Science Concepts:  intermolecular forces, fluid mechanics, energy transduction, wave mechanics, function of the respiratory tract, nature of asthma

Activities featured: design of a medicinal powder particle, determination of excitation frequencies of various powders, analysis and construction of mechanical waveforms using computer simulations

Physics Standard Course of Study Objectives addressed: 1.01-1.05, 4.01-4.07, 7.01, 7.04

            This Field Study addresses the problems involved in the development of a novel Dry Powder Inhaler which could be used for the treatment of asthma.  Students review the causes and effects of asthma and how those can be addressed through an engineering solution.  Other problems studied include the interaction between powdered medicine particles and possible engineering solutions to those issues.

            Oriel’s innovation deals with the use of energy to aerosolize medicine particles.  Students study how electrical waveforms can be transduced into mechanical energy and then conduct a capstone lab in which they expose powders of various characteristics to electrical waveforms to determine how easily they can be aerosolized.  Students develop the criteria upon which the effectiveness of their experiments are evaluated and present their research to the group.

Student Profile

This unit is appropriate for students in Standard, Honors, or AP Physics.  The content is sufficiently flexible to accommodate students from entry-level to highly advanced. The unit uses a non-mathematical treatment of concepts.