Numerical simulations of airflow in the human pharynx of OSAHS patients

Abstract

Abstract: Computational Fluid Dynamic simulations are performed in real patient individual pharynx geometries of an Obstructive Sleep Apnea patient. The Navier-Stokes equations as well as the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations and k -ϵ and k -ω turbulence models are used. The velocity profile and pressure distribution of the patient without any treatment and the patient wearing a mandibular advancement appliance are compared to each other. The simulation results for the different model conditions all lead to similar results showing the robustness of the numerical solutions. The pressure loss along the pharynx is lower in the presence of a mandibular appliance, which can indicate the reduction of OSAHS severity.