School of Civil Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Center for Mechanical Teaching and Testing, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming 525000, China.
Sensors (Basel). 2021 Nov 10;21(22):7457. doi: 10.3390/s21227457.
Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a common sleep disorder characterized by repeated pharyngeal collapse with partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway. This study investigates the biomechanics of upper airway collapse of OSASH patients during natural sleep. Computerized tomography (CT) scans and data obtained from a device installed on OSASH patients, which is comprised of micro pressure sensors and temperature sensors, are used to develop a pseudo three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of the upper airway. With consideration of the gravity effect on the soft palate while patients are in a supine position, a fluid-solid coupling analysis is performed using the FE model for the two respiratory modes, eupnea and apnea. The results of this study show that the FE simulations can provide a satisfactory representation of a patient's actual respiratory physiological processes during natural sleep. The one-way valve effect of the soft palate is one of the important mechanical factors causing upper airway collapse. The monitoring data and FE simulation results obtained in this study provide a comprehensive understanding of the occurrence of OSAHS and a theoretical basis for the individualized treatment of patients. The study demonstrates that biomechanical simulation is a powerful supplementation to clinical monitoring and evaluation.
阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征（OSAHS）是一种常见的睡眠障碍，其特征是上气道反复发生咽腔塌陷，导致部分或完全阻塞。本研究旨在探讨 OSAHS 患者自然睡眠时上气道塌陷的生物力学机制。通过对 OSAHS 患者进行计算机断层扫描（CT）扫描，并使用安装在患者身上的设备获取数据（该设备由微压力传感器和温度传感器组成），我们构建了上气道的伪三维（3D）有限元（FE）模型。考虑到患者仰卧位时软腭受重力影响，我们对上气道进行了呼吸模式为 eupnea 和 apnea 的流固耦合分析。研究结果表明，FE 模拟可以对上气道塌陷过程中的呼吸生理过程进行准确模拟。软腭的单向阀效应是导致上气道塌陷的重要力学因素之一。本研究中获得的监测数据和 FE 模拟结果为 OSAHS 的发生提供了全面的理解，并为患者的个体化治疗提供了理论依据。该研究表明，生物力学模拟是对临床监测和评估的有力补充。
