Fluid vaporizing device having controlled temperature profile heater/capillary tube
US6640050B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 21, 2001 |
| Grant date | Oct 28, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 21, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61M2205/8206
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A fluid vaporizing device useful for vaporizing fluid into an aerosol includes a capillary tube made from an electrically conductive material, an upstream electrode connected to the tube, and a downstream electrode connected to the tube and provided with an electrical resistivity sufficient to cause heating of the downstream electrode during operation to approximately the same temperature as the tube at the point of connection. The upstream and downstream electrodes connected to the capillary tube divide the tube into an initial feed section, a heated section, and a tip. A source of material to be volatilized is provided to the tube at the feed section, passes downstream into the heated section, is vaporized, and then exits from the tube through the tip. The temperature profile of the tube along the heated section is controlled by varying parameters to substantially eliminate any effect of the downstream electrode as a heat sink. These parameters may include the electrical resistivity of the downstream electrode, its cross-sectional area, and its length.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.