VariDose is a simple optical sensing technology for pulmonary drug delivery,
which has the potential for
actuation-by-actuation assessment in-line with
a patient.
VariDose can lead to an
effective and efficient
design cycling, manufacturing, testing, clinical trials and therapeutic management.
The technology
A negligible flow-resistance sensor unit, with the internal volume of 30ml, is placed between an inhaler and a user.
A collimated beam of light illuminates the released aerosol.
A detector records the intensity of the transmitted light.
The temporal variation of the intensity is saved as a 'signature' of the dose actuation.
Mathematical analysis of the 'dose signature' provides a number of characteristic parameters.
VariDose may characterise the degree of de-agglomeration and can be calibrated to the mass units of the fine particle dose (FPD) for a given type of the drug formulation.
