Targeting inhaled fibers to the pulmonary acinus: Opportunities for augmented delivery from in silico simulations.

ABSTRACT: Non-spherical particles, and fibers in particular, are potentially attractive airborne carriers for pulmonary drug delivery. Not only do they exhibit a high surface-to-volume ratio relative to spherical aerosols, but their aerodynamic properties also enable them to reach deep into the lungs. Until present, however, our understanding of the deposition characteristics of inhaled aerosols in the distal acinar lung regions has been mostly limited to spheres. To shed light on the fate of elongated aerosols in the pulmonary depths, we explore through in silico numerical simulations the deposition and dispersion characteristics of ellipsoid-shaped fibers in a physiologically-realistic acinar geometry under oscillatory breathing flow conditions mimicking various inhalation maneuvers. The transient

SUBMITTER: Shachar-Berman L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7611813 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature