OCRID Pilot Project Leader Uses AI to Improve Inhaled Drug Delivery
10-05-2026
Dr. Yu Feng is advancing research on AI-driven technology designed to help inhaled medication reach the smallest airways more effectively
Researchers at Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology have developed a computational framework combining fluid-particle dynamics and artificial intelligence to improve the delivery of inhaled medications. The research aims to address a longstanding challenge in respiratory treatment: ensuring that medications reach the small airways where diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can cause significant dysfunction.
Dr. Feng, an Associate Professor in OSU’s School of Chemical Engineering and an OCRID Phase I & II Pilot Project Leader, is part of the multidisciplinary research team. His work combines computational modeling and machine learning to better understand how airflow and inhaled medications distribute in the lungs.
The team’s approach uses detailed computer simulations of the respiratory system to study how factors such as breathing patterns, particle size, and inhaler settings influence medication delivery. Particle backtracking was used to identify optimal nozzle locations and diameter for more uniform delivery across the lungs. Using 108 high-fidelity computer simulations in a subject-specific airway model, the researchers identified configurations that improved medication distribution across the lung while reducing deposition in unintended regions.
This research lays the groundwork for a new generation of smart inhalers that could adapt medication delivery to individual patients. By improving how medications reach targeted areas of the lungs, this technology has the potential to support more effective respiratory treatments while reducing medication waste and unintended deposition.
The research highlights how engineering and artificial intelligence can be applied to respiratory health challenges, supporting OCRID’s mission to advance research in respiratory and infectious diseases.
Read the full article: OSU researchers using AI to help inhalers reach the smallest airways