SIMULATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF A DRY POWDER INHALER USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS

摘要

The aims of this study are to examine how the flowfield generated in a marketed dry powder inhaler (Aerolizer~R) affects the experimental dispersion performance of the device. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis was performed to determine the flowfield generated in the Aerolizer~R for a range of device designs and flow rates. The inhaler dispersion performance was measured experimentally with mannitol powder using a multistage liquid impinger at the same flow rates. The results showed that the performance of a dry powder inhaler can be affected by a number of inter- relating factors. CFD combined with experimental results provides a rational basis for understanding the performance differences. The approach adopted here is readily applicable to other dry powder inhaler systems to help better understand their performance optimisation.