Funding outcome

Nebulizers are medical devices used to create a mist of very small droplets to be inhaled by patients. Sometimes, nebulizers are used to deliver drugs that help treat respiratory diseases, including asthma and cystic fibrosis. Nebulizers are also used in a common test that doctors use to help diagnose asthma. This type of test is called a bronchial provocation test. A child taking such a test inhales nebulized droplets that contain a small amount of a drug that is known to irritate the airways of the lungs. After inhaling, the child takes a breathing test to measure the amount of airway narrowing that has occurred. Children that show a strong response to a small amount of the drug are likely to have asthma. The results of this type of testing can therefore be very helpful to doctors in arriving at a diagnosis of asthma. Currently, laboratories that perform bronchial provocation tests across Canada use a variety of different nebulizers. These nebulizers differ in the amount and size of droplets they produce over time. This can mean that very different amounts of drug are delivered to children's lungs, even when the concentration of drug in the nebulizer is the same, and the child inhales for the same amount of time. As a result, it is difficult for doctors to compare test results done in different labs with different nebulizers. There is even a risk that a child might receive too much drug, and experience a severe adverse reaction. The proposed work will be conducted in an engineering research laboratory that specializes in the design and testing of medical devices used to deliver drugs to the lungs. Scientist from the lab are actively collaborating with clinicians at the University of Alberta Hospital Pulmonary Function Lab to better characterize and understand a variety of nebulizers used in bronchial provocation tests. By carefully measuring the size and amount of droplets that each nebulizer produces over time, the amount of drug delivered to the lungs can be accurately predicted. This information will help doctors select appropriate nebulizers and adapt test protocols to meet the specific needs and capabilities of children.