New study in Scientific Reports (Springer Nature) compares use of MDI alone, MDI with multiple brands of spacers, and DPI alone.
Summary
A new study used Functional Respiratory Imaging (FRI) to assess and compare the performance of a Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) alone, an MDI with multiple brands of spacers, and a Dry Powdered Inhaler (DPI) alone. Using Functional Respiratory Imaging (FRI), the study explored the combined impact of inhaler mechanics, patient physiology and patient technique. In this study, use of an AeroChamber Plus* Flow-Vu* Spacer combined with an MDI resulted in more effective medication delivery to the lungs, compared to the other spacer brands tested with MDIs, MDIs alone, and DPIs alone.
Understanding Inhaler Performance for People With Asthma and COPD
Pressured Metered Dose Inhalers (MDIs) and Dry Powdered Inhalers (DPIs) are both widely prescribed to treat asthma and COPD. While both inhaler systems have advantages and considerations, understanding their performance isn’t limited to the device mechanics.
It’s also important to understand the role of the patient using the device. This includes:
- Physiology: patients with asthma and COPD can experience restrictions and obstructions that can compromise the structure and function of their respiratory system.
- Inhaler technique: Patient technique varies significantly and errors are common. This includes how patients breathe in (e.g. flow rate) and the length of time between dispensing their medication and inhaling it (coordination).
Together these factors can limit the amount of medication that reaches the lungs. Less medication in the lungs than is intended may be linked to lower symptom control and a higher risk of flare-ups.
Measuring inhaler performance with Functional Respiratory Imaging
In this new study, researchers used Functional Respiratory Imaging (FRI) to measure the combined impact of patient physiology, inhaler technique and device performance across a range of inhaler therapies.
This includes:
- MDI alone
- MDI combined with various spacers
- DPIs alone
FRI is a mix of high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Using models mapped from real patients with asthma and COPD, the technology creates a detailed map of the person’s respiratory system and measures where the medication deposits (lungs, throat).
How did the different inhaler systems compare?
In this study, use of the MDI in combination with the AeroChamber Plus* Flow-Vu* spacer provided both consistent and efficient lung delivery, and significantly reduced the medication that got deposited in the throat.
Highlights:
- Using the MDI alone required near-perfect coordination (0-second delay), with even a slight half second delay resulting in almost no medication delivered to the lungs.
- Combining the MDI with AeroChamber Plus* Flow-Vu* spacer overcame the need for perfect coordination and significantly reduced the amount of medication that deposited in the throat.
- Results across the spacer devices evaluated varied significantly, with predicted lung delivery using the AeroChamber Plus* Flow-Vu* spacer being double that of the other spacers evaluated.
- The MDI-spacer combination delivered more consistent results than some of the DPIs evaluated across varying flow rates and significantly reduced the amount of medication that deposited in the throat.
- Compared to the other spacer brands tested with MDIs, MDIs alone, and DPIs alone, the AeroChamber Plus* Flow-Vu* Spacer showed more effective medication delivery to the lungs.
The full FRI study is published in Scientific Reports (Springer Nature).
To learn more about the AeroChamber Plus* Flow-Vu Spacer, visit trudellmed.com.