Computational Study of Magnetic Particle Motion inside the Nasal Cavity under the Impact of an External Magnetic Field for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The blood–brain barrier is a highly selective semipermeable border that separates blood circulation from the brain and hinders the accumulation of substances in the central nervous system. Hence, a treatment plan aiming to combat neurodegenerative diseases may be restricted. The exploitation of the nose–brain pathway could be a promising bypass method. However, pharmaceutical uptake through the olfactory epithelium is insignificant in terms of treatment, if relying only on fluid dynamic interactions. The main reasons for this are the highly complicated geometry of the nose and the residence time of the substance. The issue can be tackled by using magnetic particles as drug carriers. With the application of an external magnetic field, further control of the particle motion can be achieved, leading to increased uptake. The present work studies this approach computationally by employing magnetite particles with a radius of 7.5 μm while a magnetic field is applied with a permanent neodymium-iron-boron magnet of 9.5×105  A/m magnetization. Through this investigation, the best drug delivery protocol achieved a 2% delivery efficiency. The most significant advantage of this protocol is its straightforward design, which does not require complex equipment, thus rendering the protocol portable and manageable for frequent dosing or at-home administration.