Drug delivery devices

homogeneous mixture composed of only one phase

thumb|alt=Photo with toothpaste from a tube of toothpaste being applied to the bristles of a toothbrush in the foreground|Toothpaste from a tube being applied to the bristles of a toothbrush Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice that is used with a toothbrush to clean and maintain the aesthetics of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it is an abrasive that aids in removing dental plaque and food from the teeth, assists in suppressing halitosis, and delivers active ingredients (most commonly fluoride) to help prevent tooth decay (dental caries) and gum disease (gingivitis). Due

thumb|right|upright=1.3|Shampoo lather in hair thumb|right|upright=1.3|Bottles of shampoo and lotions manufactured in the early 20th century by the C.L. Hamilton Co. of [[Washington, D.C., United States]]

Smoking is a human behavior which involves the combustion of a substance, usually plant material, and the inhalation of resulting fumes. Today, smoking is mostly practiced by rolling the dried leaves of the tobacco plant into a cigarette. Other forms of tobacco smoking include the use of a smoking tobacco with a pipe or cigar, or using a bong. Cigarette smokers almost always inhale the smoke; most pipe and cigar smokers do not inhale.

heterogeneous mixture

solid form for doses of drugs or medication often taken orally

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thumb|Disposable syringe with needle, with parts labelled: plunger, barrel, needle adaptor, needle hub, needle bevel, needle shaft

thumb|An upturned vial of hair gel|241x241px thumb|Silica gel A gel is a semi-solid that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady state, although the liquid phase may still diffuse through this system.

relatively stable shell containing medicine

T-shaped birth control device placed in the womb

thumb|250px|Rectal bulb syringe to administer smaller enemas.

A suppository is a dosage form used to deliver medications by insertion into a body orifice (any opening in the body), where it dissolves or melts to exert local or systemic effects. There are three types of suppositories, each to insert into a different sections: rectal suppositories into the rectum, vaginal suppositories into the vagina, and urethral suppositories into the urethra of a male.

thumb|Lotion and shampoo at the [[Banff Centre]]Lotion is a low-viscosity topical preparation, typically an emulsion of oil and water, intended for application to unbroken skin for moisturizing, protective, cosmetic, or medicinal purposes. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity, typically due to lower water content. Lotions are applied to external skin with bare hands, a brush, a clean cloth, or cotton wool.

saline-containing liquid drug administered through the eye

wax-like substance for moisturizing and relieving chapped or dry lips

thumb|right|Scheme of a liposome formed by phospholipids in an [[aqueous solution.]] thumb|right|Liposomes are composite structures made of phospholipids and may contain small amounts of other molecules. Though liposomes can vary in size from low micrometer range to tens of micrometers, unilamellar liposomes, as pictured here, are typically in the lower size range with various targeting ligands attached to their surface allowing for their surface-attachment and accumulation in pathological areas for treatment of disease.

device to inject substances into the circulatory system or extract fluids from the body

thumb|Range of mouthwashes Mouthwash, mouth rinse, oral rinse, or mouth bath is a liquid which is held in the mouth passively or swirled around the mouth by contraction of the perioral muscles and/or movement of the head, and may be gargled, where the head is tilted back and the liquid bubbled at the back of the mouth.

thumb|right|upright|A tincture prepared from Salix alba|white willow bark and [[ethanol, containing salicin (from which salicylic acid-based products like aspirin are derived)]]

topical preparation usually for application to the skin

thumb|125px|right|A bong with a circular carburetion port in the front of the bowl A bong (also known as a water pipe) is a filtration device generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco, or other herbal substances. In the bong shown in the photo, the smoke flows from the lower port on the left to the upper port on the right.

An inhaler (puffer, asthma pump or allergy spray) is a medical device used for delivering medicines into the lungs through the work of a person's breathing. This allows medicines to be delivered to and absorbed in the lungs, which provides the ability for targeted medical treatment to this specific region of the body, as well as a reduction in the side effects of oral medications. There are a wide variety of inhalers, and they are commonly used to treat numerous medical conditions with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) being among the most notable.

In medicine, a nebulizer (American English) or nebuliser (English) is a drug delivery device used to administer medication in the form of a mist inhaled into the lungs. Nebulizers are commonly used for the treatment of asthma, cystic fibrosis, COPD and other respiratory diseases or disorders. They use oxygen, compressed air or ultrasonic power to break up solutions and suspensions into small aerosol droplets that are inhaled from the mouthpiece of the device. An aerosol is a mixture of gas and solid or liquid particles.

device which removes nitrogen from air

medication applied to body surfaces

interface between the oxygen delivery system and the human user

adhesive patch used to deliver medication through the skin

thumb|right|Gold-plated stem pessary (intrauterine device) from 1920 A pessary is a prosthetic device inserted into the vagina for structural and pharmaceutical purposes. It is most commonly used to treat stress urinary incontinence to stop urinary leakage and to treat pelvic organ prolapse to maintain the location of organs in the pelvic region. It can also be used to administer medications locally in the vagina or as a method of contraception.

pharmacologic agents delivered into the nostrils in the form of a mist or spra

thumb|Label from a bottle of Elixir Raspail, claiming its effectiveness against epidemic diseases

thumb|Sloan's Liniment (right) was once a popular over-the-counter drug.

medicated tablet

medical device

A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or for the stream of water itself. Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina, but it can also refer to the rinsing of any body cavity. A douche bag is a piece of equipment for douching—a bag for holding the fluid used in douching. To avoid transferring intestinal bacteria to the vagina, the same bag must not be used for both an enema and a vaginal douche.

device used to vaporize the active ingredients of plant material, commonly cannabis, tobacco, or other herbs or blends for the purpose of inhalation

Pharmaceutical product used as an emergency treatment for anaphylaxis

medical device

medical device used to generate a fresh gas flow for anaesthesia

substance that behaves as a solid until a sufficiently large load or stress is applied, at which point it flows like a fluid

Medical equipment

hair product

thumb|A military autoinjector in use An autoinjector (or auto-injector), also known as self-injection pen, is a medical device for injection of a premeasured dose of a particular drug. Most autoinjectors are one-use, disposable, spring-loaded syringes (prefilled syringes). By design, autoinjectors are easy to use and are intended for self-administration by patients, administration by untrained personnel, or easy use by healthcare professionals; they can also overcome the hesitation associated with self-administration using a needle. The site of injection depends on the drug, but it typically i

thumb|right|300 px|A photosensitizer being used in photodynamic therapy Photosensitizers are light absorbers that alter the course of a photochemical reaction. They usually are catalysts. They can function by many mechanisms; sometimes they abstract an electron from the substrate, and sometimes they abstract a hydrogen atom from the substrate. At the end of this process, the photosensitizer returns to its ground state, where it remains chemically intact, poised to absorb more light. One branch of chemistry which frequently utilizes photosensitizers is polymer chemistry, using photosensitizers

medical injecting syringe

form of medicine used to treat or prevent ear infections

an emulsion that is stabilized by solid particles (for example colloidal silica) which adsorb onto the interface between the two phases

method of delivering medication to a patient, increasing the concentration of the medication in some parts of the body relative to others

pill that "melts" on contact with saliva

type of implant

packaging for pharmaceutical preparations

medical stent that releases drug that inhibits cellular growth into the stented area

thumb|Polymers prior (no gel) and after crosslinking (gel)

encapsulation of cells into semi-permeable microcapsules or microspheres

device that helps deliver a specific amount of medication to the lungs

device that delivers medication to the lungs in the form of a dry powder

drug storage and delivery device

drug delivery system

vaccine administered via the nose

mechanism that delivers a drug with a delay or continuously after its administration