Airway impedance of a subject using a respiratory treatment device can be measured, in accordance with one or more embodiments. A conduit is configured to communicate a flow of inhaled gas and a flow of exhaled gas to and from an airway of the subject using the respiratory treatment device. A first valve is disposed within the conduit and configured to affect the flow of exhaled gas. One or more sensors are disposed within the conduit and are configured to provide a signal conveying information associated with one or more characteristics of gas exhaled by the subject while the flow of exhaled gas is affected or unaffected by the first valve. An airway impedance monitoring module can be executed by a processor to determine an impedance metric of the airway of the subject based on the information conveyed by the signal provided by the one or more sensors.

A breath-enhanced jet nebulizer is configured with a low liquid retention reservoir and a narrow liquid delivery passage to efficiently and efficiently aerosolize small drug volumes with minimal waste. Aerosol particles are directed through aerosol passage for delivery, although larger liquid particles are directed away from the aerosol outlet and recycled to the liquid reservoir.

A nebulizer system includes a body having a fluid chamber and an aerosol chamber, and a vibrator assembly positioned at an interface between the fluid chamber and the aerosol chamber. The vibrator assembly may include a diaphragm, having a fluid side and an aerosol side, defining a plurality of perforations between the fluid side and the aerosol side, and one or more vibrator elements operatively associated with the diaphragm to vibrate the diaphragm to produce aerosolized medicament projected into the aerosol chamber from the plurality of perforations. Each perforation of the plurality of perforations projects the aerosolized medicament along a respective projection path relative to a plane defined by the aerosol side of the perforation, the one or more vibrator elements or the diaphragm support substrate further being configured to angularly displace the aerosol side of the diaphragm to sweep the direction of at least one projection path.

An inhaler device for pulmonary delivery of at least one substance from a drug dose cartridge to an inhaling user, including: a first conduit for conducting a carrier airflow to a proximal opening of a mouthpiece for use by the user; a holder configured to position the dose cartridge within the carrier airflow; and a second conduit for conducting a shunting airflow to the mouthpiece without passing through the dose cartridge position. In some embodiments, a controller connected to a valve controls a rate of carrier airflow, for example by controlling the shunting airflow, based on a sensor indication of airflow rate and a target airflow profile.

Cartridges for use with a vaporizer body are provided. In some implementations, a cartridge having a top end and a bottom end comprises a mouthpiece proximate to the top end, a transparent storage compartment configured to store vaporizable material, and a heater assembly attached to the transparent storage compartment at the bottom end. The heater assembly comprises a heating element, a pair of electrical contacts, a wick, and a heater chamber formed at least in part from two metal walls configured to provide a heat shield between the heating element and the storage compartment, coupled to the pair of electrical contacts. The pair of electrical contacts are disposed at the bottom end and are configured to complete an electrical circuit with the vaporizer body when the cartridge is inserted into the vaporizer body.

The invention relates to a flow controlled valve system. The flow controlled valve may be incorporated into a pre-filled, small-volume nebulizer assembly with a T-connector. The flow controlled valve allows different airflow characteristics in each direction. The flow controlled valve also facilitates breathing physiotherapy by creating different airflow resistances during inhalation and exhalation.

A nasal delivery device for and a method of delivering substance to a nasal airway of a subject, the nasal delivery device including: a mouthpiece (519) through which the subject in use exhales to cause closure of the oropharyngeal velum of the subject; a nosepiece (517) for fitting to a nostril of a subject, the nosepiece including a nozzle (549) through which substance is in use delivered to the nasal airway; and a manually-actuatable substance supply unit (520) for delivering substance through the nozzle of the nosepiece.

An electronic cigarette includes a battery assembly, an atomizer assembly and a cigarette bottle assembly. An external thread electrode is located in one end of battery assembly. An internal thread electrode is located in one end of atomizer assembly. The battery assembly and the atomizer assembly are connected by the screwthread electrode. The cigarette bottle assembly is inserted into the other end of the atomizer assembly and both form a cigarette type or cigar type body.

A medical device includes a user interface component and an energy harvesting system coupled to the user interface component. The energy harvesting system energy includes a harvesting component, a power storage device connected to the energy harvesting component and an output is coupled to the user interface and operably connected to the power storage device. A method of using the medical device is also provided.

Ventilator circuit aerosol delivery systems used to administer medication to a patient are disclosed. In one implementation, a metered dose inhaler (MDI) ventilator assembly may include a housing that defines an interior space, an inhalation port that defines an inhalation passageway in communication with the interior space, an exhalation port that defines an exhalation passageway in communication with the interior space, a patient port that defines a patient passageway in communication with the interior space, and a MDI receptacle positioned on the housing and in communication with the interior space. The MDI receptacle is operative to receive a MDI container and dispense an aerosolized medication within the MDI container into the interior space so that during inhalation, an inhalation flow including the aerosolized medication may flow through the inhalation port, the interior space, and the patient port. Conversely, during exhalation, gases, moisture, condensation, and/or mucus expelled from the patient flow through the patient port, the interior space, and the exhalation port.