[ 0082 ] fig1 through fig3 show the overall configuration of an embodiment of a shock wave aerosolization apparatus according to the present invention is shown . the inhaler portion of the apparatus comprises two primary parts ; an actuator 12 shown in fig4 fig5 and more specifically in fig6 and an aerosol generator 14 shown in fig7 fig8 and more specifically in fig9 and fig1 . fig1 and fig1 are for illustrative purposes regarding the nature of reflected shock waves in a supersonic jet . fig1 and fig2 show the overall configuration of a second embodiment of the invention . fig1 and fig1 show the gas canister assembly . fig1 through fig2 detail the actuator handle assembly and fig2 through fig2 , 31 and 32 shows the aerosol generator assembly of the second embodiment . fig2 and 30 shows the configuration of the apparatus during use . fig3 shows a third embodiment of the invention employing a supersonic shock nozzle assembly enclosed in a small disposable cartridge along with a single blister pack 352 containing sufficient medication for one aerosol treatment . it will be appreciated that the embodiments of the apparatus may vary as to configuration and as to details of the parts , and that the method may vary as to details of steps and their sequence , without departing from the basic concepts as disclosed herein . referring now to fig1 the aerosolization apparatus 10 of the present invention generally includes an actuator 12 and an aerosol generator 14 . the actuator 12 and the aerosol generator 14 are separable components in the embodiment shown , however , it will be understood that these components may be fully integrated and inseparable . as seen in fig2 and fig3 the actuator 12 of apparatus 10 has a handle 16 that is preferably configured to fit in the notch between the thumb and first finger of the hand of the user . in the embodiment shown , the actuator 12 has a trigger 18 that pivots about trigger pin 20 and is brought toward the body of actuator 12 by the fingers of the user to actuate the device . the actuator 12 also has a cap 22 that can be removed from the body of the actuator 12 as needed . the aerosol generator 14 is operably coupled with actuator 12 and provides aerosolized medications to a user through a mouthpiece 24 when the trigger 18 is depressed . medicine is disposed within a reservoir through a port that is sealed with a plug 26 . turning now to fig3 a cross section of the apparatus 10 with the actuator 12 coupled with the aerosol generator 14 is shown . the primary components of the actuator 12 are the handle 16 , cap 22 , carbon dioxide canister 28 , trigger 18 , valve body 30 , valve poppet 32 , and valve spring 34 . carbon dioxide canister 28 is disposed within handle 16 and is held in place by cap 22 . the primary components of the aerosol generator 14 are reservoir 38 , mouthpiece 24 , aerosolization nozzle 36 and plug 26 . it can be seen that canister 28 provides a source of supply of gas to the aerosol generator 14 that is regulated by poppet 32 . gas from the canister 28 is directed through the aerosolization nozzle 36 , mixed with medicine from reservoir 38 and out through the mouthpiece 24 to the user . referring also to fig4 and fig5 the aerosol generator 14 is releasibly coupled with the actuator 12 . the aerosol generator 14 component can be quickly removed from the actuator 12 for refilling and cleaning . likewise , different medications can be administered sequentially to a single patient by removing the first aerosol generator 14 after the first dosage is administered and replacing it with a second aerosol generator 14 that has a different medication . thus , it can be seen that a practitioner can administer appropriate medications to any number of patients using one actuator 12 and aerosol generators 14 specially prepared for each patient . turning now to fig4 fig5 and more specifically fig6 actuator 12 is shown without the aerosol generator 12 in place . the actuator 12 is a source of gas supply that can be regulated by the actions of poppet 32 . when cap 22 is removed from handle 16 , carbon dioxide canister 28 can be placed into cap 22 and then inserted into the internal space of handle 16 . with the tightening of cap 22 , carbon dioxide canister 28 is caused to be punctured by hollow prong 40 , which is part of valve body 30 , and thereafter the canister is sealed against canister o - ring 42 . once punctured and sealed , carbon dioxide canister 28 is in fluid communication with valve poppet 32 disposed within valve