Fluid and Particle Transport in an In-Vitro Model of an Expanding/Contracting Human Alveolus

Inhaled particulate matter from the environment can produce adverse health effects on the human respiratory system. Conversely, inhalable therapeutics can be delivered to the respiratory tract to treat local and systemic ailments. Both of these fields of study require the accurate prediction of particle transport and deposition in the lung, particularly in the acinar region. A necessary first step to predict particle trajectories is to characterize the airflow in which the particles are suspended. Only particles smaller than 5 μm reach the acinar region [1], hence it can be assumed that such particles will closely follow the fluid streamlines. The current work focuses on the fluid mechanics of the acinar region of the lung to infer particle transport and deposition.