Method and device for the provocation of air passage narrowing and/or the induction of sputum
AssigneeCentral Sydney Area Health Service
InventorSandra Doreen Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method as described for testing the susceptibility of a person to asthma. The person inhales an effective amount of sodium chloride, mannitol or another substance capable of altering the osmolarity of airway surface liquid in the subject. The substance is in the form of a dispersible dry powder containing an effective proportion of particles of a respirable size. The subject is then measured to detect airway narrowing which is indicative of a propensity for asthma. The same technique of dry powder inhalation can be used to test for the susceptibility of a person to rhinitus, to induce sputum and promote mucociliary clearance.
Claims21
A method for attempting to provoke airway narrowing in a subject comprising the steps of (a) causing the subject to inhale into subject's airways an effective amount of a substance capable of increasing the osmolarity of airway surface liquid in the subject, which substance is in the form of a dry dispersable powder, other than a dry powder dissolved in a liquid, containing an effective proportion of particles of a respirable size, and (b) measuring in the subject a parameter indicative of the resistance to air flow of the subject's airway.
A method for increasing mucociliary clearance or inducing sputum comprising the step of causing a subject to inhale into the subject's airways an effective amount of a substance capable of increasing the osmolarity of airway surface liquid, the substance being in the form of a dispersible dry powder, other than a dry powder dissolved in a liquid, containing an effective proportion of particles of a respirable size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.