Particle dispersion in morphologically-inspired computational models of alveolar capillary networks

Abstract

With growing evidence of the ability of inhaled nanoparticles (NP) to translocate from the lungs into the pulmonary circulation, increased concerns regarding the fate of such particles reaching body organs have risen. Until present, there is still a limited understanding on the transport dynamics of NPs following translocation into the pulmonary microcirculation. To gain initial insight into such processes, simulations of the transport and dispersion of various particle sizes are conducted in anatomically-inspired alveolar capillary networks (ACN). Our models, based on the seminal 'sheet flow' model, investigate quantitatively the influence of network porosity on particle dynamics. For fixed flow conditions, we find that the effective dispersion coefficient is sensibly enhanced with decreasing porosity levels and decreasing particle sizes. Furthermore, particle size significantly influences the characteristics of particle spreading and tortuosity. Overall, our findings represent a tangible first step in further understanding inhaled NP transport in networks representative of the alveolar capillaries.