Journal of aerosol medicine and pulmonary drug delivery
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J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv · Aug 2014
Observational StudyAn instrumented valved holding chamber with facemask to measure application forces and flow in young asthmatic children.
Pressurized metered dose inhalers (pMDIs), combined with a valved holding chamber (VHC) and facemask, are often used for young asthmatic children. When using a VHC with facemask, a tight seal between the facemask and the patient's face is crucial for efficient pulmonary aerosol delivery. Realistic parameters for in vitro bench testing are not well known. A custom instrumented OptiChamber Diamond VHC, known as the Facemask Datalogger, was developed to measure the real-time application of force and the air flow through the VHC and facemask. ⋯ The Facemask Datalogger is useful for measuring application force and air flow in vivo. Mean application force was lower than assumed in other studies. Older children emptied the VHC faster, with fewer breaths and better cooperation. The data from this study can be used in the future development and testing of new facemasks and VHCs.