WO2019178693A1

WO2019178693A1 - Nasal cannula for an aerosol reservoir such as an inhalation chamber

Info

Publication number: WO2019178693A1
Application number: PCT/CA2019/050347
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thierry Poree
Original assignee: Protecsom Amerique du Nord Inc
Current assignee: Protecsom Amerique du Nord Inc
Priority date: 2018-03-21
Filing date: 2019-03-21
Publication date: 2019-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 2020-09-21

Abstract

There is described a method and a system for administering aerosol to a patient, in the context of an inhalation chamber or other form of reservoir for aerosol. There is provided a nasal cannula having prongs extending from the reservoir for aerosol into the respiratory tract, preferably past the mucociliary barrier. Seals can be provided by adding plugs on the prongs or by using a mask around the nose, to ensure that inhaling induces a depression in the prongs and in the inhalation chamber, to effectively pull aerosol therefrom, into the respiratory tract when the patient inspires. Aerosol is delivered without applying any machine-generated pressure gradient, and is rather delivered solely by having the patient inspiring or inhaling through the prongs being sealed and connected to the reservoir for aerosol.

Description

NASAL CANNULA FOR AN AEROSOL RESERVOIR SUCH AS AN INHALATION

CHAMBER

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims benefit or priority of U.S. provisional patent application 62/646,076, filed March 21 , 2018, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

(al Field

[0002] The subject matter disclosed generally relates to aerosol inhalation devices. More specifically, it relates to a nasal cannula for an inhalation chamber or for other aerosol reservoirs.

(b) Related Prior Art

[0003] There are various cases for which a person may be required to inhale aerosol or powder using dedicated devices. For example, metered dose inhalers, nebulizers and other devices are used to ensure proper intake of aerosol by a patient.

[0004] Inhalation chambers are often used to administer aerosol drug. In the context of mechanical ventilation, aerosol drug delivery is used increasingly as a route of administration, especially for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma or chronic obstructive respiratory failure. For example, bronchodilators are drugs which are prescribed as aerosol during mechanical ventilation. Other drug classes are administered as aerosol. As such, high-dose antibiotics are a new area of research in the treatment of serious pulmonary infections. Mechanical ventilation creates a particular situation for generating and transporting aerosol in order to reach lung parenchyma.

[0005] In a MDI (Metered Dose Inhaler) or pMDI (pressurized Metered Dose

Inhaler), the medicine is in a liquid suspension that can be pressurized using a propulsion gas. Inhalers are possibly the system for generating aerosol that is the best suited to administer drugs such as beta 2 adrenergic agonists or anticholinergics in mechanical ventilation when treating obstructive syndromes. A drawback of using inhalers is the necessity of synchronizing administration of the aerosol and inhalation of the patient. In mechanical ventilation, synchronizing administration must be done with the first phase of the respiratory cycle too. Using an inhalation chamber improves performance of the inhaler.

[0006] Inhalation chambers, also known as spacers, work as braking volumes in which particles ejected from the inhaler can slow down under friction. There is a four- to six-fold increase in lung deposition using an inhalation chamber, compared to when none is used. Optimal lung deposition is obtained when the inhaler and its inhalation chamber are placed 15 cm away from the entry of the respiratory tract.

SUMMARY

[0007] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for administering aerosol to a patient using a reservoir for aerosol, the method comprising:

- providing a body forming the reservoir for the aerosol;

- providing a nasal cannula in fluid communication with the body forming the reservoir for the aerosol, the nasal cannula comprising at least one prong which is tubular and extends away from the body;

- inserting the at least one prong into at least one respective nostril of the patient, the at least one prong extending up to a distal end at distance D inside the respective nostril to reach a location in the patient past the mucociliary barrier; and

- administering the aerosol from the body forming the reservoir for the aerosol to the location in the patient by inhalation-induced drawing of aerosol from the reservoir for aerosol to the location in the patient.

[0008] According to an embodiment, the at least one prong comprises two prongs, namely the prongs, and the at least one respective nostril comprises two respective nostrils, namely the respective nostrils, the inserting comprising:

- inserting each of the prongs into a respective nostril of the patient, each of the prongs forming a seal with the respective nostril, each of the prongs extending at a distance D inside the respective nostril to reach two locations in the patient past the mucociliary barrier. [0009] According to an embodiment, there may be a further step of forming a seal between an outside of the patient and the two locations in the patient.

