Aerosol generator having heater arranged to vaporize fluid in fluid passage between bonded layers of laminate

Abstract

An aerosol generator includes a fluid supply which supplies fluid to a fluid passage and a heater, which heats the fluid into a gaseous state, the fluid passage being located between opposed layers of a laminate. The fluid passage can be a capillary sized passage formed by locating a mandrel between opposed layers of the laminate, bonding the layers together, and removing the mandrel such that the space previously occupied by the mandrel forms the fluid passage. The opposed layers of the laminate can be copper sheets, and ceramic layers can be provided on the outside of the copper layers. The aerosol generator can be used to generate aerosols containing medicated materials.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An aerosol generator, comprising: 
 a laminate body having a fluid passage therein, the fluid passage being located between opposed layers of the laminate body which are bonded together;    a heater arranged to heat liquid in the fluid passage into a gaseous state; and    a fluid supply arranged to provide a fluid to the fluid passage.    
     
     
         2 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , wherein the layers are bonded together by an adhesive.  
     
     
         3 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , wherein the layers are metallurgically bonded together.  
     
     
         4 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises a layer of resistance heating material located along the fluid passage.  
     
     
         5 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises a layer of platinum.  
     
     
         6 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a valve and a pump arranged to control flow of the fluid from the fluid supply to the fluid passage.  
     
     
         7 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid supply comprises a chamber, the aerosol generator further comprising a piston operable to compress fluid in the chamber to supply the fluid from the fluid supply to the fluid passage.  
     
     
         8 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is stored in a disposable chamber.  
     
     
         9 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , wherein the laminate comprises opposed ceramic layers.  
     
     
         10 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , wherein the heater has a width which is less than a width of the laminate.  
     
     
         11 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , wherein the opposed layers are bonded together at locations separated by the fluid passage.  
     
     
         12 . The aerosol generator of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional layer disposed between the opposed layers, the at least one additional layer defining the fluid passage.  
     
     
         13 . A method for generating an aerosol with the aerosol generator according to  claim 1 , comprising: 
 (a) supplying fluid to the fluid passage;    (b) heating the heater so as to volatilize the fluid in the fluid passage; and    (c) forming an aerosol by ejecting the volatilized fluid out of an outlet of the fluid passage.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the heater heats the fluid in the fluid passage by thermal conduction through at least one layer of the laminate.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the volatilized fluid is ejected through an outlet at one side of the laminate.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a predetermined volume of fluid is supplied to the fluid passage and the predetermined volume of fluid is volatilized by the heater, the fluid passage being a capillary sized passage having a maximum width of 0.01 to 10 mm or transverse area of 8×10 −5  to 80 mm 2 .  
     
     
         17 . A method of making an aerosol generator, comprising: 
 arranging a mandrel between opposed layers of a laminate;    bonding the opposed layers together; and    forming a fluid passage by removing the mandrel,    wherein the aerosol generator comprises: 
 a laminate body having the fluid passage located between the opposed layers of the laminate which are bonded together;  
 a heater arranged to heat liquid in the fluid passage into a gaseous state; and  
 a fluid supply arranged to provide a fluid to the fluid passage.  
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein arranging the mandrel in the laminate comprises locating the mandrel such that one end of the mandrel is spaced inwardly from a periphery of the laminate and an opposite end of the mandrel is located outwardly of a periphery of the laminate.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising forming the heater on the laminate, the heater being sputtered, printed, adhesively bonded or coated on a layer of the laminate.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid passage is formed so as to extend in a linear or non-linear direction, the fluid passage being a capillary sized passage having a maximum width of 0.01 to 10 mm or a transverse area of 8×10 −5  to 80 m 2 .  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 forming the heater on the laminate; and    attaching contacts which pass an electrical current through the heater.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising connecting the fluid passage to a source of fluid which optionally comprises a medicated material.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising attaching a power supply to the heater for heating the heater.  
     
     
         24 . An aerosol generator, comprising: 
 a laminate body having a fluid passage therein, the fluid passage being located between opposed layers of the laminate body which are bonded together; and    a heater arranged to heat liquid in the fluid passage into a gaseous state.    
     
     
         25 . The aerosol generator of  claim 24 , further comprising a fluid supply arranged to provide a fluid to the fluid passage.  
     
