Apparatus and method for generating fine particle aerosols with heliox

Abstract

An aerosol generating system for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol from a liquid solution or liquid suspension, having: a liquid aerosol generating nozzle having a nozzle input end designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension, and having a nozzle heliox supply designed to receive nozzle heliox, the liquid aerosol generating nozzle further having a nozzle output end for outputting a liquid aerosol suspended in the nozzle heliox; and a cylindrical evaporation chamber having a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end that is connected to the nozzle output end and connected to a dilution heliox supply for receiving both the liquid aerosol suspended in the nozzle heliox and for receiving the dilution heliox, and the cylindrical evaporation chamber having a cylindrical evaporation chamber output end outputting a first intermediate dry powder aerosol at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow of a specific concentration.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating system for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol from a liquid solution or liquid suspension, comprising: a liquid aerosol generating nozzle having a nozzle input end designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension, and having a first heliox supply designed to supply the liquid aerosol generating nozzle with a first heliox volume flow, the liquid aerosol generating nozzle further having a nozzle output end for outputting a liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow supplied to the liquid aerosol generating nozzle; and a cylindrical evaporation chamber having a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end that is connected to the nozzle output end and connected to a second heliox supply for receiving both the liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow and for receiving a second heliox volume flow from the second heliox supply diluting the liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow, and the cylindrical evaporation chamber having a cylindrical evaporation chamber output end outputting a dry powder aerosol as a dry powder aerosol volume flow having a dry powder aerosol particle concentration.

2. The system according to embodiment 1 wherein the dry powder aerosol volume flow is between 80 and 200 I/min.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the liquid solution or liquid suspension contains a surfactant.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the system is designed to output from the cylindrical evaporation chamber the dry powder aerosol having fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in heliox.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the system is designed to aerosolize the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first heliox volume flow has a first heliox pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

7. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a counter flow tube, an infrared radiation source, a reflector, and an aerosol collection cone.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

10. A method for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol from a liquid solution or liquid suspension, comprising: feeding liquid solution or liquid suspension and a first heliox volume flow into a liquid aerosol generating nozzle; outputting from the liquid aerosol generating nozzle a liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow into a cylindrical evaporation chamber; feeding a second heliox volume flow into the cylindrical evaporation chamber for diluting the liquid aerosol suspended in the first heliox volume flow; and outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber a dry powder aerosol having fine dry powder particles that allow respirable particles containing a medically active agent and are suspended in heliox as a dry powder aerosol volume flow having a dry powder aerosol particle concentration.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising generating the dry powder aerosol volume flow at between 80 and 200 I/min.

12. The method according to claim 10 further comprising providing a surfactant as a constituent of the liquid solution or liquid suspension.

13. The method according to claim 10 further comprising outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber the dry powder aerosol at a fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in heliox.

14. The method according to claim 10 further comprising aerosolizing the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

15. The method according to claim 10 further comprising supplying the first heliox volume flow at a first heliox pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

16. The method according to claim 10 further comprising providing a counter flow tube, an infrared radiation source, a reflector, and an aerosol collection cone.

17. The method according to claim 10 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

18. The method according to claim 10 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A shows perspective view of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1B shows a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A;

(3) FIG. 1C shows a longitudinal section denoted H-H in FIG. 1B;

(4) FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment of the invention including a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator.

(5) FIG. 2B shows a top view of the of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A.

(6) FIG. 2C shows a longitudinal section denoted I-I in FIG. 2B.

(7) FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of a liquid aerosol generating nozzle and a flow distributer subassembly as included in the embodiments of the invention.

(8) FIG. 3B shows a front view of the subassembly as shown in FIG. 3A.

(9) FIG. 3C shows a longitudinal section denoted B-B in FIG. 3B.

(10) FIG. 3D shows a longitudinal section denoted C-C in FIG. 3B.

(11) FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of a liquid aerosol generating nozzle and a nozzle subassembly included in the embodiments of the invention.

(12) FIG. 4B shows an exploded perspective view of the subassembly shown in FIG. 4A.

(13) FIG. 4C shows a side view of the subassembly shown in FIG. 4A.

(14) FIG. 4D shows longitudinal section denoted F-F in FIG. 4C.

(15) FIG. 4E shows detailed structure denoted A in FIG. 4D.

(16) FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator subassembly included in the embodiments of the invention.

(17) FIG. 5B shows an exploded perspective view of the subassembly shown in FIG. 5A.

(18) FIG. 5C shows a side view of the subassembly shown in FIG. 5A.

(19) FIG. 5D shows longitudinal section denoted D-D in FIG. 5C.

(20) FIG. 6A shows a perspective view of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment of the invention including a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator.

(21) FIG. 6B shows a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A.

(22) FIG. 6C shows a longitudinal section denoted G-G in FIG. 6B.

(23) FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment of the invention including both a cylindrical radial multi-slit and a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrators in series.

(24) FIG. 7B shows an exploded perspective view of the aerosol generating system shown in FIG. 7A.

(25) FIG. 7C shows a top view of the aerosol processing system of the aerosol generating system shown in FIG. 7A.

(26) FIG. 7D shows a longitudinal section denoted A-A in FIG. 7C.

(27) FIG. 8A shows an exploded front perspective view of a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator.

(28) FIG. 8B shows an exploded rear perspective view of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator shown in FIG. 8A.

(29) FIG. 8C shows a front view of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator shown in FIG. 8A.

(30) FIG. 8D shows a side view of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator shown in FIG. 8A.

(31) FIG. 8E shows a back view of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator shown in FIG. 8A.

(32) FIG. 9 shows a diagram demonstrating the influence of the compressed gas pressure (CGP) on the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the aerosol particles in μm for PVP solutions by using a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator. The triangular, circular-, square, and astroid dots denote the aerosols generated by the nozzles KB-N-500 (air), KB-N-500 (heliox), KB-N-600 (air), and KB-N-600 (heliox), respectively.

(33) FIG. 10 shows a diagram demonstrating the influence of the aerosolization rate (AR) of the fluid to be aerosolized in ml/min on the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the aerosol particles in μm for both PVP solutions and surfactant suspensions. The square, triangular, circular, and astroid dots denote the aerosols generated from 10% 8 kDa PVP (air), 9.33% surfactant (air), 10% 8 kDa PVP (heliox), and 9.33% surfactant (heliox), respectively.

(34) FIG. 11 shows a diagram demonstrating the influence of the viscosity (μ.sub.f) of the fluid to be aerosolized in cSt on the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the aerosol particles in μm.

