Measurement, reconstruction and flow-field computation of the human pharynx with application to sleep apnea
Repetitive closure of the upper airway characterizes obstructive sleep apnea. It disrupts sleep causing excessive daytime drowsiness and is linked to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Previous studies simulating the underlying fluid mechanics are based upon geometries, time-averaged over the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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IEEE
2010
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/40359 |
| _version_ | 1848755849463332864 |
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| author | Lucey, Anthony King, Andrew Tetlow, G. Wang, Jian De Armstrong, J. Leigh, M. Paduch, A. Walsh, J. Sampson, D. Eastwood, P. Hillman, D. |
| author_facet | Lucey, Anthony King, Andrew Tetlow, G. Wang, Jian De Armstrong, J. Leigh, M. Paduch, A. Walsh, J. Sampson, D. Eastwood, P. Hillman, D. |
| author_sort | Lucey, Anthony |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Repetitive closure of the upper airway characterizes obstructive sleep apnea. It disrupts sleep causing excessive daytime drowsiness and is linked to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Previous studies simulating the underlying fluid mechanics are based upon geometries, time-averaged over the respiratory cycle, obtained usually via MRI or CT scans. Here, we generate an anatomically correct geometry from data captured in vivo by an endoscopic optical technique. This allows quantitative real-time imaging of the internal cross section with minimal invasiveness. The steady inhalation flow field is computed using a k-ω shear-stress transport (SST) turbulence model. Simulations reveal flow mechanisms that produce low-pressure regions on the sidewalls of the pharynx and on the soft palate within the pharyngeal section of minimum area. Soft-palate displacement and side-wall deformations further reduce the pressures in these regions, thus creating forces that would tend to narrow the airway. These phenomena suggest a mechanism for airway closure in the lateral direction as clinically observed. Correlations between pressure and airway deformation indicate that quantitative prediction of the low-pressure regions for an individual are possible. The present predictions warrant and can guide clinical investigation to confirm the phenomenology and its quantification, while the overall approach represents an advancement toward patient-specific modeling. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:02:50Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-40359 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:02:50Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-403592017-09-13T16:01:02Z Measurement, reconstruction and flow-field computation of the human pharynx with application to sleep apnea Lucey, Anthony King, Andrew Tetlow, G. Wang, Jian De Armstrong, J. Leigh, M. Paduch, A. Walsh, J. Sampson, D. Eastwood, P. Hillman, D. Computational fluid dynamics sleep apnea optical coherence tomography (OCT) image processing upper airway anatomy Repetitive closure of the upper airway characterizes obstructive sleep apnea. It disrupts sleep causing excessive daytime drowsiness and is linked to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Previous studies simulating the underlying fluid mechanics are based upon geometries, time-averaged over the respiratory cycle, obtained usually via MRI or CT scans. Here, we generate an anatomically correct geometry from data captured in vivo by an endoscopic optical technique. This allows quantitative real-time imaging of the internal cross section with minimal invasiveness. The steady inhalation flow field is computed using a k-ω shear-stress transport (SST) turbulence model. Simulations reveal flow mechanisms that produce low-pressure regions on the sidewalls of the pharynx and on the soft palate within the pharyngeal section of minimum area. Soft-palate displacement and side-wall deformations further reduce the pressures in these regions, thus creating forces that would tend to narrow the airway. These phenomena suggest a mechanism for airway closure in the lateral direction as clinically observed. Correlations between pressure and airway deformation indicate that quantitative prediction of the low-pressure regions for an individual are possible. The present predictions warrant and can guide clinical investigation to confirm the phenomenology and its quantification, while the overall approach represents an advancement toward patient-specific modeling. 2010 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/40359 10.1109/TBME.2010.2052808 IEEE restricted |
| spellingShingle | Computational fluid dynamics sleep apnea optical coherence tomography (OCT) image processing upper airway anatomy Lucey, Anthony King, Andrew Tetlow, G. Wang, Jian De Armstrong, J. Leigh, M. Paduch, A. Walsh, J. Sampson, D. Eastwood, P. Hillman, D. Measurement, reconstruction and flow-field computation of the human pharynx with application to sleep apnea |
| title | Measurement, reconstruction and flow-field computation of the human pharynx with application to sleep apnea |
| title_full | Measurement, reconstruction and flow-field computation of the human pharynx with application to sleep apnea |
| title_fullStr | Measurement, reconstruction and flow-field computation of the human pharynx with application to sleep apnea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Measurement, reconstruction and flow-field computation of the human pharynx with application to sleep apnea |
| title_short | Measurement, reconstruction and flow-field computation of the human pharynx with application to sleep apnea |
| title_sort | measurement, reconstruction and flow-field computation of the human pharynx with application to sleep apnea |
| topic | Computational fluid dynamics sleep apnea optical coherence tomography (OCT) image processing upper airway anatomy |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/40359 |