Advances in Metered Dose Inhaler Technology: Hardware Development

Pressurized metered dose inhalers (MDIs) were first introduced in the 1950s and they are currently widely prescribed as portable systems to treat pulmonary conditions. MDIs consist of a formulation containing dissolved or suspended drug and hardware needed to contain the formulation and enable effic...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:AAPS PharmSciTech 2014-04, Vol.15 (2), p.326-338
Main Authors: Stein, Stephen W., Sheth, Poonam, Hodson, P. David, Myrdal, Paul B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biochemistry
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Biotechnology
Equipment Design
Metered Dose Inhalers
Pharmacology/Toxicology
Pharmacy
Review
Review Article
Theme: Advances in Formulation and Device Technologies for Pulmonary Drug Delivery
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Pressurized metered dose inhalers (MDIs) were first introduced in the 1950s and they are currently widely prescribed as portable systems to treat pulmonary conditions. MDIs consist of a formulation containing dissolved or suspended drug and hardware needed to contain the formulation and enable efficient and consistent dose delivery to the patient. The device hardware includes a canister that is appropriately sized to contain sufficient formulation for the required number of doses, a metering valve capable of delivering a consistent amount of drug with each dose delivered, an actuator mouthpiece that atomizes the formulation and serves as a conduit to deliver the aerosol to the patient, and often an indicating mechanism that provides information to the patient on the number of doses remaining. This review focuses on the current state-of-the-art of MDI hardware and includes discussion of enhancements made to the device’s core subsystems. In addition, technologies that aid the correct use of MDIs will be discussed. These include spacers, valved holding chambers, and breath-actuated devices. Many of the improvements discussed in this article increase the ability of MDI systems to meet regulatory specifications. Innovations that enhance the functionality of MDIs continue to be balanced by the fact that a key advantage of MDI systems is their low cost per dose. The expansion of the health care market in developing countries and the increased focus on health care costs in many developed countries will ensure that MDIs remain a cost-effective crucial delivery system for treating pulmonary conditions for many years to come.
ISSN:1530-9932
1530-9932
DOI:10.1208/s12249-013-0062-y