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Whatever the quality of a drug, its actual performance will be strongly affected by its delivery to the exact location in an appropriate format. Various routes can be used to transport the drug, such as the cardiovascular system, the respiratory airway, or the digestion process. Other techniques such as transdermal, ocular and cerebral delivery are widely used as well. Each method has pros and cons and may require specific injection devices. No matter which technique is used for drug delivery, a careful analysis of the entire process brings a decisive advantage to the designer. ANSYS Solutions have been successfully applied for various Drug Delivery applications:
The numerical modeling approach, using the comprehensive multiphysics available in ANSYS software, offers an elegant alternative that usefully complements and reduces clinical tests. A virtual model of the drug-dispensing device provides in-depth insight into the drug-conditioning process in droplets (nebulization) or solid agglomerates (powder inhaler) of different size, shape and weight. Furthermore, the journey and the dispersion of these droplets, particles or molecules - from the injection point inside the human body to its final destination - reveal precious information about the performance or possible weaknesses of a given delivery system early in the design process. Thanks to an unequalled depth brought by our various solutions, this virtual model of drug delivery allows quick evaluation of the relevance of a selected approach. Parameterization of the device geometry and working conditions allows optimization of both the design of the device and its modus operandi. Furthermore, the ability to consider patient-specific geometries offers the luxury of multiplying the number of virtual tests on different patients. This investigation strongly increases the confidence in the final device that will actually be manufactured and tested, therefore dramatically reducing the time to market as well as the testing and certification costs. |
Drug concentration in the artery wall induced by a drug eluting stent
Drug delivery through a catheter
Courtesy of BD Technologies and ICEM CFD Engineering
Multilumen tubing |
