Full Breakdown
World’s First Prehospital NanoPowder Nasal Spray Targets Ischemic Stroke
5/7/2026, 5:52:06 AM
Breakthrough Nasal Spray Shifts Stroke Care to Prehospital Stage
A research team from University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed) and the InnoHK Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre (ABIC) has created the world’s first ‘NanoPowder nasal spray’ to deliver neuroprotective medication before hospital admission, shifting stroke care to prehospital stage.
Technology Platform, Funding and International Recognition
The device uses a Nano-in-Micron platform that converts drug-laden nanoparticles into inhalable micron-sized powder, bypassing the BBB via the nose-to-brain route. Funding came from InnoHK, Innovation and Technology Support Programme, SPIN@HSITP, HKUMed Technology Transfer Unit and HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Core. The spray won the Grand Prize – Prize of the Chinese Delegation and a Gold Medal at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.
Preclinical Efficacy and Delivery Mechanics
In animal models, spray administration within 30 minutes of stroke onset reduced infarct size by over 80 % and preserved neurological and motor function. The powder follows four steps—inhale, deposition, de-agglomeration, delivery—to reach the brain rapidly.
Potential Impact on Stroke Survival and Community Care
Because more than 85 % of stroke patients miss the narrow therapeutic window for reperfusion, the prehospital spray could raise survival and functional recovery, serve as a community-based emergency rescue tool, and broaden acute ischemic stroke treatment options.
Official Statements from Researchers
Professor Chow emphasized the spray’s quick-response, portability and ability to buy time for hospital therapies. Dr Shao clarified that the spray is an urgent prehospital support, not a replacement for in-hospital treatment.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All efficacy data are from cell and animal studies; no human clinical trial results have been published. Toxicology assessments and clinical trials are still pending, leaving safety and effectiveness in patients unverified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Dr Shao Zitong emphasised that the approach is not intended to replace existing hospital treatments but to serve as an urgent, prehospital support measure.” — Dr Shao Zitong
Next Steps Toward Clinical Use
The team is advancing toxicology studies, preparing clinical trials, and consulting physicians and neurologists to align the spray with treatment protocols, aiming for pharmacy distribution and community use.
