Exploring pulmonary distribution of intratracheally instilled liquid foams in excised porcine lungs.

The applicability of inhalation therapy to some severe pulmonary conditions is often compromised by limited delivery rates (i.e. total dose) and low deposition efficiencies in the respiratory tract, most notably in the deep pulmonary acinar airways.

Shear thinning effect on liquid foam distribution in heterogeneously constricted in vitro airway models.

Treating diseased lung regions using inhalation therapy is often limited due to airway constrictions and obstructions that significantly reduce aerosol deposition efficiency. Intratracheal administration of liquid foams is a potential strategy to improve pulmonary drug delivery to these affected airway regions. Here, we use effective viscosity measurements and in vitro small-airway models to examine how shear thinning effects in the foam can be leveraged to achieve a more uniform distribution within heterogeneously constricted or partially obstructed airways.