Dry powder inhalers (DPIs), which are designed to deliver a therapeutic aerosol to the lungs, can be designed and manufactured to suit an individual's unique physiological characteristics, such as age and height, according to a research conducted by Sagentia.

The researchers at Sagentia conducted a study involving 90 healthy volunteers aged 4 to 50, which revealed that forced respiratory manoeuvre of an adult patient produces three times the energy of that of a child.

In addition, the study showed that even a young child produces more energy in a single breath than what is required to disperse and aerosolise drug formulation in a DPI.

The researchers believe that the energy available can be used to improve the effectiveness of drug delivery to the lungs and can improve the use of the device.

The research indicates the airflow resistance can be lowered to make device more comfortable to use, and the findings show that airflow resistance of a typical DPI can be halved without reducing the energy required to disperse the drug.

The research findings will be presented at the annual Drug Delivery to the Lungs conference in Edinburgh, UK.