Simulation of airflow-induced ripples on a thin layer of liquid or gel
Problem statement
Despite the advancement in medical treatment with anesthesia procedures, patients can still suffer from respiratory compromise. In some cases, doctors only notice the issues with the respiratory system after there are major symptoms. After patients exhibit symptoms from the lack of oxygen, it is often already at the late stage of suffocation. To overcome this, the ultrasonic monitoring system was developed to provide constant monitoring of the patient’s breathing. Preliminary results showed that during breathing, a Doppler signal is detected by the ultrasonic transducer. However, the actual physical conditions that cause the ultrasonic Doppler signal is yet uncertain. Speculation suggests that there could be ripples formed on the air-gel interface on the tracheal wall. Our goal is to use computational fluid dynamics to simulate the air passing through the trachea and identify the physical cause of the ultrasonic signal. This will provide extremely valuable information for the development of ultrasonic detection and ultimately reduce fatalities related to respiratory compromise.
Team members
Chongxi Yuan – leader
Labib Shahid – communicator, accountant
Hangrui Chen – admin
Client
Guelay Bilen-Rosas, UW Medical School