     
         26 . The aerosol generator of  claim 25 , wherein the fluid supply comprises a refillable storage chamber.  
     
     
         27 . The aerosol generator of  claim 25 , wherein the fluid supply comprises a disposable storage chamber.  
     
     
         28 . The aerosol generator of  claim 24 , wherein the opposed layers are bonded together by an adhesive or are metallurgically bonded together.  
     
     
         29 . An aerosol generator, comprising: 
 a laminate having a fluid passage therein located between opposed layers of the laminate which are bonded together, the fluid passage having a width which is less than a width of the opposed layers;    a heater arranged to heat liquid in the fluid passage into a gaseous state; and    a fluid supply arranged to provide a fluid to the fluid passage.    
     
     
         30 . The aerosol generator of  claim 29 , further comprising at least one of a valve and a pump arranged to control flow of the fluid from the fluid supply to the fluid passage.  
     
     
         31 . The aerosol generator of  claim 29 , wherein the fluid supply comprises a chamber, the aerosol generator further comprising a piston operable to compress fluid in the chamber to supply the fluid from the fluid supply to the fluid passage.  
     
     
         32 . The aerosol generator of  claim 29 , wherein the fluid is stored in a disposable chamber.  
     
     
         33 . The aerosol generator of  claim 29 , wherein the opposed layers are ceramic layers.  
     
     
         34 . The aerosol generator of  claim 29 , wherein the heater has a width which is less than the width of the opposed layers.  
     
     
         35 . The aerosol generator of  claim 29 , wherein the opposed layers include inner surfaces bonded together at locations separated by the fluid passage.  
     
     
         36 . The aerosol generator of  claim 29 , wherein the opposed layers are bonded together by an adhesive or are metallurgically bonded together.  
     
     
         37 . An aerosol generator, comprising: 
 a laminate having a fluid passage therein located between opposed layers of the laminate which are bonded together, the opposed layers having bonded surfaces which are closer together than are surfaces of the opposed layers defining the fluid passage;    a heater arranged to heat liquid in the fluid passage into a gaseous state; and    a fluid supply arranged to provide a fluid to the fluid passage.    
     
     
         38 . The aerosol generator of  claim 37 , further comprising at least one of a valve and a pump arranged to control flow of the fluid from the fluid supply to the fluid passage.  
     
     
         39 . The aerosol generator of  claim 37 , wherein the fluid supply comprises a chamber, the aerosol generator further comprising a piston operable to compress fluid in the chamber to supply the fluid from the fluid supply to the fluid passage.  
     
     
         40 . The aerosol generator of  claim 37 , wherein the fluid is stored in a disposable chamber.  
     
     
         41 . The aerosol generator of  claim 37 , wherein the opposed layers of the laminate are ceramic layers.  
     
     
         42 . The aerosol generator of  claim 37  wherein the heater has a width which is less than a width of the opposed layers.  
     
     
         43 . The aerosol generator of  claim 37 , wherein the bonded surfaces are bonded together at locations separated by the fluid passage.  
     
     
         44 . The aerosol generator of  claim 37 , wherein the opposed layers are bonded together by an adhesive or are metallurgically bonded together.  
     
     
         45 . An aerosol generator, comprising: 
 a laminate having a fluid passage therein located between opposed layers of the laminate which are bonded together, the opposed layers including opposed depressed surfaces defining the fluid passage therebetween;    a heater arranged to heat liquid in the fluid passage into a gaseous state; and    a fluid supply arranged to provide a fluid to the fluid passage.    
     
     
         46 . The aerosol generator of  claim 45 , wherein the opposed layers are bonded together by an adhesive or are metallurgically bonded together.  
     
     
         47 . A method of making aerosol generator, comprising: 
 forming a laminate body having a fluid passage therein by bonding together opposed layers, the fluid passage being located between the opposed layers; and    arranging a heater to heat liquid in the fluid passage into a gaseous state.    
     
     
         48 . The aerosol generator of  claim 47 , wherein the opposed layers are bonded together by an adhesive or are metallurgically bonded together.  
     
     
         49 . A method of making an aerosol generator, comprising: 
 arranging a mandrel between opposed layers of a laminate;    bonding the opposed layers together; and    forming a fluid passage between the opposed layers by removing the mandrel.