[0010] According to an embodiment, forming a seal comprises sealing each of the prongs with an entry of the respective nostrils.

[0011] According to an embodiment, sealing each of the prongs with an entry of the respective nostrils comprises providing a plug having a frustoconical collet on each of the prongs which fits with the entry of the respective nostrils to provide an airtight sealing, the frustoconical collet being provided on a contour of each of the prongs.

[0012] According to an embodiment, forming a seal comprises sealing an area around a nose to seal a nose area, including the respective nostrils, from the outside.

[0013] According to an embodiment, sealing an area around a nose comprises providing a mask which sealably presses against a face of the patient around the nose area, the prongs sealably connecting through the mask to the reservoir for aerosol, provided in the outside, to the two locations in the respiratory tract, sealed from the outside.

[0014] According to an embodiment, administering the aerosol comprises, first, delivering the aerosol into the reservoir for aerosol, and second, delivering the aerosol from the reservoir for aerosol to the patient.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the reservoir for aerosol may be an inhalation chamber, wherein delivering the aerosol into the reservoir for aerosol comprises delivering the aerosol into the inhalation chamber using a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI).

[0016] According to an embodiment, delivering the aerosol from the inhalation chamber to the patient comprises having the aerosol in suspension in the inhalation chamber and the delivering may be only induced by patient inspiration.

[0017] According to an embodiment, delivering the aerosol from the inhalation chamber to the patient only induced by patient inspiration comprises having a substantially zero pressure gradient from the inhalation chamber to the distal end of the at least one prong in absence of patient inspiration. [0018] According to an embodiment, providing the body forming the reservoir for the aerosol and the nasal cannula in fluid communication with the body comprises preventing a connection of a pressure generator into the reservoir for the aerosol to prevent forming a pressure gradient from the inhalation chamber to the distal end of the at least one prong that would originate from a pressure generator.

[0019] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a nasal cannula for administering aerosol to a patient and comprising:

- an entry, in fluid communication with a body forming the reservoir for aerosol; and

- at least one prong which is tubular and extends away from the entry, the at least one prong adapted to be inserted into at least one respective nostril of the patient up to a distal end at a distance D inside the patient past the mucociliary barrier; and

- a seal between the mucociliary barrier and outside the patient, to force inhalation to draw aerosol from the reservoir for aerosol to the location in the patient.

[0020] According to an embodiment, the seal comprises a mask which sealably presses against a face of the patient around the nose area, the at least one prong sealably connecting through the mask to the reservoir for aerosol, provided in the outside, to the distal end in the patient past the mucociliary barrier, sealed from the outside.

[0021] According to an embodiment, the at least one prong comprises two prongs, namely the prongs, and the at least one respective nostril comprises two respective nostrils, namely the respective nostrils, each of the prongs extending at a distance D inside the respective nostril to reach two locations in the patient past the mucociliary barrier.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the seal comprises a plug having a frustoconical collet on each of the prongs which fits with the entry of the respective nostrils to provide an airtight sealing, the frustoconical collet being provided on a contour of each of the prongs. [0023] According to an embodiment, the at least one prong may be a tube which is airtight from a proximal end thereof at the entry to a distal end thereof in the respiratory tract.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the at least one prong has a distance D from the proximal end thereof to a distal end thereof which may be between 2 and 10 centimeters.

[0025] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for administering aerosol to a patient comprising the nasal cannula according to any of the embodiments as described above, and the body forming the reservoir for aerosol in connection with a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) for receiving the aerosol in the reservoir.

[0026] According to an embodiment, the reservoir for aerosol and the nasal cannula are distinct and disconnected from any device generating a pressure gradient, such that the reservoir for aerosol and the nasal cannula have no pressure gradient therein without patient inspiration.

[0027] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a nasal cannula according to the embodiments described above, or a system according to the embodiments described above, for use in administration of aerosol to a subject in need thereof.

[0028] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a use of the nasal cannula according to the embodiments described above, or of a system according to the embodiments described above, in administration of aerosol to a subject in need thereof.

[0029] The use of the nasal cannula according to the embodiments described above, or of a system according to the embodiments described above can comprise any of the steps of the method described above.

[0030] The use of the nasal cannula according to the embodiments described above, or of a system according to the embodiments described above can comprise: - inserting the at least one prong into at least one respective nostril of the patient, the at least one prong extending up to a distal end at distance D inside the respective nostril to reach a location in the patient past the mucociliary barrier; and

- administering the aerosol from the body forming the reservoir for the aerosol to the location in the patient.

