Summary

In the past few decades, inhalation therapy has undergone a series of changes due to the introduction of new technologies and treatments; among them, vibrating mesh nebulisers have made their way into the field supported by their features that highlight portability and efficiency to deliver respiratory drugs. Although these devices have been proven to produce desired outcomes, there are still limitations to their use. Mesh clogging is one of the top concerning issues caused by device handling and cleaning habits. It can influence aerosol particle size and nebulisation time, the former being particularly relevant to central and peripheral lung deposition. This study investigated potential mesh clogging on a nebuliser and the effects it could cause on the aerosol characteristics. Deepro™ Vibrating Mesh Nebuliser was used to aerosolize budesonide inhalation suspension during several days without washing the device. The results showed that aerosol particle size stayed below 5 µm and fine particle fraction held above 45% even when the device was not washed for up to five days. Some minimal variations in the results were normalized once the device was washed under standard cleaning procedure in both challenge tests. The results supported the hypothesis that the nebuliser did not exhibit significant mesh clogging given that aerosol characteristics remained stable. The assumption that Deepro™ did not exhibit major mesh clogging characteristics highlighted the advantages of its performance. Further research is required to examine data during longer challenge test periods and to compare its performance with other devices.

Key Message

Deepro™ was found not to exhibit substantial mesh clogging during two challenge tests, considering the expected effects of clogging. The performance of the device was described as stable even when it was not washed for up to 5 days. The results contradicted typical concerns about clogging in mesh nebulisers.