Table 1.

Comparisons of conventional categories of nebulizers

	Jet	Ultrasonic	Vibrating mesh
Features
Power source	Compressed gas or electrical mains	Electrical mains	Batteries or electrical mains
Portability	Restricted	Restricted	Portable
Treatment time	Long	Intermediate	Short
Output rate	Low	Higher	Highest
Residual volume	0.8-2.0 mL	Variable but low	< 0.2 mL
Environmental contamination
Continuous use	High	High	High
Breath-activated	Low	Low	Low
Performance variability	High	Intermediate	Low
Formulation characteristics
Temperature	Decreases	Increases	Minimum change
Concentration	Increases	Variables	Minimum change
Suspensions	Low efficiency	Poor efficiency	Variable efficiency
Denaturation	Possible	Probable	Possible
Cleaning	Required, after single use	Required, after multiple use	Required, after single use
Cost	Very low	High	High