A review of upper airway physiology relevant to the delivery and deposition of inhalation aerosols

Developing effective oral inhaled drug delivery treatment strategies for respiratory diseases necessitates a thorough knowledge of the respiratory system physiology, such as the differences in the airway chan-nel's structure and geometry in health and diseases, their surface properties, and mechanisms that main-tain their patency. While respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma and their implications on the lower airways have been the core focus of most of the current research, the role of the upper airway in these diseases is less known, especially in the context of inhaled drug delivery. This is despite the fact that the upper airway is the passageway for inhaled drugs to be delivered to the lower airways, and their replicas are indispensable in current standards, such as the cas-cade impactor experiments for testing inhaled drug delivery technology. This review provides an over-view of upper airway collapsibility and their mechanical properties, the effects of age and gender on upper airway geometry, and surface properties. The review also discusses how COPD and asthma affect the upper airway and the typical inhalation flow characteristics exhibited by the patients with these diseases.Crown Copyright (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Developing effective oral inhaled drug delivery strategies requires a comprehensive understanding of respiratory system physiology, including the structure and geometry of the airway channel, surface properties, and mechanisms that maintain patency. While most research focuses on the impact of COPD and asthma on the lower airways, the role of the upper airway in inhaled drug delivery is less understood.