Artificial smoke cigarette

Abstract

An artificial cigarette, inhaler or other nebulizer device may include a housing, an air passage into the housing, a fog generator chamber within the housing connected to the air passage, a liquid source connected to the fog generating chamber, and a fog generator within the fog generating chamber for receiving liquid from the liquid source and creating an aerosol. The fog generator may be an ultrasonic nebulizer and/or a pneumatic nebulizer.

1 . A nebulizer apparatus comprising:
 a housing,   an air passage into the housing,   a fog generator chamber within the housing connected to the air passage,   a liquid source connected to the fog generating chamber, and   a fog generator within the fog generating chamber for receiving liquid from the liquid source and creating an aerosol.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fog generator is an ultrasonic nebulizer. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fog generator is a pneumatic nebulizer. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more air flow sensors for sensing movement of air through the air passage. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a liquid valve disposed between the liquid source and the fog generating chamber controlled by the one or more air flow sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising a compressed air supply for creating a pressure differential across the fog generator, the compressed air supply controlled by the one or more air flow sensors. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a mouthpiece. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a baffle for preventing large aerosol droplets from exiting the fog generating chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a fog chamber valve for closing the fog generating chamber during exhalation into the nebulizer apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more aerosol exits connected to the air passage for directing exhaled air out of the nebulizer apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising one or more valves for closing the one or more aerosol exits during inhalation and opening the one or more aerosol exits during exhalation. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid comprises a pharmacological active agent. 
     
     
         13 . A nebulizer method comprising:
 providing a nebulizer apparatus comprising a housing, an air passage into the housing, a fog generator chamber within the housing connected to the air passage, a liquid source connected to the fog generating chamber, and a fog generator within the fog generating chamber for receiving liquid from the liquid source and creating an aerosol,   fluidly contacting the air passage with a user's mouth,   inhaling through the nebulizer apparatus, and   wherein the inhaling activates the fog generator.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the fog generator is an ultrasonic nebulizer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the fog generator is a pneumatic nebulizer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising sensing movement of air through the air passage with one or more air flow sensors. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the nebulizer apparatus further comprises a mouthpiece. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising preventing large aerosol droplets from exiting the fog generating chamber with a baffle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising exhaling at least partially through the nebulizer apparatus. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the liquid comprises a pharmacological active agent.