The

Joddy Nwankwo

Speaking from personal experience, having severe asthma was very hard. Because it was easily triggered, I used nebulizer multiple times. Pediatricians often find it helpful to put asthmatic children on a nebulizer machine. It is an efficient way to have children take medicine that will reach their lungs and airways. However, the pediatric nebulizer and mask both have flaws of their own. The mask itself is very uncomfortable to wear. From my own personal experience as a child using the nebulizer was unbearable. The mask it not a custom fit for the face and pierces the skin; the strap easily gets tangled in your hair; the elbow unit is extremely heavy too. The treatment sometimes has to be taken during the night, which can be a hassle for both the parents and the child. I could never sleep during the treatment for two reasons: one being if I ly down the liquid medicine would spill from the elbow unit, two being that the nebulizer machine made a lot of noise. Lastly, I was never engaged while taking the treatment. This machine is meant for kids, but somehow the creators lost track of that. Yes, there are different types of mask that have designs — for example, the fish — but that didn't always get me excited. These problems have lead to the goals of our new project.

Our goal behind our project is to enhance the nebulizer. We made the mask custom fitted made out of silicon, which is flexible and snug to wear. There is also an attachable butterfly to add to the mask for the child to wear. With this addition, we hope to improve the overall feeling of the child, which is happiness and relaxing. In the future, the plan is to have a child choose the design for the additional piece. To tackle the problem of a potential spill, my partner and added a long tube extension that is directly attached to the mask and runs to the elbow unit. On top of the elbow unit is a flower that holders for the albuterol medicine — it can hold up to 10 packets. The elbow unit is now built into the housing for the nebulizer machine, which is also sound dampening. We also want the child to feel relaxed and cozy, so we have a neck pillow attached to the straps. The straps have Velcro as well, so it can be easily adjustable. This new design for the pediatric nebulizer has made its user very cheerful!