[0031] The at least one prong may comprise two prongs, namely the prongs, and the at least one respective nostril comprises two respective nostrils, namely the respective nostrils, the inserting comprising:

- inserting each of the prongs into a respective nostril of the patient, each of the prongs forming a seal with the respective nostril, each of the prongs extending at a distance D inside the respective nostril to reach two locations in the patient past the mucociliary barrier.

[0032] The use above may further comprise forming a seal between an outside of the patient and the two locations in the patient past the mucociliary barrier.

[0033] The forming a seal may comprise sealing each of the prongs with an entry of the respective nostrils.

[0034] The sealing each of the prongs with an entry of the respective nostrils may comprise providing a plug having a frustoconical collet on each of the prongs which fits with the entry of the respective nostrils to provide an airtight sealing, the frustoconical collet being provided on a contour of each of the prongs.

[0035] The forming a seal may comprise sealing an area around a nose to seal a nose area, including the respective nostrils, from the outside.

[0036] The sealing an area around a nose may comprise providing a mask which sealably presses against a face of the patient around the nose area, the prongs sealably connecting through the mask to the reservoir for aerosol, provided in the outside, to the two locations past the mucociliary barrier, sealed from the outside. [0037] The administering the aerosol may comprise, first, delivering the aerosol into the reservoir for aerosol, and second, delivering the aerosol from the reservoir for aerosol to the patient.

[0038] The reservoir for aerosol may be an inhalation chamber, wherein delivering the aerosol into the reservoir for aerosol may comprise delivering the aerosol into the inhalation chamber using a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI).

[0039] The delivering the aerosol from the inhalation chamber to the patient may comprise having the aerosol in suspension in the inhalation chamber and the delivering may be only induced by patient inspiration.

[0040] The delivering the aerosol from the inhalation chamber to the patient only induced by patient inspiration may comprise having a substantially zero pressure gradient from the inhalation chamber to the distal end of the at least one prong in absence of patient inspiration.

[0041] The use of may comprise preventing a connection of a pressure generator into the reservoir for the aerosol to prevent forming a pressure gradient from the inhalation chamber to the distal end of the at least one prong that would originate from a pressure generator.

[0042] As will be realized, the subject matter disclosed and claimed is capable of modifications in various respects, all without departing from the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the drawings and the description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive and the full scope of the subject matter is set forth in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:

[0044] Fig. 1 is a cross section illustrating an inhalation chamber with a nasal cannula, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Fig. 2 is a cross-section illustrating a nasal cannula installed on a patient, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and [0046] Fig. 3 is a cross-section illustrating a mask installed on a patient, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] There is described a method and a system for administering aerosol to a patient, in the context of an inhalation chamber or other form of reservoir for aerosol. There is provided a nasal cannula having prongs extending from the reservoir for aerosol into the respiratory tract, preferably past the mucociliary barrier. Seals can be provided by adding plugs on the prongs or by using a mask around the nose, to ensure that inhaling induces a depression in the prongs and in the inhalation chamber, to effectively pull aerosol therefrom, into the respiratory tract when the patient inspires. Aerosol is delivered without applying any machine-generated pressure gradient, and is rather delivered solely by having the patient inspiring or inhaling through the prongs being sealed and connected to the reservoir for aerosol.

[0049] There is described below and illustrated in Fig. 1 a nasal cannula 20 which can be used in combination with an inhalation chamber 1 , as an example for an aerosol reservoir with which the nasal cannula 20 can be used, to dispense aerosol through the nose 40. The inhalation chamber 1 is shown with an exemplary pMDI 30 at a bottom thereof which injects aerosol into the inner volume V, of the inhalation chamber 1.

[0050] While Fig. 1 shows the nasal cannula 20 in combination with an inhalation chamber 1 , Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a nasal cannula 20 alone, installed in a respiratory tract of a patient, more particularly inserted into the nasal cavity of the patient, to dispense aerosol.