poppet chamber 46 through canister conduit 44 within hollow prong 40 and the wall of valve body 30 . valve poppet 32 comprises a trigger head 48 with an actuating cam surface 50 that smoothly engages trigger 18 through the full range of motion of the trigger pull . the poppet 32 is biased to the far left or “ rest ” position , as shown , by spring 34 , such that shoulder 54 is caused to rest against stop plate 56 . spring 34 preferably fits within spring indent 58 at the distal end of poppet 32 . the valve poppet in the activated position is shown in fig6 . it will be seen that valve poppet 32 is caused to move to the right , or “ actuated ” position , when trigger 18 is squeezed , resulting in force being applied to actuating cam surface 50 of trigger head 48 of poppet 32 in opposition to the force of valve spring 34 . the body 52 of poppet 32 preferably has a first o - ring groove 60 , a second o - ring groove 62 , and a third o - ring groove 64 that are mated with first o - ring 66 , second o - ring 68 , and third o - ring 70 respectively . the poppet body 52 also has a charging volume groove 72 , preferably positioned between the second o - ring groove 62 and the third o - ring groove 64 . first o - ring groove 60 , second o - ring groove 62 , third o - ring groove 64 , and charging volume 72 all consist of geometry which is circumferential to valve poppet 32 , which is generally cylindrical in shape . o - rings 66 , 68 and 70 are all made preferably of urethane , which is compatible with high - pressure carbon dioxide . although o - rings are preferred , it will be understood that other alternative sealing means known in the art may also be used to eliminate leakage of gas from the canister conduit 44 into poppet chamber 46 and out of the apparatus . referring more particularly to fig5 it can be seen that when valve poppet 32 is in the rest position , as shown , the internal gas pressure of carbon dioxide canister 28 is in fluid communication with charging volume 72 and the space between poppet 32 and the walls of poppet chamber 46 , between o - rings 68 and 70 through canister conduit 44 , resulting in charging volume 72 being filled with carbon dioxide to the same pressure that is in carbon dioxide canister 28 . the contents of carbon dioxide canister 28 , and charging volume 72 , is prevented from escaping around the valve poppet 32 into the ambient environment primarily by second o - ring 68 and third o - ring 70 that seal the sections of the chamber 46 between the o - rings . as valve poppet 32 is moved into the actuated position , as shown in fig6 second o - ring 68 passes over canister conduit 44 , preventing further fluid communication between carbon dioxide canister 28 and charging volume 72 , and third o - ring 70 is caused to pass over valve exit conduit 74 , thus releasing the pressurized gas in charging volume 72 through valve exit conduit 74 to valve exit port 76 . second o - ring groove 62 and third o - ring groove 64 are preferably spaced apart from charging volume 72 so that the second o - ring 68 terminates fluid communication between carbon dioxide canister 28 and charging volume 72 prior to the third o - ring 70 passing over valve exit conduit 74 , thus preventing the contents of carbon dioxide canister 28 from ever being in fluid communication with valve exit conduit 74 and valve exit port 76 , and creating a burst of pressurized gas to be released from charging volume 72 . obviously , charging volume 72 may be designed for different volumes allowing for different amounts of carbon dioxide being released with each actuation . it will also be seen that first o - ring 66 prevents escape of contents of carbon dioxide canister 28 around valve poppet 32 into the ambient environment when valve poppet 32 is in the actuated position . as shown in fig1 fig2 and fig3 aerosol generator 14 is caused to mate with actuator 12 . as seen in fig7 and fig8 aerosol generator 14 has a pair of locking tabs 78 that pass through corresponding tab slots 80 and snap into tab receptacles 82 , as shown in fig4 . when locking tabs 78 on aerosol generator 14 are fitted into tab receptacles 82 of actuator 12 , inlet stem 84 of fig8 is configured to fit to valve exit port 76 of actuator 12 as seen in fig4 fig5 and fig6 . inlet stem 84 is mated with valve exit port 76 of actuator 12 such that sealing is established between the base of inlet stem 84 and actuator outlet o - ring 88 of fig6 . this allows for fluid communication between valve exit port 76 of actuator 