Title: Development of a mathematical correlation for polydisperse non-spherical drug particle deposition in the human upper respiratory system

Authors: Sanaz Aghaei; Hassan Khaleghi

Addresses: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran ' Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: Estimating the drug particle deposition in the upper respiratory system is essential to provide more effective treatment for respiratory diseases. This study numerically investigates the effect of both particle size distribution and particle shape on the total deposition efficiency in the human upper respiratory system. To investigate the effect of particle size distribution, spherical monodisperse and polydisperse particles are compared. Non-spherical polydisperse particles are also studied to investigate the effect of sphericity. It is concluded that by decreasing particle size and increasing particle sphericity, the total deposition efficiency decreases. This means that more particles escape from the upper airways to the bronchi and bronchioles. Therefore, for lung disease treatment, finer particles with higher sphericity are more suitable. Furthermore, a mathematical correlation is developed to represent the total deposition efficiency as a function of Stokes number and sphericity. This correlation estimates the deposition of both spherical and non-spherical polydisperse particles.

Keywords: polydisperse particles; non-spherical particles; total deposition efficiency; mathematical correlation; idealised upper respiratory model.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2023.133721

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2023 Vol.43 No.1, pp.13 - 37

Received: 17 Mar 2022
Accepted: 06 Oct 2022
Published online: 02 Oct 2023 *

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