Aerosol drug delivery system employing formulation pre-heating

摘要

A formulation of a drug in a liquid carrier is heated in a controlled fashion and then aerosolized. The aerosolized formulation comprises particles having an aerodynamic diameter in a range of about 0.5 to about 12 micrometers. The particles are inhaled into the lungs of a human patient thereby delivering drug to the patient. By heating the formulation prior to aerosolization, the viscosity of the formulation is reduced thereby improving delivery efficiency. Repeatability of aerosol formation is improved by pre-heating the solution to the same or substantially the same temperature for successive delivery events.