Numerical simulation of soft palate movement and airflow in human upper airway by fluid-structure interaction method  

作　　者：Xiuzhen Sun Chi Yu Yuefang Wang Yingxi Liu State Key Lab.of Struct.Anal.for Ind.Equip.,Dalian University of Technology,Dalian 116024,China The Second Affiliated Hospital,Dalian Medical University,Dalian 116027,China 

出　　处：《Acta Mechanica Sinica》2007年第4期359-367,共9页力学学报（英文版）

基　　金：The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(10672036,10472025 and 10421002);the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province(20032109)

摘　　要：In this paper, the authors present airflow field characteristics of human upper airway and soft palate movement attitude during breathing. On the basis of the data taken from the spiral computerized tomography images of a healthy person and a patient with Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome （OSAHS）, three-dimensional models of upper airway cavity and soft palate are reconstructed by the method of surface rendering. Numerical simulation is performed for airflow in the upper airway and displacement of soft palate by fluid-structure interaction analysis. The reconstructed threedimensional models precisely preserve the original configuration of upper airways and soft palate. The results of the pressure and velocity distributions in the airflow field are quantitatively determined, and the displacement of soft palate is presented. Pressure gradients of airway are lower for the healthy person and the airflow distribution is quite uniform in the case of free breathing. However, the OSAHS patient remarkably escalates both the pressure and velocity in the upper airway, and causes higher displacement of the soft palate. The present study is useful in revealing pathogenesis and quantitative mutual relationship between configuration and function of the upper airway as well as in diagnosingdiseases related to anatomical structure and function of the upper airway.In this paper, the authors present airflow field characteristics of human upper airway and soft palate movement attitude during breathing. On the basis of the data taken from the spiral computerized tomography images of a healthy person and a patient with Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome （OSAHS）, three-dimensional models of upper airway cavity and soft palate are reconstructed by the method of surface rendering. Numerical simulation is performed for airflow in the upper airway and displacement of soft palate by fluid-structure interaction analysis. The reconstructed threedimensional models precisely preserve the original configuration of upper airways and soft palate. The results of the pressure and velocity distributions in the airflow field are quantitatively determined, and the displacement of soft palate is presented. Pressure gradients of airway are lower for the healthy person and the airflow distribution is quite uniform in the case of free breathing. However, the OSAHS patient remarkably escalates both the pressure and velocity in the upper airway, and causes higher displacement of the soft palate. The present study is useful in revealing pathogenesis and quantitative mutual relationship between configuration and function of the upper airway as well as in diagnosingdiseases related to anatomical structure and function of the upper airway.

关 键 词：Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome Upper airway Soft palate Three-dimensional finiteelement reconstruction Fluid-structure interaction Numerical simulation 

分 类 号：O211.5[理学—概率论与数理统计]