(35) FIG. 12 shows a diagram demonstrating the influence of the compressed gas pressure (CGP) on the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the aerosol particles in μm for both 10% 8 kDa PVP solutions and 8.85% surfactant suspensions at an aerosolization rate (AR) 3 ml/min by using a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator. The triangular and square dots denote the aerosols generated from 10% 8 kDa PVP (heliox), 8.85% surfactant (heliox), respectively.

(36) FIG. 13 shows a diagram demonstrating the influence of the aerosolization rate (AR) on the dose rate (DR) in mg/min for both 10% 8 kDa PVP solutions and 9.33% surfactant suspensions by using cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator. The square and triangular dots denote the aerosols generated from 10% 8 kDa PVP (heliox), 9.33% surfactant (heliox), respectively.

(37) FIG. 14 shows a diagram demonstrating the influence of the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow (RAVF) on the output efficiency (OE) and mass concentration (MC) by using cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(38) A first configuration of the incident invention comprises an aerosol generating system that includes a liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3, a counter-flow tube 54, a flow distributer 5, and a cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 is shown in FIG. 1. The liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 is described in detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/130,235. The flow distributer 5 and the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 are described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,616,532. This application and patent, respectively, are hereby by incorporated by reference into this application in their entirety. A perspective and a cross-sectional view of the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 are shown in FIG. 4. The flow distributer 5 is shown in FIG. 3. A fluid to be aerosolized is fed under pressure into a nozzle input end 11 of a nozzle holder 27, FIG. 1C. This fluid flows from the nozzle input end 11 through a central channel 28 in the nozzle holder 27 to a fluid nozzle 29 and then to an aerosolizing space 35 as depicted in FIG. 4E. Compressed gas, that may or may not be heated, is provided through a nozzle gas supply 55 in the flow distributer 5 (FIG. 3A). This compressed gas flows from the nozzle gas supply 55 in the flow distributer 5, to a channel 56 where the flow is split (FIG. 3C). One portion flows through a compressed gas channel 57 that connects to two compressed gas entrance orifices 30 on the nozzle holder 27 (FIG. 4D). As shown in FIGS. 3C and 4D, the gas in the form of a nozzle gas 2 flows from these gas entrance orifices 30 through gas channels 31 (FIG. 4D) into a circumferential pressure equalization chamber 32 as shown in FIG. 4E. The nozzle gas 2 flows from this circumferential pressure equalization chamber 32 through to a circumferential converging channel 33 to a circumferential diverging channel 34 to the aerosolizing space 35 where it interacts with the fluid entering the aerosolizing space 35. An ensuing liquid aerosol 13 exits the aerosolizing space 35 through a nozzle output end 36 (FIG. 4E) and forms an aerosol plume 37 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 3C. As shown in FIG. 3C, another portion of the gas flow passes through a constriction orifice 58 and through a counter flow channel 59 to a counter flow orifice 38 that is coaxial with the central channel 28. This gas forms a jet that is of opposite direction and coaxial with the aerosol plume 37 of the liquid aerosol 13. This jet arrests the aerosol plume 37 of the liquid aerosol 13. This counter flow gas could be provided and its flow regulated independently of the compressed gas to the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3D, dilution gas 4, that may or may not be heated, enters a dilution gas supply 60 in the flow distributer 5, from which it flows into a donut shaped chamber 61 and through holes 62 in a first baffle 63 to a second circular chamber 64 and again through a second baffle 65 into the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 (FIG. 1C). Some of the gas that enters the second circular chamber 64 flows through holes 66 in an inner cylindrical chamber 67 and from there flows through central holes 68 in the central region of a second baffle 65 into the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6. The dilution gas 4 flows through both central and peripheral holes, 68 and 69 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B), in the second baffle 65 into the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 carrying with it the arrested aerosol plume 37 and transports this liquid aerosol 13 through the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6. This cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 in a preferred configuration is comprised of a quartz tube 70 23 cm long with a 7 cm outside diameter (FIG. 1C), however other lengths and diameters are possible. Infrared radiation from an infrared source 39 (FIGS. 1A and 1C) adjacent to the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6, is transmitted through walls of the quartz tube 70. A reflector 72 on the opposite side of the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 to the infrared source 39, reflects the infrared radiation transmitted through the opposing wall of the quartz tube 70 back into the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6. The reflector 72 is made out of aluminum with the shape of half cylinder, however other materials and shapes are possible. As the liquid aerosol 13 is diluted by the dilution gas 4 and passes through this radiant field, the water in the droplets is rapidly evaporated forming a first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14. The resultant solid phase first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 exits from a cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8 where it can be utilized.

(39) A second configuration of the incident invention comprises an aerosol generating system that includes the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3, the counter-flow tube 54, the flow distributer 5, the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6, and a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9, is shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. In this configuration, the resultant solid phase first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 exits from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 into the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 that is connected to the cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8. The connections of a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end 7 to the flow distributer 5 and the cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8 to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 are made gas tight by the use of lip-seals 73. This cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 is comprised of a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 (FIG. 5A-5D), 8.4 cm long is sculptured such that the end of this channel is a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 that comprises a slit 33 mm long and 1 mm wide. A converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice angle 74 (FIG. 2C) and a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel angle 52 (FIG. 5D) of the walls are 11° to the ends of a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and 21° to the center of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20. A cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 34-mm-long and 1.4-mm-wide diverges to a circular exit 41 so forming a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22, A diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice angle 75 and a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel angle 53 of the walls of the diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 are 1.4° to the ends of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 and 20.3° to the center of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21. The diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 together with the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 are positioned such that they are precisely aligned with the converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20. There is a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 1.7 mm between the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21. There is a sculptured plenum 43 formed by an external surface 76 of the end portions of the converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 and an external surface 77 of the diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 and an internal wall 78 of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9. This sculptured plenum 43 has a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input and output orifices, 20 and 21. This cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 has an internal diameter of 15 mm. The first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90 is accelerated as it flows through the converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 to and through the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20. The momentum of the particles exiting the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 enables most of the particles comprising the first intermediate aerosol 14 to cross the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 and enter the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 to form a respirable dry powder aerosol 15. A small fraction of the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 exits the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 through the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 into the sculptured plenum 43 at a right angle to the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 direction to form a first exhaust aerosol 16. The first exhaust aerosol 16 flows through the sculptured plenum 43 to exit a sculptured exhaust channel 80 (FIG. 2C) to the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44. The respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at a respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 and a respirable dry powder aerosol particle concentration 92 flows through the diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 to a collection cone 79. A device connected to this collection cone 79 controls the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 of the respirable dry powder aerosol 15.

