TECHNOLOGY NEWS: DRUG DELIVERY
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An inhaler developed by Israel-based Aespironics relies on a breath-activated turbine to deliver medication.
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To deliver drugs effectively, an inhalation device must act in concert with the user’s breathing pattern. So, why not make the user’s air intake the inhaler’s actuator? In essence, that is what start-up company Aespironics (Omer Industrial Park, Israel; www.aespira.com) has done. It developed a small, disposable inhaler based on a novel breath-driven technology that delivers medication directly into the lungs. The device currently comes in the size and shape of a credit card. It can be manufactured at a comparatively low price, as it requires no expensive electrical components.
The inhaler technology depends on a small breath-activated turbine that beats against a mesh containing the drug. The beating action causes all of the particles to be released. “The drug emerges for the duration of a breath and is delivered directly into the lungs,” says Ian Solomon, vice president of business development.
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Some inhalers rely on the airstream passing through a passive mesh to send drugs into the body. “Our technology is the only one where the mesh itself is the active component,” explains Solomon. “This is what enables us to make a high-performance, single-dose disposable inhaler. We expect this [technology] to become an industry standard.”
While inhalers are commonly used for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Solomon says that these devices can do much more. For example, inhalers could be used to administer medication that is currently delivered via capsules. That way, the drug travels though the lungs directly into the bloodstream, rather than taking a detour through the intestinal tract. Furthermore, Solomon says that these types of inhalers could replace regular injections in the future, which would be a welcome development for people suffering from Type 1 diabetes.
