Jan Jedelsky

Development of a realistic human airway model

Numerous models of human lungs with various levels of idealization have been reported in the literature; consequently, results acquired using these models are difficult to compare to in vivo measurements. We have developed a set of model components based on realistic geometries, which permits the analysis of the effects of subsequent model simplification. A realistic digital upper airway geometry except for the lack of an oral cavity has been created which proved suitable both for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and for the fabrication of physical models. Subsequently, an oral cavity was added to the tracheobronchial geometry. The airway geometry including the oral cavity was adjusted to enable fabrication of a semi-realistic model. Five physical models were created based on these three digital geometries. Two optically transparent models, one with and one without the oral cavity, were constructed for flow velocity measurements, two realistic segmented models, one with and one without the oral cavity, were constructed for particle deposition measurements, and a semi-realistic model with glass cylindrical airways was developed for optical measurements of flow velocity and in situ particle size measurements. One-dimensional phase doppler anemometry measurements were made and compared to the CFD calculations for this model and good agreement was obtained.

A method for in vitro regional aerosol deposition measurement in a model of the human tracheobronchial tree by the positron emission tomography

Researchers have been studying aerosol transport in human lungs for some decades. The overall lung deposition can be predicted with sufficient precision nowadays. However, the prediction of local deposition remains an unsolved problem. Numerical modeling of aerosol transport can provide detailed data with such precision and spatial resolution which were unavailable in the past. Yet, the necessary validation of numerical results represents a difficult task, as the experimental data in a sufficient spatial resolution are hardly available. This article introduces a method based on positron emission tomography, which allows acquisition of detailed experimental data on local aerosol deposition in a realistic model of human lungs. The method utilizes the Condensation Monodisperse Aerosol Generator modified for a safe production of radioactive aerosol particles and a special measuring rig. The scanning of the model is performed on a positron emission tomography–computed tomography scanner. The evaluation of aerosol deposition is based on a volume radioactivity analysis in a specialized, yet publicly available software. The reliability of the method was tested and its first results are discussed in the article. The measurements performed using the presented method can serve for validation of numerical simulations, since the presented lung model digital geometry is available.

Experimental methods for flow and aerosol measurements in human airways and their replicas

Abstract Recent developments in the prediction of local aerosol deposition in human lungs are driven by the fast development of computational simulations. Although such simulations provide results in unbeatable resolution, significant differences among distinct methods of calculation emphasize the need for highly precise experimental data in order to specify boundary conditions and for validation purposes. This paper reviews and critically evaluates available methods for the measurement of single and disperse two‐phase flows for the study of respiratory airflow and deposition of inhaled particles, performed both in vivo and in replicas of airways. Limitations and possibilities associated with the experimental methods are discussed and aspects of the computational calculations that can be validated are indicated. The review classifies the methods into following categories: 1) point‐wise and planar methods for velocimetry in the airways, 2) classic methods for the measurement of the regional distribution of inhaled particles, 3) standard medical imaging methods applicable to the measurement of the regional aerosol distribution and 4) emerging and nonconventional methods. All methods are described, applications in human airways studies are illustrated, and recommendations for the most useful applications of each method are given. Graphical abstract Figure. No caption available.

Multicomponent aerosol particle deposition in a realistic cast of the human upper respiratory tract

Abstract Inhalation of aerosols generated by electronic cigarettes leads to deposition of multiple chemical compounds in the human airways. In this work, an experimental method to determine regional deposition of multicomponent aerosols in an in vitro segmented, realistic human lung geometry was developed and applied to two aerosols, i.e. a monodisperse glycerol aerosol and a multicomponent aerosol. The method comprised the following steps: (1) lung cast model preparation, (2) aerosol generation and exposure, (3) extraction of deposited mass, (4) chemical quantification and (5) data processing. The method showed good agreement with literature data for the deposition efficiency when using a monodisperse glycerol aerosol, with a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 2.3 μm and a constant flow rate of 15 L/min. The highest deposition surface density rate was observed in the bifurcation segments, indicating inertial impaction deposition. The experimental method was also applied to the deposition of a nebulized multicomponent aerosol with a MMAD of 0.50 μm and a constant flow rate of 15 L/min. The deposited amounts of glycerol, propylene glycol and nicotine were quantified. The three analyzed compounds showed similar deposition patterns and fractions as for the monodisperse glycerol aerosol, indicating that the compounds most likely deposited as parts of the same droplets. The developed method can be used to determine regional deposition for multicomponent aerosols, provided that the compounds are of low volatility. The generated data can be used to validate aerosol deposition simulations and to gain insight in deposition of electronic cigarette aerosols in human airways.

Droplet dynamics in internally mixed twin-fluid spray

Effervescent atomizers are based on the mixing of gas with liquid prior to discharge. We describe the discharge of a two-phase mixture and movement of droplets in a gas jet using simple theoretical models, following with elucidation of droplets dynamics using experimental data for an effervescent spray. Discharge of the liquid-gas mixture from the nozzle is solved using a combination of two discharge models. Depending on operation conditions, 59– 64% of the total discharged mass corresponds to the Separated Flow Model and the rest to the Homogeneous Flow Model. Discharge velocity of the liquid is 12– 27% of the gas exit velocity. The liquid-gas velocity ratio is negatively correlated with gas-to-liquid mass ratio (GLR) and positively correlated with inlet pressure. Radial profiles of axial droplet velocity, as measured using Phase Doppler anemometry, are axisymmetric bell-shaped with a maximum in the centreline analogous to the profile defined for a simple gas jet which, however, is more flat near the centreline and declines much faster for higher radial positions. Mean velocity in individual spray positions varies with particle size within a range of several m/s typically. This variation is closely related to particle Stokes number, Stk. Variation of mean velocity with operation pressure and GLR can be explained with discharge conditions; higher pressures and GLRs lead to higher discharge velocities that are reflected in the spray downstream. Stokes numbers are generally 10 and very weakly interact with the gas.