[0051] The nasal cannula 20 to be used to provide aerosol has prongs 22 of a length adapted to the specific application which takes into account that aerosol to be dispensed is more prone to be stopped by obstacles in the respiratory tract than gases that would otherwise be dispensed by a cannula (without aerosol). The prongs 22 should have a length allowing them to extend distally into the nasal cavity in order to shunt obstacles, including anatomical structures, present therein. For example, Fig. 2 shows that prongs 22 extend to the nasopharynx, implying that the prongs 22 pass by each obstacle that would be present in the nasal cavity, ensuring the flow transported by the prongs 22 to be fully transported to the end of the nasal cavity. This allows aerosol to be provided without major losses. However, anatomical structures in the nasal cavity can prevent a good transportation of aerosol therein. Obstacles within the respiratory tract, such as anatomical features or hair, have a greater effect on aerosol dispensing than if oxygen or another gas was being administered by the nasal cannula.

[0052] The prongs 22 could also be shorter if this is deemed necessary. For example, the length of the prongs 22 can be adjusted for children or smaller patients for whom the adult-length prongs would not fit. They can also be shorted if the patient has an injury or other type of anatomical feature in the nasal cavity for which mechanical contact should be avoided.

[0053] The nasal cannula should provide an airtight connection with the entry of the nasal cavity, i.e. , with the nostrils, to prevent medication to escape through a join that would not be tight enough and especially to ensure that patient inspiration can effectively draw aerosol from the inhalation chamber by ensuring that inhalation induces a depression which exists from the inhalation chamber thourhg the prongs and to the respiratory tract where the depression originates. A seal 25 should be provided between the respiratory tract of the patient, especially the locations in the nose past the mucociliary barrier, and the outside. For example, places that are adequate to position the seal between the mucociliary barrier and the outside would include the nostril entry (using plugs, for example) or the immediate outside environment around nose which can be isolated from the outside using a mask.

[0054] According to the embodiments shown in Figs. 1-2, the seal 25 is thus provided as a collet around the prongs 22 which forms a plug for each prong 22, at a location on the prongs which is close enough to one end thereof to allow the prongs 22 to extend in the nasal cavity as intended, with the seal 25 pressed against the walls of the nostril to provide an effective seal.

[0055] Now referring back to Fig. 1 , the exemplary inhalation chamber 1 , with which the nasal cannula 20 may cooperate, comprises a patient-side opening 14 provided on the body 10 of the inhalation chamber 1. The patient-side opening 14 couples with the nasal cannula 20 for smooth fluid communication between them and sealing of the joint between them.

[0056] The inhalation chamber 1 is shown as a generic spacer. In all cases, the inhalation chamber 1 comprises a body 10 which defines the inner volume therein. The body 10 of the inhalation chamber 1 may be a closed volume to keep the aerosol therein and act as a reservoir for the aerosol to be inhaled by the patient when the aerosol is to be administered. There is a great variety of inhalation chambers on the market which serve various purposes. The nasal cannula 20 can be used with different types of inhalation chambers which all act as a reservoir for the aerosol. The aerosol is typically a solid or liquid suspension to be delivered in a gas carrier, such as air, using the inhaler for initial delivery and the inhalation chamber in the path between the inhaler and the patient. The inhalation chamber ensures that the flow of aerosol is more suitable for actual delivery into the respiratory tract.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the nasal cannula 20 comprises a cannula body 24 forming an entry for the nasal cannula 20, shown in Figs. 1-2, which is in direct fluid communication with the inner volume Vi of the inhalation chamber 1 or any other aerosol reservoir with which the nasal cannula 20 is used. The interface between the cannula body 24 and the patient-side opening 14 of the inhalation chamber 1 , where the connection is made, should be tightly coupled to ensure a seal between them such that no gas or aerosol can escape from this interface.

[0058] The nasal cannula 20 further comprises nasal prongs 22, which start from the cannula body 24, at their chamber-side end 21 (proximal end), and extend to a nasal cavity end 29 (distal end). Both ends are open such that the nasal prongs are tubular and can transport gas and aerosol. According to an exemplary embodiment, the nasal prongs 22 are made of an elastomer or a plastic; they are rather flexible and can have a shape according to the standards of nasal prongs (i.e. , straight, curved, flared, etc.) or a custom shape.

[0059] The nasal cannula 20 for the aerosol reservoir such as the inhalation chamber 1 differs from other nasal cannulas at least in that the contents to be administered through the nasal cannula 20 is inspired by the patient instead of being pushed to them as in typical nasal cannula settings. [0060] Indeed, fluid transport in prior art or typical nasal cannula settings is done by generating an additional pressure from a pressure generator that actively increases the pressure in a reservoir of contents to be administered (typically oxygen gas), this increased pressure pushing the fluid (and aerosolized) contents toward the patient-side end of the nasal prongs. Prior art use of nasal prongs thus involves the active generation of a pressure gradient by increasing the pressure at the end of the nasal prongs away from the patient. This is because the contents being delivered to the patient, in the prior art use of nasal prongs, is the gas itself.

