Passive Mesh, Active Mesh and Ultrasonic Nebulizers – Ability to Deliver a Budesonide Suspension
L Slator, Y Degtyareva, R Potter & RHM Hatley
Respironics Respiratory Drug Delivery (UK) Ltd, a business of Philips Electronics UK Limited, Chichester, West Sussex, UK
Summary
In an earlier study we reported on a comparison of passive mesh nebulizers and ultrasonic mesh nebulizers.[i] We concluded that the passive mesh nebulizer could deliver budesonide suspension but the ultrasonic nebulizer tested delivered little budesonide. Here we extend this work to investigate active mesh nebulizers. Mesh nebulizers are driven by a piezo and use ultrasonic frequencies to vibrate the mesh either directly (active mesh) or via a horn (passive mesh). The vibration of the mesh causes aerosol generation as the liquid passes through it. Ultrasonic nebulizers, by contrast, produce ultrasonic waves directly into the solution causing aerosol to be produced at the liquid surface.
We compared the results of budesonide delivery from an active mesh nebulizer, the Philips Respironics InnoSpire Go (production equivalent devices) to the earlier reported data for ultrasonic nebulizer, the Schill Aerosonic Mobil 3060 nebulizer, and the passive mesh nebulizer, the Philips Respironics I-neb Adaptive Aerosol Delivery (AAD) System nebulizer. Nebulizer performance was assessed in terms of delivered dose, delivered dose output rate, volume median diameter, mass median aerodynamic diameter, and aerosol particle size distribution. The InnoSpire Go nebulizer successfully delivered budesonide (95 mg similar to the result found in the earlier study for the I-neb 109 mg). The aerodynamic particle size distribution data for the InnoSpire Go nebulizer was also similar to that of the I‑neb AAD System nebulizer.
The results demonstrated that the active mesh nebulizer can, like the passive, effectively deliver a budesonide suspension in contrast to the ultrasonic nebulizer that cannot effectively deliver budesonide.
[i] Hatley RHM, Parker J, Hardaker LEA, Byrne S: Ultrasonic and Mesh Nebulizers are Not the Same – Delivery of Budesonide Solution. (Abstract). Presented at: Drug Delivery to the Lungs 25, 2014, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, December 10-12, 2014; J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Del. 2015;28(4):A15.
