Nasal Airflow Comparison in Neonates, Infant and Adult Nasal Cavities using Computational Fluid Dynamics

AbstractComputer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a popular method for studying airflow of nasal cavities. However, the data of CFD studies has rarely been validated through experiments. To test the accuracy of CFD computation, we studied the consistency of the air pressure of nasal cavities in the CFD and the experiment. A proportional resin model of a normal human subject’s nasal cavities was created by a 3-d printer with a precision value of 0.1mm. The pressure of 63 check points in the nasal cavities in different breathing states was measured. The experimental data was compared with the data obtained by CFD simulation. At the flow rates of 180 ml s-1 and 560 ml s-1, the pressure in all check points remained highly consistent with the CFD data. At 1100 ml s-1 flow rate, there was a significant deviation in the posterior segment of the nasal cavity during exhalation. The method used in this study to measure the pressure in the nasal cavities can be used in experimental validation of CFD data. The computational methods and the boundary conditions used in this study resulted in a high agreement between the results of the CFD simulation and the experiment.Author SummaryIn the contemporary era, Computer fluid dynamics (CFD) is the mainstream method for studying air flow. Due to the complex anatomical structure of the nasal cavity, the CFD results of the nasal flow have rarely been experimentally verified. This study provides a method to verify the methods and results of nasal CFD. We printed an accurate model of a normal person’s nasal cavity with a high-precision 3D printer. In this nasal cavity model, we set 63 small holes to detect the air pressure of the places we concerned. Three different nasal flow quantity are used to represent different breathing conditions: high (1100 ml s-1), medium (560 ml s-1), and low (180 ml s-1). In medium and low nasal flow quantities, our CFD results are in good agreement with the experimental pressure values. On this basis, we analyzed the characteristics of nasal airflow in normal people. The method used in this study to measure the pressure in the nasal cavities can be used in experimental measurements of the partial resistance of the nasal cavity. With proper modification, it can be applied to the clinical practice for nasal resistance, giving more help for the design of the operation plan.

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Nasal airflow in the pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) based on a combined histological, computed tomographic and computational fluid dynamics methodology

Journal of Experimental Biology ◽

10.1242/jeb.207605 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 222 (23) ◽

pp. jeb207605 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Timothy D. Smith ◽

Brent A. Craven ◽

Serena M. Engel ◽

Christopher J. Bonar ◽

Valerie B. DeLeon

Keyword(s):

Fluid Dynamics ◽

Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽

Nasal Airflow ◽

Slow Loris ◽

Computed Tomographic

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Creation of an idealized nasopharynx geometry for accurate computational fluid dynamics simulations of nasal airflow in patient-specific models lacking the nasopharynx anatomy

International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering ◽

10.1002/cnm.2825 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (5) ◽

pp. e2825 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Azadeh A.T. Borojeni ◽

Dennis O. Frank-Ito ◽

Julia S. Kimbell ◽

John S. Rhee ◽

Guilherme J.M. Garcia

Keyword(s):

Fluid Dynamics ◽

Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Nasal Airflow ◽

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations ◽

Dynamics Simulations

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An Overview of Computational Fluid Dynamics Preoperative Analysis of the Nasal Airway

Facial Plastic Surgery ◽

10.1055/s-0041-1722956 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rui Xavier ◽

Dirk-Jan Menger ◽

Henrique Cyrne de Carvalho ◽

Jorge Spratley

Keyword(s):

Fluid Dynamics ◽

Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽

Surgical Techniques ◽

Virtual Surgery ◽

Nasal Airway ◽

Cfd Analysis ◽

Nasal Airflow ◽

Nasal Breathing ◽

Objective Measurements ◽

Patient Reported

AbstractEvaluation of the nasal airway is crucial for every patient with symptoms of nasal obstruction as well as for every patient with other nasal symptoms. This assessment of the nasal airway comprises clinical examination together with imaging studies, with the correlation between findings of this evaluation and symptoms reported by the patient being based on the experience of the surgeon. Measuring nasal airway resistance or nasal airflow can provide additional data regarding the nasal airway, but the benefit of these objective measurements is limited due to their lack of correlation with patient-reported evaluation of nasal breathing. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has emerged as a valuable tool to assess the nasal airway, as it provides objective measurements that correlate with patient-reported evaluation of nasal breathing. CFD is able to evaluate nasal airflow and measure variables such as heat transfer or nasal wall shear stress, which seem to reflect the activity of the nasal trigeminal sensitive endings that provide sensation of nasal breathing. Furthermore, CFD has the unique capacity of making airway analysis of virtual surgery, predicting airflow changes after trial virtual modifications of the nasal airway. Thereby, CFD can assist the surgeon in deciding surgery and selecting the surgical techniques that better address the features of each specific nose. CFD has thus become a trend in nasal airflow assessment, providing reliable results that have been validated for analyzing airflow in the human nasal cavity. All these features make CFD analysis a mainstay in the armamentarium of the nasal surgeon. CFD analysis may become the gold standard for preoperative assessment of the nasal airway.

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