Disposable Nebulizer with Adjustable Pressure for Antiviral Aerosol
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional nebulizers are expensive, bulky, and not suitable for convenient everyday use or distribution to remote areas, and they face challenges in delivering antiviral medications effectively to the respiratory tract with optimal bioavailability.
Innovation Solution
A disposable nebulizer with a compressed air chamber and a medication chamber, featuring a spring valve and a retractable needle for adjustable nebulizing pressure, capable of producing aerosolized droplets of 1-10 micrometers in diameter, pre-loaded with antiviral medications like chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, and designed for one-time use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional nebulizers are used to deliver antiviral medications, then medication delivery to the respiratory tract is achieved, but the devices are expensive, bulky, and not suitable for convenient everyday use or distribution to remote areas
Solution Approach 1:
The nebulizer device is divided into separate components: a reusable body and disposable cartridges containing the medication reservoir and compressed gas chamber. This segmentation allows the complex parts to be manufactured once and reused, while the disposable parts handle the medication, reducing overall device complexity and cost for everyday use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable cartridges that contain the medication and compressed gas. These single-use components eliminate the need for cleaning and maintenance of the main device, making the system more convenient for everyday use while reducing the complexity of sterilization and maintenance procedures.
2Productivity
If higher air flow rate is used in nebulizer therapy, then treatment time is decreased and particle size is reduced, but control over particle size becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The nebulizer incorporates an adjustable flow rate mechanism that allows dynamic control of the compressed gas flow. This enables the operator to optimize the balance between treatment time and particle size according to specific therapeutic needs, rather than being constrained to fixed high flow rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The device allows adjustment of operating parameters including flow rate and pressure to control aerosol particle size. By changing these parameters, the system can achieve both rapid treatment (with higher flow) and precise particle size control (with adjusted, lower flow) as needed.
3Reliability
If liposomal formulations are used for pulmonary delivery of antiviral drugs, then drug delivery to the respiratory tract is improved, but the formulations are sensitive to shear and may be compromised by the aerosolization process
Solution Approach 1:
The nebulizer uses compressed gas flow through carefully designed orifices to generate aerosol droplets. The pneumatic design minimizes turbulent shear forces by using laminar flow patterns and appropriately sized openings, protecting shear-sensitive liposomal formulations from damage during aerosolization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows adjustment of gas flow rate and pressure parameters to optimize aerosolization conditions. By using lower, controlled pressures and flow rates, the device reduces shear stress on liposomal formulations while still achieving effective drug delivery to the respiratory tract.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The nebulizer provides efficient and portable delivery of antiviral medications to the respiratory tract, optimizing bioavailability and treatment duration, while being easy to use and manufacture, reducing the risk of infection transmission and supply chain vulnerabilities.
Implementation Method 1
Nebulizers use oxygen, compressed air, ultrasonic power, and the like to break up solutions and suspensions into small aerosol droplets that are inhaled from the mouthpiece of the device
Implementation Method 2
Jet nebulizers are connected by tubing to a supply of a propellant, such as compressed gas, such as air or oxygen. Upon release into the nebulizer, the compressed gas flows at high velocity through a liquid medicine to turn it into an aerosol that is inhaled by the patient
Data Source
AI summary
An antiviral medication which may be an aerosolizable formulation having a pharmaceutically active anti-viral compound present as a neutral compound selected from the group of free acid, free base, water insoluble salt and water insoluble ion pair); an excipient capable of forming a liquid complex with the pharmaceutically active anti-viral compound; and a polymeric surfactant suitable for pulmonary administration. A nebulizer to deliver the antiviral medication may have a compressed air chamber in communication with a medication chamber, the communication sealed by a spring valve in a rested state. A nebulizer chamber is in communication with the medication chamber, the nebulizer chamber having a pressure release orifice to deliver a stream the nebulized particle stream to the facemask and a continuously variable nebulizing pressure feed at the pressure release orifice.