Research Projects

Dry powder inhalers are an extremely important component of our healthcare system for treating pulmonary diseases. However, the design of an efficient, flow-independent DPI that can deliver repeatable doses is elusive due to the lack of detailed quantitative information and data on the fundamental dispersion mechanisms. This is largely driven by the lack of a systematic study focussing on the physics of these physical mechanisms observed in the device. Therefore, this project is extremely significant as it will mark a turning point in our ability to design and optimize dry powder inhalers. First, it will produce high-quality data on the physics of the dispersion process using advanced imaging methods, which will enable modelling the fluid flow and dispersion to predict and optimize the final drug delivery from the device. Furthermore, it will advance the understanding of the primary deagglomeration mechanisms such as shear-driven, particle-wall impaction, and particle-particle impaction, which is fundamental for the designers to develop an efficient DPI. Ultimately, the project will lead to developing a universal testing platform for DPIs, capable of providing high-quality quantitative information on the new drugs and devices. Furthermore, it will bring synergy between academic research and industry by bringing multiple collaborations from the healthcare industry. Additionally, the experiments proposed in this project will be extremely useful for the students in learning advanced diagnostics techniques and applying them to resolve fundamental fluid flow problems, eventually leading to the collaborative development of the individual, workgroup and society.