12 and inlet stem 84 of aerosol generator 14 via valve exit conduit 74 of fig6 and supply inlet 86 of fig8 . referring now to fig8 it can be seen that compressed gas from the actuator 12 passes through supply inlet 86 of inlet stem 84 into supply channel 90 and into insert supply cavity 92 and out of the aerosolization nozzle 36 through jet orifice 94 . in the embodiment shown , reservoir 38 of aerosol generator 14 preferably has a liquid feed tube 96 mounted to liquid feed stem 98 that has a medicine channel 100 that is in fluid communication with the aerosolization assembly 36 as seen in fig8 and fig9 . thus , liquid entrained for aerosolization is caused to travel up liquid feed tube 98 , medicine channel 100 of liquid feed stem 98 and directly to the nozzle section of the aerosolization nozzle 36 , which is shown in the blown up view of fig9 . in one embodiment , aerosol generator 14 is made of reservoir base 102 , mouthpiece 104 , elbow 106 and nozzle insert 108 components . in this embodiment , the aerosol generator 14 is assembled by placing liquid feed tube 96 on liquid feed stem 98 of mouthpiece component 104 . insert 108 is placed into the back of mouthpiece 104 creating the critical nozzle geometry shown in fig9 where aerosolization occurs . ellbow 106 is placed into backside of insert 108 and then the assembly consisting of mouthpiece 104 , insert 108 and elbow 106 are coupled with reservoir base 102 . plug 26 is then placed into reservoir component 102 . bonding between mating pieces may be established using press fits , adhesive techniques , or ultrasonic welding , except for mating between plug 26 and reservoir base 102 , which is intended to be a sliding fit . liquid medication intended for aerosolization is placed in reservoir 38 by removing plug 26 and placing the medication directly into the liquid storage cavity of reservoir 38 . various liquid medications may be placed in the reservoir , as desired . in one embodiment , the liquid storage cavity of reservoir 38 , contains a total volume of at least twice the intended liquid volume to be dispensed . this allows for the prevention of spilling of the contents of the liquid storage cavity of reservoir 38 and for different orientations of the aerosol generator 14 . an alternative to having a reservoir 38 for storing of medication for multiple doses , as above described , is to have means by which one dose may be made available to the aerosolization nozzle 36 at a given time . this would be the preferred embodiment of the current invention for medication requiring very strict output control or which requires special handling and storing , such as refrigeration . strict output control would be realized because the aerosolization assembly 36 is designed so that it always attempts to entrain more liquid than there is present in the single dose reservoir . in this way , output is controlled solely by what is in the reservoir and not the critical dimensions of the aerosolization assembly 36 or the contents of carbon dioxide canister 28 . there exists many ways to have single dose reservoirs , including a very small version of the previously described liquid storage cavity 38 , single ampules , or blister packs . a single dose may also include multiple puffs until the medication in the reservoir or ampule is depleted . in the case of ampules or blister pack cells , the liquid feed tube 96 would preferably be made from stiff plastic and would puncture the ampule or blister pack cell when entrainment was desired . after actuation , the empty ampule would be discarded , or , in the case of the blister pack , the liquid feed tube 96 would be advanced to the next blister pack cell when another dose of aerosol was required . still referring to fig8 carbon dioxide gas supplied to supply inlet 86 , is caused to pass up supply conduit 90 and into insert supply cavity 92 . referring also to fig9 pressurized carbon dioxide gas that is provided to insert supply cavity 92 is caused to pass into jet orifice 94 with exit plane radius 110 . in the preferred embodiment , jet orifice 94 has a diameter ranging from approximately 0 . 008 inches to approximately 0 . 016 inches , and exit plane radius 110 preferably has a diameter ranging from approximately 0 . 010 inches to approximately 0 . 