The objective of this study is the prediction and comparison of airway deposition patterns of an industrial aerosol in healthy workers and workers suffering from silicosis. Mass concentrations and related size distributions of particulate matter were measured in the industrial area of Samalut in Minia, Egypt. A novel stochastic lung deposition model, simulating the symptoms of silicosis by chronic bronchial (Br) obstruction and emphysema in the acinar (Ac) region, was applied to compute mass deposition fractions, deposition density, deposition rate and deposition density rate distributions in healthy and diseased workers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne of the most widespread dry powder fixed combinations used in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management is Symbicort(®) Turbuhaler(®). The aim of this study was to simulate the deposition distribution of both components of this drug within the airways based on realistic airflow measurements. Breathing parameters of 25 healthy adults (11 females and 14 males) were acquired while inhaling through Turbuhaler(®).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAsthma is a serious global health problem with rising prevalence and treatment costs. Due to the growing number of different types of inhalation devices and aerosol drugs, physicians often face difficulties in choosing the right medication for their patients. The main objectives of this study are (i) to elucidate the possibility and the advantages of the application of numerical modeling techniques in aerosol drug and device selection, and (ii) to demonstrate the possibility of the optimization of inhalation modes in asthma therapy with a numerical lung model by simulating patient-specific drug deposition distributions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn spite of the growing efforts oriented towards revealing different aspects of emphysema, the persistence of the emphysematous or emphysema-like changes (ELCs) is not explored yet in the open literature. In this study we demonstrate the persistence of an ELC for 22 years in a spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) patient which indicates a hitherto unknown gas supply to the ELC. For this purpose we used high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images processed into three-dimensional (3D) geometry.
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