ABSTRACT
Nebulizers today fill a niche in the delivery of high doses of drug to the respiratory tract with major applications in the treatment of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis. A further advantage of nebulizers is their requirement of only minimal coordination and effort in comparison with pressurized metered-dose (pMDI) or dry powder inhalers (DPI). The earliest patents on nebulizers [1,2] indicate an amazingly long life cycle for nebulizer technology. Although nebulizer products are suffering from price erosion and a shrinking market share in relation to MDIs and DPIs, ongoing evolutionary innovations strengthen their position as niche products. The market is currently dominated by a huge diversity of jet nebulizers with a minor proportion of ultrasonic nebulizers. However, recent progress in manufacturing of miniaturized mechanical, electromechanical, and piezoelectric systems promises to revitalize and redefine the nebulizer market. Indeed, new piezoelectric liquid dispersion systems have the potential to form a new generation of small portable nebulizers with improved dosing capabilities, delivery efficiency, user friendliness, and safety.