(40) A third configuration of the incident invention comprises an aerosol generating system that includes the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3, the counter-flow tube 54, the flow distributer 5, the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6, and a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 that are connected as shown in FIG. 6A-6C. A similar cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,375,987 and is hereby incorporated in its entirety. In this third configuration the cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8 is connected to a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator input end 25. The configuration of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 is shown in FIG. 8A-8E. An entrance plate 81 has 16 radially aligned acceleration nozzles 45 with the longer of these nozzles extending towards the center and with shorter of these nozzles located more towards the periphery. The radially aligned acceleration nozzles 45 are aerodynamically sculptured to reduce aerosol deposition. At the narrow end of these radially aligned acceleration nozzles 45 are acceleration slit orifices 47. These acceleration slit orifices 47 have a width of 1 mm. On the other side of the entrance plate 81 the radially aligned acceleration nozzles 45 protrude to form entrance plate channels 82 that are contiguous with a circular plenum 50 (FIG. 6C). Aligned with these radially aligned acceleration nozzles 45 but opposite in direction is a corresponding rear plate 83 with set of similarly sculptured radially aligned deceleration nozzles 46. Again these radially aligned deceleration nozzles 46 protrude to form rear plate channels 84 that are contiguous with the entrance plate channels 82 and the circular plenum 50. These radially aligned deceleration nozzles 46 have deceleration orifices 48 width of 1.4 mm. The radially aligned acceleration nozzles 45 are separated from the radially aligned deceleration nozzles 46 by a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 49 of 1.8 mm. The circular plenum 50 is contiguous with two converging exhaust channels 85 on opposite sides of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 that terminate in cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator exhaust ports 51 with medical fitting tapers to facilitate the securing of filters on these cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator exhaust ports 51. In this configuration, the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 transported through the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 enters the radially aligned acceleration nozzles 45 with a resultant increase in velocity such that the particles in the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 have the momentum to cross the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 49 between the acceleration slit orifices 47 and deceleration slit orifices 48 and enter the radially aligned deceleration nozzles 46 as a second intermediate dry powder aerosol 17. A fraction of the aerosol exits through the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 49 at right angles to the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 flow to form a second exhaust aerosol 86. The second exhaust aerosol 86 flows through the entrance plate and rear plate channels 82 and 84 to the circular plenum 50 where it flows to the two converging exhaust channels 85 and then exits through the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator exhaust ports 51. The first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 decreases in velocity as it passes through the radially aligned deceleration nozzles 46 to form the second intermediate dry powder aerosol 17 at a second intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 93 and a second intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 94 which in turn flows through a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator output end 26 (FIG. 6C). The second intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 93 is controlled by an output device connected to the collection cone 79.

(41) A fourth configuration the incident invention is an aerosol generating system that comprises the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3, the counter-flow tube 54, the flow distributer 5, the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6, and a two-stage concentrator 96 that includes the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24, and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 is shown in FIG. 7A-7D. In this configuration, the second intermediate dry power aerosol 17 flows from the cylindrical radial multi-slit concentrator output end 26 into the converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9. This second intermediate dry powder aerosol 17 is processed by the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 in a similar manner as the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 in the second configuration is processed by this cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9. The respirable dry powder aerosol 15 flows through the diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 to the collection cone 79. A device connected to this cone controls respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 of the respirable dry powder aerosol 15. In this two-stage configuration, the flow distribution throughout this two-stage concentrator 96 is governed by controlling the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9.

EXAMPLES

(42) The following data were generated using the incident invention operated with the aerosol processing system aligned horizontally atop its control console.

(43) To evaluate the performance of the incident invention, various concentrations of polyvinylpyrridolidone (PVP), a polymeric excipient that can be obtained in a wide range of molecular weights were used. PVP was used both as a surrogate for surfactant and other medications which form solutions or suspensions within the range of viscosities studied. Surfactant suspensions provided by Molecular Express were used that comprise the phospholipids contained in Minisurf. The particle size was measured with a Maple-Miller cascade impactor and expressed as mass median aerodynamic diameter, MMAD. The heliox used in these experiments was 80% helium and 20% oxygen.

(44) The effects on particle size of aerosol generation and processing with heliox compared to air were evaluated in the third configuration of the incident invention where the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator was incorporated in the incident invention.

(45) To evaluate the effects of gas pressure particles were generated with nozzles KB-N-500 and KB-N-600 using 10% 8 kDa PVP at 1 ml/min. The first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow were in the range of 160-200 l/min. Additionally, the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow was controlled as 30 l/min. There was a marked reduction in MMAD of the output of the incident invention using the radial-slit concentrator when heliox is used compared to air as the aerosol generating and processing gas (FIG. 9, 10). The particle size decreased with increasing compressed gas pressure (CGP) (FIG. 9).

(46) To evaluate the effects of aerosolization rate on particle size with air and heliox aerosols generated from 9.33% surfactant suspensions and 10% 8 kDa PVP solutions using nozzle KB-N-500 at compressed air/heliox pressure of 40 psi. At all aerosolization rates (AR) between 0.5 and 3 ml/min, the MMAD of the aerosols generated by and processed with heliox is below 3 μm for both the PVP solutions and surfactant suspensions (FIG. 10). When surfactant is aerosolized, the particle size appears almost independent of flow rate in the range of 1 to 3 ml/min. The geometric standard deviation, σg, was in the range of 1.7-2.2 in the case of air, while it was in the range of 1.9-2.7 in the case of heliox.

(47) As the viscosity of surfactant suspensions increases rapidly with increasing surfactant concentration was evaluated the effect of fluid viscosity on particles size using heliox as the aerosol generation and processing gas. The viscosities of 10% and 20% solutions of PVP of nominal molecular weights of 8, 29, 40 and 58 kDa were measured with a capillary rheometer and expressed in cSt. The Ohnesorge number, Oh, is proportional to the liquid dynamic viscosity. At large Oh (Oh>0.01), the liquid deformation and breakup are inhibited due to increased damping by liquid viscous forces. Using nozzle KB-N-700 at compressed heliox pressure of 40 psi to aerosolize PVP solutions at 1 ml/min the MMAD there was a modest increase in particle size with increasing viscosity (pr) between 4 and 39 cSt (FIG. 11). Albeit, not included in FIG. 11, the viscosity is not limited to fluids under 39 cSt and may extend up to 100 cSt. It is notable that the highest viscosity of solutions aerosolized by some mesh-type nebulizers is <4 cSt. Thus, the incident invention markedly extends the range of large molecule and viscous solutions from which fine particle aerosols can be readily generated and delivered.

