Investigation on airflows in abnormal nasal cavity with adenoid vegetation by particle image velocimetry

Knowledge of airflow characteristics in nasal cavity is essential to understand the physiological and pathological aspects of nasal breathing. Several studies have utilizedphysical models of the healthy nasal cavity to investigate the relationship between nasal anatomy and airflow. Since the final goal of these works is their contribution to the diagnosisand treatment of nasal diseases, the next step on this topic is naturally studies for disordered nasal cavities. In this paper, as the first application, airflows in the normal and abnormal nasal cavities with adenoid vegetation are investigated experimentally by PIV, and comparisons of both cases are appreciated. Dense CT data and careful treatment of model surface under the ENT doctor’s advice provide more sophisticatedcavity model. The CBC PIV algorithm with window offset is used for PIV flow analysis. Average and RMS distributions are obtained for inspirational and expirational nasal airflows. Airflow characteristics that are related with the abnormalities in nasal cavity are presented.