Abstract
Developing effective oral inhaled drug delivery treatment strategies for respiratory diseases necessitates a thorough knowledge of the respiratory system physiology, such as the differences in the airway channel's structure and geometry in health and diseases, their surface properties, and mechanisms that maintain their patency. While respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma and their implications on the lower airways have been the core focus of most of the current research, the role of the upper airway in these diseases is less known, especially in the context of inhaled drug delivery. This is despite the fact that the upper airway is the passageway for inhaled drugs to be delivered to the lower airways, and their replicas are indispensable in current standards, such as the cascade impactor experiments for testing inhaled drug delivery technology. This review provides an overview of upper airway collapsibility and their mechanical properties, the effects of age and gender on upper airway geometry, and surface properties. The review also discusses how COPD and asthma affect the upper airway and the typical inhalation flow characteristics exhibited by the patients with these diseases.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 114530 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-15 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews |
Volume | 191 |
Early online date | 21 Sept 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2022 |
Keywords
- Upper airway collapsibility
- Mechanical properties
- Surface properties
- Upper airway geometry
- COPD
- Asthma
- Inhalation flow characteristics