Inhaled Nanomedicines Using a Vibrating-mesh Nebuliser: Particle Size Considerations

Vibrating-meshnebulisers have a reputation for having a gentle and successful aerosolizationprocess while preserving the integrity of biologic formulations. The maincomponent of a vibrating-mesh nebuliser is the oscillating membrane. This is formedby thousands of micron-sized pores that oscillate to generate a fine mist.These pores have the potential to be blocked depending on the formulation,especially if it is not a homogeneous solution. In this experiment, poly-lactic-co-glycolicacid nanoparticles (PLGA-NPs) of three varied sizes (100, 200 and 500 nm) werenebulised. The aim was to understand the impact of particle size andconcentration on nebulisation using the FOX® vibrating-mesh nebuliser.PLGA-NPs of 100 and 200 nm size were successfully nebulised over a wideconcentration range (from 0.1 to 10 mg/ml) in terms of percentage aerosolised andnebulisation time. Particles of larger size (500 nm) showed a long nebulisationtime which might correlate with membrane blockages. A substantial proportion ofthe nanomedicines in the market and under development have a particle sizearound 100-200 nm. The result of this study showed that the FOX®vibrating-mesh nebuliser can be a suitable platform to successfully deliver thesetypes of nanomedicines to the lungs.