Computer-Aided Medication for Exhalation Through Nose Treatment

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K06098
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Fluid engineering
• Research Institution: Gifu National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Yamamoto Takahisa 岐阜工業高等専門学校, その他部局等, 准教授 (10345960)
• Research Collaborator: KOBAYASHI Yoshiki 関西医科大学
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 数値流体力学 / バイオ流体力学 / 経鼻呼出療法 / エアロゾル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Aerosol medicine exhalation through nose treatment (ETN) has conducted as an effective treatment for Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinusitis (ECRS). In ETN, the patient inhales aerosol of corticosteroid medicine from mouth using portable inhaler. Then the patient exhales through nose. It is inferred that the aerosol is transported to both middle meatus and ethmoid sinuses during the exhalation. This study conducted Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurement and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of aerosol transport phenomena in order to evaluate the therapeutic effect of ETN numerically. As a result of the analysis, aerosol deposition characteristics was summarized as a function of Stokes number (particle diameter and flow rate). Aerosol deposition on ethmoid sinuses increased in the exhalation conditions of Stokes number 10,000 - 100,000. This study revealed that PIV and CFD analysis are able to estimate optimal exhalation conditions for each ECRS patient.

Free Research Field

流体工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

経鼻呼出療法は好酸球性副鼻腔炎に有効であるものの，人為的な呼出により薬剤を病巣に輸送するため，治療効果発現に個人差が現れやすい。本研究では工学的な見地から呼出条件と薬剤の輸送特性との相関を明らかにした。その結果，経鼻呼出時の薬エアロゾルの輸送・沈着メカニズムを明らかにするとともに，個々の患者にとって治療効果発現が顕著となると考えられる呼出条件を明らかにした。本研究にて確立した解析手法，評価手法（本研究ではこれらをComputer-Aided Medicationと呼ぶ）を用いることにより，経鼻呼出療法における個々の患者に対応したテーラーメイド治療の展開が可能となると考えられる。