Fibrous particles as a drug form for inhalation therapy: in vitro and in silico study

Fibrous particles as a drug form for inhalation therapy: in vitro and in silico study

Paper in proceedings outside WoS and Scopus

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Inhalation of drugs in the form of fibres has been shown as a promising approach for targeted drug delivery. Due to their elongated shape, fibres carriers can penetrate deeply into the pulmonary system and reach the alveoli, enabling effective delivery of API. In this fundamental study, a model fibrous system was employed to investigate the deposition of fibrous microparticles in the female respiratory airways, providing insights that can later be applied to real drug delivery systems. The experimental part involved the deposition of glass fibres, which served as model particles, followed by numerical simulations to compare and validate the results. Both were conducted using a female lung model extending from the oral cavity to the 7th generation of the tracheobronchial tree. A realistic deep inhalation, simulating heavy female breathing (peak flow rate 135 L/min), was applied. The numerical simulations employed the Lattice Boltzmann method coupled with Euler-Lagrange Euler-Rotation approach used for the particle phase. Compared with previously published results for normal breathing, the present study demonstrated a higher deposition fraction in the specified airway replica. The investigation focused not only on particle deposition in specific regions of the replica, but also on how deposition varies with particle size, aiming to identify a suitable size range for targeted delivery to distinct lung regions. Fibres with a diameter of 1 µm have the greatest potential, with more than 58% reaching the region below the defined geometry in both experiment and simulation. Presented data can be used for further utilisation in inhalation therapy.

Inhalation of drugs in the form of fibres has been shown as a promising approach for targeted drug delivery. Due to their elongated shape, fibres carriers can penetrate deeply into the pulmonary system and reach the alveoli, enabling effective delivery of API. In this fundamental study, a model fibrous system was employed to investigate the deposition of fibrous microparticles in the female respiratory airways, providing insights that can later be applied to real drug delivery systems. The experimental part involved the deposition of glass fibres, which served as model particles, followed by numerical simulations to compare and validate the results. Both were conducted using a female lung model extending from the oral cavity to the 7th generation of the tracheobronchial tree. A realistic deep inhalation, simulating heavy female breathing (peak flow rate 135 L/min), was applied. The numerical simulations employed the Lattice Boltzmann method coupled with Euler-Lagrange Euler-Rotation approach used for the particle phase. Compared with previously published results for normal breathing, the present study demonstrated a higher deposition fraction in the specified airway replica. The investigation focused not only on particle deposition in specific regions of the replica, but also on how deposition varies with particle size, aiming to identify a suitable size range for targeted delivery to distinct lung regions. Fibres with a diameter of 1 µm have the greatest potential, with more than 58% reaching the region below the defined geometry in both experiment and simulation. Presented data can be used for further utilisation in inhalation therapy.

inhalation, inhalation therapy, fibres, female lungs, Lattice Boltzmann method

inhalation, inhalation therapy, fibres, female lungs, Lattice Boltzmann method

2025-12-10

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