(48) To examine the aerosol particles output efficiency by air and heliox using the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator, 10% PVP solution and 9.33% surfactant suspension were aerosolized with the KB-N-500 nozzle at 40 psi and collected with a respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow of 44 l/min. It can be seen in Table 1 that the output of 10% PVP increases to 192 mg/min at 3 ml/min. The output was marginally increased to 198 mg/min with heliox despite the predictable decrease in particle size. When heliox is used as the aerosolizing gas, the output efficiencies for surfactant and PVP were essentially identical.

(49) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 The PVP and surfactant mass output rate and efficiency for PVP and surfactant aerosols by air and heliox. Dose rate/efficiency Aerosolization rate mg/min/% ml/min Air heliox 10% 8 kDa PVP 1  64/64  66/66 2 128/64 132/66 3 192/64 198/66 9.33% Surfactant 1  59/63  62/66 2 118/63 123/66 3 165/59 182/65

(50) To demonstrate that large masses of particles could be processed using the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 10 ml and 20 ml 10% 8 kDa PVP solution at an aerosolization rate of 3 ml/min with nozzle KB-N-500 at compressed air pressure of 40 psi. Output masses of, 0.7 and 1.2 g were collected in 3.3 and 6.7 min, respectively. These data demonstrate that potentially clinically relevant doses of surfactant and other molecules can be delivered with the incident invention.

(51) In the second configuration of the incident invention, the single slit aerosol concentrator replaced the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator to evaluate the effect of CGP on MMAD, the effect of increasing aerosolization rates on the dose rate (DR), as well as to evaluate the effects of respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow (RAVF) on the output mass concentration (MC) and the output efficiency (OE) of the aerosol processing system. The first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow in these experiments were 160-200 l/min and respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow was 12-44 l/min.

(52) Aerosols were generated with heliox with nozzle KB-N-500 at an aerosolization rate 3 ml/min to aerosolize 10% 8 kDa PVP solutions and 8.85% surfactant suspensions. In both cases, the MMAD decreased with increasing CGP (FIG. 12). For comparison, the aerosol particle size, generated with air at 40 psi with the same nozzle and the same aerosolization rate from 10% 8 kDa PVP solution, was 4.1 μm.

(53) The single slit aerosol concentrator used with heliox with the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow of 44 l/min delivered particles of PVP up to 258 mg/min with the efficiency up to 86% (FIG. 13). At an aerosolization rate of 1 ml/min, the output mass concentration of surfactant was 78 mg/min (84% efficiency) and at 3 ml/min the output mass concentration 207 mg/min. Thus, there was a marked improvement in the concentration of aerosols with the use of heliox together with the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator compared to that obtained with the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator (Table 1).

(54) To demonstrate that large masses of particles could be processed using the single slit aerosol concentrator 10 ml and 30 ml of 10% 8 kDa PVP were aerosolized at 3 ml/min using nozzle KB-N-500 at compressed heliox pressure of 40 psi. Output masses of 0.86 g and 2.2 g were collected at output in 3.3 min and 10 min, respectively.

(55) These data demonstrate that the incident invention has the potential to provide 3 mg/s of particles less than 3 μm MMAD throughout each and every breath with total output doses of ˜2 g of surfactant in ˜10 minutes. Using the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator, the aerosol deposition on the orifices was minimal. Aerosol losses to the walls of the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator were minimal with the diverging output channel having the highest wall deposition. This particle-wall interaction on the diverging output channel at these very high particle concentrations did not appear to effect the performance of the concentrator over the ranges of particles sizes, concentrations and total masses processed reported herein. Thus, using the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator with heliox enabled higher total particle masses to be concentrated than with the cylindrical radial multi-slit concentrator.

(56) To attain high particle concentrations, the relative utilities of the third configuration using cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator and the fourth configuration comprising a series combination of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator and the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator to form a two-stage concentrator were evaluated at a high ratio of first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow to respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow. The respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow of 12 l/min was chosen.

(57) The third configuration using cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator was evaluated using air as the aerosol generating and dilution gas. Using nozzle KB-N-400 and a fluid flow of 1 ml/min of 10% 8 kDa PVP together with a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow of 80 l/min the output mass concentration was 2.2 mg/l with an output efficiency of 26% with an estimated MMAD of 3.3 μm. The output pressure was 0.4 cm of water. When the total first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow was increased to 160 l/min, the mass concentration was 1.5 mg/l with an output efficiency of <20%. It is notable that when an aerosol was generated from 5% 8 kDa PVP using the KB-N-400 nozzle together with the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator and a total airflow of 60 l/min and an aerosolization rate of 0.5 ml/min a mass concentration of 0.9 mg/l was attained. The pressure at the output was 6 cm of water. The MMAD was estimated at about 2.9 μm.

(58) The fourth configuration comprising the two-stage concentrator was evaluated using air. The first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow of 160 l/min of air and a respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow limited to 12 l/min was evaluated. In this case, when using nozzle KB-N-500 and an aerosolization rate of 3 ml/min of 10% 8 kDa PVP, the mass concentration was 9.3 mg/l with the over al two stage concentrator output efficiency of 37%. The output pressure was 1.5 cm of water. The MMAD was about 3.2 μm.

(59) Additionally, using the second configuration with heliox as the processing gas together with nozzle KB-N-500 and with cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator, the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow of 160-200 l/min and the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow limited to 12 μmin and an aerosolization rate of 3 ml/min the output mass concentration was 14.5 mg/l with an output efficiency of 58% (FIG. 14). The output pressure was just 15 cm of water. The MMAD was approximately 2.9 μm.

(60) Together, these data demonstrate that it is advantageous to use the two-stage concentrator when generating high concentrations of aerosol with air. It is notable that when heliox is available, the efficiency and output of the single stage cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator is far superior, especially when aerosols of 2-3 μm MMAD are being generated.

(61) The portioning gas flows within the fourth configuration comprising the two-stage concentrator was evaluated using either air or heliox in the absence of aerosolization. When operating in this mode with air with a first intermediate dry powder volume flow of 160 l/min, the ratio of the first intermediate aerosol dry powder aerosol volume flow to second intermediate dry powder volume flow was estimated as 2.7 for the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator. The ratio of the second intermediate dry powder volume flow to respirable dry powder volume flow was estimated to be 4.9 for the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator. When using this two-stage configuration was operated with heliox using the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow of 210 l/min and respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow limited to 12 l/min, the input flow/output gas flows were 4.9 for the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator first stage and 3.6 for the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator with an overall two-stage concentrator efficiency of 41%. The output pressure was 0.6 cm. This demonstrates the versatility and practical utility of this two-stage concentrator.

