BACKGROUND
Pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the third-leading cause of death globally in 2019. While there is no cure for COPD, treatments are available and are constantly being developed. Numerical modelling of pulmonary air-particle dynamics is a crucial tool for assessing drug distribution efficacy in lungs and designing medical devices. However, current static lung models for transport dynamics of particles in the pulmonary pathway do not take airway deformation into account, significantly limiting the modelling capability under disease-specific conditions. This assumption creates a dangerous gap in knowledge for furthering pulmonary healthcare advances.
SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY
Researchers at OSU have developed a novel digital twin system to model airflow and inhaled aerosolized medications in healthy and diseased lungs. This whole-lung model covers the entire pulmonary route from mouth/nose to alveoli, and takes into account the deformation kinematics overlooked by others. By combining pulmonary air-particle flow dynamics using the Euler-Langrage method and the dynamic mesh method, and calibrating with clinical data, this model can produce accurate results on the dynamics of airways and aerosolized particle and vapor uptake/translocation within them across a variety of pulmonary conditions. This model system will deepen the understanding of COPD and vastly accelerate the development of inhalation devices and drugs to treat pulmonary illness.
POTENTIAL AREAS OF APPLICATION
MAIN ADVANTAGES
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT
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