Nebulizer technology

Corona-charged aerosol (CAD) Universal use nebulizer technology like ELSD and detection of charges induced by a high-voltage corona wire Low ng... 

For many drugs, the optimum site of action remains unknown, and the dose of many therapeutic agents may be less pertinent than their delivery profile down the tracheobronchial tree. Whereas it is likely that steroid therapy for asthma is best delivered to the larger airways, antibiotics for cystic fibrosis may need to be delivered to the more distal airways and alveoli. However, further improvements in aerosol and nebulizer technologies may be required before antiinflammatory agents can be effectively delivered to the periphery of the lung. 

For the purposes of this chapter, new nebulizer technologies include technology developed and introduced after 1990 that further, are regarded as fundamentally different from traditional nebulizers. New nebulizer technology introduced in this chapter is presented as four classes ... 

New adaptations of existing jet nebulizer technology to produce dosimetric systems for conventional generic nebulized drug delivery— e.g., Halolite and Circulaire... 

New ultrasonic nebulizer technology for conventional generic drug delivery—e.g., AeroNeb and Omron. 

Classes 1 and 2 are modifications of conventional nebulizing therapy in the perspective that these have operational times lasting nunutes or more. The last two classes introduce novel nebulizer technology that is fundamentally different in that delivery time for drug aerosol is very short, typically 1 or 2 s. Further, the latter two classes offer the convenience and portability more common to the DPI or pMDI than to traditional nebulizers. 

Examples of recent developments in new nebulizer technologies and significant new modifications to traditional nebulizer technologies are considered in turn below. 

A. Traditional Nebulizer Technology Modified for Improved Generic Use (Halolite, Circulaire)... 

B. New Generic Nebulizer Technology Omron and Aeroneb Ultrasonic Nebulizers... 

Though ultrasonic nebulizer technology is not new in itself, an ultrasonic nebulizer that works reliably with both solutions and suspensions would be new, as many past devices have been either unreliable, have been unable to nebulize suspensions, and/or have produced droplets too large to penetrate to the lower respiratory tract. 

C. New Nebulizer Technology Developed for Specific Drug Applications Respimat and AERx... 

Two new nebulizer technologies have only recently been introduced in principle their specific system design and application have not yet been publicized. Each utilizes distinctly different new nebulizer technology. Each would be expected to offer exciting new applications in nebulized aerosol therapy, though this will depend in part on how the technology is fiilly developed in collaboration with industrial partners. 

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