The design and production of honey-encapsulated particles and a cost-effective nebuliser to help quantify cilia function

Date
2022-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) was identified as the third leading cause of death in 2019, following ischaemic heart diseases and strokes, respectively, and making up 6% of total deaths [1]. In 2019, 3.32 million people died as a result of COPD, and 80% of the deaths recorded were from low- and middle-income countries [1]. COPD is normally caused by a rare genetic condition or by external factors, some of which include inhalation of harmful particles, smoke and indoor or outdoor pollution. The low- and middle-income classes are largely affected by COPD due to insufficient ventilation in their homes. As electricity may not be readily available in the areas where they live, biomass fuel and coals are generally used for cooking and as a source of heat [2]. The exposure of people of any age to these poorly ventilated areas, could also result in asthma, a very common lung disease, which affected as many as 262 million people worldwide in 2019. In 2021, asthma was classified as the most common chronic disease amongst children. This thesis entails the design and development of a diagnostic test to assist in the determination of the severity of damage in lung function from chronic lung diseases. It investigates the possibility of finding a more cost-effective and safer option for diagnostic testing than the current cilia function test on the market. An air valve was designed with CAD to turn a common everyday plastic bottle into an air compressor that can be used to nebuliser medication into the lungs. Two different prototypes were made as the first device designed had parts that kept failing. The second prototype, which had an added safety feature of an air release valve should the bottle exceed 100 psi, also did not function properly as the valve could not be made airtight. Even though these designs were not 100% successful, this study shows that the device is still a possibility if the flaws are fixed. Given their natural fluorescence, honey micro-particles were designed and produced for the diagnostic test using the water-in-oil-in-water solvent evaporation method. Eight unique experiments were performed to determine the optimal method of encapsulating honey in the desired size of 50-100 m. A comparative experiment was also performed against a contrast medium already used for diagnostics in x-ray scans to determine whether it could be used as an effective alternative. The micro-particles produced were in the desired size range and a drug loading efficiency of 49.235 % was reached, indicating that almost half of the particle’s weight consisted of honey.
AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Chroniese obstruktiewe pulmonale versteuring (COPV), is in 2019 as die derde grootste oorsaak van sterftes werelwyd geidentifiseer. Dit was slegs oortref deur hartkwale en beroertes [1]. Ongeveer 3,32 miljoen mense of 6% van die wereldbevolking het daaraan beswyk en 80% van hulle was van die lae en middel inkomste lande. COPV word gewoonlik veroorsaak deur ‘n skaars genetiese toestand of alternatiewelik deur eksterne faktore wat onder andere inaseming van skadelike partikels, rook asook binne- en buitemuurse besoedeling insluit. Die lae en middel inkomste groepe word grootliks deur COPV geraak danksy onvoldoende ventilasie in hul woonplekke. Aangesien elektrisiteit nie altyd in die areas geredelik beskikbaar is nie word daar van meer skadelike brandstowwe soos byvoordbeeld steenkool gebruik gemaak om onder andere kos te kook en hitte te verskaf [2]. Die blootstelling aan hierdie areas met swak ventilasie kan op enige ouderdom aanleiding gee tot asma, ‘n algemene longkwaal, wat tot 262 miljoen mense wereldwyd raak. Asma is in 2021 geklassifiseer as die mees algemene chroniese siekte wat onder kinders voorkom. Hierdie proefskrif handel oor die ontwerp en ontwikkeling van ‘n diagnostiese toets wat sal help om die erns van die skade aan longe as gevolg van die kroniese long siektes te bepaal. Dit ondersoek die moontlikheid van ‘n meer koste effektiewe en veiliger toets as die silia funksie toets wat huidiglik in die mark beskikbaar is. ’n Lugklep is ontwerp in CAD om ’n gewone alledaagse plastiekbottel in ’n lugkompres-sor te verander wat gebruik kan word om medikasie in die longe te vernevel. Twee verskillende prototipes is gemaak aangesien die eerste een toestel wat ontwerp is, onderdele gehad het wat aanhoudend misluk het. Die tweede prototipe met die ekstra veiligheidskenmerk van die lugvrylaatklep vir as die bottel ’n 100 psi oorskry, het ook nie behoorlik gefunksioneer nie, aangesien daardie bykomende kenmerk nie lugdig gemaak kon word nie. Alhoewel hierdie ontwerpe nie 100% suksesvol was nie, toon hierdie studie dat die toestel steeds ’n moontlikheid is as die foute reggestel word. Heuningdeeltjies is ontwerp en vervaardig vir die diagnostiese toets. Agt verskillende eksperimente is uitgevoer om die beste manier te bepaal om heuning in te kapsel en ’n verlangde grootte van 50-100 m te bereik. ’n Vergelyking is ook gedoen met ’n kontrasmedium wat reeds vir diagnostiek in X-straalskanderings gebruik word, om te bepaal of heuning as alternatief gebruik kan word. Die partikels wat geproduseer is, was in die verlangde groottereeks en ’n geneesmiddelladingsdoeltreffendheid van 49,235% is bereik, wat beteken dat die byna die helfte van die partikelgewig uit heuning bestaan het.
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Lungs -- Diseases, Obstructive, Coronary heart disease, Air-compressors, Respiratory therapy, UCTD
Citation