Date of Award

Spring 2019

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2019

Department

Bioengineering

First Advisor

Prashanth Asuri

Abstract

Nebulizers are ubiquitous in the world of medicine. Any patient diagnosed with asthma, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), or any other severe lung disease often use a nebulizer in order to deliver medication to the lungs. Although these technologies are quite common, they are surprisingly outdated. The most commonly used nebulizers today are bulky, loud, awkward to carry around, and must be plugged into an outlet. These aspects of the nebulizer make it a nuisance to use in general and almost impossible to use outside of the home or clinic. The ultrasonic and mesh nebulizers do address most of these issues, however the cost and maintenance required for these types of nebulizers prevent them from being used popularly. By redesigning the jet nebulizer into a water bottle form with a quieter air compressor, we were able to build a prototype that is lighter, quieter, and more discreet than commercially available nebulizers today. This human-centered design empowers users to nebulize in any setting, effectively increasing patient compliance with prescribed medications.

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