title: Analysis of the collapsibility of the upper airway in a spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing: a modelling approach.
abstract: Using a simplified model of the upper airways with two independent collapsible elements (nostrils and hypo-pharynx), we calculated the cross-sectional area of these two elements, taking into account pressure drops. We experimentally measured flow and pressure in the fossa and hypo-pharynx in various syndromes. This allowed us to compare the behaviour of the area supplied by our model with the aerodynamic resistance that is often used to analyse upper airway flow limitation events. We showed that nostril and hypo-pharyngeal areas are better correlated than the resistance values and thus concluded that the pressure divided by the square of the flow is a better parameter for analysing flow limitation in upper airways than resistance. Owing to its simplicity, our model is able to supply the area of the collapsible element in real time, which is impossible with more sophisticated models.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des techniques de l'imagerie et de la modélisation et de la cognition, CNRS UMR 5525, université Joseph-Fourier, BP 53X, 38041 Grenoble, France. Patrice.Barrabe@imag.fr
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barrabé
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Roux-Buisson
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tamisier
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Pierre-Yves
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Guméry
mesh_terms: D000403:Airway Resistance; D006801:Humans; D007013:Hypopharynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001239:Inhalation / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009666:Nose / Q000503:physiopathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000503:physiopathology; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*