Patent ID: 7900625

Claim:
A method of delivering an active agent to a target area of a lung of a subject in need thereof, comprising: (a) providing an inhaler system for directing to a subject a controlled aerosol stream comprising an active agent; wherein the inhaler system comprises: (1) an aerosol source; (2) an aerosol injection system in flow communication with the aerosol source; and (3) an inhaler device in flow communication with the aerosol injection system, comprising: (i) an outer tube having an inlet at one end, an outlet at an opposing end, and a wall joining the inlet and the outlet comprising one or more air inlet perforations which provide for passage of inhalation airflow into an interior of the outer tube; (ii) an inhalation airflow control mechanism for varying a cross-section of one or more of the outer tube air inlet perforations, thereby permitting control of the inhalation airflow to generate a desired inhalation waveform; (iii) an adaptive nozzle positioned within the interior of the outer tube and having a nozzle base inlet engaged with the outer tube inlet and a nozzle tip outlet proximal to the outer tube outlet, wherein the nozzle tip outlet and the nozzle base inlet are in flow communication and adapted for passage of an aerosol stream therebetween; and (iv) one or more actuators operationally linked to the adaptive nozzle, wherein the one or more actuators can position the nozzle tip outlet at a desired position in the outer tube outlet cross section and thereby control the position of aerosol stream release into the desired inhalation waveform from the inhaler device, wherein the aerosol stream is delivered into the inhalation waveform from the desired release position to deliver the active agent to a target area of a lung of the subject; and (b) regulating an inhalation waveform from the inhaler and a desired release position of the controlled aerosol stream into the inhalation waveform, wherein the aerosol stream is delivered into the inhalation waveform from the desired release position from the inhaler system to deliver the active agent to a target area of a lung of the subject.