Outpatient MDI Medication Dispenser With Feedback

The use of Metered Dose Inhalers (MDI) packaged medication are prevalent in the treatment oflung diseases particularly Asthma. MDI medications have inherent problems with repeatability ofapplication. Spacers and other modified packages have attempted to improve the delivery, but areinconvenient to use. We will apply biofeedback training principles into a small dispensing device notmuch larger than the current MDI plastic dispensers. Novel features of the device will insure that themedication has been taken correctly, that the patient is aware of their performance, and that thisinformation is logged with date and time stamp in its internal memory. An existing device known as theMDI chronology (formerly Nebulizer Chronology) will be the basis for the design to which will be addedairflow sensing, dosage sensing, audio and visual feedback as well as useful displays such as remainingdoses in canister. The device will be programmable, lending itself to varying the training algorithms.The automatic recording of patient performance will for the first time allow outpatient MDI monitoring.The feedback and scoring is expected to improve the therapeutic benefit of MDI medications.