(62) Assuming that spherical particles with an ideal log-normal distribution were generated, the number of PVP/surfactant particles per liter of heliox for an aerosol of 2.6 μm (σ.sub.g=1.9) in diameter was calculated to be 9.8×10.sup.9, at 14.5 mg/l on the basis of the theory developed by Hatch and Choate. Subsequently, based on the Smoluchowski's approach, the number of particles would decrease due to coagulation by 0.06% after 0.2 sec. Thus, at these concentrations, the effect of coagulation can be neglected in the incident invention.

(63) The surface tensions of the surfactant prior to and following aerosolization by SUPRAER were measured with Contact Angle Analyzer (FTA-200) using the pendant drop shape method. The static surface tensions of 4 mg/ml surfactant prior to and following aerosolization by the incident invention were 22.2 and 22.6 mN/m, respectively. The aerosolization and resuspension processes did not degrade the surface tension of the surfactant.

Use and Application of the Embodiments of the Invention

(64) These data demonstrate the remarkable efficiency of this configuration of the incident invention to deliver high doses of fine particle aerosols 1.5 μm to 4 μm MMAD with 1.6-2.7 geometric standard deviations. The incident invention is able to meet the aerosol delivery needs of adults, children and infants. It also lends itself to the extremely rapid emergency delivery of therapeutic aerosols in other life threatening conditions.

(65) Through the use of the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator, in conjunction with the use of heliox ability to generate aerosols<3 μm mass median aerodynamic diameter, MMAD, from a 9.33% surfactant suspension (viscosity 34 cP) was accomplished and deliver high payloads of dry powder aerosols containing up to 3 mg/s of pure phospholipids with efficiencies between 69% and 84%. The low surface tension properties of the surfactant are retained following aerosolization and resuspension. The incident invention has the potential to deliver a constant 3 mg/s throughout each and every inspiration over the entire treatment time without interruption. The surfactant dose rate and total dose are 10 to 20 times higher than that attainable by competitive devices. For the first time, a clinically relevant dose of aerosolized surfactant will be attainable for multiple treatments in adults with impaired lung function. Thus this incident invention, together with a surfactant that contains the SPB protein (or mimetic), has the potential to provide life-saving physiological benefits to enable the resolution of the pulmonary inflammatory processes.

(66) According to the invention, heliox more efficiently generates and delivers surfactant aerosols than air. In addition, heliox facilitates deeper penetration of aerosols into the lungs and improves gas exchange, especially in patients with compromised lung function. The physical properties of heliox have enabled us to deliver<3 μm MMAD aerosols at efficiencies up to 86% using cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator, while the efficiency was 69% in the case of air. The lower losses enable us to realize higher total delivered doses of surfactant. Moreover, the process of evaporating water from the aerosols was enhanced due to the fact that heliox has a higher thermal conductivity and specific heat than air. This has enables surfactant to be delivered with high efficiencies even at high delivered doses. When the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator is used with air rather than heliox at these flow rates (First intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow: 160-200 l/min; respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow: 44 l/min), the delivered pressure to the patients would be higher than 38 cm H.sub.2O, while this pressure is only 13 cm H.sub.2O when heliox is used. The high aerosol delivery pressure when air is used with the cylindrical linear single slit aerosol concentrator is both undesirable for patients breathing spontaneously and sets a too high lower limit on ventilation with continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP, or positive end expiratory pressure, PEEP, when using in the intensive care unit setting. The cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator, when used with air, has an aerosol delivery pressure as low as 3 cm H.sub.2O and has efficiencies between 59 and 64%. To provide a unit to address the needs of clinical facilities that do not have heliox, or choose not to use it, according to the invention as described above it was possible to use in connection with the some of the described embodiments either air or heliox as the aerosol generating and processing gas.

(67) Further embodiments 1-141 of the invention are described in the following:

(68) 1. An aerosol generating system for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol 15 from a liquid solution or liquid suspension at a respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91, comprising: a liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 having a nozzle input end 11 designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension, and having a nozzle gas supply 55 designed to receive nozzle gas 2, the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 further having a nozzle output end 36 for outputting a liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle gas 2; a cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 having a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end 7 that is connected to the nozzle output end 36 and connected to a dilution gas supply 60 for receiving both the liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle gas 2 and for receiving the dilution gas 4, and the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 having a cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8 outputting a first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90; and a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 having a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 that is connected to the cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 comprising a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 converging from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 that is connected to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 connecting both to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 and to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 being connected to a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 outputting the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 that is lower than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and at a respirable dry powder aerosol particle concentration 92 that is higher than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90.

(69) 2. The system according to embodiment claim 1 wherein at least one of the nozzle gas 2 and the dilution gas 4 is heliox.

(70) 3. The system according to embodiment 1 wherein at least one of the nozzle gas 2 and the dilution gas 4 is air.

(71) 4. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-3 wherein the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 is between 80 and 200 l/min.

(72) 5. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-4 wherein the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 is between 1 and 5 cm long and between 1 and 2 mm wide.

(73) 6. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-5 wherein the liquid solution or liquid suspension contains a surfactant.

(74) 7. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-6 wherein the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 has a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 that is less than 2 mm wide and extends between a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21.

(75) 8. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-7 wherein the converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 converges from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 to a center of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 at a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel angle 52 between 10 and 60 degrees.

(76) 9. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-8 wherein the diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 diverges from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 at a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel angle 53 between 10 and 60 degrees.

(77) 10. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-9 further comprising a sculptured plenum 43 that connects the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 and has a sculptured plenum volume between 30 and 300 ml.

(78) 11. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-10 wherein the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 with a diameter of 10-20 mm.

(79) 12. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-11 wherein in use the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 extend substantially vertically.

(80) 13. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-12 wherein the system is designed to output from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 having fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in gas.

(81) 14. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-13 wherein the system is designed to aerosolize the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

(82) 15. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-14 wherein the nozzle gas 2 has a nozzle gas pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

(83) 16. The system according to embodiment 2 wherein the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 has a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 1 cm of water.

(84) 17. The system according to embodiment 3 wherein the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 has a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 2 cm of water.

(85) 18. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-17 wherein the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 is 10-15 l/min while concentration efficiency is greater than 30%.

(86) 19. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-18 wherein the system is free of flow controls at the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9.

(87) 20. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-19 further comprising a counter flow tube 54, an infrared radiation source 39, a reflector 72, and an aerosol collection cone 95.

