One
of the features of most conventional continuously operated
pneumatic small volume nebulizers (SVNs) is that aerosol is being
continuously generated during the time that the patient is exhaling.
This aerosol is typically exhausted to the room and is
essentially wasted (red circle, photo, right), not inhaled by the patient, although it may be inhaled by the therapist
or family member.
Consequently, the overall efficiency of aerosol delivery is
reduced, treatment times are prolonged, and therapists
receive unnecessary occupational exposure to aerosolized
drugs.
Breath-actuated nebulizers operate by powering on
the nebulizer jet during inspiration only.
While this eliminates the waste aerosol to the room,
it also prolongs the treatment time.
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Photo:
Conventional T-type nebulizer showing environmental contamination |
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The
Medicator® Aerosol Maximizer system is based upon
a patented device and design that
incorporates an expandable reservoir bag and a zero
resistance air flow control mechanism, assembled so that the
aerosol generated during the time of patient exhalation is
retained in the reservoir bag and is inhaled during the
subsequent breath. A model with built-in exhalation port filtering
is also available to protect the therapist from breathing medicated
aerosols and patient-exhaled particles. |
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Photo: The Medicator Aerosol Maximizer |
Product
Listing | Specifications
Practically
any* conventional pneumatic SVN can be attached to the
nebulizer port of the Medicator manifold. Therefore,
particle size is controlled by the type and brand of SVN
attached to the Medicator manifold. The Medicator does
not change the size of particles generated by the SVN.
Inhaled mass is a function of the performance of the
attached nebulizer and the increased efficiency provided by
the Medicator.
Model
MM-800 Medicator Aerosol Maximizer. Here's what
happens during the different phases of the respiratory
cycle:
During the
exhalation phase, exhaled air is exhausted through the
Expiratory Port on the top of the
manifold. Exhaled air (and droplets coughed out
by the patient) are prohibited from entering the nebulizer
or the reservoir bag by the flow control diaphragm.
Meanwhile, aerosol that is being generated by the nebulizer
is allowed to collect in the expandable non-latex 1 liter
reservoir bag.
During the
subsequent inspiration phase, the patient inhales
aerosol that is being generated by the SVN in real time along
with aerosol that has been stored in the reservoir bag
during the previous exhalation phase.
* SVN must have
a vertically-oriented 15 mm OD or 22 mm ID outlet
fitting. Angled outlet fittings are not readily
attached without modification or adapters.
Model
AM-602 Medicator+Plus Aerosol Maximizer (with exhalation
filtration). Here's what
happens during the different phases of the respiratory
cycle:
During the
exhalation phase, exhaled air is exhausted through the
"Exhalation Filter on the bottom of the
manifold. Exhaled air (and droplets coughed out
by the patient) are prohibited from entering the nebulizer
or the reservoir bag by the flow control diaphragm.
Meanwhile, aerosol that is being generated by the nebulizer
is allowed to collect in the expandable non-latex 1 liter
reservoir bag.
During the
subsequent inspiration phase, the patient inhales
aerosol that is being generated by the SVN in real time along
with aerosol that has been stored in the reservoir bag
during the previous exhalation phase.
This results
in a 2-3 times greater amount of drug inhaled by the patient
and no drug being wasted to the environment where it
could be breathed by the therapist administering the
treatment.
Studies with
radiolabeled albuterol in our aerosol laboratory have
confirmed no more than 4-5% of the nebulizer charge rains
out in the reservoir bag. Further studies
have shown that, although the reservoir bag is not likely to
become contaminated by the patient because of the presence
of the flow control diaphragm, if it were contaminated, such
contamination would not be transferred to either the
nebulizer or the patient.
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