A sensor for determining the oscillating frequency in a fluidic oscillating nozzle and provides an oscillating nozzle, comprising a fluidic oscillator with inlet and outlet and a main channel and at least one control passage surrounding the main channel, and a splitter comprising at least two splitter channels which is attached to the outlet of the fluidic oscillator, wherein the sleeve of at least one of the at least two splitter channels comprises partially a flexible foil. The invention also relates to a method for monitoring a dispensed fluid jet, comprising the steps of providing an oscillating nozzle as described above; and injecting a fluid jet and in parallel determining the oscillation frequency by determining the deformation changes of the flexible foil.

A humidifying system and method for identifying component failure in the humidifying system are disclosed. The system includes a nebulizer unit that creates a mist for humidifying the indoor space, a sensor that determines data regarding a characteristic of the nebulizer unit, and a controller coupled to the nebulizer unit and the sensor. The controller receives first data associated with operation of a nebulizer unit from the sensor, compares the first data associated with operation of the nebulizer unit to a threshold. In response to the first data associated with the operation of the nebulizer unit satisfying the threshold, the controller determines the existence of the failure state for the nebulizer unit and initiates a remediation action with respect to the nebulizer unit.

Nebulizers are used to deliver a medicine to a patient's lungs in the form of an airstream, with fluid comprising the medicine entrained in the airstream. To enable the fluid to be entrained in the airstream, a nebulizer contains an aerosol generator typically comprising a vibratory element (28) with a piezoelectric actuator. There is a need to frequently sterilize the nebulizer. This involves dipping the nebulizer in boiling water for a significant time. It has been found that repeated sterilization cycles can force water through gaps in the vibratory element, and its encapsulation (26), and damage the piezo element. The present invention proposes to more effectively seal the piezo of the vibratory element (28) from the effects of water ingress. In particular, it is proposed to create, at an interface of the vibratory element (28) and the encapsulating element (26), a discontinuity which provides a barrier geometry. Through capillary forces, the progress of water towards the piezoelectric element (12) comprised in the vibratory element (28) is arrested, and the lifetime of the aerosol generator is improved.

A nozzle for an atomizer includes a plate, a piezoelectric actuator, a body, and a connector. The plate defines an aperture. The actuator is configured to oscillate the plate. The body supports the plate. The connector is configured to reversibly mount the body to the atomizer in a first orientation and in a second orientation. In the first orientation, fluid exits the nozzle along a first axial direction through the aperture. In the second orientation, fluid exits the nozzle along an opposite axial direction through the aperture.

An atomizer for an electronic cigarette is provided. The atomizer comprises a liquid cartridge device with a liquid outlet, atomization cotton, and an ultrasonic atomization piece. The middle of the atomization cotton abuts against a central area of the ultrasonic atomization piece by means of a spring to form an atomization zone. An end portion of the atomization cotton is pressed against the bottom of the liquid cartridge device and covers the liquid outlet. An atomization cavity is provided between the ultrasonic atomization piece and the bottom of the liquid cartridge device. An atomization cavity gas inlet and an atomization cavity gas outlet are provided at the top of the atomization cavity. The atomization cavity gas inlet (501) and the liquid outlet (321) are staggered.

In an ultrasonic atomization apparatus being the present invention, a source solution is accommodated in a separator cup being a part of a container. A constituent material of the separator cup is PTFE being one of fluorocarbon resins, whose entire thickness is uniformly 0.5 mm. Therefore, the separator cup satisfies a thin film condition that “the thickness of a bottom surface BP1 is 0.5 mm or less”.

A fine particles space placement control system includes a fine particles generator configured to generate fine particles in a predetermined space by applying external energy to a liquid or a solid and an irradiator configured to remove some of the fine particles generated by the fine particles generator by irradiating the some fine particles with infrared light.

A hookah device (202) which attaches to a hookah (246). The hookah device (202) comprises a plurality of ultrasonic mist generator devices (201) for generating a mist for inhalation by a user. The hookah device (202) comprises a driver device (202) which controls the mist generator devices (201) to maximize the efficiency of mist generation by the mist generator devices (201) and optimize mist output from the hookah device (202).

A liquid droplet production apparatus comprising a perforate membrane and an actuator. The actuator is configured to vibrate the perforate membrane such that a liquid in contact with the perforate membrane during use is caused to pass through at least one aperture of the perforate membrane and to be ejected as liquid droplets from the perforate membrane. The perforate membrane includes one or more stiffening structures for increasing the stiffness of the perforate membrane, the one or more stiffening structures each being defined by a local transverse deformation of the perforate membrane. A removable cartridge, a perforate membrane, an actuator assembly for use in such a liquid droplet delivery apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a perforate membrane for such a liquid droplet apparatus.

A film formation apparatus is configured to supply mist of a solution to a surface of a substrate so as to epitaxially grow a film on the surface of the substrate. The film formation apparatus may be provided with: a furnace configured to house and heat the substrate; a reservoir configured to store the solution; a heater configured to heat the solution in the reservoir; an ultrasonic transducer configured to apply ultrasound to the solution in the reservoir so as to generate the mist of the solution in the reservoir; and a mist supply path configured to carry the mist from the reservoir to the furnace.