Abstract
ABSTRACT
Spacer devices minimize the drug deposition in the oropharyngeal region as they retain between 30% and 50% of the nominal drug dose. Additionally, they should increase the fine particle fraction of the emitted aerosol. A new effort to increase the lung deposition was the design of a new actuator, the BronchoAir inhaler, (BronchoAir Medizintechnik GmbH, Munich, Germany). This study was carried out to evaluate the usefulness of this new actuator device by comparing its fine particle fraction with that emitted with the standard actuators and with spacer devices. The fine particle fraction's of commercially available metered dose inhalers (MDIs) marketed with specific spacers were determined using a multistage liquid impinger (MSLI). The effect of the BronchoAir inhaler on fine particle fractions was quite dependent on the formulation causing a decrease as great as 43% with Beclomet forte (becIomethasone-17, 21-dipropionate [BDP]) and an increase as great as 35% with Arubendol (salbutamol) but causing a difference of less than 20% with the other six tested formulations. Deposition in the upper stages of the impinger was sometimes higher than it was for the standard actuator. Spacer devices decreased the deposition in the upper stages of the impinger significantly, and in some cases, the fine particle fractions were also decreased. Varying the spacer design showed the superiority of large-volume open spacers compared with spacers with other designs.
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