[Three-dimensional analysis of nasal physiology : Representation by means of computational fluid dynamics]

The human nose takes primary responsibility for preconditioning inhaled air. Numerous pathologies can affect the physiology of the nose. The beginnings of flow analyzes were carried out with three-dimensional casting models and differently colored liquids. Temperature and humidity could not be taken into account. Today, much more complex analyzes are possible using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which are based on three-dimensional models generated from computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) datasets. Here, flow velocities, temperature, humidity, and pressure differences can be simulated and displayed in high-resolution videos as a function of multiple boundary conditions. The analysis of pathological changes or surgical interventions is thereby possible.