The compressor nebulizers that are on the market today generally use a piston-type compressor to force air into a hand held nebulizer. This air pressure 'sprays' the medication into a mist. Compressors are typically larger, heavier, and noisier and must be plugged into an electrical outlet, making them less portable. Often, the air pressure produced by a compressor unit varies in strength, which makes the particle size of the medication uncertain and unstable. The size of the particle determines how deeply in the lungs the medication gets deposited.
Larger particles are less likely to make it deep in the lungs.
The average size of a particle from a compressor nebulizer is 10 microns. Most treatments will be completed in just 4-6 minutes. However, every medication is slightly different and treatment times will vary. Also, a treatment on battery power may take slightly longer than when the unit is plugged in. A compressor nebulizer needs at least 6 lpm of air flow to 'blast' the medication into small particles.