020 inches . because the supply pressure of the carbon dioxide canister is normally 750 psig , the jet formed in the jet orifice 94 will go supersonic . the jet will remain supersonic until such time that the cross sectional area of the exit area , due to exit plane radius 110 , becomes too large , at which point the jet will be over expanded and reflected shock waves will form in the jet as shown graphically in fig1 and schematically in fig1 . the diamond - shaped patterns of fig1 and fig1 show the shock wave patterns in the jet . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , exit plane radius 110 is large enough to insure that the supersonic jet formed from jet orifice 94 is over expanded . this will cause the first series of reflected shock waves to be compression shock waves and not expansion shock waves . although expansion shock waves are capable of aerosolization , compression shock waves are preferable and considered slightly more optimum . in an alternative configuration in which reflected expansion waves are desired initially , exit plane radius 110 would be made small enough , removed , or replaced with an appropriate taper , so that the exiting supersonic jet from jet orifice 94 was under expanded . the supersonic jet exiting the jet orifice 94 and associated exit plane radius 110 will travel axially down shock chamber 112 and into the confines of mouthpiece 24 . in the preferred embodiment , shock chamber 112 has a diameter ranging from approximately 0 . 020 inches to approximately 0 . 030 inches , or two to three times the diameter of the jet orifice 94 . the resulting reflecting shock waves will continue along with the jet well outside the exit plane of shock chamber 112 . optimally , interstitial space 114 has a gap distance between the exit plane and jet orifice 94 and the inlet of shock chamber 112 of between approximately 0 . 007 inches and 0 . 016 inches . referring also to fig1 and fig1 , upon the initial formation of the supersonic jet , a vacuum will be created in interstitial space 114 , which is in fluid communication with the medicine channel 100 , thus causing liquid medication to be entrained from reservoir 38 through liquid feed tube 96 , stem 98 , channel 100 and introduced into shock chamber 112 . the initial liquid entrained into shock chamber 112 comes in contact with the supersonic jet and the chain of reflected shock waves emanating from jet orifice 94 . upon contact with the shock waves and the jet , the initial liquid is agitated violently by the large shear forces produced by the shock waves and the discrepancy between the high velocity of the jet and the slow velocity of the liquid , which produces a tremendous burst of aerosol . the aerosol burst is carried out of the shock chamber 112 along with the expelled gas to mouthpiece 24 . subsequent to the initial fluid being introduced to shock chamber 112 , the integrity of supersonic jet and resulting shock waves are destroyed due to the ongoing entrainment of more liquid , although shock waves are still present immediately proximal to the exit plane of jet orifice 94 and exit plane radius 110 . these remaining shock waves are insufficient for the same production rate of aerosol produced initially due to the smaller exposed area and the location of the waves with respect to ongoing entrainment of liquid . accordingly , the charging volume 72 is preferably made large enough so as to deliver enough carbon dioxide gas to give the jet time to form , entrain liquid , and create the desired burst of aerosol . once the carbon dioxide that is delivered from charging volume 72 to the jet orifice 94 is depleted , the jet ceases to exist all together , and no more liquid is entrained . referring back to fig8 the aerosol exiting shock chamber 112 is carried into the internal cavity 118 of mouthpiece 24 where it is available for immediate inhalation by the patient . referring also to fig1 , which is a view of aerosol generator 14 looking directly down the internal cavity 118 of mouthpiece 24 , the backside of the internal cavity 118 of mouthpiece 24 is preferably equipped with four entrainment ducts 116 , which allow ambient air to be entrained when the patient inhales . the diameter of the mouthpiece internal cavity 118 and the cross - sectional area of the four entrainment ports 116 are the primary means of controlling the geometry and speed of escaping aerosol 120 from shock chamber 112 . the length of the mouthpiece 24 and its internal cavity 118 also plays a role in the speed of escaping aerosol . accordingly , the length of mouthpiece 24 is reduced to a minimum to prevent as much waste of aerosolized medication 120 as possible . in the current preferred embodiment , the mouthpiece internal cavity 118 has a diameter of approximately 0 . 