Application of a Physical Model of the Human Mouth and Throat to Study the Complex Dynamics of Inhaled Aerosols

Abstract

Abstract A unique adult human mouth/throat physical model has been developed to study e-cigarette aerosol dynamics during inhalation. The 3D printed physical model was created from the CT scan of a 28 yr. old healthy male. Internal walls of the physical model were lined with a thin layer of cotton gauze that can be saturated with water to replicate the high relative humidity conditions in a human Oral/Pharyngeal cavity. Aerosol hygroscopic growth and deposition inside the physical model from a cartomizer style e-cigarette using a prototype e-liquid formulation was determined by measuring cumulative aerosol mass from five puffs (gravimetric) and for individual constituents (propylene glycol, glycerol, and nicotine) from a single puff (GC/MS analysis). Measurements were taken at constant temperature of 37 °C under both wet and dry inner wall conditions for a for a 3-sec. 55 mL puff. The condition of holding aerosol inside the physical model without airflow for a duration of 3-sec. was also included. For the same puffing conditions of 3-sec puff of 55 mL and a 3-sec. puff hold time, dry wall conditions resulted in a mean aerosol mass loss of 20.9 ± 3.8%, while the total aerosol mass was increased by 150.9 ± 19% under wet wall condition when compared to total aerosol mass entering the physical model entrance. The dramatic increase is due to water vapor uptake by the aerosol particles when flowing through the wetted physical model. Aerosol evolution of individual chemical constituent analysis appeared to vary as a function of volatility.