Inhaled Aerosol Distribution in Human Airways: A Scintigraphy-Guided Study in a 3D Printed Model

Abstract

We showed combined imaging experiments and CFD simulations to systematically study aerosol deposition patterns in human airways down to generation 5, where particle deposition could be spatially linked to the airway geometry. As particles are negotiating an increasing number of airways in subsequent branching generations, CFD predicts marked deviations of aerosol distribution with respect to ventilation distribution, even in the normal human lung.