(DGIwire) – When it comes to treating respiratory diseases, there is an increasing focus on inhalation as a method of delivering drugs to the body. As recently noted in an article on PharmOutsourcing.com, this is because inhaling a drug might require a lower dose to be as effective as a swallowed dose, reducing the chances of unwanted side effects. As a result, when testing new drugs in the laboratory, researchers want to measure as precisely as possible the effects of a drug once it is inhaled.

“Delivering drugs to the lungs is gaining in popularity for a variety of systemic diseases,” says Jeffrey Duchemin, President and CEO of Harvard Bioscience. “With the growth of this market, it’s advantageous for an instrumentation company to develop apparatus that can enable precision research.”

As recently reported on MinnesotaBusiness.com, Data Sciences International (DSI), a division of Harvard Bioscience, has accomplished this feat. The company recently launched a new inhalation and drug exposure system to meet the evolving needs of respiratory researchers in today’s world.

Known as the DSI Buxco Inhalation Exposure System, it is designed with the ease of use while also providing a significant measure of high performance and flexibility. Using a variety of high-tech features—remote sensors, hardware control systems, microprocessor-based feedback—the system allows researchers to perform accurate, real-time respiration monitoring during drug exposure. By combining live aerosol measurements with each subject’s respiratory endpoints, DSI is now offering novel live, accumulated delivered dose computation for each individual animal.

The stackable tower design of the system allows the use of up to 42 test animals at a time. A special restraint system secures the animals without compressing their ribs and keeps their airways completely unobstructed. This not only improves animal comfort but also enhances the collection of data, since the animals can breathe more naturally.

“In light of the growing importance of future therapies that may delivered through the lungs, it is vital to look to the laboratory for new directions in research—which could result in an improved standard of care down the road,” Duchemin adds.