Purpose: Empirical formulae relate the mean size of primary droplets from jet and ultrasonic nebulizers to a fluid's physicochemical properties. Although the size selective "filtering" effects of baffling and evaporation may modify the secondary aerosol produced, this research sought to evaluate whether viscosity and surface tension of nebulized fluids influenced the aerosol's size and output characteristics.
Methods: Fluid systems of different surface tension and viscosity (glycerol and propylene glycol solutions [10-50% (v/v)] and a range of silicone fluids [200/0.65 cs-100cs]) were nebulized in three jet and two ultrasonic nebulizers. Secondary aerosol characteristics were measured with a Malvern 2600C laser diffraction sizer and the nebulization times, residual volumes and percentage outputs were determined.
Results: While the droplet size appeared to be inversely proportional to viscosity for jet nebulizers, it was directly proportional to viscosity for ultrasonic nebulizers. Although fluid systems with lower surface tensions generally produced slightly smaller MMDs, the relationship between surface tension and droplet size was complex. The more viscous fluids required longer nebulization times and were associated with increased residual amounts (lower outputs). The ultrasonic nebulizers did not effectively, and were on occasion unable to, nebulize the more viscous fluids.
Conclusions: It follows that there are cut-off values for viscosity and/or surface tension above or below which ultrasonic devices fail to operate. Moreover, jet nebulizers generated an aerosol with an optimum respirable output from median-viscosity fluids.