Table 3.
Comparison between jet, ultrasonic, and mesh nebulizers (modified from Ghoshal et al., 2017[10])
| Parameters | Jet | Ultrasonic | Mesh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power source | Electric/compressed gas (i.e., oxygen)/battery | Electric/battery | Battery/electric |
| Principle | Compressed air technology | High frequency sound waves | Static/vibrating mesh |
| Treatment time | ~10–15 min | 4–10 min | 1–5 min |
| Output rate | Low | Higher | Highest |
| Cleaning | After every use | After several uses | After every use |
| Cost | Low | High | High |
| Drug formulations | Can nebulize solutions, suspensions, oils | Cannot nebulize suspensions or liquids with high viscosity/surface tension | Some cannot nebulize suspensions with high viscosity/surface tension |
| Portability | Limited | Limited | Portable |
| Sound | Noisy | Silent | Low/silent |