The History, Evolution and Future of Inhalers
With the rapid increase in pollution levels, asthma and other breathing problems are no longer restricted to a particular segment of people. Asthma treatment has come a long way since the 1960s, a time when asthma was considered merely a psychological condition and breathing problems didn’t have a lot of treatment options.
Along with the awareness about asthma, the evolution of asthma inhalers has also come a long way. From smoking opium to herbs to the usage of modern asthma medications, the journey of inhalers has been fascinating and history has seen a massive transition in the types of inhalers over time.
The Evolution of Inhalers
The inhalers we see these days have seen a lot of change both in terms of technology and size. Let us have a look at the various types of inhalers that have evolved.
#1. 18th Century
The inhalers were known as the Mudge inhaler during the 18th century, named after the scientist who invented it, John Mudge. Back then, it was used to treat mucus-laden cough, medically known as catarrhous cough. This device looked like a teapot and patients had to pour water and opium in it, boil and inhale the steam. This device was also used to administer anesthetics.
#2. 19th Century
This was the time when Dr Sales-Giróns invented the first nebuliser. It had a pump handle that was used to draw the liquid medicine. It was later modified by Dr Siegle and the more efficient nebulizer which was steam-driven replaced the Pulverisateur.
It had a spirit burner which turned the water into steam. The steam then traveled to the tube that contained the medication and converted it into vapor. This vapor would then be inhaled through a glass mouthpiece. It was later replaced by a ceramic pot inhaler and then Dry Powder Inhalers (DPIs) that were used to inhale powder medications.
#3. 20th and 21st Century
The PMIs were invented in 1956 by Dr George Maison. It was designed to deliver the exact quantity of medicine to the patients. These inhalers directly delivered the medication to the lungs and were more effective than the previous variants.
After this came the MDIs with a propellant to generate a cloud of aerosol that directly travels to the lungs. The spacer came in later to make it more user-friendly and efficient. Nowadays, these MDIs come with dose counters to indicate the amount of dose left to help timely refills.
The Future
With increasing complexities in the breathing problems, treatment keeps evolving and the various gaps in terms of mechanism and designs need to keep getting filled. These innovations can be seen in the latest SMIs and PMDIs (Soft Mist Inhalers and Pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers). These produce super fine particles of aerosols that can effectively reach the lungs without wastage.
The newer types of inhalers are designed to produce micro or nanoparticles of the aerosols for instant relief from asthmatic cough. Since they have miniscule particles of the medication, it can attack the exact problem area to give instant relief even with a small medicine dosage.
Alongside MDIs, there have also been many advancements in the DPIs and what once could hold just one dose of medicine, can hold up to 60 doses or one month of medicine which would be taken twice a day. The DPIs are seen as a more eco-friendly variant as they don’t release CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons like in MDIs.
Digital Inhalers
Since we live in the digital era, it makes sense to incorporate digital technology into these inhalers to manage asthma better. We are slowly getting into the age of smart inhalers that can use Bluetooth technology to manage their medications more effectively. It can also help manage their medication and collect valid data that can help researchers understand the breathing problem better. It would also help them in developing better and more evolved inhalers for the future.
The future of inhalers has a lot of possibilities. With the advent of newer medicines and newer technologies, this sector can see many developments and rapid changes in the coming years. Until then, make sure to select the best inhaler for asthma from reputed companies.
References:
- https://www.immunology.org/inhaler-1956#:~:text=English%20doctor%20John%20Mudge%20invented,form%20of%20a%20liquid%20spray
- https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Siegle%E2%80%99s-Steam-Spray-Inhaler-Connor/4b0cb30229b8c84b867d3dde7adf76d75bbfd60c
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/lung-respiratory/asthma/look-history-asthma-inhalers/
- https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/features/smart-inhalers-will-they-help-to-improve-asthma-care/20202556.article
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