Life Sciences – Medical Devices – Inhalation Devices

Inhalation Reservoirs and Wicks

Custom solutions for inhalers, pump sprays, and nebulizers

Custom components retain medications with integrity and maximize volumetric efficiency

Inhalation devices demand precise drug delivery to ensure patient well-being. Custom-designed reservoirs and wicks play a crucial role in manufacturing devices that deliver accurate and consistent dosing through fluid management. These components, crafted from porous polymer or porous fiber materials, offer exceptional drug retention capabilities, maximizing volumetric efficiency and enhancing the overall performance of inhalation therapies. 

At Porex, we understand the critical role that reservoirs and wicks play in optimizing drug delivery devices. With decades of experience across all inhalation modalities, our custom components retain medications with integrity and use less therapeutic than other reservoirs for the same amount of release, maximizing volumetric efficiency. 

A nebulizer sits on a table.

Drug Delivery Reservoirs 

POREX® drug delivery reservoirs provide precise drug delivery for inhalation devices, ensuring accurate and consistent dosing for optimal therapeutic outcomes. Available in porous plastic or porous fiber materials, these reservoirs are optimized for dosage accuracy while maintaining structural integrity. Critical to achieving reliable drug dosing, the drug loading and absorption processes within the porous material are carefully tailored for consistency in drug dose release. 

The design of POREX® drug delivery reservoirs facilitates enhanced airflow and chemical resistance, contributing to your device’s overall performance. The versatility of these reservoirs allows you to implement customized part geometries, enabling seamless integration into various device designs. This adaptability streamlines the assembly process and enhances the device’s efficiency. By choosing POREX® drug delivery reservoirs, manufacturers can elevate the accuracy and reliability of inhalation therapies, ultimately improving patient well-being and treatment outcomes.

Nebulizer Wicks

Drawing from over 50 years of expertise, Porex is your partner in designing and developing advanced nebulizer wicks and fluid transfer solutions. Our porous plastic wicking solutions, featuring open-cell pore structures, enable precise control over liquid volume capacity and fluid transfer rates. Porex’s nebulizer wicks meet the unique fluid transfer requirements of diverse end-use applications and ensure that manufacturers can enhance fluid transfer efficiency, elevate drug delivery precision, and empower patients with effective and reliable therapeutic experiences. 

Options for customizing inhalation reservoirs and wicks

Key Features & Benefits

Designed to your specific device requirements, our inhalation drug delivery reservoirs: 

    • Optimize dosage accuracy–Both porous plastic and porous fiber materials are engineered for dosage accuracy and structural integrity

    • Deliver consistent drug dose release– Optimized for loading and absorption of the drug into the porous material for statistical consistency of drug dose release, as well as for airflow and chemical resistance
    • Accommodate varied device requirements through customized part geometries
    • Offer engineered pore and capillary structures

Polyolefins (LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP)
This is the most commonly used material with the simplest molecular structure. There are limitations on temperatures for many applications though.

Polyesters (PET, PTT, PBT)
This material is a versatile option that is available with almost all fiber technology platforms.

Polyamides (Nylon 6, Nylon 6,6)
If heat resistance and chemical compatibility is a concern, polyamides are a good option. They are used in hydroscopic to hydrophilic applications.

  • 2D Shapes
  • 3D Shapes
  • Antimicrobial 

Material specifications

Polymer Pore Sizes
(microns)
Pore Volume
(%)
Operating
Temperature
(F)
Polyolefins (PE, PP) 10 to >100 50 to >95 150-250
Polyesters (PET, PBT) 5 to >100 30 to >90 300-350
Polyamides (N6, N6,6) 5 to >100 30 to >90 300-400

Certified Pure Porex Materials and Filters help meet the requirements for developing complex and demanding medical device products. This comprehensive technical performance and media certification program offers: 

  • Filter media purity 
  • 99.99% bacterial filtration efficiency 
  • 99.99% viral filtration efficiency 
  • Heavy metal and inorganic element non-interference 
  • Validated through independent testing 
Porous Laboratory Components

Watch our On-Demand Webinar

VSolving Inhalation Design Challenges with Porous Polymers

Related Resources

Drug Delivery Devices Brochure

In this brochure, explore our extensive capabilities in using porous polymers for drug delivery, including inhalation devices, topical applicators, and injectable devices.

Nasal Spray for Migraine Attacks Case Study

An application case study showcasing the exceptional advantages of customized multi-functional components in nasal spray devices for drug delivery.

Soft Mist Inhaler for COPD Management Case Study

An application case study showing how a custom porous polymer component solved multiple challenges to facilitate easier inhalation of medication in COPD patients.

Portable Oxygen Concentrator Case Study

An application case study highlighting how Porex engineers solved the problem of too much noise, material stability, and sterility with one component for a portable oxygen concentrator.