CORRELATION BETWEEN CELL SURVIVAL AND ATOMIZATION CHARACTERISTICS IN AIR-ASSISTED BRONCHOSCOPIC SPRAYING

Atomization and Sprays, vol. 31, pp. 13–32

Abstract

A novel bronchoscopic spraying device is presented as new therapeutic technique for treatment of lung injuries, such as the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The device circumvents the upper airway generations and allows the application of cells or drugs by atomizing suspensions directly within the human lung. The spray system features a modular nozzle with coaxial dispersion gas that can be coupled with commercially available bronchoscopes. In this study, the suitability of the device for spray-based application of mesenchymal stem cells is evaluated and the influence of individual atomization mechanisms on cell destruction is investigated. The mean droplet size and cell survival rate is predicted as function of gas velocity. Cell survival is found to depend linearly on the ligament acceleration that follows the Rayleigh-Taylor instability along the atomization cascade.

Authors 6

1. Stefanie Gürzing Aachen Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

2. Sarah Klein Aachen Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME – Institute of Applied Medical Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME – Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

3. Georg Möller Aachen Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

4. Anja Lena Thiebes Aachen Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME – Institute of Applied Medical Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME – Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

5. Christian Gabriel Cornelissen Aachen Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME – Institute of Applied Medical Engineering

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex) AME – Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

6. Manuel Armin Reddemann Aachen Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany