ZephyrAquilon

Technology

Faraday-wave atomization on a silicon chip.

The MEMS nebulizer amplifies small piezo vibrations, so liquid at the tip vibrates and pinches off into a uniform, gentle aerosol.

01The platform

Three advantages

With acknowledgement to the originators. The concept was invented by distinguished Professors Chen S. Tsai and Shirley C. Tsai at UC Irvine, explicitly for inhalation (2010, 2009, 2017). We build from that foundation.

Published

Uniform particle distribution

Uniform particles mean maximal bioavailability and precise dosing.

Why it matters → only a 1–5 µm aerosol reaches the deep lung.

Hypothesis — under test

Low-shear atomization

Faraday-wave atomization ought to be gentler than incumbents.

Why it matters → fragile payloads such as lipid-nanoparticle capsules and mAbs survive.

Published

Low power = small format

A minimalist, finger-sized device that fits discreetly in the pocket.

Why it matters → convenience is exactly what the dry-powder inhaler fails to deliver; Afrezza is the cautionary example.

02Why particle size matters

Only one narrow band reaches the deep lung.

A tight droplet distribution is necessary to ensure:

  1. Maximized bioavailability
  2. Increased dosing precision
  3. Reduced drug waste
WHERE THE DROPLET LANDS — SHALLOW → DEEP DROPLET DIAMETER (µm) NOSE + THROAT BRONCHI BRONCHIOLES + ALVEOLI > 10 µm IMPACTS IN THE THROAT INERTIAL IMPACTION 5–10 µm IMPACTS AT AIRWAY BRANCHES IMPACTION + SEDIMENTATION 1–5 µm SETTLES IN THE GAS-EXCHANGE REGION GRAVITATIONAL SEDIMENTATION 0.1–1 µm MOSTLY BREATHED BACK OUT BROWNIAN DIFFUSION < 0.1 µm DEPOSITS — BUT CARRIES ALMOST NO DRUG DIFFUSION
Aerosol deposition by droplet diameter. Only the 1–5 µm band delivers.

03Why low shear matters

Lipid nanoparticles are the sharpest case.

LNPs made RNA medicines possible, but the capsule does not survive conventional nebulization. Published work reports particle growth, aggregation and cargo loss from shear and interfacial stress (Wiebe 2026, Heiser 2025). Integrity largely holds below an energy-dissipation threshold of roughly 5–10 J/g (van Rijn 2023).

Solving inhaled biologics starts with the device.

INTACT NEBULIZATION SHEAR + INTERFACE RUPTURED · CARGO LOST
Illustrative. Under conventional nebulization the capsule fails and the payload does not arrive intact.

04Built so far

Benchtop prototype.

Phase 1 is proof of concept and IP.

IP

1 patent filed (October 2025, European Patent Office), covering the resonance-tracking method alongside the device design, fabrication, electronic controls and microfluidics.

Product vision

A pocket-sized, connected cartridge-and-device system.

A handheld inhaler with a snap-in cartridge, paired with a companion app that guides the patient from prescription to first dose.

Render of the Zephyr Aquilon device: a finger-sized inhaler with a snap-in liquid drug cartridge.
The device. Snap-in liquid cartridge.
Wireframe of the companion app: onboarding from prescription to first dose, then dose history and adherence tracking.
The companion app. A guided path with dose history, adherence and remote monitoring.
Silicon resonator cells at wafer level
Resonator cells at wafer level. Fabricated with standard microfabriaction techniques.
Resonator cell bonded to a microfluidic chip
Microfluidic chip. Liquid feed the tip. Development ongoing.
Principle of the strain-gauge resonance tracking system
Mechanical resonance tracking. Innovation stems from necessity: unlike conventional drivers, our patented sensor measures mechanical impedance directly.
Resonance tracking electronics on the bench
Electronic control in development.

05Competition

A crowded field stuck on limited technologies.

We benchmark against vibrating mesh because it is the standard way to turn a liquid into a breathable aerosol. Mesh devices from Pari, Aerogen, Omron and Philips are good products, approved at scale. But they push liquid through holes and keep making the holes better.

Besides being bulky, the vibrating-mesh nebulizer shears proteins hard enough to unfold and aggregate them, and a damaged dose provokes an immune response rather than merely underperforming (Lundahl 2021).

Dry powder is the other serious platform: expedient for pharma, but the complexity lands on users. Afrezza, a dry-powder insulin inhaler, was approved and proved a systemic biologic could be delivered through the lung; yet it never translated into market success.

Next

The market, the roadmap and the team.

Company →