Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
by external air entering the container via an aseptic filter which prevents
microbial contamination (Kublik and Vidgren, 1998).
4.3. Nasal Nebulizers
Most nebulizers which are used for oral inhalation can also be used for
nasal inhalation by the aid of face masks. Nasal nebulizers have been reported
to produce superior aerosol deposition in the nasal cavity compared to spray
pumps, which might be attributed to the smaller droplets generated by
nebulizers (Suman et al., 1999). Recently, there have been some nebulizers
especially designed for nasal inhalation to target the upper regions of the
respiratory tract. The Pari VibrENT Sinus nebulizer combines the air-jet
technology with a vibrating pulse (Tiffin et al., 2006). The expected deposition
of aerosols in the parasinuses using an
in vitro
deposition model is superior
using this nebulizer compared to conventional nebulizers (Schuschnig et al.,
2009). This is attributed to the ―snake-like‖ moving aerosols generated by the
Pari Sinus technology which enhances the accessibility of the delivered drug
aerosols to the parasinus cavities (Figure 14).
(Source: Tiffin et al., 2006).
Figure 14. The Pari Sinus technology (right) produces aerosols having ―snake-like‖
movements to enhance the delivery of the drug to the parasinuses whilst a conventional
jet nebulizer (left) is less efficient at delivering aerosols to the parasinuses.
4.4. Novel Nasal Delivery Devices
Novel revolutionary devices have been recently developed to enhance the
delivery of drug formulations to the nose. These include electronic devices and
