Transport and Deposition of Elongated Particles in the Upper Airways

Transport and deposition of elongated particle and fibers have been of interest due to their pathological responses. In this work, the transport and deposition of elongated particles and ellipsoidal fibers were numerically simulated in a physiological realistic multi-level lung model. Detailed motion of the inhaled fibers and their interaction with the surrounding environment were reproduced by solving the system of coupled equations governing the elongated particles translational and rotational motions. Correlations between the deposition pattern, fiber characteristics, breathing rates, and airway morphology in human upper tracheobronchial airways were analyzed. The results were compared with experimental measurements, and good agreement was found.