kth.sePublications KTH
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Flow dynamics and pressure modulation in a patient-specific upper airway using a pulsating nasal jet
Depatment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 598 Rhodes Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, United States.
KTH, School of Engineering Sciences (SCI), Engineering Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics. (FLOW)ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0543-5148
Department of Otolaryngology, Medical Science Building, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, United States.
2026 (English)In: Scientific Reports, E-ISSN 2045-2322, Vol. 16, no 1, article id 21288Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Pulsating airflow jets delivered via nasal cannula offer a promising, comfortable, non-invasive alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the fluid dynamic mechanisms by which pulsatile flow influences upper airway pressure remain poorly understood in anatomically realistic geometries. This study used large eddy simulations (LES) to examine pressure and flow characteristics of pulsating nasal jets within a patient-specific upper airway model. Two airflow conditions were simulated: (1) steady high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) at 40 L/min and (2) pulsatile flow at 20 Hz with a 30% duty cycle, matched to the same mean flow rate. Each pulse generated a vortex ring that impinged on the nasal walls, creating localized high-pressure regions and asymmetric shear stress. Compared to steady flow, the pulsatile jet increased time-averaged pharyngeal pressure by up to 50%. Spectral analysis revealed that the 20 Hz pressure oscillations were primarily confined to the upper airway, with substantial attenuation through the pharyngeal–laryngeal region and negligible coherent oscillatory content by the trachea. These effects, shaped by jet-wall interactions in complex anatomy, diverge from classical vortex dynamics. Pulsatile nasal flow may offer a precise, geometry-responsive method for upper airway stabilization, suggesting a path toward a more tolerable, mask-free alternative to CPAP for OSA therapy.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Nature , 2026. Vol. 16, no 1, article id 21288
National Category
Fluid Mechanics Respiratory Medicine and Allergy
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-385568DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-52238-8PubMedID: 42106481Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105044035085OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-385568DiVA, id: diva2:2086696
Note

QC 20260715

Available from: 2026-07-15 Created: 2026-07-15 Last updated: 2026-07-15Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textPubMedScopus

Authority records

Sundström, Elias

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Sundström, Elias
By organisation
Fluid Mechanics
In the same journal
Scientific Reports
Fluid MechanicsRespiratory Medicine and Allergy

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn
Total: 4 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf