Sinusitis, a common disease of the maxillary sinus, is initially managed with saline solution and medication, resulting in the resolution of symptoms within a few days in most cases. However, Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgeries are recommended if pharmacological treatments prove ineffective. This research aims to investigate the effects of maxillary sinus surgery on the airflow field, pressure distribution within the nasal cavity, and overall ventilation. This study utilized a three-dimensional realistic nasal cavity model constructed from CT images of a healthy adult. Virtual surgery including uncinectomy with Middle Meatal Antrostomy, two standard procedures performed during such surgeries, was performed on the model under the supervision of a clinical specialist. Two replicas representing pre- and post-operative cases were created using 3D printing for experimental purposes. Various breathing rates ranging from 3.8 to 42.6 L/min were examined through experimental and numerical simulations. To ensure the accuracy of the numerical simulations, the results were compared to measured pressure data, showing a reasonable agreement between the two. The findings demonstrate that uncinectomy and Middle Meatal Antrostomy significantly enhance the ventilation of the maxillary sinuses. Furthermore, increasing inspiratory rates leads to further improvements in ventilation. The static pressure distribution within the maxillary sinuses remains relatively uniform, except in regions close to the sinus ostium, even after surgical intervention.

Using nasal sprays as a drug delivery method to the nasal cavity is widespread due to their convenience and effectiveness in treating various conditions. The high velocity of droplets exiting the nozzle can significantly impact the flow field, leading to changes in deposition patterns. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the interactions between the droplets and the fluid. In this research, we propose an innovative and cost-effective approach to investigate the two-way interactions between droplets and the fluid in numerical simulations of nasal sprays. We employ ultra-high-speed photography using an infinitesimal light pulse to examine spray puffs and extract droplet characteristics. We aim to determine whether the two-way interaction assumption produces significant differences in a numerical model. We first measured the droplet size distribution and spray cone angle in unconfined ambient conditions to achieve the objective. We then extended the measurement to real-sized 3D printed models of the nasal passage truncated in various sections to analyze how droplet deposition occurs in different nasal locations. We also conducted transient numerical simulations based on the measured data to investigate the importance of two-way interactions assumption. The results of the numerical simulations were then compared to the experimental results. Comparing the experimental and numerical results demonstrated that the two-way interaction assumption produced significant differences, indicating that it must be considered while modeling the nasal spray. Overall, this research's findings can significantly contribute to optimizing the design of nasal sprays and enhancing the effectiveness of drug delivery to the targeted location.

The prevailing scarcity of accurate lung models poses challenges to predicting airborne particle deposition across genders. The present work demonstrates the details of the geometrical specifications of central airways for ten healthy humans (male and female). The data were extracted from HRCT scan images with a minimum resolution of 1 mm. The images cover the trachea to all branches of the G6-G8 generations. The presented data include airway segment diameters, lengths, branching angles, and angles of inclination to gravity, in addition to their average and standard deviation. Our first goal in this study is to generate an average lung model exclusively for humans in laboratory and 1D numerical inhalation investigations. Thus, our primary emphasis in this work is to find the average suitable inclination angle in all generations of central airways for men and women by comparing the available data from previous studies. In the second part of the paper, we have also investigated the particle deposition efficiency in these ten models using the Mimetikos PreludiumTM software package. We compared the regional deposition between males and females and the available respiratory system models.

Nasal hairs, often overlooked in human respiratory system studies, can be a decisive factor in maintaining respiratory health. Vibrissae can capture a certain range of particle sizes due to their filtering function, while they may also contribute to more breathing resistance. In this study, the role of nasal hairs in particle filtration and pressure drop within the nasal vestibule was investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Seven nasal hair specifications were examined in simplified human nasal vestibule models under steady laminar flow conditions at two airflow rates of 10 and 15 L/min. The deposition of microparticles in the simulated geometries was also numerically studied. The simulation results showed that the investigated nasal hairs lead to about a 2-20 Pa increase in the pressure drop, depending on the hair specifications and airflow rates. The associated growth in nasal resistance could potentially influence breathing comfort. Additionally, nasal hair was shown to enhance particle filtration, with the deposition fraction of particles correlating with the projected area of the hairs on a normal plane to the flow direction, which goes up by an increase in the number of hairs or their length. These findings clarify the significance of nasal hairs in the respiratory system and aim to balance the trade-off between improved particle filtration and increased breathing resistance due to nasal hairs. The acquired knowledge can be used in recommendations to different individuals regarding nasal hair trimming based on their health conditions.

