Modeling of the influence of tissue mechanical properties on the process of aerosol particles deposition in a model of human alveolus

Abstract

A deposition of submicron spherical particles in gravity force field in a model of a single human alveolus was investigated. To mimic the realistic breathing patterns in the lungs, alveolar tissue was designed as a compressible and homogenous material which undergoes the expansion and contraction caused by the change of pressure. The wide range of stiffness values and elasticity of the tissue were taken into account to explore the influence of pathological cases in the process of flow transport in the alveolar part of the human breathing system. A fluid-structure interaction model (FSI) incorporated into Adina software was used to model the fluid flow in the alveolus. The transport and the deposition of the aerosol particles were modeled using Brownian Dynamics algorithm. The obtained results indicate a strong influence of the mechanical properties of the tissue on the fluid flow and the deposition of aerosol particles.