新技術(shù)利用熱能和毛細(xì)管作用，迅速將液體轉(zhuǎn)化為氣體；這項(xiàng)技術(shù)有望引起呼吸道與濕化治療的進(jìn)展。

大約只有一片阿司匹林片劑的大小，這項(xiàng)技術(shù)開始研發(fā)用于野營便攜爐子，因?yàn)樗軌蜓杆賹⒁后w燃油轉(zhuǎn)變成氣體，通過高效噴氣作用釋放出來。產(chǎn)生的氣體更容易利用，因?yàn)檫@是真正的氣體，意味著在處理過程中沒有液體小滴的生成，因此在氣體形成之前不需要揮發(fā)作用。同時(shí)這項(xiàng)技術(shù)不需要利用移動(dòng)部件，因此沒有復(fù)雜的拆卸組件。

這項(xiàng)技術(shù)叫做毛細(xì)管動(dòng)力噴霧器，是由Vapore集團(tuán)公司(Richmond, CA, USA)開發(fā)的。蒸發(fā)器是由陶瓷盤制成的。當(dāng)在陶瓷盤底部添加液體的時(shí)候，毛細(xì)管動(dòng)力通過陶瓷盤來提升液體，和將水輸送到樹頂部的途徑相似。然后在陶瓷盤頂部使用熱能，將液體“相變”轉(zhuǎn)化為氣體通過開口釋放出來。

Vapore公司與原始設(shè)備制造商(OEMs)合作，研制開發(fā)第一代使用這種技術(shù)的產(chǎn)品。PARI創(chuàng)新制造商(Midlothian, VA, USA)已經(jīng)獲得執(zhí)照在全球范圍內(nèi)將該項(xiàng)技術(shù)用于呼吸道護(hù)理。在測試中，PARI和Vapore的工程師制造了一種增濕器，能夠在2～3秒鐘內(nèi)產(chǎn)生氣體，體積只有D號(hào)電池大小。測試發(fā)現(xiàn)效率極高，達(dá)到使用能源的93％。PARI嘗試將這種技術(shù)最終用于醫(yī)院的通風(fēng)設(shè)備、嬰兒保溫箱以及其它用途之中。

PARI總裁兼首席執(zhí)行官Werner Gutmann說：“我們十分高興能夠成為Vapore集團(tuán)的合作伙伴，將這項(xiàng)新技術(shù)推廣到醫(yī)療系統(tǒng)，并期望與制藥公司、設(shè)備制造商合作，以進(jìn)一步提高呼吸與濕化治療的水平。”
 
New Technology for Respiratory Care
 
New technology utilizes heat and capillary action to rapidly turn liquid into vapor and is expected to lead to improvements in respiratory and humidification treatments.

About the size of an aspirin tablet, the technology was initially developed for camping stoves due to its ability to turn liquid fuel into vapor and release it with a high-velocity jet action. The resulting vapor is more readily usable because it is a true vapor, meaning that liquid droplets are not created during the process and therefore do not need to evaporate before a vapor is formed. Also, the technology does not utilize moving parts, so there are no complicated, breakable components.

The technology, called capillary force vaporizer, was created by Vapore, Inc. (Richmond, CA, USA). The vaporizer is made of ceramic discs. When liquid is supplied at the bottom of the discs, capillary forces lift the liquid through the discs, similar to the way water is brought to the top of a tree. Heat is then applied to the top of the discs and phase transition turns the liquid into a vapor that is released through an opening.

Vapore is working with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on developing first-generation products utilizing the technology. PARI Innovative Manufacturers (Midlothian, VA, USA) has licensed the technology for use in respiratory care worldwide. In testing, PARI and Vapore engineers were able to create a humidifier that generated vapor in two or three seconds and was the size of a D battery. The test was extremely efficient with a 93% energy-use rating. PARI sees the eventual use of this technology for hospital ventilators, infant incubators, and other applications.

“We are pleased to partner with Vapore, Inc. to bring this new technology to the medical community and look forward to partnering with pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers to further improve breathing and humidification treatments,” said Werner Gutmann, president and CEO of PARI.