A sensitivity analysis of CFD simulations of aerosols produced by metered dose inhalers in valved holding chamber

Abstract

Valved Holding Chambers (VHCs) are medical devices that improve the efficiency of inhalation therapy when using pressurized metered-dose inhalers, since they modify the aerodynamic particle size distribution of the aerosol inhaled by the patient [1]. However, the flow of the emitted aerosol is multiphasic and is influenced by many factors. Therefore, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be a valuable tool providing complementary information essential to assess, understand and evaluate the potential and performance of VHCs. The coupling of CFD and the discrete particle model (DPM) allows to simulate multiphase flows and has been widely used. However, this approach is based on many submodels and parameters, the influence of which is not always clear.