Categorization of Lung Morphology Based on FRC and Height: Computer Simulations of Aerosol Deposition

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the human subject experimental measurements of particle deposition within the lungs using the aerosol bolus technique with the results of analytical modeling as a basis for assessing the influence of lung morphology on inhaled particle deposition patterns. A methodology for scaling the lung morphology, based on a classic symmetric dichotomous model, as a function of both functional residual capacity and height of the investigated population is presented. Because of the availability of deposition data for male and female lung morphologies, these were used as an example to address the importance of adjusting lung morphology in calculating the aerosol deposition rates. In order to represent the 2 groups based on gender enrolled in the experimental study, 2 lung morphologies have been built. An analytical and mechanistic model was used to mimic the bolus delivery technique and simulate the aerosol deposition in each of the 2 groups. Predicted results were compared with exp...