[0061] By contrast, in the present invention, there is no need for generating such a high pressure or pressure gradient in a reservoir of aerosol. In fact, there is no pressure generator in the inhalation chamber 1 , which only serves as a spacer (contrarily to nasal cannulas used for oxygen therapy where no spacers are involved). Other devices connected to the inhalation chamber 1 , such as a pMDI, can indeed provide additional pressure with respect to the inhalation chamber 1 , but this additional pressure is there to propel the aerosol into the inhalation chamber 1. This additional pressure does not propel the aerosol into the lungs, because the intake of aerosol by the patient is done via inspiration by the patient who has its respiratory tract in communication with the inhalation chamber 1.

[0062] In the present invention, this is applied to the nasal cannula 20, wherein aerosol is not actively pushed into the nasal cannula 20 by a pressure generator, but is rather used to ensure aerosol intake during inspiration. The inspiration by the patient causes a pressure decrease in the patient respiratory tract, where the depression propagates through the prongs down to the inhalation chamber, and therefore provides the necessary pressure gradient for transporting aerosol from the inhalation chamber 1 to the respiratory tract through the nasal cannula 20.

[0063] For the pressure gradient to be generated from the respiratory tract to the inhalation chamber only by inspiration by the patient (and not by other active pressure generation at the chamber end of the prongs 22), the nasal prongs 22 need to be sealed at the nose entry. The seal 25 is provided for this purpose, i.e. , ensuring propagation of the depression from the respiratory tract, through the prongs down to the inhalation chamber and induce the pressure gradient that pulls the aerosol from the inhalation up to the respiratory tract at the distal end of the prong, past the mucociliary barrier. If the seal 25 is not sufficient, airways would leak at the nostrils and the inspiration by the patient could simply draw air from outside the system instead of pulling aerosol through the system. With an adequate seal 25, the nose 40, nasal prongs 22 and inhalation chamber 1 define a closed system in which inspiration can only draw air from the inhalation chamber 1 to the nose 40, thereby transporting aerosol via inspiration-induced depression and allowing intake of aerosol. The depression, and the consequent aerosol intake, are allowed by the seal 25 and make sure that aerosol intake is controlled entirely by the patient: inhalation can trigger aerosol intake, while the absence of inhalation implies there is no pressure gradient and no aerosol intake.

[0064] According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the seal 25 can comprise a plug having a collet of a frustoconical shape (i.e., a truncated cone) as shown in Fig. 2 which fits the entry of the nostril in which the prong is inserted to provide an airtight seal. Other shapes can be provided, such as a half-sphere or another portion of a sphere. They can also have another shape as long as the seal is in contact with the complete periphery of the nostril entry.

[0065] In an embodiment, the seal 25 can be expansible. For example, the seal

25 can comprise an inflatable balloon, which can be hard or soft, which would be inserted while being at rest (i.e., not inflated) and then be inflated to occupy the space within the nostril to eventually provide the airtight seal contemplated for the operation of the nasal cannula for delivering aerosol into the patient’s respiratory tract.

[0066] According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the seal 25 can comprise a mask surrounding the nose area. Therefore, both nostril entries and their surroundings are sealed (airtight) from the outside. The nostril entries do not need to be sealed, which can be more comfortable. The mask forming the seal 25 should be airtight with the face of the patient when pressed against the skin, and should therefore have flexible lips all around the mask to cooperate with the face around the nose. The prongs 22, or other fluid communication means upstream of the prongs 22, should go through the mask in an airtight manner to sealably connect the inhalation chamber from which they originate to the respiratory tract, by crossing the mask without leaks. This crossing through the mask is also shown in Fig 3. [0067] According to an embodiment, the nasal prongs 22 are long enough to be inserted into the nostrils and have their nasal cavity end 29 past the nostril hair (i.e., further from the nostril entry), more formally, beyond the mucociliary barrier. Indeed, there is naturally-occurring nostril hair within the nostril, from the nostril entry up to the nasal cavity, on a distance of about 1 cm. If the nasal prongs extend past the hairy region of the nostrils (the mucociliary barrier), further into the respiratory tract, they can provide a better seal and ensure that inspiration by the patient will more effectively pull aerosol from the inhalation chamber 1 through the nasal cannula 20.

