Dr. Warren Zapol’s pioneering studies two decades ago led to the implementation of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in infants, children, and adults. An effective vasodilator, inhaled NO relaxes pulmonary blood vessels without causing a systemic drop in blood pressure, and is considered a life-saving therapy, particularly in infants and children who suffer from hypoxia and respiratory failure. Despite the efficacy of inhaled NO treatment, factors such as high cost and bulky, complex equipment limit its widespread availability.
An electric spark from an iridium electrode generates therapeutic nitric oxide from the air in a lightweight, portable device designed by MGH investigators.
Now a team led by Zapol has invented a new portable device that uses miniature electric circuitry to produce an electrical spark, which in turn generates NO from the nitrogen and oxygen already present in air. This new technology does away with heavy tanks of compressed NO gas and bulky delivery devices, enabling ambulatory treatment and substantially reducing the cost of therapy. When tested in a preclinical animal model of pulmonary hypertension, the NO produced by this lightweight device was shown to be as effective in alleviating pulmonary hypertension as NO delivered via a conventional tank system. Moreover, the portable system generates and delivers therapeutic levels of NO for prolonged periods of time (up to 10 days in this report, but unpublished results suggest even longer periods).
This new device is currently being tested in a clinical trial investigating safety and efficacy in human patients with pulmonary hypertension. If this trial is successful, the device will be tested in ambulatory settings as an approach to treating chronic pulmonary conditions. Overall, electrically generated NO treatment using this new portable, economical device has the potential to provide NO therapy to a wider global demographic of pulmonary hypertension patients, in both the hospital and home setting.
Study in Science Translational Medicine: Producing nitric oxide by pulsed electrical discharge in air for portable inhalation therapy…
Source: Mass. General…