Pan Hui, Xie Jun, Gao Weiye, Chen Wei
/ （ 610041） Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, West China School of Public Health/West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
（ 102206） School of Astronautics, Beihang University, Beijing 102206, China.
Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2025 Jan 20;56(1):215-221. doi: 10.12182/20250160102.
To analyze the changes in the respiratory characteristics of the upper respiratory tract under nasal obstruction conditions, to identify the disparities in the flow-heat transfer processes within the respiratory tract, and to provide auxiliary support for the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases.
We established in this study a three-dimensional (3-D) model of the human upper respiratory tract based on computed tomography (CT) data. Computational fluid dynamics methods were used to compare and analyze the flow and heat transfer characteristics of the human upper respiratory tract under normal breathing and nasal obstructive conditions.
During normal breathing, the complex geometric shapes and large areas of heat transfer inside the nasal cavity of humans allowed the respiratory airflow in the posterior part of the nasal cavity to be warmed close to the body temperature. Under unilateral nasal obstruction, relatively high-speed gas and low-speed gas quickly mixed up and homogenized in the posterior part of the nasal cavity, and the airflow underwent sufficient heat transfer in the nasal cavity. Under bilateral nasal obstruction, air was inhaled through the mouth, and the flow velocity was significantly higher at the nasopharynx and the airway entrance compared to that of normal nasal air intake. Moreover, the heat transfer intensity of the airflow in the oral cavity was relatively weak, and the temperature rise of the airflow in the oral cavity was relatively small.
A stable nasal breathing pattern plays an important role in maintaining human respiratory comfort and preventing respiratory diseases.
分析鼻阻塞状态下上呼吸道呼吸特性的变化，明确呼吸道内流动传热过程的差异，为呼吸道疾病的诊断与治疗提供辅助支持。
本研究基于计算机断层扫描（CT）数据建立人体上呼吸道三维（3-D）模型。采用计算流体动力学方法，对比分析正常呼吸和鼻阻塞状态下人体上呼吸道的流动及传热特性。
正常呼吸时，人体鼻腔内复杂的几何形状及大面积的传热，使鼻腔后部的呼吸气流能被加热至接近体温。单侧鼻阻塞时，相对高速气流与低速气流在鼻腔后部迅速混合并均匀化，气流在鼻腔内经历充分的传热。双侧鼻阻塞时，空气经口吸入，与正常经鼻吸气相比，鼻咽部及气道入口处的流速显著更高。此外，口腔内气流的传热强度相对较弱，口腔内气流的温度升高相对较小。
稳定的鼻呼吸模式对维持人体呼吸舒适度及预防呼吸道疾病起着重要作用。
