Next generation hand-held nebulisers for aerosol drug delivery: using microfluidics to tune particle size

Respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affect over 14% of Australians, and are amongst the leading causes of deaths in Australia and internationally. Despite significant advances in new drugs, current treatments cannot target the small airways, which in turn limits their efficacy. There is a more significant disease burden (as measured through Disability Adjusted Life Years) felt by the elderly (over 65) and the young (below 15 years). These patients experience more difficulty administering medication through conventional Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs) due to a lack of coordination and dexterity.
This project will develop a new hand-held nebuliser for aerosol drug delivery. The device uses a patented microfluidic technology to generate tuneable, monodisperse micron-sized drug particles, ejected upon detection of inhalation. In optimum operating conditions, the new approach can deliver drugs with a 100% fine particle fraction (particle diameter smaller than 5 µm). Moreover, the particle size can be controlled on-demand to address the specific needs of patients. These capabilities ensure the greatest potential for lung deposition and are currently not possible with any other commercially available device. The device will be packaged within a system designed specifically to improve user experience and patient monitoring. This will specifically benefit young and elderly patients.