(88) 21. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 1-20 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

(89) 22. The system according to embodiment 21 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

(90) 23. The system according to embodiment 22 wherein the system is designed to output the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 between 12 l/min and 44 l/min, thereby delivering a medication at a medication mass concentration of at least 5 mg/l and up to 14.5 mg/l.

(91) 24. A method for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol 15 from a liquid solution or liquid suspension at a respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91, comprising: feeding liquid solution or liquid suspension and nozzle gas 2 into a liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3; outputting from the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 a liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle gas 2 into a cylindrical evaporation chamber 6; feeding dilution gas 4 into the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6; outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 a first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 having fine dry powder particles that allow respirable particles containing a medically active agent and are suspended in gas at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90; feeding the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 into a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 comprising a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 converging to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 diverging from a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21; and outputting the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 that is lower than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a respirable dry powder aerosol particle concentration 92 that is higher than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90.

(92) 25. The method according to embodiment 24 further comprising supplying heliox as at least one of the nozzle gas 2 and the dilution gas 4.

(93) 26. The method according to embodiment 24 further comprising supplying air as at least one of the nozzle gas 2 and the dilution gas 4.

(94) 27. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-26 further comprising generating the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 at between 80 and 200 l/min.

(95) 28. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-27 further comprising providing the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 with a length between 1 and 5 cm and a width between 1 and 2 mm.

(96) 29. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-28 further comprising providing a surfactant as a constituent of the liquid solution or liquid suspension.

(97) 30. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-29 further comprising providing the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 with a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 that is less than 2 mm wide and extends between the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21.

(98) 31. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-30 further comprising providing the converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 so that it converges from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 to a center of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 at a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel angle 52 between 10 and 60 degrees.

(99) 32. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-31 further comprising providing the diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 so that it diverges from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 at a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel angle 53 between 10 and 60 degrees.

(100) 33. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-32 further comprising providing a sculptured plenum 43 that connects the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 and has a sculptured plenum volume between 30 and 300 ml.

(101) 34. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-33 further comprising providing the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 with a diameter of 10-20 mm.

(102) 35. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-34 further comprising positioning the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 such that these extend substantially vertically.

(103) 36. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-35 further comprising outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 at a fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in gas.

(104) 37. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-36 further comprising aerosolizing the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

(105) 38. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-37 further comprising supplying the nozzle gas 2 at a nozzle gas 2 pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

(106) 39. The method according to embodiment 25 further comprising generating the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 1 cm of water.

(107) 40. The method according to embodiment 26 further comprising generating the respirable dry powder aerosol 1 at a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 2 cm of water.

(108) 41. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-40 further comprising generating the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 at 10-15 l/min while concentration efficiency is greater than 30%.

(109) 42. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-41 further comprising omitting any flow controls at the single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9.

(110) 43. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-42 further comprising providing a counter flow tube 54, an infrared radiation source 39, a reflector 72, and an aerosol collection cone 79.

(111) 44. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-43 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

(112) 45. The method according to embodiment 44 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

(113) 46. The method according to embodiment 45 wherein the method is designed to output the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 between 12 l/min and 44 l/min, thereby delivering a medication at a medication mass concentration of at least 5 mg/l and up to 14.5 mg/l.

(114) 47. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 24-46 further comprising controlling the volume flow ratios such that the ratio of the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 to the respirable dry powder volume flow 91 is less than 5.

(115) 48. An aerosol generating system for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol 15 from a liquid solution or liquid suspension at a respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91, comprising: a liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 having a nozzle input end 11 designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension, and having a nozzle gas supply 55 designed to receive nozzle gas 2, the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 further having a nozzle output end 36 for outputting a liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle gas 2; a cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 having a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end 7 that is connected to the nozzle output end 36 and connected to a dilution gas supply 60 for receiving both the liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle gas 2 and for receiving the dilution gas 4, and the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 having a cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8 outputting a first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90; a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 comprising at least 3 slits extending from a position at or close to a center of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 to a position more remote from the center of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24, the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 having a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator input end 25 that is connected to the cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8, and a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator output end 26 outputting a second intermediate dry powder aerosol 17 at a second intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 93 and a second intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 94, the second intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 93 being lower than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and the second intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 94 being higher than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90; and a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 having a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 that is connected to the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator output end 26, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 comprising a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 converging from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 that is connected to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 connecting both to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 and to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 being connected to a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 outputting the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 that is lower than the second intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 93 and a respirable dry powder aerosol particle concentration 92 that is higher than the second intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 94.

(116) 49. The system according to embodiment 48 wherein at least one of the nozzle gas 2 and the dilution gas 4 is heliox.

(117) 50. The system according to embodiment 48 wherein at least one of the nozzle gas 2 and the dilution gas 4 is air.

(118) 51. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-50 wherein the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 is between 80 and 200 μmin.

(119) 52. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-51 wherein the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 is between 1 and 5 cm long and between 1 and 2 mm wide.

(120) 53. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-52 wherein the liquid solution or liquid suspension contains a surfactant.

(121) 54. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-53 wherein the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 has a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 that is less than 2 mm wide and extends between a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21.

(122) 55. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-54 wherein the converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 converges from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 to a center of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 at a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel angle 52 between 10 and 60 degrees.

(123) 56. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-55 wherein the diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 diverges from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 at a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel angle 53 between 10 and 60 degrees.

(124) 57. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-56 further comprising a sculptured plenum 43 that connects the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 and has a sculptured plenum volume between 30 and 300 ml.

(125) 58. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-57 wherein the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 with a diameter of 10-20 mm.

(126) 59. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-58 wherein in use the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 extend substantially vertically.

(127) 60. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-59 wherein the system is designed to output from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 having fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in gas.

(128) 61. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-60 wherein the system is designed to aerosolize the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

(129) 62. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-61 wherein the nozzle gas 2 has a nozzle gas pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

(130) 63. The system according to embodiment 49 wherein the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 has a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 1 cm of water.

(131) 64. The system according to embodiment 50 wherein the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 has a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 2 cm of water.

(132) 65. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-64 wherein a total cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator slit length of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 is at least 4 times longer than a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator slit length of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9.

(133) 66. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-65 wherein the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 is 10-15 l/min while concentration efficiency is greater than 30%.

(134) 67. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-66 wherein the system is free of flow controls at a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 51 of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9.

(135) 68. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-67 further comprising a counter flow tube 54, an infrared radiation source 39, a reflector 72, and an aerosol collection cone 95.

(136) 69. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 48-68 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

(137) 70. The system according to embodiment 69 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

(138) 71. The system according to embodiment 70 wherein the system is designed to output the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 between 12 l/min and 44l/min, thereby delivering a medication at a medication mass concentration of at least 5 mg/l and up to 14.5 mg/l.

