Background: Respiratory disease accounts for three of the ten leading causes of\ndeath worldwide. Many of these diseases can be treated and diagnosed using a\nnebulizer. Nebulizers can also be used to safely and efficiently deliver vaccines.\nUnfortunately, commercially available nebulizers are not designed for use in regions\nof the world where lung disease is most prevalent: they are electricity-dependent,\ncost-prohibitive, and not built to be reliable in harsh operating conditions or under\nfrequent use.\nTo overcome these limitations, the Human Powered Nebulizer compressor (HPN)\nwas developed. The HPN does not require electricity; instead airflow is generated\nmanually through a hand-crank or bicycle-style pedal system. A health care worker\nor other trained individual operates the device while the patient receives treatment.\nThis study demonstrates functional specifications of the HPN in comparison with a\nstandard commercially available electric jet nebulizer compressor, the DeVilbiss\nPulmo-Aide 5650D (Pulmo-Aide).\nMethods: Pressure and flow characteristics were measured with a rotameter and\npressure transducer, respectively. Volume nebulized by each compressor was\ndetermined by mass, and particle size distribution was determined via laser\ndiffraction. The Hudson RCI Micro Mist nebulizer mouthpiece was used with\nboth compressors.\nResults: The pressure and flow generated by the HPN and Pulmo-Aide were:\n15.17 psi and 10.5 L/min; and 14.65 psi and 11.2 L/min, respectively. The volume\nof liquid delivered by each was equivalent, 1.097 �± 0.107 mL (mean �± s.e.m., n = 13)\nfor the HPN and 1.092 �± 0.116 mL for the Pulmo-Aide. The average particle size was\nalso equivalent, 5.38 �± 0.040 micrometers (mean �± s.e.m., n = 7) and 5.40 �± 0.025\nmicrometers, respectively.\nConclusions: Based on these characteristics, the HPNâ��s performance is equivalent to\na popular commercially available electric nebulizer compressor. The findings\npresented in this paper, combined with the results of two published clinical studies,\nsuggest that the HPN could serve as an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool in\nthe fight against global respiratory health challenges including: tuberculosis, chronic\nobstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and lower respiratory infections.
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