Equipment and process for supplying doses of at least one gas to the respiratory tracts of a user

A method of supplying to a respiratory tract of a user a plurality of discrete puffs of at least one gas, each of the puffs containing particles of at least one active product, comprising the steps of:

• providing a nebulizer containing the particles of the active product, the nebulizer being in a gas circuit between a source of the gas and the user;
• providing gas flow control means for delivering in each of the puffs a metered amount of the gas to the nebulizer and to the user;
• providing sensing means for sensing a breath phase of the user, for initiating each of the puffs in response to the breath phase of the user such that each puff corresponds to one breath of the user, and for counting the puffs;
• providing sequence-control programmable means, operatively coupled to the sensing means, for controlling operations of the gas flow control means and delivering a plurality of the puffs in a predetermined sequence of the puffs to the user, the predetermined sequence being delivered according to a puff sequence program, the puff sequence program including a maximum number of puffs;
• providing a transportable memory storage unit for transporting the puff sequence program;
• providing read/write record means for the sequence-control means to accept the puff sequence program from the memory storage unit and for recording timing parameters of the sequence of the puffs on the memory storage unit;
• and
• providing a programming station for entering the puff sequence program onto the memory storage unit;
• programming puff sequence data, including a maximum number of the puffs, onto the memory storage unit at the station;
• transferring the memory storage unit to the sequence-control means;
• and
• administering the puffs to the user according to the puff sequence data.