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A Novel Airway Clearance Technique Implementing a Combination of Acoustics and Air Pulses

Wheeler, Aaron R
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8224-7060
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin157356931244647

Abstract Details

2019, MS, University of Cincinnati, Engineering and Applied Science: Aerospace Engineering.
Lung disorders and complications are very common in the modern world whether it be from genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy or as byproducts of habits such as smoking. As a result of these disorders, many cases main complication is the inability to remove mucus secretions within the airway which can have detrimental or even life threatening side effects. To combat this issue, many airway clearance techniques currently exist in the field, none of which have consistently shown a significant advantage over one another in clinical testing. In this study, two of such airway clearance techniques, namely high frequency pressure pulses and acoustic waves, are combined and the subsequent effect on mucus simulant clearance within various test section geometries is studied. The first test section geometry tested was a single tube test section with a constant diameter of ¼” throughout that was meant to demonstrate the efficacy of the technique and to determine acoustic and pressure pulse set points that would effectively clear the test section. To this end, it was found that set points of 490 Hertz speaker frequency, 400 BPM pressure pulse frequency, 50 cm H2O pressure pulse pressure, and 0.8 Volts speaker input amplitude yielded ideal clearance of the test section, and in fact even showed complete upstream movement of the mucus simulant. These test points were then tested in several different branched test section geometries that increasingly more accurately represent the geometry of a human lung in both branch length and branch diameter. It was found that when branching was introduced to the test section, the ideal test conditions changed depending on the branch in which the test was taking place, and that full clearance of the test section became much more difficult, but that breaking down the mucus simulant plug was still possible. Based on pressure data taken upstream and downstream of the test section, it is suggested that the acoustics and pressure pulses combine at the proper settings to create a standing wave overlaid on top of a synthetic jet that together create a pressure differential within the test section that is responsible for the upstream movement of the mucus simulant. Future work needs to be done to characterize the flow field within the test section in order to better describe this interaction and to better predict test settings at which this interaction can be maximized in order to optimize the result.
Ephraim Gutmark, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Shaaban Abdallah, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Jeffrey Kastner, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
139 p.
Biomedical Research

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Wheeler, A. R. (2019). A Novel Airway Clearance Technique Implementing a Combination of Acoustics and Air Pulses [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin157356931244647

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Wheeler, Aaron. A Novel Airway Clearance Technique Implementing a Combination of Acoustics and Air Pulses. 2019. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin157356931244647.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Wheeler, Aaron. "A Novel Airway Clearance Technique Implementing a Combination of Acoustics and Air Pulses." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin157356931244647

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin157356931244647
226
© 2019, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License A Novel Airway Clearance Technique Implementing a Combination of Acoustics and Air Pulses by Aaron R Wheeler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.