Creation of a standardized geometry of the human nasal cavity

Abstract

A novel, standardized geometry of the human nasal cavity was created by aligning and processing 30 sets of computed tomography (CT) scans of nasal airways of healthy subjects. Digital three-dimensional (3-D) geometries of the 60 single human nasal cavities (30 right and 30 mirrored left cavities) were generated from the CT scans and measurements of physical parameters of each single nasal cavity were performed. A methodology was developed to scale, orient, and align the nasal geometries, after which 2-D digital coronal cross-sectional slices were generated. With the use of an innovative image processing algorithm, median cross-sectional geometries were created to match median physical parameters while retaining the unique geometric features of the human nasal cavity. From these idealized 2-D images, an original 3-D standardized median human nasal cavity was created. This new standardized geometry was compared against the original geometries of all subjects as well as limited existing data from the literature. The new model has potential for use as a geometric standard in future experimental and numerical studies of deposition of inhaled aerosols, as well as for use as a reference during diagnosis of unhealthy patients. The specific procedure developed could also be applied to build standard nasal geometries for different identifiable groups within the larger population.

Subject-variability effects on micron particle deposition in human nasal cavities

“…The details regarding image segmentation and geometry development are provided in Kabilan et al (2016). The third model (subject C) was developed by Liu, Johnson, Matida, Kherani, and Marsan (2009). This standardized geometry of the human nasal cavity was created by computing and averaging 30 sets of computed tomography (CT) scans of nasal airways of healthy subjects.…”

“…This standardized geometry of the human nasal cavity was created by computing and averaging 30 sets of computed tomography (CT) scans of nasal airways of healthy subjects. All the details of the nasal cavity standardized are provided in Liu et al (2009). Table 1 summerizes the geometrical features and dimensions for the three subjects.…”

Decomposition and Description of the Nasal Cavity Form

“…In a complementary approach, a modal analysis technique applied to a reduced medial axes representation of the inferior meatus demonstrated a means to deconstruct the complex anatomy into its constituent geometric features [12]. More recently a standardised nasal cavity geometry was proposed by [6] that was formulated by averaging binary images of cross-sections of previously scaled and aligned geometries. However, this approach did not yield a compact representation of the geometry studied but simply a means to obtain an average.…”

CFD Transient Simulation of a Breathing Cycle in an Oral-Nasal Extrathoracic Model

“…Some attempts to develop a standardised full airway geometry have been made by Liu et al (2009). The developed model was obtained as a result of smooth transition combining geometries previously tested and validated in the literature: the idealised oropharynx model, Johnstone et al (2004) with an oral volume of 53000 mm 3 , the normal nasal male anatomy without sinuses model of Weinhold and Mlynski (2004), with 35000 mm 3 volume, and the CT male trachea of Malvè et al (2010), with 23000 mm 3 .…”