Simulating the effect of individual upper airway anatomical features on drug deposition

This study aims to systematically isolate different anatomical features of the human pharynx with the goal to investigate their independent influence on airflow dynamics and particle deposition characteristics in a geometrically realistic human airway. Specifically, the effects of the uvula, epiglottis and soft palate on drug particle deposition are studied systematically, by carefully removing each of these anatomical features from reconstructed models based on MRI data and comparing them to a benchmark realistic airway model. Computational Fluid Dynamics using established turbulence models is employed to simulate the transport of mono-dispersed particles (3 µm) in the airway at two flow-rates. The simulations suggest three findings: 1) widening the space between the oral cavity and oropharynx and where the soft palate is situated leads to the most dramatic reduction in drug deposition in the upper airway; 2) exclusion of the uvula and epiglottis: a) affects flow dynamics in the airway; b) alters regional deposition behaviour; c) does not significantly affect the total number of particles deposited in the pharynx; and 3) the space adjacent to the soft palate is a key determinant for aerosol deposition in the extrathoracic region and is related to mechanisms of flow acceleration, diversion and recirculation.