POCKET NEBULIZER

BETA AGONISTS ADMINISTERED IN AEROSOL FORM IS ONE OF THE MOST POTENT AND WIDELY USED BRONCHODILATOR THERAPIES. IN HOSPITALS, BETA AGONISTS ARE USUALLY ADMINISTERED BY COMPRESSED AIR NEBULIZERS. NUMEROUS STUDIES HAVE DOCUMENTEDTHE EFFICACY OF THE BRONCHODILATOR AEROSOL DELIVERED FROM A CANISTER NEBULIZER, BUT THE MAJOR SHORTCOMING OF THIS FORM OF THERAPY IS THE POOR INHALATION TECHNIQUE OF SOME OF THE PATIENTS. ALTHOUGH THE TECHNIQUE IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE, MANYPATIENTS FAIL TO LEARN IT CORRECTLY. THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MINIATURE POCKET-SIZED NEBULIZER THAT IS EQUIVALENT IN AEROSOL DELIVERY AND EFFECTIVENESS TO CONVENTIONAL AIR-PRESSURE-ACTUATED NEBULIZERS, BUT HAS THE SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY OF DEVICES USING CANISTER INHALERS. SUCH A NEBULIZER WILL BE OF VALUE TO PATIENTS WHO CANNOT OR DO NOT WISH TO USE THE CANISTER INHALERS, BY PERMITTING THE AEROSOLTREATMENT TO BE PERFORMED CONVENIENTLY, AT ANY TIME, AND WITHOUT REGARD TO LOCATION. IT WILL BE ESPECIALLY VALUABLE FOR INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN WHO CANNOT USE OR BE TAUGHT TO USE CANISTER-TYPE INHALERS.