Evaluation on the use of confined liquid impinging jets for the synthesis of nanodrug particles.

Most pharmaceutical compounds can benefit from being produced with a small particle size to enhance processing or therapeutic performance. Confined liquid impinging jets (CLIJ) were employed in this study to evaluate the feasibility and limitations in the production of nanodrugs (i.e.

Role of agglomeration in the dispersion of salmeterol xinafoate from mixtures for inhalation with differing drug to fine lactose ratios.

The purpose of this study was to characterise the role of agglomeration on salmeterol xinafoate (SX) dispersion from mixtures for inhalation by varying the SX concentration and the proportion of fine lactose (FL). SX concentrations and SX:FL ratios ranged from 1.0% to 5.

Preparation of inhalable salbutamol sulphate using reactive high gravity controlled precipitation.

Reactive high gravity controlled precipitation (HGCP) was carried out to produce salbutamol sulphate (SS) particles suitable for inhalation. Aqueous solutions of free salbutamol base and sulphuric acid were mixed intensely inside a HGCP reactor to form the particles. Spray drying was employed to obtain dry powders.

The influence of mechanical processing of dry powder inhaler carriers on drug aerosolization performance.

The influence of processing on the performance of carrier material used in dry powder inhalers was investigated. alpha-Lactose monohydrate crystals were processed by ball milling for cumulative time durations and their properties evaluated. As expected, milling reduced the median particle diameter while increasing fine particulate (<10 microm) and amorphous levels.

Influence of mouthpiece geometry on the aerosol delivery performance of a dry powder inhaler.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of mouthpiece geometry on the amount of throat deposition and device retention produced using a dry powder inhaler (Aerolizer), along with the subsequent effect on the overall inhaler performance.

Materials And Methods: Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis of the flowfield generated in the Aerolizer with various modified mouthpiece geometries (including cylindrical, conical and oval designs) was used in conjunction with experimental dispersions of mannitol powder using a multi-stage liquid impinger to determine how the overall inhaler performance varied as the mouthpiece geometry was modified.

Results: Geometry of the inhaler mouthpiece had no effect on device retention or the inhaler dispersion performance.

Influence of humidity on the electrostatic charge and aerosol performance of dry powder inhaler carrier based systems.

To investigate the influence of storage relative humidity (RH) on the aerosolisation efficiency and tribo-electrification of carrier based dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations using the next generation impactor (NGI) in vitro methodology and the electrostatic low pressure impactor (ELPI). Micronised salbutamol (d (0.5) 1.

The use of organic vapor sorption to determine low levels of amorphous content in processed pharmaceutical powders.

Organic dynamic vapor sorption (organic-DVS) was used to characterize amorphous content in known amorphous-crystalline mixtures of lactose and salbutamol sulfate. N-octane was chosen as an apolar probe and measurements were carried out by exposing mixtures of each sample to partial pressures 0-90% p/p(0). A linear relationship between amorphous content and n-octane partial pressure was observed for both lactose and salbutamol sulfate with R(2) values of 0.

Production of salbutamol sulfate for inhalation by high-gravity controlled antisolvent precipitation.

The purpose of this study was to produce salbutamol sulfate (SS) as a model anti-asthmatic drug using high-gravity controlled precipitation (HGCP) through antisolvent crystallisation. An aqueous solution of SS was passed through a HGCP reactor with isopropanol as antisolvent to induce precipitation. Spray drying was employed to obtain dry powders.

Agglomerate strength and dispersion of salmeterol xinafoate from powder mixtures for inhalation.

Purpose: The study investigated the role of agglomeration and the effect of fine lactose size on the dispersion of salmeterol xinafoate (SX) from SX-lactose mixtures for inhalation.

Methods: Particle size distributions were characterised by Malvern Mastersizer S, Aerosizer and Spraytec, and imaging conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Inter-particulate adhesion was quantified by atomic force microscopy.

The 15th International Society of Aerosols in Medicine Congress. Perth, Australia, 14-18 March 2005.

This international meeting brought together approximately 250 delegates from the pharmaceutical industry, academia, hospitals and government agencies, to discuss the latest research and development on areas related to inhalation aerosols. Fundamental science and applied research encompassing both the biological and physicochemical aspects were presented. There was a wide range of topics covered, from immune modulation to pharmaceutical regulatory issues, including aerosol clearance; industry innovations; aerosols and in utero effects; technical advances in imaging; inhalation catastrophes; as well as recent advances and future directions in aerosol delivery systems.

Mechanistic information from analysis of molecular weight distributions of starch.

A methodology is developed for interpreting the molecular weight distributions of debranched amylopectin, based on techniques developed for quantitatively and qualitatively finding mechanistic information from the molecular weight distributions of synthetic polymers. If the only events occurring are random chain growth and stoppage (i.e.