Recent reports using a breathing simulator system have suggested that mesh nebulizers provide more effective medication delivery than jet nebulizers. In this study, the performances of jet and mesh nebulizers were evaluated by comparing their aerosol drug delivery efficiencies in mice. We compared four home nebulizers: two jet nebulizers (PARI BOY SX with red and blue nozzles), a static mesh nebulizer (NE-U22), and a vibrating mesh nebulizer (NE-SM1). After mice were exposed to salbutamol aerosol, the levels of salbutamol in serum and lung were estimated by ELISA. The residual volume of salbutamol was the largest at 34.6% in PARI BOY SX, while the values for NE-U22 and NE-SM1 mesh nebulizers were each less than 1%. The salbutamol delivery efficiencies of NE-U22 and NE-SM1 were higher than that of PARI BOY SX, as the total delivered amounts of lung and serum were 39.9% and 141.7% as compared to PARI BOY SX, respectively. The delivery efficiency of the mesh nebulizer was better than that of the jet nebulizer. Although the jet nebulizer can generate smaller aerosol particles than the mesh nebulizer used in this study, the output rate of the jet nebulizer is low, resulting in lower salbutamol delivery efficiency. Therefore, clinical validation of the drug delivery efficiency according to nebulizer type is necessary to avoid overdose and reduced drug wastage.

In the field of drug delivery, a nebulizer is a device used to convert liquid drugs into tiny airborne droplets, such as aerosol or a mist form. These fine droplets are delivered to a patient’s lungs and airways and then spread throughout the body via blood vessels. Therefore, nebulization therapy is a highly-effective method compared with existing drug delivery methods. To enhance the curative influence of a drug, this study suggests the use of a new micro-porous mesh nebulizer consisting of a controllable palladium–nickel (Pd–Ni) membrane filter, piezoelectric element, and a cavity in the micro-pump. In this research, we optimize a biocompatible Pd–Ni membrane filter, such that it generated the smallest aerosol particles of various drugs. The pore size of the filter outlet is 4.2 μm ± 0.15 μm and the thickness of the Pd-Ni membrane filter is approximately 41.5 μm. In addition, the Pd–Ni membrane filter has good biocompatibility with normal cells. The result of a spray test with deionized (DI) water indicated that the size of a standard liquid droplet is 4.53 μm. The device has an electrical requirement, with a low power consumption of 2.5 W, and an optimal operation frequency of 98.5 kHz.

Recent reports on mesh nebulizers suggest the possibility of stable nebulization of various therapeutic protein drugs. In this study, the in vitro performance and drug stability of jet and mesh nebulizers were examined for dornase alfa and compared with respect to their lung delivery efficiency in BALB/c mice. We compared four nebulizers: two jet nebulizers (PARI BOY SX with red and blue nozzles), a static mesh nebulizer (NE-U150), and a vibrating mesh nebulizer (NE-SM1). The enzymatic activity of dornase alfa was assessed using a kinetic fluorometric DNase activity assay. Both jet nebulizers had large residual volumes between 24% and 27%, while the volume of the NE-SM1 nebulizer was less than 2%. Evaluation of dornase alfa aerosols produced by the four nebulizers showed no overall loss of enzymatic activity or protein content and no increase in aggregation or degradation. The amount of dornase alfa delivered to the lungs was highest for the PARI BOY SX-red jet nebulizer. This result confirmed that aerosol droplet size is an important factor in determining the efficiency of dornase alfa delivery to the lungs. Further clinical studies and analysis are required before any conclusions can be drawn regarding the clinical safety and efficacy of these nebulizers.

Background Nebulizers are medical devices that deliver aerosolized medication directly to lungs to treat a variety of respiratory diseases. However, breathing patterns, respiration rates, airway diameters, and amounts of drugs delivered by nebulizers may be respiratory disease dependent. Method In this study, we developed a respiratory simulator consisting of an airway model, an artificial lung, a flow sensor, and an aerosol collecting filter. Various breathing patterns were generated using a linear actuator and an air cylinder. We tested six home nebulizers (jet (2), static (2), and vibrating mesh nebulizers (2)). Nebulizers were evaluated under two conditions, that is, for the duration of nebulization and at a constant output 1.3 mL using four breathing patterns, namely, the breathing pattern specified in ISO 27427:2013, normal adult, asthmatic, and COPD. Results One of the vibrating mesh nebulizers had the highest dose delivery efficiency. The drug delivery efficiencies of nebulizers were found to depend on breathing patterns. Conclusion We suggest a quantitative drug delivery efficiency evaluation method and calculation parameters that include considerations of constant outputs and residual volumes. The study shows output rates and breathing patterns should be considered when the drug delivery efficiencies of nebulizers are evaluated.