Secondary velocity fields in the conducting airways of the human lung

An understanding of flow and dispersion in the human respiratory airways is necessary to assess the toxicological impact of inhaled particulate matter as well as to optimize the design of inhalable pharmaceutical aerosols and their delivery systems. Secondary flows affect dispersion in the lung by mixing solute in the lumen cross section. The goal of this study is to measure and interpret these secondary velocity fields using in vitro lung models. Particle image velocimetry experiments were conducted in a three-generational, anatomically accurate model of the conducting region of the lung. Inspiration and expiration flows were examined under steady and oscillatory flow conditions. Results illustrate secondary flow fields as a function of flow direction, Reynolds number, axial location with respect to the bifurcation junction, generation, branch, phase in the oscillatory cycle, and Womersley number. Critical Dean number for the formation of secondary vortices in the airways, as well as the strength and development length of secondary flow, is characterized. The normalized secondary velocity magnitude was similar on inspiration and expiration and did not vary appreciably with generation or branch. Oscillatory flow fields were not significantly different from corresponding steady flow fields up to a Womersley number of 1 and no instabilities related to shear were detected on flow reversal. These observations were qualitatively interpreted with respect to the simple streaming, augmented dispersion, and steady streaming convective dispersion mechanisms.