775 inches and the preferred cross - sectional area of the four entrainment ducts 116 is approximately 0 . 08 inches squared or 0 . 02 inches square for each duct 116 . reducing the cross - sectional area of the four entrainment ducts 116 has been shown to reduce the exit velocity of the resulting aerosol if desired . additionally , spacers and valve holding chambers are well known in the industry and can be connected directly to the outer diameter of mouthpiece 24 . referring now to fig1 through fig3 , an alternative embodiment of the invention is shown . as shown in fig1 , this embodiment comprises three principal parts : a reusable actuator handle 200 , a disposable aerosol generator 202 and a disposable carbon dioxide cartridge assembly 204 . turning now to fig1 and fig1 the carbon dioxide cartridge assembly 204 can be seen . the cartridge assembly 204 comprises a carbon dioxide canister 206 and gas canister cap 208 . the carbon dioxide gas canister 206 includes a top 210 with threads 268 that is configured to engage with corresponding threads 266 within a valve assembly contained in actuator handle 200 as seen in fig1 and fig2 . carbon dioxide represents only one of many different types of gases that can be used to power the current invention . although carbon dioxide gas is preferred , it will be understood that any appropriate pressurized gas can be used . in one embodiment , gas canister 206 is bonded to the gas canister cap 208 with an adhesive and is designed with a large diameter to allow for sufficient torque during insertion of the carbon dioxide cartridge 206 into actuator handle 200 . carbon dioxide cartridge 206 prferably fits longitudinally into the underside of actuator handle 200 through cartridge port 212 . turning now to fig1 through fig1 , the preferred components of the actuator handle 200 are shown . actuator handle 200 has an elongate actuator body 214 with cartridge port 212 at the bottom end . the actuator handle also includes a valve assembly 216 , valve stem cover 218 , trigger 220 , and trigger pivot pin 222 as seen in fig1 . valve stem cover 218 has a pair of valve stem cover bosses 224 that engage angled edges 226 of trigger 220 such that when trigger 220 pivots about pin 222 the valve stem cover 218 moves longitudinally within handle body 214 . accordingly , when assembled , valve stem cover 218 mates with valve assembly 216 and the bosses 224 engage with trigger 220 such that when trigger 220 is squeezed , trigger cam surface 226 engages with valve stem bosses 224 such that valve stem cover 218 is forced to move downward causing valve assembly 216 to become actuated as described herein . referring now to fig1 , fig1 and fig2 , the components of the preferred valve assembly are shown . valve assembly 216 has a generally cylindrical body 228 that is configured to fit within actuator handle 200 as seen in fig1 and fig1 . in one embodiment , valve assembly body 216 has one of more raised rails 230 on the outer surface that slide within corresponding slots in the interior of the handle 200 ( not shown ) as well as slots 232 in valve stem cover 218 . the raised rail 230 and slot configuration securely positions the valve assembly and eliminates any rotational motion of the valve assembly 216 when the threads 268 of the top 210 of gas canister 206 are screwed into the threads 268 of the valve assembly . rails 230 also facilitate the linear movement of the valve stem cover 218 with respect to the valve assembly 216 when the trigger 220 is pressed . referring now to the exploded view of the valve assembly 216 in fig1 and the cross sectional view of fig2 , the regulation of the flow of gas from the canister 206 through the stem exit port 236 can be seen . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the valve assembly 216 has a canister seal 238 , valve body 228 , hollow canister puncture pin 240 , puncture pin valve seal 242 , valve spacer 244 , central valve seal 246 , cylinder 248 with chamber 250 , stem plug 260 , valve stem 234 , top valve seal 252 , and end plate 254 . the exploded view in fig1 shows the relative position of each of these components . the cross sectional schematic view in fig2 shows the relative position of the components when assembled . seals 238 , 242 , 246 and 252 as well as stem plug 260 are preferably made of urethane , due to the resistance of this material to compressed carbon dioxide . valve spacer 244 and cylinder 248 are preferably made of injected molded nylon . valve body 228 , canister puncture pin 240 , valve stem 234 , and end plate 234 are preferably made of machined aluminum but may also be made of glass - reinforced nylon . in the embodiment shown , the parts are assembled as shown in fig1 and then valve body end 256 is rolled over in a machining operation to keep the parts in place . referring now to fig2 , the regulation of the gas flow and the movements of the valve components of one embodiment of the valve assembly can be seen . valve stem 234 can move axially within chamber 250 of cylinder 248 . a circumferential flange 258 on stem 234 stops the outward movement of stem 234 by engaging the interior side of the top valve seal 252 . valve stem 234 is tubular and has a plug 260 in the approximate center of the stem . in addition , stem 234 has a valve stem inlet orifice 262 and a valve stem exit orifice 264 that communicate from the interior of the stem 234 to the exterior . when the top 210 of carbon dioxide canister 206 , for example , is advanced on threads 266 of the valve assembly body 228 , the top of canister 206 will engage hollow puncture pin 240 , which pierces the top 206 . the top 210 of carbon dioxide canister 206 is caused to seat against canister seal 238 as the threads 269 of canister 206 are advanced along the threads 266 of the valve body . once seated , carbon dioxide becomes available to valve assembly 216 through canister puncture pin orifice 270 . the valve assembly 216 in the normally closed position is shown in fig2 . in this position , valve stem 234 is pushed by the pressure of the compressed carbon dioxide gas so that valve stem flange 258 is caused to seal against the upper valve seal 252 . in the closed position , carbon dioxide is allowed to pass from the canister 206 through orifice 270 , valve seal 242 and valve spacer 244 to valve stem inlet port 272 located at the proximal end of stem 234 . gas within stem 234 must exit the stem through inlet orifice 262 because of plug 252 to fill the chamber 250 of cylinder 248 that exists between the outer diameter of valve stem 234 and the inner diameter of valve cylinder 248 . valve seals 246 and 252 are sized on the internal diameters to fit and seal against the outer diameter of valve stem 234 . in the closed position , chamber 250 ultimately becomes filled with carbon dioxide gas to the same pressure as that of canister 206 . in the open position , valve stem 234 is moved in an axial direction , against the force of internal pressure , toward the canister 206 . it will be seen that when stem 234 is moved axially , valve stem inlet orifice 262 is caused to pass by central valve seal 246 thereby disconnecting fluid communication between the carbon dioxide pressure provided by the carbon dioxide cartridge 206 and interstitial space of chamber 250 . further axial motion of valve stem 234 causes valve stem exit orifice 264 to pass through top valve seal 252 allowing the compressed gas in chamber 250 to exit the chamber through stem exit orifice 264 to the interior of valve stem 234 and out through valve stem exit port 236 . in the preferred embodiment , the volume of gas that is discharged through stem exit port 236 is predictable and consistent for each actuation and is determined by the relative internal volumes of jet 274 and the volume of chamber 243 . when the stem 234 is returned to the normally closed position , the chamber 250 refills and becomes ready for the next actuation . turning now to fig2 through fig2 , 31 and 32 , the preferred aerosol generator component of the present invention is described . as seen in the exploded view of fig2 , the preferred aerosol generator 202 comprises a jet 274 , secondary 276 , reservoir cup 278 , cap 280 , column base 282 , column 284 , flapper valve 286 , and column end 288 . the jet 274 , shown in fig2 , has a set of external threads 300 that allow the aerosol generator 202 to fit onto actuator handle 200 through the engagement of threads 300 with the corresponding threads 302 of valve stem cover 218 as shown in fig1 . the distal end of valve stem 234 mates with the inside diameter of valve stem cover 218 to provide an adequate seal . the interior of jet 273 is configured to receive valve stem cover exit port 304 when the external threads 300 of jet 274 is coupled with the valve stem cover 218 . jet 274 also has a jet orifice 306 that allows the flow of gas received from exit port 236 from valve stem 234 through valve stem cover exit port 304 . jet 274 and the secondary 276 shown in fig2 