(139) 72. A method for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol 15 from a liquid solution or liquid suspension at a respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91, comprising: feeding liquid solution or liquid suspension and nozzle gas 2 into a liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3; outputting from the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 a liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle gas 2 into a cylindrical evaporation chamber 6; feeding dilution gas 4 into the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6; outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 a first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 having fine dry powder particles that allow respirable particles containing a medically active agent and are suspended in gas at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90; feeding the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 into a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 comprising at least 3 slits extending from a position at or close to a center of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 to a position more remote from the center of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24; outputting from the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 a second intermediate dry powder aerosol 17 at a second intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 93 and a second intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 94, the second intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 93 being lower than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and the second intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 94 being higher than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90; feeding the second intermediate dry powder aerosol 17 into a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9, the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 comprising a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 converging to a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 diverging from a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21; and outputting the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 that is lower than the second intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 93 and a respirable dry powder aerosol particle concentration 92 that is higher than the second intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 94.

(140) 73. The method according to embodiment 72 further comprising supplying heliox as at least one of the nozzle gas 2 and the dilution gas 4.

(141) 74. The method according to embodiment 72 further comprising supplying air as at least one of the nozzle gas 2 and the dilution gas 4.

(142) 75. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-74 further comprising generating the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 at between 80 and 200 I/min.

(143) 76. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-75 further comprising providing the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 with a length between 1 and 5 cm and a width between 1 and 2 mm.

(144) 77. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-76 further comprising providing a surfactant as a constituent of the liquid solution or liquid suspension.

(145) 78. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-77 further comprising providing the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 with a cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 that is less than 2 mm wide and extends between the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21.

(146) 79. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-78 further comprising providing the converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 so that it converges from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 to a center of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 at a converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel angle 52 between 10 and 60 degrees.

(147) 80. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-79 further comprising providing the diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 so that it diverges from the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 at a diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel angle 53 between 10 and 60 degrees.

(148) 81. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-80 further comprising providing a sculptured plenum 43 that connects the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 and has a sculptured plenum volume between 30 and 300 ml.

(149) 82. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-81 further comprising providing the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 with a diameter of 10-20 mm.

(150) 83. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-82 further comprising positioning the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 such that these extend substantially vertically.

(151) 84. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-83 further comprising outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 at a fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in gas.

(152) 85. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-84 further comprising aerosolizing the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

(153) 86. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-85 further comprising supplying the nozzle gas 2 at a nozzle gas 2 pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

(154) 87. The method according to embodiment 73 further comprising generating the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 1 cm of water.

(155) 88. The method according to embodiment 74 further comprising generating the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 2 cm of water.

(156) 89. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-88 further comprising providing as a total cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator slit length of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 a length that is at least 4 times longer than the slit length of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9.

(157) 90. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-89 further comprising generating the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 at 10-15 l/min while concentration efficiency is greater than 30%.

(158) 91. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-90 further comprising omitting any flow controls at the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 54 of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 and the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 of the cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9.

(159) 92. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-91 further comprising providing a counter flow tube 54, an infrared radiation source 39, a reflector 72, and an aerosol collection cone 79.

(160) 93. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-92 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

(161) 94. The method according to embodiment 93 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

(162) 95. The method according to embodiment 94 wherein the method is designed to output the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 between 12 l/min and 44l/min, thereby delivering a medication at a medication mass concentration of at least 5 mg/l and up to 14.5 mg/l.

(163) 96. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 72-95 further comprising controlling the volume flow ratios such that the ratio of the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 to the second intermediate dry powder volume flow 93 and the ratio of the second intermediate dry powder volume flow 93 to the respirable dry powder volume flow 91 are both less than 5.

(164) 97. An aerosol generating system for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol 15 from a liquid solution or liquid suspension, comprising: a liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 having a nozzle input end 11 designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension, and having a nozzle heliox supply 55 designed to receive nozzle heliox 2, the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 further having a nozzle output end 36 for outputting a liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle heliox 2; and a cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 having a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end 7 that is connected to the nozzle output end 36 and connected to a dilution heliox supply 60 for receiving both the liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle heliox 2 and for receiving the dilution heliox 4, and the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 having a cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8 outputting a first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90; and a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 comprising at least 3 slits extending from a position at or close to a center of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 to a position more remote from the center of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24, the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 having a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator input end 25 that is connected to the cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8, and a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator output end 26 outputting the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 that is lower than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a respirable dry powder aerosol particle concentration 92 that is higher than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90.

(165) 98. The system according to embodiment 97 wherein the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 is between 80 and 200 I/min.

(166) 99. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 97-98 wherein the liquid solution or liquid suspension contains a surfactant.

(167) 100. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 97-99 wherein the system is designed to output from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 having fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in gas.

(168) 101. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 97-100 wherein the system is designed to aerosolize the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

(169) 102. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 97-101 wherein the nozzle heliox 2 has a heliox pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

(170) 103. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 97-102 wherein the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 has a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 1 cm of water.

(171) 104. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 97-103 wherein the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 is 10-15 μmin while concentration efficiency is greater than 30%.

(172) 105. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 97-104 wherein the system is free of flow controls at a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 51 of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24.

(173) 106. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 97-105 further comprising a counter flow tube 54, an infrared radiation source 39, a reflector 72, and an aerosol collection cone 95.

(174) 107. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 97-106 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

(175) 108. The system according to embodiment 107 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

(176) 109. The system according to embodiment 108 wherein the system is designed to output the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 between 12 l/min and 44 l/min, thereby delivering a medication at a medication mass concentration of at least 5 mg/l and up to 14.5 mg/l.

(177) 110. A method for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol 15 from a liquid solution or liquid suspension at a respirable system output volume flow 91, comprising: feeding liquid solution or liquid suspension and nozzle heliox 2 into a liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3; outputting from the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 a liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle heliox 2 into a cylindrical evaporation chamber 6; feeding dilution heliox 4 into the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6; and outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 a first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 having fine dry powder particles that allow respirable particles containing a medically active agent and are suspended in gas at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90 feeding the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 into a cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 comprising at least 3 slits extending from a position at or close to a center of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 to a position more remote from the center of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24; and outputting the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 that is lower than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 14 and a respirable dry powder aerosol particle concentration 92 that is higher than the first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90.

(178) 111. The method according to embodiment 110 further comprising generating the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 at between 80 and 200 l/min.

(179) 112. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-111 further comprising providing a surfactant as a constituent of the liquid solution or liquid suspension.

