A nebulizer is a device for the administration of drugs in the form of a mist inhaled through the lungs. Traditionally, a nebulizer is a large, loud air pump attached to a mouthpiece. In recent years, a new form of nebulizer has come onto the market. Ultrasonic nebulizers consist of a ultrasonic piezo module (driven ~100kHz), a reservoir of liquid, and a palladium mesh screen with holes on the order of 2 micro in diameter. By driving the ultrasonic module, liquid is passed through the mesh as a fine mist.

These modules are readily available and cost about $10. For further reading, check out this publication: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9552308

The application of this technology is to allow freebasing basically any drug, so long as it is soluble in water. This has many applications; ketamine has just been approved by the FDA for treatment of depression in the form of a nasal spray. This nasal spray has low bio-availabilty, because it's a nasal spray and it basically just drips right out. Nebulizing ketamine is a better way to deliver the drug, and a perfect application of ultrasonic nebulizer modules.

This project was initially to create a cheap, portable, battery-powered, and silent delivery mechanism for ketamine. To make this even more offensive, I did the industrial design based on the 'my first Sony' series of cassette recorders, boomboxes, and alarm clocks produced by Sony in the 1980s and 90s. It's a 'my first K-hole'. It's god damned hilarious and I don't care what you say.

However, because of the ability to freebase anything, this is a dangerous device. Putting nicotine (in the form of a juul refill) into the nebulizer might result in a nicotine overdose. Nicotine is an extremely powerful drug, and there is enough nicotine in a single pack of cigarettes to kill a person. The reason smoking two packs a day doesn't kill anyone immediately is because nicotine decomposes at high temperatures; smoking or vaping decomposes the nicotine, decreasing the dosage. (Chewing and snuff has a different bioavailabity).

Given that this device could deliver enough nicotine from a juul refill to the bloodstream to kill someone, I've decided to shelve this project.