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Multi-Scale Modelling of Powder Dispersion in a Carrier-Based Inhalation System

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ABSTRACT

Purpose

Carrier-based dry powder inhalers (DPIs) are widely used for rapid and convenient delivery of drug to the site of action. This work aimed to predict powder aerosolisation in DPIs through numerical modelling.

Methods

A multi-scale modelling technique based on the combined computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) approach was developed.

Results

The simulation results of the detachments of the drug particles from single carrier under different impact velocities and angles were comparable with those measured in the experiments in terms of fine particle fraction FPF loaded . Empirical equations were developed to link the detachment performance with impact velocity and impact angle. Then the dynamics of the carrier particles in Aerolizer® was simulated. The results indicated that the carrier-wall impaction was the dominant mechanism for drug aerosolisation performance. By linking the empirical equations with the carrier-wall impact energy, the predictions showed that for a given formulation mass with a fixed carrier/drug ratio, the inhaler performance decreased with carrier size and increased with air flow rate. Device empty efficiency, however, was independent with carrier size and flow rate.

Conclusions

The multi-scale model was able to provide quantitative information to better understand the aerosolisation mechanisms of carrier-based formulation.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DISCLOSURES

Authors are grateful to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Australia Research Council (ARC) for the financial support through the Discovery Project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering (BASE), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, 184-8588, Tokyo, Japan

    Zhenbo Tong & Hidehiro Kamiya

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Zhenbo Tong, Aibing Yu & Runyu Yang

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, 3900, Australia

    Aibing Yu

  4. Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006,, Australia

    Hak-Kim Chan

Authors
  1. Zhenbo Tong
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  2. Hidehiro Kamiya
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  5. Runyu Yang
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Correspondence to Runyu Yang.

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Tong, Z., Kamiya, H., Yu, A. et al. Multi-Scale Modelling of Powder Dispersion in a Carrier-Based Inhalation System. Pharm Res 32, 2086–2096 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-014-1601-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11095-014-1601-2

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