The long-term objective of the research is to make available at modest cost a device to provide the benefits of portable metered-dose inhalants to children and adults whose poor coordination or physical limitations now preclude their use. The specific aims of this Phase I research include completion of the design of the device referred to as the Breath-Activated Medication Spray (BAMS) Dispenser, fabrication of 40 working prototypes, and testing their use in a field trial involving 40 asthma patients. The use of the BAMS Dispenser will be compared to a motordriven nebulizer as well as the metered-dose inhalant used in the standard fashion. It is expected that the use of the BAMS Dispenser will provide significant improvement over the standard use of the metered-dose inhalants, leading to large-scale research in Phase II. This would include further refinement of the design to make the device smaller, and wide-scale testing in both children and adults for asthma as well as other pulmonary diseases. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