[0068] According to an embodiment, a convenient way to ensure that the nasal prongs 22 extend into the nostrils at a sufficient distance D is to provide a seal 25 that is not at the end of the nasal prongs 22. In other words, there is a distance D between a seal 25 and the nasal cavity end 29 of the nasal prongs 22, which should preferably be chosen to extend past the mucociliary barrier of the patient, which is variable from a newborn to an adult, for example between 2 and 10 cm. This distance D can be shorter too, e.g., between about 0.5 and about 2 cm, or about 1 to about 2.0 cm, or from about 1.5 to about 2 cm, or from about 0.5 to about 1.5 cm, or from about 0.5 to about 1 cm, or more preferably about 1cm. If the prongs 22 are to extend close to the nasopharynx, or thereinto, they can be longer such that D is between about 2 and about 8 cm, or between about 3 and about 7 cm, or between about 4 and about 6 cm, or between about 2 and about 3 cm, or between about 3 and about 4 cm, or between about 4 and about 5 cm, or between about 5 and about 6 cm, or between about 6 and about 7 cm, or between about 7 and about 8 cm, or between about 8 and about 9 cm, or between about 9 and about 10 cm.

[0069] In another embodiment, there is no cannula body 24. In this alternative embodiment, both nasal prongs 22 extend directly from the body 10 of the inhalation chamber 1 and have their chamber-side end 21 connected directed on the body 10 of the inhalation chamber 1.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, the inhalation chamber 1 has its body 10 made of polycarbonates to provide rigidity (or alternatively it can also be made flexible), and it defines an internal volume V, for receiving particles from a metered-dose inhaler, and/or nebulizer, and/or to be crossed by a gas stream generated by a mechanical- ventilation device. Other materials to make the body 10 instead of polycarbonate can include glass, metal or other plastics.

[0071] The inhalation chamber 1 can be made in various form factors or be adapted for different uses. According to an exemplary embodiment, the inhalation chamber 1 comprises four openings provided on its body 10. The first opening is an entry for the gas stream emitted by a mechanical-ventilation device, such as air, and the second one is an exit for the same flow. These two openings may be provided on the same longitudinal axis A of the inhalation chamber. The dimensions of the openings may be adapted to enable connection of the chamber 1 on the tubing of a conventional mechanical-ventilation device. A third opening may be provided for receiving a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI), and a fourth opening may be provided for receiving a nebulizer, preferably a vibrating mesh nebulizer.

[0072] While preferred embodiments have been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made without departing from this disclosure. Such modifications are considered as possible variants comprised in the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method for administering aerosol to a patient using a reservoir for aerosol, the method comprising:

- providing a body forming the reservoir for the aerosol;

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one prong comprises two prongs, namely the prongs, and the at least one respective nostril comprises two respective nostrils, namely the respective nostrils, the inserting comprising:

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising forming a seal between an outside of the patient and the two locations in the patient.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein forming a seal comprises sealing each of the prongs with an entry of the respective nostrils.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sealing each of the prongs with an entry of the respective nostrils comprises providing a plug having a frustoconical collet on each of the prongs which fits with the entry of the respective nostrils to provide an airtight sealing, the frustoconical collet being provided on a contour of each of the prongs.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein forming a seal comprises sealing an area around a nose to seal a nose area, including the respective nostrils, from the outside.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sealing an area around a nose comprises providing a mask which sealably presses against a face of the patient around the nose area, the prongs sealably connecting through the mask to the reservoir for aerosol, provided in the outside, to the two locations in the respiratory tract, sealed from the outside.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein administering the aerosol comprises, first, delivering the aerosol into the reservoir for aerosol, and second, delivering the aerosol from the reservoir for aerosol to the patient.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the reservoir for aerosol is an inhalation chamber, wherein delivering the aerosol into the reservoir for aerosol comprises delivering the aerosol into the inhalation chamber using a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein delivering the aerosol from the inhalation chamber to the patient comprises having the aerosol in suspension in the inhalation chamber and the delivering is only induced by patient inspiration.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein delivering the aerosol from the inhalation chamber to the patient only induced by patient inspiration comprises having a substantially zero pressure gradient from the inhalation chamber to the distal end of the at least one prong in absence of patient inspiration.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the body forming the reservoir for the aerosol and the nasal cannula in fluid communication with the body comprises preventing a connection of a pressure generator into the reservoir for the aerosol to prevent forming a pressure gradient from the inhalation chamber to the distal end of the at least one prong that would originate from a pressure generator.

