An inhalation air flow pattern in human respiratory tract: Partial secretion block case

One of the most important organ system in the body is a pulmonary system. This system is function to move gas in and out from lungs or called ventilation function. At the pulmonary capillary vessel network, oxygen diffuse into an alveolar while carbondioxide diffuse out causing a gas exchange function. In the case of an artificial ventilation, patient needs to be intubated with an endotracheal tube and supported by a ventilator to control his ventilation. In such this case, secretion or fluid mucus is produced increasingly within a patient airway tract due to an airway irritation and/or induced by a pulmonary disease such as COPD, airway inflammation. The accumulation of this fluid secretion is not only increasing an airway resistance but also causing an airway obstruction due to a high viscous mucus or phlegm formation. In this paper, we present an investigation on a pattern of an inhalation air flow in a respiratory tract near Carina portion. The study was performed by using a simulation of an airflow pattern, pressure contour and streamline profile in a clear airway case and a partial obstructed by an accumulated phlegm case. Even though, the simulation was implemented in a simple airway model however, the obtain results imply us a practical information and will be used as a basic implementation for a further investigation, particularly in case of artificial ventilation with a variety of ventilation mode and parameter in the near future.