Medical Device
An asthma spacer is a device used by an asthmatic person to increase the effectiveness of an asthma inhaler. Spacers are specially designed plastic tubes that fit an inhaler on one end, while the patient breathes normally on the other end.Spacers slow down the speed of the aerosol coming from the inhaler, meaning that less of the asthma drug impacts on the back of the mouth and more gets into the lungs. Because of this, less medication is needed for an effective dose, and there are fewer side effects from corticosteroid residue in the mouth.
Valves on the spacers cause the patient to breathe the contents of the spacer, but exhalation goes out into the air. The problem of co-ordinating an inspiration with a press of an inhaler is avoided, making use easier for children and the elderly. It also makes asthma medication easier to deliver during an attack.
Polystyrene cups or large plastic bottles can be used as spacers for children in an emergency.
In Fiction
In Isaac Asimov's Foundation/Empire/Robot series, the Spacers were the first humans to emigrate to space. About a millenia thereafter, they severed politicial ties with Earth, and embraced low population growth as a means for high standard of living, in combination with using large numbers of robots as servants. At the same time, they also became militarily dominant over Earth.
