Issue 15, 2009

Miniature inhalation therapy platform using surface acoustic wave microfluidic atomization

Abstract

Pulmonary drug administration requires direct delivery of drug formulations into the lower pulmonary tract and alveoli of the lung in the form of inhaled particles or droplets, providing a distinct advantage over other methods for the treatment of respiratory diseases: the drug can be delivered directly to the site of inflammation, thus reducing the need for systemic exposure and the possibility of adverse effects. However, it is difficult to produce droplets of a drug solution within a narrow monodisperse size range (1–10 µm) needed for deposition in the lower pulmonary tract and alveoli. Here, we demonstrate the use of surface acoustic wave microfluidic atomization as an efficient means to generate appropriate aerosols containing a model drug, the short-acting β2agonist salbutamol, for the treatment of asthma. The mean aerosol diameter produced, 2.84 ± 0.14 µm, lies well within the optimum size range, confirmed by a twin-stage impinger lung model, demonstrating that approximately 70 to 80% of the drug supplied to the atomizer is deposited within the lung. Our preliminary study explores how to control the aerosol diameter and lung delivery efficiency through the surface tension, viscosity, and input power, and also indicates which factors are irrelevant—like the fluid density. Even over a modest power range of 1–1.5 W, SAW atomization provides a viable and efficient generic nebulization platform for the delivery of drugsvia the pulmonary route for the treatment of various diseases. The control offered over the aerosol size, low power requirements, high delivery efficiency, and the miniaturization of the system together suggest the proposed platform represents an attractive alternative to current nebulizers compatible with microfluidic technologies.

Graphical abstract: Miniature inhalation therapy platform using surface acoustic wave microfluidic atomization

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Feb 2009
Accepted
29 Apr 2009
First published
14 May 2009

Lab Chip, 2009,9, 2184-2193

Miniature inhalation therapy platform using surface acoustic wave microfluidic atomization

A. Qi, J. R. Friend, L. Y. Yeo, D. A. V. Morton, M. P. McIntosh and L. Spiccia, Lab Chip, 2009, 9, 2184 DOI: 10.1039/B903575C

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