Performance assessment of a range of commercial jet nebulisers

The performance of 14 jet nebulisers was assessed using 4 ml of 0.9% w /v saline and a flow-rate of 10 Ijmin. Nebulisation time (T), percentage mass of drug released as aerosol (P), rate of emission of aerosol (R) and mass median diameter of aerosol distribution (mmd) were recorded. The Side-Stream (Medic-Aid Ltd.), Sure-Mist (Unimed (UK) Ltd.) and Up-Draft (Hudson Inc.) had the lowest T (561 s, 618 s, 637 s respectively) and the Micro-Cirrus (Intersurgical Ltd.) and Up-Draft 11 (Hudson Inc.) had the highest T (2466 s, 1659 s respectively). The Micro-Neb III (Lifecare Ltd.), Side-Stream and Respirgard (Marquest Ltd.) produced the highest P (68%, 67%, 66% respectively), the Sure-Mist and Up-draft had the lowest P (46.5%, 39% respectively). The Micro-Cirrus, Up-Draft 11 (Hudson Inc.) and Venticaire (S and W Vickers) had low R values (0.49, 0.801, 0.905 mg/min respectively), the Side-Stream had the highest R (4.08 mg/min). The Micro-Cirrus had a low mmd (1.04 m). The Pulmo-Neb (DeVilbiss Ltd.), Unineb (Unimed (UK) Ltd.) and Up-Draft had relatively high mmd (4.97 JLm, 4.34 JLm, 4.24 JLm).