Aerogen Inc, Mountain View, Calif, offers the Aeroneb® professional nebulizer system, offering caregivers a new option for improving drug delivery efficiency and reducing drug and personnel costs associated with respiratory care in the acute care setting. It adds no pressure or volume to ventilator circuits and minimizes drug waste by nebulizing virtually all medication. The cost-effective design enables multipatient use in line with mechanical ventilation or in handheld mode with a standard mouthpiece or aerosol mask. The system is cleared for use with infants to adults and with all nebulizer solutions approved for use with a general-purpose nebulizer. (866) 423-7643; www.aerogen.com.
The ACE® MDI holding chamber by DHD Healthcare, Wampsville, NY, captures and holds the drug dose until the patient begins to inhale, helping to guarantee proper drug delivery. This eliminates the need to coordinate the canister actuation with the start of inhalation. As the drug “cloud” warms in the chamber, aerosol particles shrink in size. Large particles that are not likely to enter the lungs can “rain out” in the chamber rather than the mouth or throat. The result is guaranteed drug delivery to the lungs with reduced drug deposition in the mouth and throat, according to DHD Healthcare. (800) 847-8000; www.dhd.com.
PARI Respiratory Equipment Inc, Monterey, Calif, offers the PARI Trek™ compact compressor for active patients who want to take their aerosol treatments anywhere. The compressor is small and lightweight, yet powerful. It comes in three power source options: worldwide AC compatibility (100 V to 240 V), DC, and battery. These options give patients the freedom to take aerosol treatments in their car or around the world. The compressor weighs less than one pound and less than two pounds with the optional battery attached. This tabletop compressor comes with the PARI LC Plus® reusable nebulizer, which can result in fast and efficient treatment times in as little as 7 minutes. (800) 327-8632; www.pari.com.
Sunrise Medical, Longmont, Colo, introduces the DeVilbiss Pulmo-Aide® compact compressor for use with the durable DeVilbiss 800 Series Reusable Jet Nebulizer, which cuts treatment time by almost half. With the 800 Series Nebulizer, a 3.0-cc treatment takes approximately 7 minutes. The unit produces more than 75% of the medication at or below 5 microns. Its MMD range is 3.6 to 4.0 microns. Designed for ease of use, the unit offers a spill-resistant design to prevent leaks when laid down or inverted. It can nebulize at a 45-degree angle, be used in line with ventilators, and works with any standard 22-mm mask. (800) 333-4000; www.sunrisemedical.com.
Hope continuous nebulizers deliver 50% more medication particles in the respirable range than their competition, according to manufacturer B&B Medical Technologies Inc, Loomis, Calif. What that means to RTs is quicker asthma-related rescues and increased patient discharges. Heliox administration uses the company’s supplemental gas port and optional B&B heliox click stop regulators. Medications can be mixed for 1 hour to as many as 8 hours. The nebulizers are available alone in 25-count cases or packaged in kits—which include one nebulizer, six feet of aerosol tubing, and a patient aerosol mask—with 10 per case. (800) 242-8778; www.bandb-medical.com.
The EZflow and EZflow MAX by Mercury Medical, Clearwater, Fla, represent a new generation of continuous nebulizers for the treatment of severe reversible airway disease. They feature an efficient, small volume (25 mL) reservoir that attaches directly to an aerosol mask. This eliminates the need for pole brackets and aerosol tubing. The EZflow offers a 4-hour treatment at a 3 L/min flow rate while the EZflow MAX provides a 1 1/2-hour to 2-hour treatment at a 6-L/min to 10-L/min flow rate. EZflow and EZflow MAX feature quick and easy assembly, a spill-proof design to eliminate cleanup and waste, and a removable cap with built-in IV port for easy refilling. (800) 237-6418; www.mercurymed.com.
Respironics’ Asthma & Allergy Division, Cedar Grove, NJ, offers a pediatric mask for use with OptiChamber® Advantage valved holding chamber. The mask conforms and seals around various facial features for a custom-fit feel. Built-in reinforcements prevent it from collapsing and assist caregivers in maintaining a seal. The pediatric mask reduces “dead space” and is detachable from the OptiChamber Advantage VHC mouthpiece, so that a single chamber allows a child to transition from mask to mouthpiece without a new chamber. The masks come in small and medium sizes for infants and children, and large face masks are available for elderly patients. (800) 962-1266; www.respironics.com.
The easy-to-use Aerosol Inhalation Monitor (AIM) by Vitalograph, Lenexa, Kan, assists in teaching correct inhalation rate, firing coordination, continuance of inhalation after firing, and breath-hold time for effective use of metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). After testing, the AIM alerts the administrator if there is a problem and where it occurs. The administrator then can address problem areas to ensure proper MDI technique. For pediatric use, an optional incentive device is available. The AIM also can help identify patients who need to be prescribed an alternative delivery device. (800) 255-6626; www.vitalograph.com.