13. A nasal cannula for administering aerosol to a patient and comprising:

- an entry, in fluid communication with a body forming a reservoir for aerosol; and

14. The nasal cannula of claim 13, wherein the seal comprises a mask which sealably presses against a face of the patient around the nose area, the at least one prong sealably connecting through the mask to the reservoir for aerosol, provided in the outside, to the distal end in the patient past the mucociliary barrier, sealed from the outside.

15. The nasal cannula of claim 13, wherein the at least one prong comprises two prongs, namely the prongs, and the at least one respective nostril comprises two respective nostrils, namely the respective nostrils, each of the prongs extending at a distance D inside the respective nostril to reach two locations in the patient past the mucociliary barrier.

16. The nasal cannula of claim 15, wherein the seal comprises a plug having a frustoconical collet on each of the prongs which fits with the entry of the respective nostrils to provide an airtight sealing, the frustoconical collet being provided on a contour of each of the prongs.

17. The nasal cannula of claim 13, wherein the at least one prong is a tube which is airtight from a proximal end thereof at said entry to a distal end thereof in the respiratory tract.

18. The nasal cannula of claim 13, wherein the at least one prong has a distance D from the proximal end thereof to a distal end thereof which is between 2 and 10 centimeters.

19. A system for administering aerosol to a patient comprising the nasal cannula of any one of claims 13 to 18 and the body forming the reservoir for aerosol in connection with a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) for receiving the aerosol in the reservoir.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the reservoir for aerosol and the nasal cannula are distinct and disconnected from any device generating a pressure gradient, such that the reservoir for aerosol and the nasal cannula have no pressure gradient therein without patient inspiration.

21. A nasal cannula according to any one of claims 13 to 18, or a system according to claims 19 or 20, for use in administration of aerosol to a subject in need thereof.

22. Use of the nasal cannula according to any one of claims 13 to 18, or of a system according to claims 19 or 20, in administration of aerosol to a subject in need thereof.

23. The use of claim 22, comprising:

24. The use of claim 23, wherein the at least one prong comprises two prongs, namely the prongs, and the at least one respective nostril comprises two respective nostrils, namely the respective nostrils, the inserting comprising:

25. The use of claim 24, further comprising forming a seal between an outside of the patient and the two locations in the patient past the mucociliary barrier.

26. The use of claim 25, wherein forming a seal comprises sealing each of the prongs with an entry of the respective nostrils.

27. The use of claim 26, wherein sealing each of the prongs with an entry of the respective nostrils comprises providing a plug having a frustoconical collet on each of the prongs which fits with the entry of the respective nostrils to provide an airtight sealing, the frustoconical collet being provided on a contour of each of the prongs.

28. The use of claim 25, wherein forming a seal comprises sealing an area around a nose to seal a nose area, including the respective nostrils, from the outside.

29. The use of claim 28, wherein sealing an area around a nose comprises providing a mask which sealably presses against a face of the patient around the nose area, the prongs sealably connecting through the mask to the reservoir for aerosol, provided in the outside, to the two locations past the mucociliary barrier, sealed from the outside.

30. The use of claim 23, wherein administering the aerosol comprises, first, delivering the aerosol into the reservoir for aerosol, and second, delivering the aerosol from the reservoir for aerosol to the patient.

31. The use of claim 30, wherein the reservoir for aerosol is an inhalation chamber, wherein delivering the aerosol into the reservoir for aerosol comprises delivering the aerosol into the inhalation chamber using a pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI).

32. The use of claim 30, wherein delivering the aerosol from the inhalation chamber to the patient comprises having the aerosol in suspension in the inhalation chamber and the delivering is only induced by patient inspiration.

33. The use of claim 32, wherein delivering the aerosol from the inhalation chamber to the patient only induced by patient inspiration comprises having a substantially zero pressure gradient from the inhalation chamber to the distal end of the at least one prong in absence of patient inspiration.

34. The use of claim 32, comprising preventing a connection of a pressure generator into the reservoir for the aerosol to prevent forming a pressure gradient from the inhalation chamber to the distal end of the at least one prong that would originate from a pressure generator.