CFDRC engineers have analyzed drug transport in a anatomically realistic Upper Respiratory Tract (mouth-throat) geometry. In this study, the URT was re-created from a glass cast (Niven 1994). CFDRC engineers then studied the airflow and drug deposition (by size) patterns. The URT simulations can be readily coupled to a computational model of the inhaler as discussed earlier, making possible an integrated, high-fidelity simulation from drug dispensing all the way to the bronchii.

Reference:

Niven, R.W., Lott, D.F., Ip, A.Y., Somaratne, K.D., and Kearney, M.,
1994, "Development and use of an in vitro system to evaluate inhaler devices," Int. J. Pharmaceutics, 101, pp. 81-87