The effects of upper airway tissue motion on airflow dynamics

JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS

卷:99

Article

Zhao, Yongling^1,2  Raco, Joel³  Kourmatzis, Agisilaos¹  Diasinos, Sammy³  Chan, Hak-Kim⁴  Yang, Runyu⁵  Cheng, Shaokoon³ 

[1] Univ Sydney, Sch Aerosp Mech & Mechatron Engn, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

[2] Swiss Fed Inst Technol, Dept Mech & Proc Engn, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland

[3] Macquarie Univ, Sch Engn, N Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia

[4] Univ Sydney, Sch Pharm, Adv Drug Delivery Grp, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

[5] UNSW Sydney, Sch Mat Sci & Engn, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia

关键词: Flow dynamics;    Upper airway;    Particle image velocimetry;    Tissue motion;    Drug delivery;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.109506

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

The human upper airway is not only geometrically complex, but it can also deform dynamically as a result of active muscle contraction and motility during respiration. How the active transformation of the airway geometry affects airflow dynamics during respiration is not well understood despite the importance of this knowledge towards improving current understanding of particle transport and deposition. In this study, particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the fluid dynamics are presented in a physiologically realistic human upper airway replica for (i) the undeformed case and (ii) the case where realistic soft tissue motion during breathing is emulated. Results from this study show that extrathoracic wall motion alters the flow field significantly such that the fluid dynamics is distinctly different from the undeformed airway. Distinctive flow field patterns in the physiologically realistic airway include (i) fluid recirculation at the back of the tongue and cranial to the tip of the epiglottis during mid-inspiration, (ii) horizontal and posteriorly directed flow at the back of tongue at the peak of inspiration and (iii) a more homogeneous flow across the airway downstream from the epiglottis. These findings suggest that the active deformation of the human upper airway may potentially influence particle transport and deposition at the back of the tongue and therefore, highlights the importance of considering extrathoracic wall motion in future airway flow studies. Crown Copyright (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free