US 11,839,891 B2
Protection of aperture plate during aerosol generation
Joseph Grehan, Gort (IE); Noel Coyle, Craughwell (IE); Russell Greaney, Carnmore (IE); and Stephen Thornton, Oughterard (IE)
Assigned to Stamford Devices Limited, Galway (IE)
Appl. No. 16/621,604
Filed by STAMFORD DEVICES LIMITED, Dangan (IE)
PCT Filed Aug. 23, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/072824
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 11, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/038408, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 28, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 17188034 (EP), filed on Aug. 25, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0156098 A1, May 21, 2020
Int. Cl. B05B 12/08 (2006.01); A61M 11/00 (2006.01); B05B 17/00 (2006.01); B05B 17/06 (2006.01); A61M 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC B05B 12/081 (2013.01) [A61M 11/005 (2013.01); A61M 15/0085 (2013.01); B05B 17/0646 (2013.01); B05B 17/0669 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3317 (2013.01); A61M 2205/50 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aerosol delivery system comprising:
an aerosol generator comprising a vibrating aperture plate and an actuator, wherein the aperture plate has a plurality of apertures extending between a first surface which is adapted to receive a liquid to be aerosolised and a second surface at which an aerosol is generated, and
a controller for controlling operation of the aerosol generator,
wherein the controller is configured to perform in real time a method comprising the steps of:
monitoring at least one electrical characteristic of the aerosol generator as it is driven at a first power for vibration of the aperture plate;
detecting a change in the electrical characteristic in response to a transition from a wet state to a dry state of the aperture plate as it is driven at the first power; and
automatically modifying, during said transition, operation of the aerosol generator in response to said detected change, said modification including partially reducing power applied to the aerosol generator to a reduced power level, and
wherein the controller is configured to continue to monitor said change during the transition after the reduction in power to the reduced power level, including monitoring the aperture plate for presence of residual liquid on the aperture plate first surface; and wherein the controller is configured to activate the power at an incremental power level above the reduced power level but lower than the first power in response to detection of residual liquid on the aperture plate first surface during the transition.