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NIH grant 1R43HL184661-01: Optimizing ModiFlow Geometry for Enhanced Efficiency of Aerosol Drug Delivery
Institute: {'code': 'HL', 'abbreviation': 'NHLBI', 'name': 'National Heart Lung and Blood Institute', 'admin_org_id': '12500068', 'admin_funding_url': ''}. PI: Arevik Mosoian. Award: $306799.
Start: 2026-09-05T00:00:00.
The lower lungs enjoy 100% of cardiac output, which along with several other factors (the fastest delivery,
bypassing liver metabolism and digestive enzymes, etc.), makes them a very attractive delivery path not only
for lung diseases, but also for conditions like diabetes (inhalable insulin), pain management, cancer treatment,
immunotherapy, and more. The biggest obstacle to that is a dramatically skewed aerosol deposition towards
the upper airways, which only enjoy about 1% of the total cardiac output. Common inhalation devices, like
nebulizers, metered-dose inhalers, and dry-powder inhalers, are widely used, but they often struggle to
efficiently deliver medication to the right areas of the lungs. This is especially problematic when using
expensive or highly aggressive drugs. Despite challenges like technical limitations and regulatory concerns,
inhalation is becoming the preferred method for treating many conditions. Our previous studies have shown
that pre-laminating the aerosol flow, and therefore reducing the turbulence, using ModiFlow device, does
improve the efficiency of delivery to distant targets in airflows with or without spatial barriers.
This study will refine ModiFlow’s design to optimize airflow in a 3D model of bronchial bifurcation, with the
specific objectives: Objective 1: Evaluate the impact of manipulating the geometric parameters of ModiFlow to
create different degrees of flow lamination on efficiency of drug delivery in a straight flow. Objective
2. Compare the efficiency of aerosolized drug delivery with pre-laminated flow (ModiFlow) vs non-
laminated flow (Standard Spacer) through 3D bronchial tree bifurcation models.document fetched 2026-09-13 02:46