Multiphysics modeling of drug aerosol deposition in realistic human upper airway considering soft palate elasticity, temperature, environment and breathing regime

The paper presents a numerical study of aerosol particle deposition in the human nasal cavity taking into account airflow velocity, inhaled air temperature, and soft tissue deformation. A coupled multiphysics model was used for simulation, including the Navier–Stokes equations with the SST k-ω turbulent model, the Lagrangian discrete phase model (DPM) for tracking particle motion, heat transfer, and a hyperelastic material model (Neo-Hookean material) to describe soft tissue mechanics. The results showed a nonlinear dependence of the deposition efficiency on the flow velocity: with an increase in velocity from 1.41 to 2.82 m/s, deposition increases due to the inertial mechanism, whereas at 4.22 m/s, the efficiency decreases, probably due to increased turbulence. Temperature affects deposition differently: at low velocities, a strong negative correlation was found, while at high velocities, the effect is weakened. Soft tissue deformation increases significantly with velocity and temperature, but has only a moderate effect on particle deposition. The findings highlight the importance of integrating aerodynamics, heat transfer, and biomechanics into the analysis of aerosol transport in the upper respiratory tract. The proposed approach can be used to optimize the delivery of inhaled drugs and develop personalized treatment regimens.