Aerosol Therapy – Deposition and Devices

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to aerosol science, deposition mechanisms, and delivery devices from the lecture notes.

Aerosol

Suspension of liquid or solid particles in a gas.

Nebulizer

A device that generates aerosols for inhalation therapy.

Atomizer

A device that creates fine particles by atomization to form an aerosol.

Humidifier

A device that adds moisture to the air and can generate aerosol droplets.

Soft mist inhaler

A device that delivers medication as a soft mist aerosol.

Output

Mass of aerosol produced by a nebulizer in a given unit time.

Emitted dose

Mass of drug leaving the mouthpiece as aerosol.

Macroaerosol

A larger-size aerosol suspension typically produced by nebulizers.

Microaerosol

A smaller-size aerosol particle suspension.

Monodisperse

Particles with a uniform size distribution.

Heterodisperse

Particles with a broad size distribution.

Central airways

Trachea and main bronchi—the region where 1–5 μm particles primarily deposit.

Deposition

Retention of aerosol particles in the respiratory tract after contacting mucosa.

Sedimentation

Deposition by gravitational settling; a key mechanism for 1–5 μm particles.

Impaction

Deposition due to inertia causing particles to collide with airway surfaces.

Brownian motion

Diffusion-driven random motion causing deposition of very small particles.

Diffusion

Movement of particles due to random molecular motion; relevant for submicron aerosols.

Alveoli

Tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs; very small particles may deposit here.

Bronchioles

Small airways between the bronchi and alveoli.

Upper airways

Nose, pharynx, and larynx; early deposition sites for inhaled aerosols.

Breath-hold technique

Holding the breath (e.g., 10 seconds) after inhalation to increase deposition by sedimentation.