2024/06/14 by Saikat Basu, Basu, Saikat, Leonardo P. Chamorro +5
Medicine · #FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn) #Inhalation and Respiratory Drug Delivery
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2406.09708
openalex publication_date 2024/06/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Localized vortices can have significant influence on transport of inhaled particles through the upper respiratory tract. These vortices have complex three-dimensional structure with details dependent on the anatomical geometry. Using a highly simplified model, we demonstrate that changes in transport characteristics with geometric distortion can be estimated by accounting merely for the net strength and location of the vorticity in a two-dimensional projection. Test cases consider 30 L/min inhaled airflow containing suspended spherical water droplets from 1 micrometer to 30 micrometers in diameter through (1) a healthy upper respiratory tract and (2) a distorted variation mimicking a glottic tumor. The reduced-order model approximates the system by a two-dimensional potential flow with embedded point vortices having features derived from Large Eddy Simulations of inhaled airflow through anatomically realistic, tomography-based, three-dimensional tracts. The effects of vorticity and particle size on changes in particle transport are shown to be consistent between the reduced-order model and the full-scale simulations.