MODELING THE EFFECT OF CHARGE ON SELECTIVE DEPOSITION OF PARTICLES INA DISEASED LUNG USING AEROSOL BOLI

The technique of using a charged bolus of aerosol to deliver a drug or other agent is advantageous since sites of interest within the lung c an be selectively targeted. Ideally, the volume of the bolus should ma tch that of the targeted region allowing the aerosol bolus particles t o be confined to the selected area during the pause period after inhal ation. Our existing computer model for predicting the deposition of ch arged aerosol particles has been developed to encompass aerosol boli, some diseased lung morphologies and drug dose administered per breathi ng cycle. Aerosol deposition in the targeted region is found to be enh anced by increasing particle charge, pause period and particle size. F or particles in the size range 1-2.5 mu m, aerosol deposition in the r egion affected by bronchoconstriction does not alter significantly wit h flow rate variation (range 250-1000 ml s(-1)) for a targeted charged bolus of matched volume. The technique may enable the optimal deliver y of therapeutic or other agents to diseased or normal lungs.