Life Sciences – Medical Devices – Inhalation Devices

Inhalation Filters and Vents

Custom porous solutions for nasal inhalers, pump sprays, oral inhalers, and nebulizers.

Accurate fluid metering and effective filtration and venting

Customized POREX® products offer inhalation device manufacturers a winning combination of ease of assembly, pharmaceutical protection, accurate dosing, and enhanced patient experience. As a metal mesh replacement, our porous polymers provide a more precise and cost-effective option, optimizing the way inhaler filters and vents are designed and implemented.

Our extensive experience with all inhalation modalities allows us to develop customized inhaler filters and vents that facilitate accurate and efficient dosing. This customizable porous media enables precise dosage and ensures sterility while preventing clogging and backflow.

Oral Inhaler Filters

Customized POREX^® inhaler filters are used in metered dose inhalers to deliver measured amounts of pharmaceutical agents to patients via oral-bronchial administration. With the added ability for customization to promote preservative-free packaging, our oral inhaler filters:

Deliver accurate doses in metered dose inhalers–Customized inhaler filters facilitate precise fluid metering, specific to the device’s design requirements.
Protect inhaler’s mechanical systems from obstruction, thereby enhancing performance.
Can be customized based on device requirements by optimizing for pore size, airflow, and dimensional tolerances.

Nasal Inhaler and Spray Pump Filters

Pharmaceutical and healthcare companies rely on Porex for customized antimicrobial filtering solutions for nasal inhalers and spray pumps. POREX^® filters are designed to prevent contamination of the pharmaceutical agent. Our nasal inhaler and spray pump filters:

Facilitate cleaning filtration–Porous materials ensure the pharmaceutical agent is free of contamination.
Deliver preservative-free packaging–Antimicrobial additives in the structure of porous material helps maintain the sterility of the pharmaceutical agent.
Offer optimized airflow performance as specified by the functional requirements of the specific device.

Nebulizer Filters and Vents

POREX® nebulizer filters and vents offer a two-fold advantage when assembled into a nebulizer, a device that converts liquid into an aerosol for inhalation of medication. Our porous materials effectively filter or vent the air as it is drawn into the device through the air inlets, keeping out particulates, microbes, and other contaminants. In addition, these filters also muffle the noise created by the action of the device.

Specifically designed for nebulizers, our filters and vents:

Assure easy assembly–Designed for ease of assembly into the nebulizer, these three-dimensional molded part designs are inherently strong, creating a better seal than traditional fiber filters when press-fit into nebulizer devices.
Reduce contamination–Effectively filter or vent air as it is drawn into the device through the air inlets, keeping out particulates, microbes, and other contaminants.
Offer a better user experience– Diffuse sound by muffling the noise created by nebulizers during use.

Options for customizing porous inhalation filters and vents

Key Features & Benefits

Designed to our customers’ specific medical device requirements, our drug delivery media, including inhalation filters and vents:

- Can be customized for application and delivery method, including functional design needs such as applying, diffusing, filtering, venting, wicking, and antimicrobial capability

- Deliver consistent drug doses with porous materials engineered for high performance

- Provide greater than 99.99% Bacterial Filtration Efficiency and Viral Filtration Efficiency validated through independent testing

- Ease assembly with robust 3D geometry options

Sintered porous polymers
Track-etched membranes
PTFE vent membranes

2D Shapes
3D Shapes

Antimicrobial

Material specifications

Polymer	Pore Sizes (microns)	Pore Volume (%)	Operating Temperature (F)
Polyethylene (PE)	5 to 250	25-60	180
Polypropylene (PP)	100 to 300	30-40	250

Specification	Unique-Mem® Track-Etched Membranes	RoTrac® Track-Etched Membranes
Bandwidth (mm)	10, 13, 14.5, 20 & custom sizes
High Quality Raw Materials	PET – naturally slightly hydrophilic PC – naturally slightly hydrophobic	PET-Membrane/ PET-Nonwoven –harder PET-Membrane/ PP-Nonwoven – softer
Pore Size Ranges	0.1µm to 10µm	0.2µm to 3.0µm
Pore Density Ranges	10⁵ to 10⁹ pores per cm²	2×10⁶ bis 3×10⁸ pores per cm²
Thickness Ranges	8µm to 50µm	90µm to 220µm
Temperature Ranges	– 40°C and 160°C (for special application < 200°C)	– 40°C and 130°C (for special application < 160°C)
Air Flow Ranges	Up to 800 l / (bar cm² min)	Up to 37 l / (bar cm² min)
Hydrophilic Treatments	Various hydrophilic treatments increase water flow rate and wetting abilities of the membrane (example: PVP treatment)
Hydrophobic / Oleophobic Treatment:	Grade up to 7.5; AATCC TM 118
Salt spray resistance test²	According to IEC 60068-2-52, based on validation by the customer
Temperature resistance test¹	In accordance with ISO 16750-4
Ice water shock test^1&2	In accordance with ISO 16750-4
Climate resistance test	In accordance with ISO 16750-4
Chemical resistance test¹	According LV124/ ISO 16750-5
IP Protection¹	IP 64/65/66/67/68, according to DIN 40050

¹ Testing in Progress

² Based on Customer Validation

Material	Thickness mm Nominal	Typical Airflow l/hr/cm² at 70 mbar	BFE^% Nominal*	*VFE^^* % Nominal**	Typical WEP^*** mBar
MD10	0.13	107 (min 70)	>99.9	^†	270 (min 175)
MD10L	0.3	85 (min 48)	>99.9	^†	270 (min 175)
MD15	0.18	75 (min 45)	>99.99	^†	370 (min 265)
MD20	0.25	25 (min 16)	>99.9999	>99.999	520 (min 350)
MD22	0.1	17 (min 5)	>99.99	^†	765 (min 500)
MD25	0.19	7 (min 2)	>99.9999	^†	1050 (min 750)

*Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) data is based on a modified version of ASTM F2101
** VFE (Viral Filtration Efficiency), † Not tested but similar results to MD20 expected.
*** WEP (Water Entry Pressure)
Properties are typical and not meant for specifications. Selected options and adhesives may affect properties
Complete testing data and information is available upon request – all exceeded the standard BFE value of 98%
RoHS, WEEE, REACH Compliant (PFOA Free)

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

Watch our On-Demand Webinar

Solving 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.

Learn More

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.

Learn More

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.

Learn More

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.

Learn More

View All Related Resources