouth piece through which a user inhales and exhales. The inhaling and exhaling causes a flow in the air channel which is detected with the flow sensor. The nebulizer is controlled by controls and sensors included in the body.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A nebulizer comprising; a head, the head comprising; a medication chamber configured to hold medicament as a body of liquid,a vibration source configured to apply vibrational energy to a medicament within the medication chamber in order to nebulize the medicament, such vibrational energy being ap

1. A nebulizer comprising; a head, the head comprising; a medication chamber configured to hold medicament as a body of liquid,a vibration source configured to apply vibrational energy to a medicament within the medication chamber in order to nebulize the medicament, such vibrational energy being applied to the medicament while the medicament is held as a body of liquid in the medication chamber,an air channel in which the nebulized medicament is released, the air channel being arranged to guide a flow caused primarily by respiratory effort of a user during an inhaled and exhaled breath of the user; anda sensor configured to generate output signals that convey information related to a direction of the flow; anda body detachably coupled to the head, the body comprising a controller to control operation of the vibration source between different non-zero frequencies for different directions of the flow. 2. A nebulizer according to claim 1 wherein the medication chamber for holding the liquid comprises the vibration source arranged to transfer vibrations to the liquid, wherein the vibration source includes a mesh, wherein the air channel is arranged to guide the flow along the mesh. 3. A nebulizer according to claim 2 wherein the mesh is detachably coupled to the medication chamber. 4. A nebulizer according to claim 2 wherein the medication chamber is formed such that the mesh is separated from the vibration source by a gap, the vibration source being arranged to vibrate at a frequency f, the mesh being separated from the vibration source by the gap forming a distance between the mesh and the vibration source of substantially Lambda/2, wherein Lambda=v/f, v being the speed of a wave in the liquid caused by the vibration at frequency f. 5. A nebulizer according to claim 2 wherein an electrical energy source is arranged to transfer energy from the body to the head to energize the vibration source and/or the sensor, wherein the sensor comprises a flow sensor using a magnetic field coupling between the head and the body. 6. A nebulizer according to claim 5 wherein the head further comprises a receiver coil, the body further comprises a transmitter coil, the receiver coil being electrically coupled to the vibration source, the body being arranged to cause an AC current in the transmitter coil so as to energize the vibration source when the head is coupled to the body. 7. A nebulizer according to claim 6 wherein the transmitter coil is arranged to surround a first magnetic core, the receiver coil is arranged to surround a second core, the first and second core being U shaped or E shaped, the ends of the first and second core being arranged to face each other when the head is coupled to the body. 8. A nebulizer according to claim 6 wherein the AC current has a frequency corresponding to the vibration frequency f. 9. A nebulizer according to claim 8 wherein the frequency f is higher than 1 MHz. 10. A nebulizer according to claim 2 wherein the vibration source comprises a piezo electric element. 11. A nebulizer according to claim 1 wherein, operation of the controller is dependent on a signal received from the sensor. 12. A nebulizer according to claim 11 wherein the controller is arranged to energize the vibration source in dependence of the signal received from the sensor. 13. A nebulizer according to claim 12 wherein the signal corresponds to a direction of the flow in the air channel. 14. A nebulizer according to claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor arranged to sense the flow based on a pressure measurement. 15. A nebulizer according to claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a flow sensor arranged to sense the flow in the air channel. 16. A nebulizer according to claim 15 wherein the flow sensor is a thermal flow sensor device arranged to sense the flow based on a temperature measurement. 17. A nebulizer according to claim 15 wherein a thermal flow sensor device comprises an electrically driven thermal element on a front side of the thermal flow sensor device, the front side facing the interior of the air channel. 18. A nebulizer according to claim 17 wherein the thermal flow sensor device comprises an integrated circuit die, the integrated circuit die further comprising the electrically driven thermal element on the front side and one or more bondpads at its backside, the one or more bondpads being electrically coupled to the thermal element. 19. A nebulizer according to claim 17 wherein the thermal element comprises a heating element and at least two temperature sensing elements. 20. A nebulizer according to claim 19 wherein the heating element comprises a resistor. 21. A nebulizer according to claim 19 wherein the temperature sensing element comprises a thermocouple. 22. A nebulizer according to claim 17 wherein the air channel comprises a wall, the wall having a recess in which the thermal flow sensor device is mounted with the electrically driven thermal element facing the air channel. 23. A nebulizer according to claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a flow sensor, and a signal from the flow sensor is transferred from the head to the body with a magnetic field and/or optical coupling between the head and the body. 24. A nebulizing system comprising a nebulizer according to claim 1 and a personal computer, wherein the nebulizer further comprises a communication system configured for a data exchange with the personal computer. 25. A nebulizing system according to claim 24 wherein the communication system is configured for a wireless coupling of the nebulizer and the personal computer. 26. A nebulizing system according to claim 24 wherein the data exchange includes flow data, the flow data being dependent on the signal. 27. The nebulizer of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the vibration source (i) to operate at a first non-zero frequency while the direction of the flow indicates inhalation of the user, and (ii) to operate at a second non-zero frequency while the direction of the flow indicates exhalation of the user. 28. A method of nebulizing, the method comprising; holding medicament as a body of liquid within a medication chamber within a head of a nebulizer;generating vibrational energy with a vibrational source disposed within the head of the nebulizer to nebulize the liquid medicament, wherein the vibrational energy is provided to the medicament while the medicament is held as a body of liquid in the medication chamber;generating, with a sensor disposed within the head of the nebulizer, output signals that convey information related to a direction of flow in an air channel of the nebulizer;the air channel being configured to guide a flow of nebulized medicament being caused primarily by respiratory effort of a user during the users inhaled and/or exhaled breath;controlling a frequency of vibration of the vibration source between different non-zero frequencies with a controller disposed in a body of the nebulizer that is detachably coupled to the head, the controlling is performed so that different the vibration source operates at different non-zero frequencies for different directions of flow in the air channel. 29. The method of claim 28 further comprising controlling the nebulizer in dependence of a signal received from the sensor. 30. A method of training a person in the use of a nebulizer, the method comprising the method of claim 28 and further comprising: providing an instruction to the person to inhale and/or exhale, and providing audible and/or visual feedback to the person on his inhaling and/or exhaling in dependence of a signal received from the sensor. 31. A method of training a person in the use of a nebulizer according to claim 30 wherein the audible and/or visual feedback is provided on a personal computer which is coupled to the nebulizer for data exchange.