Evaluating the Alberta Throat: An innovation to support the acquisition of more clinically applicable aerosol aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) data in oral inhaled product (OIP) development

For some time, it has been evident that the USP/Ph.Eur. inlet may not provide the most accurate in vitro realization of aerosol transport through the upper respiratory tract. Recent research undertaken at the University of Alberta on this problem resulted in the development of an “idealized” adult throat geometry from which a new inlet accessory was commercialized (Copley Scientific, UK). The “Alberta” Idealized Throat (AIT) is designed to provide a more realistic representation of behavior in a patient throat with the aim of improving IVIVRs for cascade impaction data. This article reviews the importance of such relationships in inhaled product development and discusses the development of the AIT, presenting the first set of data that assesses its performance relative to the standard USP/Ph.Eur. induction port when used as the inlet to a CI.