(180) 113. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-112 further comprising outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 at a fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in gas.

(181) 114. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-113 further comprising aerosolizing the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

(182) 115. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-114 further comprising supplying the nozzle heliox 2 at a nozzle heliox 2 pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

(183) 116. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-115 further comprising generating the respirable dry powder aerosol 15 at a respirable dry powder aerosol pressure of less than 1 cm of water.

(184) 117. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-116 further comprising generating the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 at 10-15 l/min while concentration efficiency is greater than 30%.

(185) 118. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-117 further comprising omitting any flow controls at the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 54 of the cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24.

(186) 119. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-118 further comprising providing a counter flow tube 54, an infrared radiation source 39, a reflector 72, and an aerosol collection cone 79.

(187) 120. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-119 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

(188) 121. The method according to embodiment 120 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

(189) 122. The method according to embodiment 121 wherein the method is designed to output the respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 between 12 l/min and 44l/min, thereby delivering a medication at a medication mass concentration of at least 5 mg/l and up to 14.5 mg/l.

(190) 123. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 110-122 further comprising controlling the volume flow ratio such that the ratio of the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 to the respirable dry powder volume flow 91 is less than 5.

(191) 124. An aerosol generating system for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol 15 from a liquid solution or liquid suspension, comprising: a liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 having a nozzle input end 11 designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension, and having a nozzle heliox supply 55 designed to receive nozzle heliox 2, the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 further having a nozzle output end 36 for outputting a liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle heliox 2; and a cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 having a cylindrical evaporation chamber input end 7 that is connected to the nozzle output end 36 and connected to a dilution heliox supply 60 for receiving both the liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle heliox 2 and for receiving the dilution heliox 4, and the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 having a cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8 outputting a first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90.

(192) 125. The system according to embodiment 124 wherein the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 is between 80 and 200 I/min.

(193) 126. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 124-125 wherein the liquid solution or liquid suspension contains a surfactant.

(194) 127. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 124-126 wherein the system is designed to output from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 having fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in gas.

(195) 128. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 124-127 wherein the system is designed to aerosolize the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

(196) 129. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 124-128 wherein the nozzle heliox 2 has a nozzle heliox pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

(197) 130. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 124-129 further comprising a counter flow tube 54, an infrared radiation source 39, a reflector 72, and an aerosol collection cone 95.

(198) 131. The system according to one of the preceding embodiments 124-130 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

(199) 132. The system according to embodiment 131 wherein the system is designed to receive the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

(200) 133. A method for generating a respirable dry powder aerosol 15 from a liquid solution or liquid suspension, comprising: feeding liquid solution or liquid suspension and nozzle heliox 2 into a liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3; outputting from the liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 a liquid aerosol 13 suspended in the nozzle heliox 2 into a cylindrical evaporation chamber 6; feeding dilution gas 4 into the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6; and outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 a first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 having fine dry powder particles that allow respirable particles containing a medically active agent and are suspended in gas at a first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 and a first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90.

(201) 134. The method according to embodiment 133 further comprising generating the first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 at between 80 and 200 l/min.

(202) 135. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 133-134 further comprising providing a surfactant as a constituent of the liquid solution or liquid suspension.

(203) 136. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 133-135 further comprising outputting from the cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 the first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 at a fine particles of a size of 1.5-4 μm MMAD suspended in gas.

(204) 137. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 133-136 further comprising aerosolizing the liquid solution or liquid suspension having a liquid solution or liquid suspension viscosity of 4 to 39 cSt.

(205) 138. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 133-137 further comprising supplying the nozzle heliox 2 at a nozzle heliox 2 pressure between 207 and 414 kPa.

(206) 139. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 133-138 further comprising providing a counter flow tube 54, an infrared radiation source 39, a reflector 72, and an aerosol collection cone 79.

(207) 140. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 133-139 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or liquid suspension volume flow of 0.1-3 ml/min, delivering a medication at a medication mass flow rate of at least 150 mg/min in form of the solid particles having a dry powder aerosol mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 3 μm or less.

(208) 141. The method according to one of the preceding embodiments 133-140 further comprising supplying the liquid solution or liquid suspension at a liquid solution or suspension viscosity exceeding 4 cSt.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(209) nozzle gas 2 liquid aerosol generating nozzle 3 dilution gas 4 flow distributer 5 cylindrical evaporation chamber 6 cylindrical evaporation chamber input end 7 cylindrical evaporation chamber output end 8 cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator 9 cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input end 10 nozzle input end 11 liquid aerosol 13 first intermediate dry powder aerosol 14 respirable dry powder aerosol 15 first exhaust aerosol 16 second intermediate dry powder aerosol 17 converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel 19 cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice 20 cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice 21 diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel 22 cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator 24 cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator input end 25 cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator output end 26 nozzle holder 27 central channel 28 fluid nozzle 29 gas entrance orifice 30 gas channels 31 circumferential pressure equalization chamber 32 circumferential converging channel 33 circumferential diverging channel 34 aerosolizing space 35 nozzle output end 36 aerosol plume 37 counter flow orifice 38 infrared source 39 cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 40 circular exit 41 sculptured plenum 43 cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator exhaust port 44 radially aligned acceleration nozzles 45 radially aligned deceleration nozzles 46 acceleration slit orifices 47 deceleration slit orifices 48 cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator aerosol separation space 49 circular plenum 50 cylindrical radial multi-slit aerosol concentrator exhaust ports 51 converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input channel angle 52 diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output channel angle 53 counter-flow tube 54 nozzle gas supply 55 channel 56 compressed gas channel 57 constriction orifice 58 counter flow channel 59 dilution gas supply 60 donut shaped chamber 61 holes in a first baffle 62 first baffle 63 second circular chamber 64 second baffle 65 holes in an inner cylindrical chamber 66 inner cylindrical chamber 67 central holes 68 peripheral holes 69 quartz tube 70 half cylinder aluminum reflector 72 lip-seals 73 converging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator input orifice angle 74 diverging cylindrical single linear slit aerosol concentrator output orifice angle 75 external surface of the converging channel 76 external surface of the diverging channel 77 internal wall 78 collection cone 79 sculptured exhaust channel 80 entrance plate 81 entrance plate channels 82 rear plate 83 rear plate channels 84 converging exhaust channels 85 second exhaust aerosol 86 first intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 89 first intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 90 respirable dry powder aerosol volume flow 91 respirable dry powder aerosol particle concentration 92 second intermediate dry powder aerosol volume flow 93 second intermediate dry powder aerosol particle concentration 94 two-stage concentrator 96