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. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.)

In the present work, a semi-transverse ventilation system in a long tunnel with a length of 4.9 km, as a complex case study, is numerically studied by performing a set of three-dimensional steady incompressible computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The ventilation system consisted of a ceiling duct connected to two axial fans at the ending portals, and a series of jet fans in the main tunnel for supporting airflow in the desired direction. To focus on what can and cannot be achieved in commissioning tests, the ventilation system's performance in various scenarios is numerically evaluated with two different tunnel states; empty tunnel and complete traffic congestion with 1176 stationary vehicles - which is almost impossible to evaluate during a commissioning test. By considering two hypothetical locations for the extraction zone from the main tunnel (in a distance of 450 and 1000 m from one portal), it is shown that the required number of jet fans in a traffic condition drops from 57 for the first extraction location to 43 (25% decrease) when the ventilation system extracts from the second zone. We show that if only the close axial fan to the extraction zone is activated, the required number of jet fans reduces by 56% and 72% for the first and second extraction locations, respectively. This finding can provide a cheaper and easier controlling scenario for emergency ventilation.

Treatment of sinusitis by surgical procedures is recommended only when medication therapies fail to relieve sinusitis symptoms. In this study, a realistic 3D model of the human upper airway system was constructed based on CT images of an adult male and three different virtual functional endoscopic sinus surgeries (FESS), including only uncinectomy and uncinectomy with two different sizes of Middle Meatal Antrostomy (MMA) performed on that model. Airflow and deposition of micro-particles in the range of 1–30 µm were numerically simulated in the postoperative cases for rest and moderate activity breathing conditions. The results showed that the uncinate process alone protects the maxillary sinus well against the entry of micro-particles, and its removal by uncinectomy allows particles to deposit on the sinus wall easily. Generally, uncinectomy with a degree of MMA increases the number of deposited particles in the maxillary sinuses compared to uncinectomy surgery alone. In the studied models, the highest particle deposition in the maxillary sinuses occurred among particles with a diameter of 10–20 µm. Also, if a person inhales particles during rest breathing conditions at a low respiratory rate, the number of particles deposited in the sinuses increases. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

The airflow and micro-particle dispersion in a 3-D ventilated scaled room has been simulated numerically. The flow field was studied by the Eulerian method using a Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes model, and we used the Lagrangian approach to solve the equations of particle motion. The purpose is to evaluate and compare various discrete random walk methods (DRW) and continuous random walk methods (CRW) to evaluate particle concentration distribution in indoor environments. The isotropic DRW method’s performance has been compared with models in which anisotropy of turbulence is applied, including CRW and modified DRW models based on near-wall direct numerical simulation results, near-wall kinetic energy, and the helicity of the flow. The results reveal that the isotropic DRW method can predict particle concentration in the indoor environment, and using a modified DRW model is not necessary.

Background: Inhalation and deposition of particles in human airways have attracted considerable attention due to importance of particulate pollutants, transmission of infectious diseases, and therapeutic delivery of drugs at targeted areas. We summarize current state-of-the art research in particle deposition on airway surface liquid (ASL) influenced by mucociliary clearance (MCC) by identifying areas that need further investigation. Methodology: We aim to review focus on governing and constitutive equations describing MCC geometry followed by description of mathematical modeling of ciliary forces, mucus rheology properties, and numerical approaches to solve modified time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations. We also review mathematical modeling of particle deposition in ASL influenced by MCC, particle transport in ASL in terms of Eulerian and Lagrangian approaches, and discuss the corresponding mass transport issues in this layer. Whenever required, numerical predictions are contrasted with the pertinent experimental data. Results: Results indicate that mean mucus and periciliary liquid velocities are strongly influenced by mucus rheological characteristics as well as ciliary abnormalities. However, most of the currently available literature on mucus fiber spacing, ciliary beat frequency, and particle surface chemistry is based on particle deposition on ASL by considering a fixed value of ASL velocity. The effects of real ASL flow regimes on particle deposition in this layer are limited. In addition, no other study is available on modeling nonhomogeneous and viscoelastic characteristics of mucus layer on ASL drug delivery. Conclusion: Simplification of assumptions on governing equations of drug delivery in ASL influenced by MCC leads to imposing some limitations on numerical results.