Delivery of medicinal powder to the lungs via an inhaler is a fast-acting means of administering therapeutic agents to a patient. However, efficacy is limited by variable aggregation of the powder and inefficient penetration to the lungs. A new device developed at the University of Alberta is directed toward minimizing particle size to improve dose delivery to the lung.
Specifically, the invention is a device comprising a fluid circulation chamber, an inlet supplying the powder agglomerate, an outlet, and a wire mesh in the outlet. The mesh prevents powder agglomerates above a predetermined size from traversing the outlet of the chamber, and reduces powder deposition in the mouth and throat of a user.
The use of the mesh increases dose delivery past the mouth and throat from 46% to 70% at a flow rate of 60 L/min.
Detailed description may be found in US Patent Application 20040107963