Portable systems and methods for delivery of therapeutic material to the pulmonary system

A therapeutic material delivery system comprising:

• a droplet dispersion chamber;
• a droplet generating assembly for generating droplets of a fluid containing a therapeutic material and for supplying said droplets to said dispersion chamber;
• a gas conditioning assembly for supplying a gas to said dispersion chamber to form a transport gas stream, wherein said droplets are dispersed in said transport gas stream in said dispersion chamber to provide an aerosol stream containing said droplets;
• a droplet inspection assembly for determining a characteristic of said aerosol stream;
• and
• a feedback unit responsive to the determined characteristic of said aerosol stream for controlling one or more of said droplet generating assembly and said gas conditioning assembly.

A method for delivering a therapeutic material to the pulmonary system of a patient, comprising the steps of:

• heating a gas;
• forming the heated gas into a heated transport gas stream;
• dispersing droplets of a fluid containing a therapeutic material in the heated transport gas stream to form an aerosol stream;
• inspecting the aerosol stream to determine a characteristic of said droplets and controlling the dispersion of said droplets in the fluid in response to the determined characteristic;
• controllably drying said droplets in said aerosol stream;
• and
• delivering the aerosol stream to the patient after the step of controlled drying thereof, in response to inhalation by the patient.

A method for delivering a therapeutic material to the pulmonary system of a patient, comprising the steps of:

• providing a transport gas stream;
• generating droplets of a fluid containing a therapeutic material;
• dispersing said droplets in said transport gas stream to form an aerosol stream;
• determining a characteristic of said aerosol stream;
• controlling generation of said aerosol stream in response to the determined characteristic of said aerosol stream.