Breath-Enhanced Jet Nebulizer for HFNC Therapy

A system for enhanced aerosol drug delivery during high flow nasal cannula therapy comprising:

• a breath-enhanced jet nebulizer (BEJN) that nebulizes a drug solution in a reservoir in the BEJN;
• a medical breathing gas supply for supplying high flow breathing gas to a chimney of the BEJN at flow rates of between 5 L/min to 60 L/min at 50 psi;
• a nebulization gas supply of a medical breathing gas at between 2 L/min and 6 L/min at 50 psi;
• a drug infusion device that supplies drug solutions to the nebulizer at rates from 5 mL/hour to 50 mL/hour to supply a nebulized drug solution to a patient;
• a humidifier that humidifies the medical breathing gas supply;
• and
• a nasal cannula for delivering the medical breathing gas and nebulized drug solution to the nasal passages of a patient;
• wherein all the high-flow breathing gas delivered to the patient passes through the BEJN;
• and
• wherein the rate of nebulization increases with the rate of medical gas breathing supply at a flow rate greater than 10 L/min.