PHT180 Research Vitals: Jennifer O'Neil, Assistant Professor, College of Engineering Technology, RIT
Treating pediatric respiratory diseases with a Novel Device
Speaker:
Jennifer O'Neil
Assistant Professor, College of Engineering Technology, RIT
Abstract: Lower respiratory tract infections, such as RSV, are the leading cause of death among children under 5 years, yet very few pediatric pulmonary research centers exist. Jet nebulization delivers respiratory drugs directly to the lower lungs, and remains a popular method to administer aerosol medications to infants and young children. Despite the many advantages of jet nebulizers, their most significant disadvantage is the inefficiencies in aerosolized drug delivery to pediatric patients. This ineffectiveness results from children having smaller respiratory tracts, which can naturally contain less tidal volume and respiratory rate. This is compounded by the diversity of pediatric populations, from premature neonates through young children. Additionally, current devices were developed for adults, so the optimal aerosol particle size for lower airway deposition in young children is unknown. Compounding these issues is the fact that aerosol deposition may also be affected by disease state. To surmount these obstacles, a multi-disciplinary, multi-university team is developing a novel, interchangeable nebulizer device for pediatrics from bench-top testing through simulated animal studies to hopefully one-day clinical trials. The implications of these findings can inform other disease treatments and even immunizations, transforming the face of global healthcare.
Please visit https://www.rit.edu/pht180/events for more information.
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