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A quasi-realistic computational model development and flow field study of the human upper and central airways

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Abstract

The impact of drug delivery and particulate matter exposure on the human respiratory tract is influenced by various anatomical and physiological factors, particularly the structure of the respiratory tract and its fluid dynamics. This study employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate airflow in two 3D models of the human air conducting zone. The first model uses a combination of CT-scan images and geometrical data from human cadaver to extract the upper and central airways down to the ninth generation, while the second model develops the lung airways from the first Carina to the end of the ninth generation using Kitaoka’s deterministic algorithm. The study examines the differences in geometrical characteristics, airflow rates, velocity, Reynolds number, and pressure drops of both models in the inhalation and exhalation phases for different lobes and generations of the airways. From trachea to the ninth generation, the average air flowrates and Reynolds numbers exponentially decay in both models during inhalation and exhalation. The steady drop is the case for the average air velocity in Kitaoka’s model, while that experiences a maximum in the 3rd or 4th generation in the quasi-realistic model. Besides, it is shown that the flow field remains laminar in the upper and central airways up to the total flow rate of 15 l/min. The results of this work can contribute to the understanding of flow behavior in upper respiratory tract.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Rezazadeh & Omid Abouali

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

    Alireza Dastan

  3. Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, KTH University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Sasan Sadrizadeh & Omid Abouali

  4. School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden

    Sasan Sadrizadeh

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  1. Mohammad Reza Rezazadeh
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  4. Omid Abouali
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Contributions

OA proposed the idea and designed the main theme of the research. MRR produced the computational models, performed the simulations, reported the results for discussion, and prepared a draft manuscript. AD re-designed the manuscript structure and was a major contributor to writing it. All authors equally contributed to the discussions and drew appropriate conclusions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Sasan Sadrizadeh or Omid Abouali.

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Rezazadeh, M.R., Dastan, A., Sadrizadeh, S. et al. A quasi-realistic computational model development and flow field study of the human upper and central airways. Med Biol Eng Comput 62, 3025–3041 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-024-03117-9

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