Aerosol delivery system and method
An aerosol delivery system that includes an aerosol generator that aerosolizes a fluid for delivery to a patient as a patient inhales. The aerosol delivery system includes a pump coupled to the aerosol generator that pumps the fluid to the aerosol generator, and a breath sensor that emits a signal as the patient breathes. A controller couples to the aerosol generator, the pump, and the breath sensor. In operation, the controller receives the signal from the breath sensor, controls a flow of fluid to the aerosol generator in response to the signal, and controls the aerosol generator to start aerosolizing the fluid before the patient inhales.
1 . A method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient, comprising:
tracking one or both of a breathing cycle and a ventilation cycle of a patient using one or more sensors positioned externally to a respiratory circuit of the patient;
identifying a start timing and an end timing of an inhalation of the patient based on tracking data from the one or more sensors;
preloading fluid onto a vibratable member of an aerosolization device with a pump; and
vibrating the vibratable member of the aerosolization device to aerosolize a liquid medicament over a time period for the inhalation, wherein:
the time period begins at a predetermined time prior to a start of the inhalation and ends at a predetermined time prior to an end of the inhalation; and
the predetermined time prior to the start of the inhalation comprises a time between 1% and 30% before the start of the inhalation with respect to a duration of the inhalation.
2 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 1 , wherein:
the predetermined time prior to the end of the inhalation comprises a time between 1% and 20% before the start of the inhalation with respect to a duration of the inhalation.
3 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 1 , wherein:
the aerosolization device produces more aerosol at a beginning of the time period and gradually reduces aerosol production over the time period.
4 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 1 , wherein:
vibrating the vibratable member generates aerosol having fine particle fractions greater than 80% with droplets having a volume median diameter of 1 micron or less.
5 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 1 , wherein:
during the time period, the aerosolization device gradually increases aerosol production until peak airflow is achieved and gradually reduces aerosol production after achieving peak airflow.
6 . A method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient, comprising:
tracking one or both of a breathing cycle and a ventilation cycle of a patient using one or more sensors positioned externally to a respiratory circuit of the patient;
identifying a start timing and an end timing of an inhalation of the patient based on tracking data from the one or more sensors; and
vibrating a vibratable member of an aerosolization device to aerosolize a liquid medicament over a time period for the inhalation, wherein:
the time period begins at a predetermined time prior to a start of the inhalation and ends at a predetermined time prior to an end of the inhalation; and
the predetermined time prior to the start of the inhalation comprises a time between 1% and 30% before the start of the inhalation with respect to a duration of the inhalation.
7 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 6 , wherein:
the predetermined time prior to the start of the inhalation is within 0.5 seconds of the start of the inhalation.
8 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 6 , wherein:
the aerosolization device produces less aerosol at a beginning of the time period and gradually increases aerosol production over the time period.
9 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 6 , wherein:
vibrating the vibratable member generates aerosol having fine particle fractions greater than 99.6% with droplets having a volume median diameter of 4 microns or less.
10 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 6 , further comprising:
detecting a spontaneous inhalation; and
vibrating the vibratable member to aerosolize a volume of the liquid medicament immediately upon detecting the spontaneous inhalation.
11 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 10 , further comprising:
pumping the volume of the liquid medicament onto the vibratable member upon detecting the spontaneous inhalation.
12 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 6 , further comprising:
delivering the aerosolized medicament to a patient through a patient interface, wherein the patient interface is selected from an endotracheal tube, a tracheostomy tube, a nasal cannula, a facemask, a mouthpiece, a laryngeal mask airway (LMA), and a nasal mask.
13 . A method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient, comprising:
tracking one or both of a breathing cycle and a ventilation cycle of a patient using one or more sensors positioned externally to a respiratory circuit of the patient;
identifying a start timing and an end timing of an inhalation of the patient based on tracking data from the one or more sensors; and
vibrating a vibratable member of an aerosolization device to aerosolize a liquid medicament over a time period for the inhalation, wherein:
the time period begins at a predetermined time prior to a start of the inhalation and ends at a predetermined time prior to an end of the inhalation; and
the predetermined time prior to the start of the inhalation comprises a time between 1% and 30% before the start of the inhalation with respect to a duration of the inhalation.
14 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 13 , wherein:
aerosol production by the vibratable member starts and stops multiple times during the time period.
15 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 13 , further comprising:
preloading fluid onto the vibratable member; and
stopping a flow of the fluid onto the vibratable member after inhalation begins, wherein the vibratable member continues to vibrate and aerosolize the fluid after the flow of fluid stops.
16 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 13 , further comprising:
forcing air into and withdrawing air from the patient using a respiration system that is fluidly coupled with the aerosolization device.
17 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 16 , further comprising:
moistening the air using a humidifier prior to delivering the air to the patient.
18 . The method of providing aerosolized fluid to a patient of claim 13 , wherein:
the vibratable member is coupled with a piezoelectric device that vibrates the vibratable member.