interlock together such that the external surfaces 308 , 310 of jet 274 and the internal surfaces of secondary channels 312 , 314 of secondary 276 , seen in fig2 , to form interstitial fluid passages 316 . secondary 276 , shown in fig2 and fig2 also has an opening 318 that operates as a shock chamber . as in the previously described embodiment , jet orifice 306 mates with secondary 276 such that the shock chamber 318 and jet orifice 306 are aligned to form the shock wave aerosolization nozzle , and preferably have the same nozzle dimensions as described in the first embodiment . secondary 276 fits into the bottom of reservoir cup 278 to form a reservoir for the holding of liquid medication such that secondary surface 320 , shown in fig2 , preferably becomes the lowest point of the liquid reservoir . penetrating through surface 320 through to secondary channel 314 is liquid choke orifice 322 . liquid choke orifice 322 provides further means , through the resistance of the flow of liquid , for limiting the rate and amount of liquid entrained by the shock wave aerosolization nozzle . the preferred optimum size range for liquid choke orifice 322 is less than approximately 0 . 050 inches . reservoir cup 278 mates with cap 280 through the engagement of locking clips 324 on reservoir cup 278 shown in fig2 with locking members 326 as shown in fig2 . reservoir cup 278 and cap 280 are designed to allow the exit plane of secondary 276 to protrude through a bore 330 in cap 280 allowing for aerosol entry directly into aerosol chamber 340 , while creating at the same time anti - spill ability for reservoir 332 as shown in fig3 . anti - spill reservoir volume 332 , shown in fig3 is designed such that when invention is tipped sideways or upside down , liquid in reservoir does not spill out . as seen in fig2 , cap 280 is preferably equipped with two pairs of protruding ribs 328 located on opposite sides of the cap which allow for column base 282 and spacer column 284 to slide over cap 280 without rotating . column base 282 , shown in fig2 , is equipped with mouthpiece 334 to allow for patient inhalation . column 284 is preferably tubular and configured to fit onto column base 282 . column base 282 , column 284 , and column end 288 are preferably all made of anti - static plastic material to prevent the loss of charged aerosol particles due to the attraction of the particles to oppositely charged aerosol chamber surfaces . referring now to fig2 and fig2 , flapper valve 286 is preferably a thin rubber circular piece that has a center hole which fits over flapper valve post 336 of column end 288 . flapper valve 286 preferably has a large enough outer diameter to encircle inhalation ports 338 . column end 288 fits onto column 284 to form an aerosolization chamber 340 . once aerosol is produced from the jet 274 and shock chamber 318 , it enters into the aerosolization chamber 340 of column 284 where it is stored until patient inhales on mouthpiece 334 . flapper valve 286 prevents the patient from forcing stored aerosol out of chamber with an accidental exhalation . upon inhalation , flapper valve 286 allows room air to be entrained into chamber 340 . referring now to fig2 and fig3 , the completed coupling of the aerosol generator 202 , the actuator handle 200 and the gas canister assembly 204 can be seen . the apparatus can be conveniently stored in two pieces that are coupled prior to use . referring also to fig3 and fig3 , the full structure of the preferred alternative embodiment of the apparatus can be seen . in use , gas from canister 206 that has been previously seated on canister seal 238 , enters the valve assembly 216 through pin orifice 270 . gas enters chamber 250 through valve stem inlet port 272 and valve stem inlet orifice 262 until the pressure of the gas in chamber 250 is equal to the pressure of the gas in canister 206 . upon actuation of trigger 220 as previously described , the contents of chamber 250 exit through valve stem outlet orifice 264 and valve stem outlet port 236 as a burst of gas . the burst of gas travels through the internal conduit 342 of the valve stem cover 218 , and into the interior 344 of jet 274 . jet orifice 306 is dimensioned so that the jet formed in the jet orifice 306 will be supersonic producing the aerosolization process as described in the first embodiment . additionally , jet orifice 306 , exit plane radius 348 and shock chamber 318 preferably have the same dimensions and performance characteristics as the first embodiment described herein . medicine held in reservoir 332 enters choke port 322 and channels 312 and is drawn to interstitial space 346 between the jet 274 and secondary 276 and aerosolized when brought in contact with the supersonic jet . the aerosolized medication is then contained in the interior chamber 340 of column 284 for inhalation by the patient . in accordance with a still further embodiment of the invention , as shown in fig3 , the equivalent of jet 274 and secondary 276 , forming the supersonic shock nozzle assembly , can be enclosed in a small cartridge 350 along with a single blister pack 352 containing sufficient medication for one aerosol treatment . in this single use embodiment , the cartridge 350 is to be inserted into the base of the column 282 that is coupled to the body 214 of actuator handle 200 so as to cause the supersonic shock nozzle to become oriented above the channel 342 of valve cover port 304 . cartridge 350 has an exterior housing 354 that is configured to be disposed in a slot within the base 282 as needed by the patient . after insertion into the base , cartridge 350 is sealed to the outlet passage of carbon dioxide with o - ring 356 . the shock nozzle assembly has a jet orifice 358 and a shock chamber 360 that are preferably configured as described in the previous embodiments . adjacent to jet orifice 358 is liquid feed line 362 that is in fluid communication with prong 364 . simultaneous with insertion of the cartridge 350 , the foil barrier 370 of blister pack 352 is preferably punctured by the prong 364 by pressing a button 368 and the medicine 366 within blister pack 352 is capable of being entrained from the blister pack 352 through liquid feed tube 362 and through to the supersonic shock nozzle . aerosol is directed to chamber 340 from the supersonic shock nozzle for inhalation by the patient . accordingly , as gas is caused to pass through the jet orifice 358 and shock chamber 360 , the medicine 366 in the blister pack 352 is entrained and aerosolized by the supersonic shock nozzle as in the previous embodiment . upon completion of the aerosol treatment , the supersonic shock nozzle / blister cartridge 350 may be removed and discarded by the user . this single use embodiment may work with or without an aerosol storage chamber and has the advantage of reducing possible contamination of the supersonic shock nozzle between treatments . it can be seen , therefore , that the present invention provides an inhaler device that can deliver a burst of aerosol from an aqueous solution . in this way a number of advantages are realized which include , less expense on the part of the patient , less cost in formulation development , better aftertaste , portability , and convenience . although the description above contains many specificities , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention . therefore , it will be appreciated that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art , and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims , in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “ one and only one ” unless explicitly so stated , but rather “ one or more .” all structural , chemical , and functional equivalents to the elements of the above - described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims . moreover , it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention , for it to be encompassed by the present claims . furthermore , no element , component , or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element , component , or method step is explicitly recited in the claims . no claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 u . s . c . 112 , sixth paragraph , unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “ means for .”
a pneumatic inhaler that is able to deliver a controlled burst or dose of aerosol from a reservoir of liquid medication . the inhaler is suitable for the aerosolization of liquid medication that is in solution or suspension form . the inhaler is also ideal for the delivery of unique and specialty liquid medications in short aerosol bursts because no additional formulation development is needed and has the further advantage of being able to deliver multiple medications , as mixed by the patient , doctor , or pharmacist , with a single burst at a repeatable output . because medication and propellant are not mixed until aerosolization occurs , the inhaler is appropriate for more pharmaceutical agents than the current inhalers available and at a substantial cost savings .