A Trans-Nasal Aerosol Delivery Device for Efficient Pulmonary Deposition.

Background: Efficient delivery of aerosols to the lungs via the nasal route has been difficult to achieve, but it may offer benefits over the traditional oral route for a range of patient populations. Because slow, continuous delivery of short-acting agents could improve safety, tolerability, compliance, and efficacy when compared with the rapid, intermittent aerosol treatments delivered by mouthpiece or mask, a novel trans-nasal pulmonary aerosol delivery (tPAD) device was developed. The tPAD incorporates an aerosol particle-size selection chamber and a custom nasal cannula that are specifically optimized for aerosol delivery to the lung via the nasal route.

Recent advances in cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that remains a common cause of morbidity and mortality in affected patients, mostly in the young. A wealth of knowledge has been gained into the genetics, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestation of the disease. In parallel with these new insights into the disease, novel treatments have been developed or are under development that have had a major impact on quality of life and survival.