A Novel Breath Actuated Device (Autohaler™) Consistently Actuates During the Early Phase of Inspiration

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Abstract
Objective To establish and quantify the point during inspiration that the Autohaler™ (AH) inhalation system releases a metered dose of aerosol (placebo). The second objective was to determine if the Autohaler system actuates consistently, regardless of the canister life. Design Double-blind, randomized, two-period crossover, one-day trial. Setting Community based allergy and asthma clinic. Participants Twelve patients with mild to moderate asthma. Results Mean verbal training time for the AH which included the patient demonstrating their ability to correctly use the AH was approximately 6 minutes. The mean time for actuation for the AH early in its canister life ("new canister") was 195 msec compared to 205 msec for the AH late in its canister life ("old canister") (p=0.589). This represented the early part of inspiration as patients had a mean inspiratory duration of 2231 msec for the "new" AH and 2343 msec for the "old" AH. The mean percentage of inspiration time required to actuate the "new" AH was 8.92% compared to 8.82% for the "old" AH. Patients rated the system as easier to much easier to use compared with their current standard press and breathe inhaler. Conclusions The AH consistently actuates early during inspiration, which is considered the optimal time for drug delivery, regardless of the canister life.