Role of two-phase air-mucus interaction on aerosolized drug delivery in idealized lung models

Aerosolized drug delivery to the lung airways depends on the particle size, breathing pattern, and the airway geometry. The influence of the two-phase flow morphology and the local airflow structures developed in the mucus-lined airways of obstructive airway diseases, on the deposition of inhaled drugs is investigated. The Lagrangian particle tracking model is coupled with the multiphase Eulerian-Eulerian model to investigate the gas-liquid-solid flow in 3D idealized airway geometries. Mucus is modeled as a non-Newtonian fluid using the power-law equation, and flow turbulence is modeling using the low-Re k-$\omega $ SST model, including the eddy interaction model (EIM) for the particles. The results from the study are validated with experimental results from the literature and comparisons with constricted dry-wall airways are presented. The role of mucus rheology, airflow rate, particle size, airway geometry and gravity are discussed. A quantitative assessment on the global and regional deposition fractions of the particles, sites of deposition, clearance rates, pressure drop across the airway, and airway resistance in mucus-lined airways will be presented.