A deposition apparatus supplies mist containing fine particles to a substrate and forms a film including the fine particles on a substrate surface, and includes an air guide member that covers at least a portion of the substrate surface, and a mist supplying section that supplies mist to a space between the substrate surface and the air guide member. The mist supplying section includes a charge applying section, which applies a positive or negative charge to the mist, and a mist ejecting section, which ejects the mist charged by the mist applying section into the space. The air guide member has a wall surface facing the substrate surface, and the deposition apparatus includes an electrostatic field generating section that causes a potential having a same sign as the mist charged by the charge applying section to be generated by the wall surface.

Multistage vaporizers, such as for use in medical treatment systems, as well as related methods are described. In one example, a multistage vaporizer includes a first reservoir configured to hold a liquid and one or more pumping transducers positioned in the first reservoir. The multistage vaporizer also includes a second reservoir and one or more vaporizing transducers positioned in the second reservoir. The one or more pumping transducers positioned in the first reservoir are configured to generate and move droplets of a liquid in the first reservoir to the second reservoir, and the one or more vaporizing transducers positioned in the second reservoir are configured to create a vapor of the liquid in the second reservoir.

The invention relates to a refillable device (1) for spraying an active substance, comprising a reservoir (2) containing at least one active substance, said device (1) being equipped with a piezoelectric spraying mechanism (6). The invention also relates to the use of said device for spraying an active substance in a controlled manner from a distance in a desired direction. Said device is attached to the subject to be treated and can be used multi-directionally independently of the movements of the subject.

Methods and apparatus for electrostatic control of expelled material for lens cleaners are disclosed. In certain described examples, an apparatus can expel fluid by atomization from a central area of the surface using an ultrasonic transducer mechanically coupled to the surface. A first electrode can be arranged relative to the central area of the surface. A second electrode can be located in a peripheral area relative to the central area of the surface, in which a voltage can be applied between the first and second electrodes to attract atomized fluid at the peripheral area.

An electronic device for producing an aerosol for inhalation by a person includes a mouthpiece, a liquid container, and a mesh assembly having a mesh material and a piezoelectric material. The mesh material is in contact with a liquid of the container. The mesh material is configured to vibrate when the piezoelectric material is actuated, whereby the aerosol is produced. The aerosol may be inhaled through the mouthpiece. The device also includes circuitry and a power supply for actuating the mesh assembly. The mouthpiece, the container, and the mesh assembly are located in-line along a longitudinal axis of the device between opposite longitudinal ends of the device, with the mesh assembly extending between and separating the mouthpiece and the container. The mesh material has a rigidity that is sufficient to prevent oscillations of varying amplitudes during actuation of the piezoelectric material of the mesh assembly for consistently producing the aerosol.

A nebulizer has an aperture plate, a mounting, an actuator, and an aperture plate drive circuit (2-4). A controller measures an electrical drive parameter at each of a plurality of measuring points, each measuring point having a drive frequency; and based on the values of the parameter at the measuring points makes a determination of optimum drive frequency and also an end-of-dose prediction. The controller performs a short scan at regular sub-second intervals at which drive current is measured at two measuring points with different drive frequencies. According to drive parameter measurements at these points the controller determines if a full scan sweeping across a larger number of measuring points should be performed. The full scan provides the optimum drive frequency for the device and also an end of dose indication.

A mist inhaler device (200) for generating a mist including a therapeutic for inhalation by a user. The device includes a mist generator device (201) and a driver device (202). The driver device (202) is configured to drive the mist generator device (201) at an optimum frequency to maximise the efficiency of mist generation by the mist generator device (201).

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).

An aperture plate (1) is attached at its rim (203) to a support washer (3) by adhesive. Anchor grooves (204) having a zig-zag pattern in plan are machined in the lower surface of the rim (203 of the aperture plate before application of the adhesive. The grooves (204) extend out to the edge of the aperture plate (1). The anchor grooves have a depth in the range of 10 μm to 40 μm, and a width in the range of 20 μm to 150 μm, and an angular pitch in the range of 2.5° to 12.5°. Excellent bonding strength is achieved for long term reliable attachment in an environment of high frequency vibration and moisture and chemical corrosion.

A vibrating piezoelectric atomizer comprising: a piezoelectric tube having a length, a first end defining an opening and a second end, the second end of the piezoelectric transducer tubular body is connected to a horn; the horn is dimensioned to be half wavelength resonator; the horn is folded and located alongside the piezoelectric tube; a metallic disk is connected to the horn near the first end of the piezoelectric tube, whereby by applying an alternating voltage across electrodes of the piezoelectric tube, the piezoelectric tube is excited into a resonant vibration when frequency of excitation equals to half wavelength resonant frequency of the piezoelectric tube's length and vibrates in synchronism and is communicated to the metallic disk to atomize a liquid.