Deposition of aerosols delivered by nasal route with jet and mesh nebulizers

Purpose: To quantify the amount of aerosol deposited in different parts of the airways with a commercially available nasal sonic jet nebulizer (NJN) using a sound effect, and to compare its performance with a new nasal mesh nebulizer (NMN). Methods: Seven healthy non-smoking male volunteers aged 21-36 years with a mean weight of 77 +/- 10 kg were included in this single-center study. Both nebulizer systems were loaded with Tc-99m-DTPA and scintigraphies were performed with a gamma camera. Particle size distribution of the aerosols produced by the two nebulizer systems was measured. Results: There was no statistical difference between the two nebulizers in terms of fraction of particles smaller than 5 mu m (44 +/- 4% vs 45 +/- 2%) (p > 0.9). Aerosol deposition in the nasal region was 73 +/- 10% (% of aerosol deposited in airways) with the NJN, and 99 +/- 3% with the NMN (p = 0.01). Total nasal deposition was 9.6 +/- 1.9% of the nebulizer charge with the NJN and 28.4 +/- 8.9% with the NMN (p = 0.01). 0.5 +/- 0.3% of the nebulizer charge was deposited in the maxillary sinuses with the NJN, compared to 2.2 +/- 1.6% with the NMN (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Although the two nebulizers had the same particle size, NMN significantly improved aerosol deposition in nasal cavity and prevents deposition into the lungs. (C) 2011 Elsevier EN. All rights reserved.