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Analysis of Velocity and Vorticities Using Numerical Simulation

Shigeru Ishikawa, MD, PhD; Toshio Nakayama, PhD; Masahiro Watanabe, PhD; Teruo Matsuzawa, PhD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2006;132:1203-1209.

Objectives  To visualize the velocity gradients and the vorticities of physiological unsteady nasal flow using the computational fluid dynamics method and to compare the inspiratory phase and expiratory phase flow patterns.

Design  An anatomically correct 3-dimensional nasal and pharyngeal cavity was constructed from computed tomographic images of a healthy adult nose and pharynx. The unsteady state Navier-Stokes and continuity equations were solved numerically on inspiratory and expiratory nasal flow.

Setting  Numerical simulation application.

Participants  Coronary and axial computed tomographic images from a healthy adult were used.

Main Outcome Measures  The detailed velocity distribution and vorticity (resistance) distribution of nasal airflow were visualized using the computational fluid dynamics method (an imaging technology for regional flow factors [velocity, vector, streamline, and vortex]).

Results  In the inspiratory phase, a high-velocity area was prominent in the middle meatus, and the highest vorticity area had good agreement with this region. In the expiratory phase, the distributions of velocity and vorticities were flatter than those in the inspiratory phase.

Conclusion  The computational fluid dynamics model allows the investigation of airflow elements under physiological conditions, as well as the examination of the effect of nasal structure.

Author Affiliations: Department of Otolaryngology, Kanazawa Municipal Hospital, Kanazawa (Dr Ishikawa), and Center for Information Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Asahidai, Nomi (Drs Nakayama, Wantanabe, and Matsuzawa), Ishikawa, Japan.

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