Christian Witte1, Elijah Nazarzadeh1, John Pritchard1, Julien Reboud2, Jonathan M. Cooper2
1Acu-Flow Limited, Rankine Building, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK
2University of Glasgow, Rankine Building, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK
Summary
This work presents surface acoustic waves (SAW) as a technology for controlled aerosolisation of formulations with a wide range of physical properties, including viscous solutions and those with low surface tension that are often challenging to deliver. The acoustic waves were coupled into microstructured arrays of cavities with sizes in the range of 100s of micrometers to nebulise liquids. The aerosols generated by the nebuliser engine were characterised using an Anderson Cascade Impactor. The mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) was consistently <2µm for model drug systems, ranging from 1% sodium chloride to 50% ethanol, whilst it was ca. 1.3µm for antibiotic drug formulations of Tobramycin and Amikacin. These results demonstrate significant reduction in the size of the droplets in the aerosol compared to previous technologies. This suggests a route for targeted delivery of inhalable antibiotic drugs to the central and peripheral airways, potentially avoiding side effects associated with intravenous or oral application, as well as reducing drug waste and the risk of development of drug resistant bacteria often linked to other modes of delivery.
Key Message
Surface Acoustic Waves coupled into an array of microstructured cavities can aerosolise a wide range of formulations with a high respiratory fraction, enabling targeted delivery of inhalable antibiotic to the peripheral airways.