Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of Varied Cross-Sectional Areas in Sleep Apnea Individuals across Diverse Situations

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common medical condition that impacts a significant portion of the population. To better understand this condition, research has been conducted on inhaling and exhaling breathing airflow parameters in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. A steady-state Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) approach and an SST turbulence model have been utilized to simulate the upper airway airflow. A 3D airway model has been created using advanced software such as the Materialize Interactive Medical Image Control System (MIMICS) and ANSYS. The aim of the research was to fill this gap by conducting a detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to investigate the influence of cross-sectional areas on airflow characteristics during inhale and exhale breathing in OSA patients. The lack of detailed understanding of how the cross-sectional area of the airways affects OSA patients and the airflow dynamics in the upper airway is the primary problem addressed by this research. The simulations revealed that the cross-sectional area of the airway has a notable impact on velocity, Reynolds number, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). TKE, which measures turbulence flow in different breathing scenarios among patients, could potentially be utilized to assess the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This research found a vital correlation between maximum pharyngeal turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and cross-sectional areas in OSA patients, with a variance of 29.47%. Reduced cross-sectional area may result in a significant TKE rise of roughly 10.28% during inspiration and 10.18% during expiration.