Application of image analysis method to detection and counting of glass fibers from filter samples

ABSTRACT Man-made vitreous fibers (MMVFs) are noncrystalline substances made of glass, rock or slag and are widely used as thermal or acoustic insulation materials. There is continued concern about their potential health impacts and thus, their dosimetry and behavior in the environment still require study using filters to collect fiber samples. After deposition or exposure measurements of MMVFs it is often necessary to analyze the filters with deposited fibers. This task is tedious, time-consuming, and requires skill. Therefore, many researchers have tried to simplify or automatize fiber detection and quantification. This article describes features of our in-house software, which automatically detects and counts fibers in images of filter samples. The image analysis is based on the use of a histogram equalization and an adaptive radial convolution filter that enhances fiber contrast and thus, improves the fiber identification. The accuracy of the software analysis was verified by comparison with manual counting using ordinary phase-contrast microscopy method. The correlation between the methods was very high (coefficient of determination was 0.977). However, there were some discrepancies caused by false identifications, which led to implementation of manual corrective functions. Copyright

The automotive ventilation test case: Investigation of the velocity field downstream of a benchmark vent using smoke visualization and hot-wire anemometry

Effective operation of ventilation outlets depends on more or less apparent details in their design and on the flow history in the supply channel. Regrettably, visual appearance of the dashboard commonly receives higher priority in design because of marketing demands. This leads to incorrectly designed ducts and vents, wrongly dimensioned fans and other faults. Having limited space due to the above-mentioned restrictions, ventilation system designers should be given detailed information on the effects of various changes in the design of the duct and vent. We have developed and experimentally investigated a benchmark ventilation channel which possesses main features of vents usually installed in panel boards and which allows incorporation of various components to facilitate the investigation of their influence on the flow. The jet emerging from the vent has been studied by smoke visualization and hot-wire anemometry in three basic configurations: a straight channel, a channel with a simple bend, and a channel with a bend equipped with turning vanes. The measurements proved that the effect of insertion of the bend to the channel is significant. It changes the shape of the jet core, while insertion of the turning vanes into the bend only causes homogenization of the core without changing the jet shape. This means that it is essential to always evaluate the performance of the ventilation outlet with its supply channel, as the flow history is difficult to eliminate by simple flow conditioning fixtures, such as turning vanes. The research results as well as digital geometry of the benchmark vent are freely available to all research groups that would like to use it for validation of their numerical simulations.

Study of airflow during respiratory cycle in semi-realistic model of human tracheobronchial tree

This article deals with study of airflow under breathing process, which is characteristic by unsteady behavior. Simulations provided by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was compared with experiments performed on similar geometry of human upper airways. This geometry was represented by mouth cavity of realistic shape connected to an idealized tracheobronchial tree up to fourth generation of branching. Commercial CFD software Star-CCM+ was used to calculate airflow inside investigated geometry and method of Reynolds averaging of Navier-Stokes equations was used for subscribing the turbulent behavior through model geometry. Conditions corresponding to resting state were considered. Comparisons with experiments were provided on several points through trachea and bronchial tree and results with respect to inspiratory and respiratory part of breathing cycle was discussed.

Influence of Working Parameters and Primary Breakup Conditions on the Quality of Twin-Fluid Atomizers Spray Quality

In this study we investigated four twin-fluid atomizers with different internal mixing mechanisms: Y-jet, outside in gas (OIG), outside in liquid (OIL) and CFT atomizers. The main goal was to relate the measured droplet sizes, characterized by the Sauter mean diameter (ID32), to the corresponding working regimes of atomizers and primary breakup conditions characterized by the criterion Dmax, estimated from critical Weber number of the primary breakup. For the OIL, OIG and CFT atomizers, the common relation of the primary breakup characteristics and normalized droplet sizes (ID32/Dmax) was found. As the Y-jet atomizer showed a different trend, which was related to the considerably lower Weber numbers of the near-nozzle flow, a change in the normalization criterion was necessary to obtain similar results as for other tested atomizers. The main benefit of presented results is the potential to predict spray droplet sizes entirely from primary breakup characteristics regardless of the atomizer’s design or the atomized liquid.

Application Of Statistical Methods InHuman Airway Flow Analysis

Understanding of the air flow in human airways is the cornerstone for targeted delivery of a medication to the lungs. Direct in-vivo measurement in lungs is complicated; therefore in-vitro measurements in human lung models are frequently performed employing optical measurement methods. Irregularly sampled data acquired by Phase Doppler Anemometry in various locations of a model of human lungs for different breathing conditions were statistically processed to facilitate comparison and influence of diverse factors on the lung airflow. Tests based on signs of differences, Kendall’s rank correlation coefficient test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient test were used to detect a linear trend between the samples, while a median test of randomness and a turning point test were used to detect differences of a periodical nature. The presented statistical tools allow detection of inter-cycle variability in velocity course as well as evaluation of the influence of breathing pattern change or gradual flow development in an airway. Application of the above mentioned methods on our data confirmed the essential influence of lung geometry on flow profiles and revealed remarkable flow behaviour in the main bronchi. Usability of the statistical tools is not limited to measurements in human lung models, but can be extended to any flow measurements, for comparison of irregularly and regularly sampled data and also for comparison of numerical simulations with experiments.