Assessment of the Power Required for Optimal Use of Current Inhalation Devices.

Inhalation of medications is the cornerstone in the treatment of patients with lung diseases. A variety of inhalation devices exists and each device has specific requirements to achieve optimum inhalation of the drug. The goal of this study was to establish a clear overview on performance requirements of standard inhalation devices that should be met by the patient's breathing power and to develop a new method to measure the individual performance data.

Inhalation device requirements for patients' inhalation maneuvers.

Background: Inhaled drugs are the mainstay of treatment for lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, failure to use inhalation devices correctly can lead to a poorly controlled status. A vast number of inhalation devices exist and each device has specific requirements to achieve optimum inhalation of the drug.

The inhalation manager: a new computer-based device to assess inhalation technique and drug delivery to the patient.

The rational choice of an inhalation device is a cornerstone in the effective management of asthma and COPD. In this publication, we describe the development of a new system, the Inhalation Manager, which, for the first time, offers the possibility to assess the entire inhalation maneuver of patients using original devices under everyday conditions. So far the Inhalation Manager allows the measurement of inspiratory maneuvers of patients through placebo inhalation devices of the most common breath-actuated CFC-free inhalers in the market for the three main glucocorticosteroids Budesonide [Turbohaler (TH), dry powder inhaler (DPI)], Beclomethasone dipropionate [Autohaler (AH), breath-actuated pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI)], and Fluticasone propionate [Diskus (DI), DPI] by means of a pneumotachometer.