Improving aerosol drug delivery during invasive mechanical ventilation with redesigned components

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background:

• Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) with an endotracheal tube (ETT) is crucial for many patients.
• Pharmaceutical aerosol delivery via ventilators is inefficient, limiting therapeutic efficacy.
• Optimizing aerosol deposition in the respiratory tract is a key clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance pharmaceutical aerosol delivery efficiency in invasive mechanical ventilation systems.
• To redesign ventilator circuit components using a streamlining approach to minimize aerosol loss.
• To analyze the impact of redesigned components on drug deposition and emitted dose.

Main Methods:

• Redesigned T-connector and Y-connector components to minimize flow disruption.
• Employed in vitro experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.
• Evaluated multiple droplet sizes, flow rates, and adult endotracheal tube (ETT) sizes.

Main Results:

• Streamlined components improved aerosol delivery by 1.3–1.5 times compared to commercial systems.
• CFD revealed a 20-fold decrease in turbulence and a 9-fold decrease in droplet deposition.
• Maximum improvement in emitted dose was 1.9-fold, increasing with particle size and flow.

Conclusions:

• Streamlined components significantly enhance pharmaceutical aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation.
• The study provides a basis for improved drug delivery strategies in IMV.
• Optimized aerosol delivery can lead to more effective patient treatment and better clinical outcomes.