Bridging Human ICU Standards & Equine Medicine: WLA Health Care and Aerogen Launch Bibo Pulmifier

GALWAY, Ireland and SCHWYZ, Switzerland — In a significant cross-sector technological transfer, veterinary respiratory care has reached a major clinical benchmark with the commercial release of the Bibo Pulmifier® Equine. Developed through an international engineering collaboration between Swiss veterinary device specialist WLA Health Care AG and Irish acute care technology leader Aerogen®, the device adapts human intensive care unit (ICU) aerosol delivery mechanisms specifically for equine pulmonary therapy.

The system integrates Aerogen’s proprietary vibrating mesh nebulization technology—a platform utilized in over 30 million human critical care patients across 80 countries—into an ergonomically fitted inhalation apparatus engineered for horses. The launch targets acute and chronic lower airway disorders in horses, particularly Equine Asthma Spectrum (EAS), inflammatory airway disease (IAD), and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), which severely impact performance horses and livestock working breeds worldwide.

Overcoming Limitations of Legacy Equine Nebulization
Equine respiratory therapy has historically relied on jet nebulizers or ultrasonic delivery systems. Traditional jet nebulizers require high compressed air flows that can agitate stressed animals, create significant operational noise (>60 dB), and degrade heat-sensitive therapeutic molecules through shear stress. Furthermore, legacy systems suffer from poor drug deposition efficiency, often delivering less
than 10% to 15% of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) into the deep lung tissue (bronchioles and alveoli) due to inconsistent particle sizing and large residual dead volumes.

The Bibo Pulmifier Equine bypasses compressed air mechanisms by incorporating Aerogen’s central aperture plate technology. The device utilizes a micro engineered palladium alloy mesh perforated with thousands of precision-formed microscopic holes. Vibrating at an ultrasonic frequency of approximately 128,000 times per second, the mesh transforms liquid medications into a dense, fine-particle aerosol with a Mass Median Aerodynamic Diameter (MMAD) consistently calibrated between 1 and 5 microns (µm).

This specific particle window is clinically vital for equine anatomy. Particles larger than 5 microns deposit prematurely in the upper respiratory tract and nasal passages, while particles smaller than 1 micron are largely exhaled without settling. The 1–5 micron aerosol generated by the Bibo Pulmifier Equine allows
bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and mucolytics to penetrate deep into the equine bronchial tree with minimal waste.

Clinical Implications for Equine Practice
Equine asthma and lower airway diseases represent one of the highest causes of lost training days and veterinary expenditure in racehorses, sport horses, and breeding herds. By enabling high-efficiency aerosol deposition directly at the mucosal site, veterinarians can achieve therapeutic efficacy using significantly lower systemic drug doses. This targeted localized delivery reduces systemic side effects associated with oral or injectable corticosteroids, such as laminitis risks and immunosuppression.

Additionally, the Bibo Pulmifier Equine operates at a noise profile below 35 decibels—equivalent to a soft whisper. In equine medicine, minimizing equipment noise prevents panic responses and elevated respiratory rates, ensuring normal, deep tidal breathing during treatment sessions. The closed-system design also prevents medication evaporation and ambient dissipation, protecting veterinary technicians and barn managers from passive drug exposure.

As regulatory scrutiny around pharmaceutical residues in competitive equine sports continues to tighten globally, precision-targeted aerosol delivery allows for exact dosage tracking and optimized withdrawal periods under international racing and equestrian federation rules.