Host: The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
Name : [in Japanese]
Date : September 11, 2022 - September 14, 2022
Inhalation therapy using a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) is said to be highly effective with few side effects. However, there are cases in which inhalation therapy with pMDI is not sufficiently effective, such as drug adhesion to the oral cavity or dependence on the user's technique. In this study, the use of a mouthpiece was proposed to reduce drug adhesion to the oral cavity and improve the ease of sucking, and the effectiveness of the mouthpiece was verified. The changes in inhalation rate and volume when using the mouthpiece were measured with an applied fine pressure difference sensor. Using an appropriately shaped mouthpiece increased the area of the posterior pharyngeal wall during inhalation and placed the tongue in a position where it was less likely to adhere to the drug. In many subjects, the mouthpiece provided better control of the inhalation rate and made it easier to maintain the target inhalation rate. The mouthpiece also increased the amount of inhalation in many subjects.
