Small and silent aerosol devices are great allies of ours any time we fall victim of winter’s common illnesses, which often require us to take special care of our airways – and those of our loved ones – with medicines and saline solutions. The new nebulisers available on the market today merge the benefits of piston aerosol machines, in terms of effective nebulisation, with the more silent operation typical of ultrasound devices. A user experience that blends the best of two existing technologies into an incredibly compact design.

What is Mesh technology?

Unlike piston and ultrasound nebulisers, Mesh technology models leverage the vibration induced by electricity on a piezo crystal element; powered by the control unit – that is, the true “heart” of the system – the saline solution and liquid medication are pushed through the micro-holes in a thin membrane (the so-called Mesh), generating the mist we know as aerosol. The membrane can be active or passive, leading to two different types of Mesh aerosol devices:

1. Passive Mesh nebulisers, in which the piezo element acts on the substance being nebulised near the membrane, pushing it through the holes;
2. Active Mesh nebulisers, in which the piezo element acts on the membrane, activating nebulisation via the latter’s vibration.

Optimise therapy with Mesh technology

One of the most important parameters in Mesh devices is the diameter of the holes in the membrane, which has a strong impact on the size of the nebulised particles. The market now offers solutions with minuscule particles (1.51-micron MMAD, and 93% breathable fraction) that can make their way to the depths of the lower airways. And there’s more: Mesh nebulisers are very efficient, and the reservoir can be designed in a variety of ways to minimise residue and therefore avoid wasting medication.

Comfort: a new age for aerosol therapy

Despite their great technological complexity, aerosol devices integrating Mesh technology are easy to use and extremely quiet: when in operation, they make as much noise as the wind blowing in the trees. In some cases, they are also so compact they can be comfortably worn, allowing both adults and children to keep their hands free during therapy.